Boris Kollár: I don’t trust the Ministry of Health, I’ve caught up with me once, I won’t allow it a second time – Denník N

The Speaker of Parliament and We are the family Boris Kollár says that he does not block the reforms, he just does not like the way they are written, and according to him, the ministries should do their job properly.

“I just don’t want this explosive atmosphere to get into a state where it will not only swallow up half of Slovakia, but the whole government. I save them by trying to communicate with the regions. “

In the interview you read:

• which hinders its reforms;
• why he does not trust the Ministry of Health;
• what about the money to come from the recovery plan for reforms;
• in what contact he is with Attorney General Maroš Žilinka;
• what are the relations in the coalition.

Before the 2020 election, you told me in an interview that you would be a dear bride. You are now blocking the reform of national parks, hospitals, courts or the amendment to section 363, and the groom has already told you that he can send you away.

After all, they can get divorced in families.

Is this how you imagined your functioning in the coalition?

Not. We have passed hundreds of very good laws. You can’t compare three or four things with hundreds of others supported.

Let’s go to those blocked reforms.

As for the reforms, Mr Holý brought about a reform of public procurement, there were comments and he very patiently negotiated with each other, removing friction surfaces. We have not vetoed the reforms, they are on the government’s agenda. I believe that healthcare and justice reform needs to be done. But not in this form.

If you want to make a reform, you have to get those who will be affected on your side. At the very least, they need to be debated. When we came to those regions, there was a deaf ear. None of the ministries talked to them and we were the first to come there. This is unacceptable to us. Every reform needs to be prepared and communicated. Not that I just write it and throw it into parliament.

Let’s talk about each of them individually. Let’s start with the national parks. The government’s program statement (PVV), which you personally signed, states that the government will “ensure a unified administration of protected areas under the Ministry of the Environment of the Slovak Republic”. That sounds very clear and you are blocking it.

We block the form in which the law is written. We agree with what is in the PVV.

The basis of that reform mimics what is on the government’s agenda.

We have no problem with the protection of the fourth and fifth protection zones. However, we said that the third level of protection should pass under the Ministry of the Environment only after zoning. Further adjustments need to be made there, as landowners would be harmed and private property is, according to the Constitution, the highest protected right of a citizen. Private owners would suddenly find themselves in the third level of protection. They could not sell the land, but only offer it to the state. These are some things that need to be adjusted and then we can imagine that we will support the amendment.

Do you want them to download the proposal and go talk to it again with you?

They need to know that. I am not a submitter. Mr Holý negotiated for six months and then pushed through the proposal.

Minister Budaj proposed a reform of national parks five months ago and you want to discuss it now?

I think that such a great reform should go through an inter-ministerial comment procedure. Should such a crucial thing be brought to parliament through a parliamentary proposal?

Which you personally signed.

Yes, I signed because I did not know it was on such a large scale. When I looked at it, we found that it was not just 300,000 hectares, but 600,000 hectares with a reach of 1.2 million hectares. So I said no this anymore.

Did you not look at the bill you signed as its draftsman?

No, I didn’t look at it. I trusted Mr. Budaj. He had me sign it as we agreed. But then our colleagues warned me that it was not as we had agreed, so I withdrew the signature.

Don’t you normally look at the bills you sign?

Please, this is Mr. Budaj’s proposal, and I just signed up. This is commonly done. I relied on Minister Budaja.

Your Member, Linhart, refers to the reform of national parks as a ‘mega-theft’ that will allow ‘the tunneling of money to protect parks through non-governmental operations’. Do you feel that way too?

The Honorable Member has such an extremist vocabulary. I wouldn’t say that. I don’t even think it’s designed to tunnel money through non-governmental organizations. In principle, I have a very good relationship with Mr Budaj and I respect him very much as a person.

How did you see Linhart throwing a piece of paper with the words “eco-terrorist” after MP OĽAN NO Šíbl?

I was not in plenary at the time, so I did not see it. I do not think that such speeches are appropriate on either side.

You have lifts in Donovaly, which borders the Low Tatras National Park. You have done business with people from J&T and you know them well. Isn’t your business or ties to people who are against greater protection of national parks simply behind your attitude to park reform?

I have absolutely no ties to J&T.

You were friends with them and you sold them lifts.

Selling something to someone does not mean that you are friends with them. It’s like going to the store and buying two liters of milk. This does not mean that you are friends with the owner of the “samoška”. We have never been in a friendly relationship. We know each other and I must say that I perceive J&T as a correct business group. But we’re not friends, goddamn it.

And what about the Donovals and their ties?

Donovaly are Starohorské hills. They are not in the Low Tatras National Park or the Malá Fatra National Park. It’s just a protected landscape area and I have no desire to cut down the forest there. Whether I block it or not, the conditions of doing business in Donovaly do not change for me. It is clear from this that there is no other interest on my part, and I have only heard the views of the people in the regions in which they live and would be unhappy.

This also applies to conservationists, but you are probably not in such contact with them.

If any of them come to me, I will accept him. I had Dorota Nvotová here yesterday and I had no problem communicating with her. I accepted her because she was at the forefront of the other side’s protests.

You must have seen pictures of the Low Tatras, the forests disappearing from them. Reform also tries to prevent this. Didn’t those pictures move you?

These are vulgar underbelts.