Memories of passionate performance of responsibility as a Minister of the Interior. Courage and honesty noticed by the citizens. Church: „we are no branch of the Church". EU: a more proper distribution of power. Admiration for the French politicians: writing books. About De Gaulle, Sarkozy, and kings...

Vladimír Palko - VP
Ľubomír Jančok - ĽJ

ĽJ: It is said about you - no matter whether in printed or in oral form - that you were the best Minister of the Interior Slovakia has ever had? How do you see your previous work now?

VP: It used to be a very exciting period of my life full of tension, crises and their solutions. The post of Minister of the Interior is like a sport full of adrenalin, but I had the impression I'd always been ready to act. I had everything well under control: the police force structures, legislative aims as well as other activities concerned. What made us popular and filled us with joy was that the citizens could really see the things getting a move on. I've been at the height of my political career since. The Interior is in the past for me now when I develop a new political party.

ĽJ: People noticed your uncompromising attitudes towards excessive practices of mafia groups which is a phenomenon far beyond the consciousness of a foreign observer who finds it too ostentatious in the Slovak society anyway. The way you intervene against them is a proper expression of courage and heroics...

                                                     source: kdsonline.sk

VP: I‘m glad some mafia groups are on trial now. There were life sentences. Today I'm happy to see the court trials finalizing.

ĽJ: After the years of conservative politics within KDH (Christian-Democratic Party) you have established a new political party KDS (Conservative Democrats of Slovakia). Could you explain to the foreign observer the difference between KDH and KDS on the current political chessboard?
VP: To be honest, we as members of KDS are those who were making the politics of the 1990s within KDH. We draw from its sources coming from the aforementioned period: the struggle against communism and post-communist politics which is present, indeed, until now when its members got transformed and are still present in the politics. Our next ideological source is the fight for the maintenance of conservative and Christian traditions in the European and Slovak politics. There are people wanting to do their jobs in accordance with their beliefs and conscience, nevertheless are not allowed to do so. KDH retreated from the government in protest against the non-fulfilled promise of the Prime Minister at that time in terms of the conscience clause which we had agreed on and signed with the Holy See before. Me and another two ministers from KDH retreated from the government which was a grand geste/ noble deed. Nowadays, KDH has, however, resigned by not presenting its presidential candidate as a certain ideal. It was something we in KDS couldn't just imagine! Who is to be voted by the conservative elector? They finished by nominating an absolute liberal Radičová. Contrariwise, we nominated František Mikloško.
ĽJ: Do you think the party of KDS can attract also the nondenominational electorate with its concept and intentions?
VP: Christian politics is no synonym of Christianity. There are people, on the one hand, regarding themselves as Christians but have nothing to do with; on the other, there are people not regarding themselves as Christians but we share the same civilisation instincts with them. Their taking actions in politics emerges from the culture created by Christianity - which actually enables the cooperation with non-Christians.

ĽJ: I understand, I was told by several people lately that „hats off to Palko & co. I appreciate their taking on the courage to retreat and continue in this line". And as I don't go in the church, I couldn't vote for KDH. But now KDS can be voted by a Christian as well as a non-Christian, so me as well!

VP: A political party is no branch of the Church. This is proven by the fact that even if we take ourselves for Christians we can sometimes get in dispute with the representants of the Church. And we are not afraid of it.

ĽJ: You are a candidate No 1 on the list of KDS in the European elections. Slovakia had the poorest polls in the first European parliament elections - only 17%. What is the cause of this problem in your opinion?

VP: The scissors in Slovakia open. On the one hand the citizens are not cognizant of the importance of European parliamentary politics. They don't feel concerned personally. On the other hand, the truth is that things emerging from Brussels have too much to do with them. The power and competences centralize in Brussels and the difference between the influence of large and small countries is growing.

The European Union was created as a confederation of several states. This phenomenon ends up with the Treaty of Lisbon which we, Conservative Democrats of Slovakia, as the only one party in Slovakia, didn't support. The establishment of the EU and the deepening cooperation is a certain megatrend. It belongs to the EU and there is no alternative to it - we respect it without any problems.

Yet, we can reflect the opacity of distribution of competencies between the EU and its member states. In addition to what we feel concerned about, the European ground opens for left-oriented secular liberals advancing their own interests in the whole EU. That's why we want that the questions concerning the cultural-ethic aspects of life be treated and decided by the states themselves, without any intervention from EU. But it intervenes anyway. At present, the economic crisis reveals us the tendencies of controlling smaller states. We in Slovakia have a comparative advantage - good tax system and equal taxation. We arouse interest of foreign investors and thus attract foreign capital. The "big" want to take it from us that's why they talk about harmonization.

ĽJ: You follow exactly the discussion of politicians on the French TV where also the problem of the tax system was dealt with. They declared outraged that it was not possible to compete the Slovak or Bulgarian companies, as they have some 20 % tax and everyone wants to get there. And as president Sarkozy said, those who relocate abroad would receive no subsidy at all.

VP: The question raised here is - how can Slovakia and Bulgaria not really draw level with but approach the standard of life in coutries like Germany or France? And in which way?

                                                      source: hnonline.sk

ĽJ: You are one of few Slovak politicians that have written a book and it's not just a 70-page brochure. What is its message?

VP: It treats my job as a Minister of the Interior as well as the period of early 1990s when I was an assistant in a new democratic Czechoslovak intelligence agency. I handle the questions of transformation of the security forces in Czechoslovakia and in Slovakia after 1989 continuously, along the period of 15 years. Such a comprehensive description has not been provided yet.

ĽJ: You are rigorous about details. It can be interesting for a foreign reader to learn more about the anachronisms of that times. Agent, candidate, questions of vetting...

VP: 20 years have passed since then. There is nobody remained in higher politics since the period before '89. However, practices and manners did. People can be substituted, but to substitute manners is something different. I've seen many times people overtaking the attitudes of those who were before them.

ĽJ: It's like when we were given a 20-year-old book at school to learn by heart the old ideological definitions.

VP: Going back to that book, I admire one specific feature of French politics. The politics in France has a literary dimension. A politician had to write a book for people to see his self-contained approach to things.

ĽJ: You have well seized the question.

VP: We must bring new things as well.

ĽJ: Another book in the offing?

VP: Sure, but not this year yet.

ĽJ: What is your opinion about the politics of Nicolas Sarkozy?

VP: We met by sight in the Council of Ministers when Sarkozy was a Minister of the Interior. I perceive the Office of the French President through the prism of De Gaulle who had tailored it to his needs. I think all French presidents have a problem to achieve his grandiosity. Sarkozy does not possess this grandiousness but I think he's got charm what is definitely his strong point. I wish him a lot of success.
The French president's office evokes features of bonapartistic dimensions in my mind. I'd find it as a sequel of Napoleon's era. I must confess I prefer the "France of kings".

ĽJ: This will go to the royalist newspapers (laughing)
In any case it is an interesting remark. It follows the fact I've introduced above: Sarkozy would support KDS in Slovakia. He was often criticized for his favourable attitude towards the Church for which Muslim and other religious groups felt offended as a consequence. From the point of view of politics he's got himself understood in the conservative, Catholic as well as aristocratic circles.

Thank you !

ĽJ

*traduction by Magdaléna Moravcová