Latest news with #Fico
Bloomberg
a day ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Slovak Leader Rules Out Support for Kazimir's Return as Governor
Prime Minister Robert Fico will not support the reappointment of Peter Kazimir as head of Slovakia's central bank, the Slovak leader said on Sunday. 'He is not suitable for us,' Fico told a press conference, adding that the junior coalition party Voice, which holds the right to nominate the candidate, must propose a different name.
Mint
a day ago
- Politics
- Mint
Slovak central bank chief Kazimir should not get another term, prime minister says
(Reuters) - Slovak central bank governor and European Central Bank policymaker Peter Kazimir is not the right candidate to get another six-year term and the country's main ruling party will not back him, Prime Minister Robert Fico said. Kazimir was finance minister for Fico's SMER-SSD party in 2012-2019 but was close to Peter Pellegrini, who led a group that split away to form a new party called Hlas-SD in 2020. The two parties came together to form a government in 2023, but Fico has been at odds with Kazimir due to the party split. Kazimir, who's term as central bank governor expired on Sunday, was sentenced on Thursday to a 200,000 euro ($226,940) fine for bribery. The central bank chief, who has denied wrongdoing, has rejected the verdict and said he would appeal to a higher court. Fico, speaking at a news conference on Sunday, said he had labelled Kazimir as a "political traitor" because of his disloyalty to the SMER-SSD party not because of his conviction in the bribery case. Fico said he respected the right of coalition partner Hlas-SD to nominate the governor, under their coalition agreements. "I think that we have the right as a party (SMER-SSD) that will be important in the vote, to say if this person suits it or not," Fico said. "And we have a number of principal reasons that make us say that Peter Kazimir is not the right candidate for NBS governor. Hlas-SD must come up with someone else," he said. Slovak central bank chiefs are nominated by the government, approved by parliament and appointed by the president. Fico has criticised the judge over the Kazimir bribery ruling. The court has declined to comment. Under Slovak law, Kazimir can remain a governor unless there is a final conviction of a crime. He also stays in his post past the end of his term until a new governor is appointed. Kazimir has not said publicly if he was seeking a second term. (Reporting by Jan Lopatka. Editing by Jane Merriman)
Straits Times
a day ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Slovak central bank chief Kazimir should not get another term, prime minister says
FILE PHOTO: Petr Kazimir, when Slovakia's Finance Minister, attends the Asian Financial Forum in Hong Kong, China January 15, 2018. REUTERS/Bobby Yip/File Photo Slovak central bank chief Kazimir should not get another term, prime minister says Slovak central bank governor and European Central Bank policymaker Peter Kazimir is not the right candidate to get another six-year term and the country's main ruling party will not back him, Prime Minister Robert Fico said. Kazimir was finance minister for Fico's SMER-SSD party in 2012-2019 but was close to Peter Pellegrini, who led a group that split away to form a new party called Hlas-SD in 2020. The two parties came together to form a government in 2023, but Fico has been at odds with Kazimir due to the party split. Kazimir, who's term as central bank governor expired on Sunday, was sentenced on Thursday to a 200,000 euro ($226,940) fine for bribery. The central bank chief, who has denied wrongdoing, has rejected the verdict and said he would appeal to a higher court. Fico, speaking at a news conference on Sunday, said he had labelled Kazimir as a "political traitor" because of his disloyalty to the SMER-SSD party not because of his conviction in the bribery case. Fico said he respected the right of coalition partner Hlas-SD to nominate the governor, under their coalition agreements. "I think that we have the right as a party (SMER-SSD) that will be important in the vote, to say if this person suits it or not," Fico said. "And we have a number of principal reasons that make us say that Peter Kazimir is not the right candidate for NBS governor. Hlas-SD must come up with someone else," he said. Slovak central bank chiefs are nominated by the government, approved by parliament and appointed by the president. Fico has criticised the judge over the Kazimir bribery ruling. The court has declined to comment. Under Slovak law, Kazimir can remain a governor unless there is a final conviction of a crime. He also stays in his post past the end of his term until a new governor is appointed. Kazimir has not said publicly if he was seeking a second term. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Slovak central bank chief Kazimir should not get another term, prime minister says
(Reuters) - Slovak central bank governor and European Central Bank policymaker Peter Kazimir is not the right candidate to get another six-year term and the country's main ruling party will not back him, Prime Minister Robert Fico said. Kazimir was finance minister for Fico's SMER-SSD party in 2012-2019 but was close to Peter Pellegrini, who led a group that split away to form a new party called Hlas-SD in 2020. The two parties came together to form a government in 2023, but Fico has been at odds with Kazimir due to the party split. Kazimir, who's term as central bank governor expired on Sunday, was sentenced on Thursday to a 200,000 euro ($226,940) fine for bribery. The central bank chief, who has denied wrongdoing, has rejected the verdict and said he would appeal to a higher court. Fico, speaking at a news conference on Sunday, said he had labelled Kazimir as a "political traitor" because of his disloyalty to the SMER-SSD party not because of his conviction in the bribery case. Fico said he respected the right of coalition partner Hlas-SD to nominate the governor, under their coalition agreements. "I think that we have the right as a party (SMER-SSD) that will be important in the vote, to say if this person suits it or not," Fico said. "And we have a number of principal reasons that make us say that Peter Kazimir is not the right candidate for NBS governor. Hlas-SD must come up with someone else," he said. Slovak central bank chiefs are nominated by the government, approved by parliament and appointed by the president. Fico has criticised the judge over the Kazimir bribery ruling. The court has declined to comment. Under Slovak law, Kazimir can remain a governor unless there is a final conviction of a crime. He also stays in his post past the end of his term until a new governor is appointed. Kazimir has not said publicly if he was seeking a second term. ($1 = 0.8813 euros)
Gulf Insider
3 days ago
- Politics
- Gulf Insider
Slovak PM Fico Warns EU's "Mandatory Political Opinion" Spells End Of Common European Project
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico delivered a stark warning to fellow European leaders during his speech at CPAC Hungary in Budapest on Thursday, declaring that the European Union's attempt to impose a 'mandatory political opinion' on its member states signals the collapse of the European project and a departure from democratic values. 'The imposition of a mandatory political opinion, the abolition of the veto, the punishment of the sovereign and the brave, the new Iron Curtain, the preference for war over peace. This is the end of the common European project. This is a departure from democracy. This is the precursor of a huge military conflict,' he warned. Fico's remarks came as he revealed both he and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán had received threats from 'a particularly nervous new German chancellor,' who warned them that if they did not fall in line with Brussels' uniform view on military support for Ukraine and sanctioning Russia, ''You will be punished.'' 'No one in a peaceful and democratic project should have the right to treat other EU member states in this way, regardless of their size and economic strength,' he said. Fico, a veteran of Slovak politics who survived an assassination attempt last year, framed his overall remarks as a defense of national sovereignty in the face of what he described as increasing aggression from Brussels and major EU powers. 'I do not want to see our sovereignty and the national identity melt away in the generalist supranational, international structures, especially those in Brussels,' he said. While acknowledging his left-wing roots, Fico distanced himself from what he called the 'Brussels kind' of social democracy, instead describing himself as a 'rural socialist' focused on defending Slovakia's traditions, Christian heritage, and national interests. 'As a strong leftist, I have no problem spending the night with the people on the production line to support higher night shift allowances or wage increases,' he said. Click here to read more…
