Andrej Danko, leader of Slovakia’s SNS party, declared during a political debate that he would run for president in the upcoming campaign.
“I am going to tell you something exclusive: you’ve convinced me to go into a presidential fight. I will go against dirty and dangerous people like you [opposition leader Michal Simecka of the liberal Progressive Slovakia].”
Danko added that if he does not get enough votes, he will team up with another candidate, former judge Stefan Harabin, who has also declared his intention to run.
If I see that I don’t have a strong nationalist voice, I will support another nationalist voice.
The SNS party leader has been under pressure after it emerged that on January 11, he was involved in a car accident damaging a traffic light in Bratislava’s Dubravka neighbourhood and left the scene without reporting it.
Simecka claimed that PS would initiate a parliamentary session to oust Danko from his position as deputy parliamentary speaker.
“Everyone with a driver’s license knows that after causing a traffic accident, he should stay at the site, at least to rule out having drunk alcohol.”
Danko responded to his political opponent’s accusations, adding that police later tested him for alcohol.
I wasn’t drunk; I left because I was injured.
Following national elections on September 30, a wide range of SNS party candidates entered parliament.
Fico’s ruling coalition, consisting of Smer, its breakaway Hlas party and SNS, has a slight parliamentary majority of 79 votes out of 150.
To qualify for the popular vote, a presidential candidate needs the support of at least 10 legislators or the signatures of at least 15,000 citizens.
