VZCZCXRO8181
PP RUEHAG RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN RUEHLZ
RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHSL #0254/01 0900651
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 310651Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY BRATISLAVA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9686
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BRATISLAVA 000254 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
FOR EUR/NCE, G/TIP MHALL, AND EUR/PGI JBUCKNEBERG 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM SMIG KWMN SOCI LO
SUBJECT: CARETAKER MINISTER OF INTERIOR PROMISES STEADY 
COURSE ON TIP, EXTREMISM 
 
REF:A. BRATISLAVA 100 
¶B. 05 BRATISLAVA 642 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED  PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  Ambassador called upon Minister of the Interior 
Martin Pado on March 28 to discuss trafficking in persons 
and extremism.  Pado, formerly State Secretary (Deputy 
Minister), was installed as caretaker Minister following 
the withdrawal of the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) 
and their Minister of the Interior, Vladimir Palko  in 
January (ref A). 
 
PADO ON TIP: SLOVAKIA ON RIGHT PATH 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  Ambassador congratulated the Minister and 
and 
Slovakia on the progress the country has made fighting 
trafficking in persons (TIP), while noting that there is 
still work to be done.  Ambassador made a pitch for 
increased integration of the National Coordinator into the 
institutional structure of the Ministry (a proposal 
currently under consideration by the Minister) and stressed 
that adequate financing is needed for the efforts outlined 
in the national action plan.  He also encouraged the 
Minister to undertake efforts to find sufficient financial 
assistance for a victim support network, which could fall 
short if a larger number of victims than predicted identify 
themselves to authorities (a contingency our working level 
contacts believe the GOS should consider). 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  Pado was pleased that Slovakia's efforts got 
such positive reaction in the TIP Interim Assessment. 
Before 2002, he said, the Ministry paid little or no 
attention to TIP.  EU and Schengen accession, among other 
things, made Slovakia focus on some of these new issues, 
, 
and Slovakia has taken steps to change its posture towards 
TIP and other criminal issues.  Pado assured us that 
Slovakia is heading in the right direction on TIP, and said 
this approach will not be changed by early elections 
regardless of the outcome.  (NOTE:  Pado -- high on the 
candidate list for the SDKU -- several times referred to 
"his successor," which seemed to acknowledge the polling 
numbers which have some members of the current government 
coalition feeling pessimistic.  END NOTE). 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  As for financing, Pado said that just as the 
Ministry of Defense received assurances that it would have 
the funding necessary for NATO accession, now the MOI needs 
the same assurances that the government will secure and 
safeguard its funding during the coming years, not just 
regarding TIP, but Schengen issues as well. 
 
PADO: EXTREMISTS BECOMING MORE RADICAL 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  In response to the Ambassadors description of 
several first-hand experiences that he and members of the 
Embassy staff have had with extremist elements, Pado was 
understanding of our concerns that the problem of extremism 
appears to be more prevalent.  In the past year, he said, 
there has been a "radicalization" of right-wing extremists 
and an increasing "conspiracy" between different groups. 
Like TIP, extremism wasn't given adequate attention until 
three or four years ago, when the police corps started to 
perceive the topic in a different way.  They have also 
noted a broadening of the focus of hate groups from 
religious and ethnic intolerance towards "alternative 
youth" (i.e. punks, hippies) as well. 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  Pado highlighted the existence of a Department 
against Racism and Extremism within the Police corps, which 
mainly focuses on Roma issues.  Police working with Roma 
communities have received extensive training, but Pado said 
this alone is not sufficient.  The President of the Police 
ice 
corps issued a command in 2005 to eliminate extremism, 
and has tried to do so through both preventative and 
"repressive" tactics.  Response has been varied, as some 
citizens who are not members of the groups are sympathetic 
to their views.  In spite of this, Pado thinks the groups 
have been "hit to the core" by Police actions.  Still, he 
is aware that many challenges are ahead.  Personally, Pado 
does not think that repressive approaches are the best. 
While acknowledging that it's not a panacea, he believes 
that the government should use both educational and 
 
BRATISLAVA 00000254  002 OF 002 
 
 
informative campaigns as well as repressive tactics. 
(COMMENT:  DCM also raised this issue with SDKU whip 
Milan Hort.  Hort echoed Pados sentiment, and  like 
several other MPs we have approached  was surprised when 
we said that we did not yet perceive significant government 
educational and public outreach efforts.  END COMMENT) 
 
POSPOLITOST DOWN, BUT NOT OUT 
----------------------------- 
 
---- 
 
¶7.  (SBU)  Pado warned that the abolishment of Slovak 
extreme nationalist group Slovenska Pospolitost (ref B), 
whose political party registration was revoked by the 
Supreme Court, did not mean that its members would go 
away or change their thinking.  He said Pospolitost 
members are now joining other groups, and the government 
continues to monitor them. 
 
VALLEE