Brussels, 07/07/2006 (Agence Europe) - While the Party of European Socialists is preparing to suspend its Slovak member, the SMER for allowing the extreme nationalist SNS to join the governing coalition headed by Robert Fico (see EUROPE 9227), the EPP-ED group in the European parliament has, at the request of its Slovak members, decided to set up a monitoring group on the situation in Slovakia. The Slovak National Party is known for its xenophobic views with regard to minorities, particularly the Hungarians and Roma, says the leader of the group Hans-Gert Pöttering. Mr Pöttering is also concerned about that the coalition also contains the party of former Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar (the HDZS, which features among the non-attached in the EP). “We will follow the further developments very carefully in close cooperation with our delegation from Slovakia under the leadership of Peter Stastny (of the Christian Democratic SDKU),” said Mr Pöttering.