VZCZCXRO5519
RR RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHSL #0404/01 1440949
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 240949Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY BRATISLAVA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9857
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRATISLAVA 000404 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/12/2013 
TAGS: INRA PGOV LO
SUBJECT: POLITICAL ROUND-UP: ELECTION EDITION II 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Rodolphe Vallee as per E.O. 12958 1.4(b) and 
1.4(d) 
 
SDKU INSIDERS ON THE POSSIBILITY OF A SMER-SDKU COALITION 
--------------------------------------------- ------------- 
¶1. (C) The Foreign Minister's Chief of Staff, Peter Kmec 
(strictly protect), told DCM that FM Eduard Kukan has already 
been approached by Smer Chairman Robert Fico about serving as 
FM in a Smer-led government that includes the SDKU. Under 
this scenario, current PM Dzurinda might serve as Speaker of 
Parliament. In the event Fico forms a government without 
Dzurinda's SDKU, Kmec says that Fico has essentially offered 
the job of FM to Jan Kubis, a long time MFA employee who has 
previously served as Slovakia's Ambassador to the UN in 
Geneva, lead negotiator on the Stability Pact, OSCE Secretary 
General, and the UNSYG's Special Representative for 
Tajikistan. 
 
¶2. (C) Kmec says the toughest scenario for Fico will be if 
Smer gets less than 25% of valid votes and SDKU does 
relatively well.  The key then would be Free Forum (SF).  If 
SF can get over the 5% threshold, Dzurinda will be emboldened 
to try to form a coalition with SF, the Christian Democratic 
Movement (KDH) and the Party of the Hungarian Coalition 
(SMK). Only if absolutely necessary would Dzurinda add the 
Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) as a fifth 
coalition partner. Kmec described Dzurinda as stubborn, and 
said he will try to make a deal without Smer.  (Comment. From 
this discussion DCM was left with the impression SDKU is 
resigned to working with Smer in the next government. End 
comment.) The worst election outcome, according to Kmec, 
would be a two-party Smer-HZDS coalition.  Kmec thinks Fico 
is wary of this option as his top priority is to build up his 
own image as a statesman and leader. 
 
¶3. (C) Kmec said the private equity group Penta is hedging 
its bets by making donations to multiple parties. Penta is 
most interested in having influence over a new health 
minister and finance minister. (Comment. Penta has been in 
the news for several months in relation to their investments 
in health insurers and as providers of emergency medical 
services. The media frequently speculates that the 
government's health care reforms were tailored to benefit 
Penta, In January one opposition leader said Penta had 
de-facto become the fourth party in the governing coalition. 
End comment.) Kmec said Penta is sending signals to the 
parties that, even though Penta itself is not interested in 
getting access to EU funds, they have the clout to help a new 
government get more money from the EU. 
 
FURTHER EVIDENCE? 
----------------- 
¶4. (C) SDKU DefMin Martin Fedor and Smer MP Robert Kalinak 
both attended a showing of a Lockheed-Martin C-130J aircraft 
on May 23. Kalinak, who currently chairs the Parliamentary 
Defense Committee and is widely expected to be Smer's choice 
for DefMin in the next government, was beside Fedor almost 
throughout the presentation. The two shared private 
conversations and laughs. When Poloff commented to Fedor's 
Chief of Cabinet, Rudolf Michalka, that it was good to see 
the two men getting on, Michalka replied that all three of 
them had spent some time together on a trip to Norway, and 
that Fedor and Kalinak had become quite close. Michalka said 
the friendship would be useful for avoiding turmoil at MoD 
after elections. (Comment. Michalka is known to support SDKU 
in the elections, although he does not belong to the party 
and does not comment publicly. Almost before he finished 
stating that Fedor and Kalinak's friendship could be good for 
the MoD, he seemed to realize he had said something he should 
not and quickly changed the subject. End comment.) Fedor, 
Kalinak and Michalka all use the familiar "ty" form when 
addressing one another. 
 
