Brussels, 17/06/2016 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 16 June, the Party of European Socialists (PES) condemned recent statements by the Slovak prime minister, Robert Fico, who is affiliated with the PES, about the role of Islam in his country, threatening him once again with sanctions.
Fico's country is preparing to take over the presidency of the Council of the EU on 1 July. In an interview published on 26 May, the prime minister said that Islam “did not have a place” in Slovakia. He said the problem was not the migrants who are arriving as such, but the fact that they “are changing the face of the country”.
The PES said in a statement that it firmly condemns Fico's recent statements about the role of Islam in Slovakia, adding that it also has concerns and serious questions about his policy on refugees and minorities, particularly LGBT and therefore expected him to clarify and revise his position. The PES said it also expects him to sketch out a clear programme for a strong and united Europe.
The PES threatened to issue sanctions against Fico if its assessment of Slovakia's future presidency is found not to be satisfactory. These sanctions could involve suspending Fico's party, the SMER, from the PES.
In September 2015, a similar threat was made to him at the instigation of the head of the Social Democrats at the European Parliament, Gianni Pitella, but it was never put into practice. In early October, the PES decided to closely monitor Fico and his party (see EUROPE 11407). (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)