Former Slovak prime minister says Dutch MEP should go home to ‘have a joint’

Dutch MEP and head of the European Parliament mission to Slovakia, Sophie in ‘t Veld “should go home and have a joint”, said former prime minister Robert Fico on Facebook, criticising members of her mission for not meeting with opposition parties. Peter Pellegrini, who became PM after Fico was forced to step down, also joined the criticism, saying the Dutch MEP “should pack her things and go home”.

The EU Parliament’s mission came to Slovakia to assess the current state of the rule of law in the country. Their visit lasted from Tuesday to Wednesday.

During two days, seven MEPs met with prime minister Eduard Heger, prosecutors, police officers, but also journalists and lawyers of the murdered journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancee Martina Kušnírová.

A similar mission came to the country in 2018 after Kuciak and Kušnírová were murdered when Fico was still prime minister. This mission was also headed by in t’ Veld and also met with Fico. After the visit, in ‘t Veld publicly asked Fico to step down.

“I am leaving this country cautiously positive. There is a very different atmosphere than the last I visited, and I am leaving with optimism,” in t’ Veld told a press briefing on Wednesday.

(Michal Hudec | EURACTIV.sk)