SDKU: KEEPING ON TRACK TO THE EURO 
---------------------------------- 
¶5. (U) Ivan Stefanec, Plenipotentiary for Euro Adoption and 
economic specialist spoke about SDKU,s main economic 
objectives at an AmCham breakfast held part of its Election 
Speaker Series 2006.  Stefanec said the party plans to stay 
on course with its current policies, and to further its 
reforms.  In particular, Stefanec discussed Slovakia,s 
intended entry into the European Monetary Union by January of 
¶2009.  He emphasized the importance of following through with 
the set date, and mentioned some of the steps that have been 
taken to prepare Slovak citizens for the new currency.  These 
include dual listing of prices in Slovak Crowns and Euro six 
months before and six months after the adoption, as well as 
teaching Euro values in schools starting in the coming 
academic year.  In regard to political questions about 
possible coalitions, Stefanec said that SDKU was prepared to 
negotiate with any other party, with the exception of the 
Communist Party of Slovakia (KSS). Minister of Justice Lucia 
Zitnanska spoke at the same breakfast about the party's plans 
 
BRATISLAVA 00000404  002 OF 002 
 
 
for the justice system, which includes greater investment 
into the system and possible structural changes to improve 
management and efficiency. 
 
TELLING THEM HOW TO VOTE 
------------------------ 
¶6. (U) Slovakia,s Roman Catholic Bishops have written a 
letter to be read during Holy Mass at churches across the 
country on May 28. The letter reminds parishioners of their 
"Christian duty" to go to the polls and support movements and 
parties that support "Christian values." According to the 
letter such a party would: support  healthy marriages and 
families; protect life from conception to death; be 
socially-conscious;  not indifferent to unemployment and 
poverty; fight for justice and the security of citizens; and 
respect religious freedom. Even before the letter has been 
made public, two opposition parties, HZDS and SNS, have 
claimed they meet the Bishop's criteria for support. The 
self-described liberal and secular Alliance of New Citizens 
(ANO) has protested that the letter is an inappropriate 
interference of the Church in public life. Most political 
scientists believe the letter best describes the right-wing 
KDH, which has refused to comment on the letter before it is 
read from the pulpit. 
 
MEDIA NOTES 
----------- 
¶7. (SBU) -- Peter Stano of Slovak Radio told PAO he saw a big 
difference between a recent MFA press conferences and those 
of the past.  Before MFA was somewhat modest about its 
accomplishments, and willing to share credit with political 
allies.  Today, they refer frequently to the achievements of 
"the second Dzurinda government," using that phrase over and 
over as they list major accomplishments, including NATO and 
EU entry, various conferences and the Pope's visit. 
 
¶8. (SBU) The deputy editor of the daily Pravda, Jozef Svolik, 
told PAO his newspaper would not endorse any parties or 
candidates the way American papers do.  Svolik said it is 
crucial for the paper to maintain its objectivity, and it 
couldn't do that if it was seen as supporting a particular 
party or candidate.  Svolik feared that if Pravda supported 
one party, the paper might lose readers who favored another 
party. 
 
¶9. (SBU) Vladimir Muzik, editor of the popular tabloid daily 
Novy Cas told PAO that his paper would not cover elections at 
all;  "Nobody is interested in politics.  Let the other 
papers cover it.  Maybe if there is a scandal we'll write 
something." 
 
SHOPPING FOR VOTES 
------------------ 
¶10. (SBU) Kalinak, who was once voted the sexiest Slovak MP 
by readers of Novy Cas and is considered to be one of 
Slovakia's most eligible bachelors, has found a uniquely 
successful manner of campaigning. According to Katarina 
Nevedelava, Smer's Assistant International Secretary, Kalinak 
simply goes shopping for basic groceries. As women invariably 
recognize "the poor single man" shopping for himself, he is 
able to show himself to be an everyman and create good 
word-of-mouth among voters. 
VALLEE