VZCZCXRO4003
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHSL #0964/01 3471353
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 131353Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY BRATISLAVA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0536
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BRATISLAVA 000964 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON SOCI LO
SUBJECT: PRIME MINISTER'S PARTY CELEBRATES ITSELF 
 
REF: A. BRATISLAVA 802 
     ¶B. BRATISLAVA 830 
     ¶C. BRATISLAVA 838 
     ¶D. BRATISLAVA 733 
     ¶E. BRATISLAVA 754 
     ¶F. BRATISLAVA 764 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY.  On December 9, Prime Minister and Chairman 
of the Smer party Robert Fico addressed the party faithful 
with a speech highlighting the achievements of the past six 
months.  After focusing on fulfilled domestic campaign 
promises which "turn the wheel of governance towards the 
people and their needs", Fico's only foreign policy "win" was 
the upcoming withdrawal of Slovak troops from Iraq.  During 
the somewhat theatrically-staged event, a mention of the 
Slovak National Party (SNS) as a stable coalition partner 
drew considerably less applause than most other statements. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (SBU) At Smer's public "party congress" on December 9, 
Prime Minister Robert Fico spoke for an hour highlighting 
what the party considers to be its achievements after nearly 
six months in government.  Any internal debate on the party's 
positions had clearly been settled previously.  No one voted 
against any of the seven, mostly administrative, items on the 
agenda. (NOTE. Smer held a private, internal party congress 
several months ago (ref A). END NOTE.)  Slovak media 
criticized the format of this public, so-called party 
congress.  Saturday's event offered a cheering crowd of 
approximately 2000 party members and an over-the-top entrance 
by Fico onto the stage while diplomats and other invited 
guests looked on. 
 
DOMESTIC ISSUES, UNITY WITH LABOR UNIONS 
---------------------------------------- 
¶3. (SBU) Fico opened his speech by noting the strengthening 
of the party as demonstrated by the June national elections 
and December local elections.  He took the opportunity to 
malign the "neoliberal" governing style of the previous 
coalition and highlight Smer's measures "to turn the wheel of 
governance towards the people and their needs".  Providing no 
surprises, Fico's speech focused on domestic achievements, a 
list to appeal to the socialist faithful -- reducing and 
canceling fees in the health sector, increased benefits in 
pensions, insurance contributions, minimum wage, and other 
social payments, increased taxes for higher-earners, halting 
the airport privatization, proposing legislation on 
tripartite labor negotiations, and keeping energy prices 
under control by applying pressure on monopolies.  Among 
other domestic priorities for 2007, Fico noted planned 
reductions in government ministries, in both budgets and 
staffing.  Fico announced his support for the Special Court 
against corruption and organized crime, which HZDS-appointed 
Justice Minister Harabin wants to close down (ref B), but 
said that the Court would need changes. 
 
¶4. (SBU) The slogan of the onstage poster, "For human dignity 
in a social state," signified solidarity with the labor 
unions, which regularly use the "human dignity" phrase. 
 
FOREIGN POLICY - IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN, EURO-ZONES 
--------------------------------------------- - 
¶5. (SBU) In foreign policy matters, Fico proudly noted that 
the party had kept its campaign promise of pulling its 
soldiers out of Iraq, which was the only foreign policy issue 
that Fico could describe as a success.  He used the 
Baker-Hamilton report as one of the many justifications for 
the Slovak withdrawal from Iraq, explaining that its 
recommendation of gradual withdrawal confirmed Smer's 
long-held views of the conflict in Iraq.  Fico reiterated his 
position on Afghanistan - that the security conditions now 
are not sufficient for Slovak troops to be moved from Kabul 
to Kandahar - but left the door open for reevaluation in the 
future if conditions change.  He opined that NATO partners 
should allow for opinions that differ from the expectations 
"of our most significant strategic partners."  (NOTE.  The 
reference obviously points to the United States.  END NOTE.) 
 
¶6. (U) Fico highlighted two national goals: joining the 
euro-zone and the Schengen zone. 
 
COALITION PARTNERS, HALF-HEARTED APPLAUSE FOR SNS 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
¶7. (SBU) Fico's mention of the Slovak National Party (SNS) as 
a stabilizing force within the governing coalition received 
considerably less applause, and distracted looks from some 
members of the party's "working presidium" sitting behind him 
on stage, than the resounding cheers for most of his other 
statements.  He continued to blame Smer's suspension from the 
Party of European Socialists (ref C) on Smer's decision not 
to include SMK (Party of the Hungarian Coalition) as a 
governing coalition partner. 
 
BRATISLAVA 00000964  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶8. (SBU) Referring to Slovak-Hungarian tensions, Fico opined 
that those who expected extremism because of the governing 
coalition were disappointed.  He pointed to the controversial 
Hedviga Malinova incident (refs D-F) as a case-in-point of 
Slovakia successfully averting attempts to inflame tensions. 
(NOTE.  The implication is that Hungarians were behind these 
attempts.  END NOTE.)  In the next sentence, Fico noted that 
the budget for Matica Slovenska would more than double. 
(COMMENT. Matica Slovenska is a quasi-independent institution 
established by Slovak law to preserve and promote (ethnic) 
Slovak culture and history.  It helped form the nation's 
identity in the 19th century, but, in the post-communist era, 
has become populated with nationalists who look favorably 
upon the WWII fascist Slovak state.  It's unclear why Fico 
used this opportunity to publicize a step that is not 
designed to calm political or ethnic tensions among Slovaks 
and Hungarians, which had otherwise quieted down after the 
August-September peak.  He may be appealing to the 
nationalistic wing within his own party or taking a swipe at 
the opposition SMK party.  END COMMENT.) 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
¶9. (SBU) Smer insiders have commented recently on the need to 
reinvigorate party life, since the formerly active members 
are all now sitting in ministries or in parliament. 
Furthermore, since Smer did so much better in the June 
elections than predicted, many of its MPs are relatively 
unknown even within the party, and may not have the strongest 
of ties.  There is a history in Slovakia of groups of MPs 
fracturing off from the ruling party, which Smer would like 
to avoid.  Hence, the party congress mostly resembled a pep 
rally, designed to build spirit and loyalty. 
VALLEE