Login
RegisterShare this with
They are outside links and certainly will open in a window that is new
They are outside links and can start in a brand new window
Close share panel
“that are you? ” It absolutely was a unique opening gambit for what ended up being the initial international television meeting aided by the guy that is apt to be Slovakia’s next prime minister.
However it is an acceptable one.
We understand little in what Igor Matovic thinks about anything beyond the corrupt methods of a number of their countrymen, so Czech Television’s rolling news system had been directly to ask it.
Analysts are speaking about an era that is new Slovakia after outbound Prime Minister Robert Fico’s leftist SMER ended up being beaten by this maverick anti-corruption activist and their Ordinary individuals celebration, otherwise referred to as OLaNO.
The truth is, the best choice associated with the people that are ordinary is certainly not ordinary.
“for a long period we lived a comfy life being a effective businessman. Wen reality I became spending the best fees of every business owner in Slovakia, ” he stated, due to the fact red, blue and white flags of Slovakia fluttered behind him resistant to the backdrop of Bratislava Castle.
“But during the time that is same actually resented the truth that the amount of money ended up being most likely finding yourself in a banking account someplace in Cyprus. “
Therefore in 2007 he chose to signal their local news kingdom over to their spouse and enter politics.
Exactly just exactly How Matovic produced title for himself
He founded Ordinary People being a civic effort in 2010 and ended up being sworn in as an MP – using white pants, sandals and a T-shirt – equivalent year, initially for the centre-right Freedom and Solidarity celebration.
With his rhetorical flair and newsman’s instincts, their PR stunts were quickly making headlines.
To guide a referendum on restricting MPs’ immunity he deliberately parked their automobile on a pedestrian crossing in the exact middle of Bratislava; the digital cameras filmed him showing their pass that is parliamentary to police have been called to tow it.
Being an MP, he could never be prosecuted.
Within the 2012 elections, now sitting on their own given that relative mind of OLaNO, he took a lie-detector test to show he previously maybe maybe maybe not accepted bribes, and demanded his other prospects do equivalent.
A few declined, saying it had been insulting. He passed, while the party won 16 MPs.
But he reserved the majority of their ire that is creative for Prime Minister Fico and SMER, the celebration which had dominated Slovak politics since 2006 plus one he saw given that mind of the hydra of corruption that has been slowly choking Slovakia.
- Putting a life-sized cardboard cut-out of Mr Fico, keeping an indicator saying “Donated Slovakia to your Rich”, on to the floor of parliament
- Along side party peers, erecting tents in a vineyard owned by the minister that is prime camping here instantly
- Shooting himself regarding the French Riviera outs
Mr Matovic along with his peers stuck signs into the fence reading “Property associated with the Slovak Republic”. The movie happens to be seen 170,000 times on YouTube.
Is he a severe politician?
Stunts like these could have attained him labels such as “joker”, “maverick” and “populist”, but he has got succeeded in attracting severe, reputable individuals to join him.
“It is a position that is completely different you’re in opposition with something similar to 6-8% of this vote, when you may be the first choice of a regulating coalition, ” stated Jaro Nad, previous senior official during the Slovak defence ministry now certainly one of OLaNO’s 53 newly elected MPs.
“Even 2 or 3 weeks hence, as soon as the very very first polls began to show you could immediately see in Igor’s face that now he feels responsibility, and that now we will see a different Igor Matovic, ” Mr Nad told the BBC by telephone that he might be in a position to win the whole general election.
OLaNO’s complete name is Ordinary individuals and Independent Personalities. But Mr Matovic might not also function as the most personality that is colourful his or her own federal federal federal government.
What kind of federal government could he lead?
One potential romantic partner, Boris Kollar, leads a party called we have been Family – a declare that may hit some voters as literally true, simply because he has got so far fathered an overall total of 10 international cupid reviews young ones with eight various females.
Our company is Family is one of the Identity and Democracy team, the alliance of nationalist, right-wing and parties that are eurosceptic the European Parliament.
France’s far-right frontrunner aquatic Le Pen was quick to tweet her congratulations to Mr Kollar. If he does enter the Matovic government, maybe it’s an interesting couple of years.
Mr Matovic is 46 – the exact same age as Slovakia’s President, Zuzana Caputova.
The liberal modern Slovakia party she once aided to lead narrowly did not enter parliament, and Mr Matovic’s coalition may very well be more conservative because of this.
Undoubtedly you will see concerns on the way for which he will just just simply take Slovakia. The united states’s lovers – both the EU and its own periodically truculent neighbors when you look at the Visegrad that is so-called group are certainly inquisitive.
“Because he can function as the frontrunner of the mostly conservative ruling coalition, Budapest and perhaps Warsaw will welcome him as a representative of comparable styles, ” Grigorij Meseznikov, certainly one of Slovakia’s leading governmental analysts, told the BBC.
“But i am maybe maybe not certain Igor Matovic will be happy if Slovakia is dragged into some disputes that Slovakia did not cause. “