President Andrej Kiska spoke on Sunday about the current political situation.

“On Thursday, I announced that today I would appear on public television with a statement on the current situation in Slovakia after the horrible murder of Ján Kuciak and Martina  Kušnírová. Yesterday, I learned that the Prime Minister planned to make a statement with me, as well as the president of the National Council.

I spoke personally with Prime Minister Robert Fico about possible ways out of a serious political crisis. Unfortunately, it has turned out that our perceptions and our views on possible solutions are different.

For these reasons, I have decided to cancel my evening speech and state my point now. The last thing our society needs in a tense situation is a political theater on television in the hands of the highest constitutional officials.

On Friday, two young people were honored by tens of thousands of people throughout Slovakia and abroad. We shared outrage, sorrow, and wishes for the perpetrators of this act to be found and punished.

But I felt from people the determination to start a demanding, perhaps painful but necessary process, so that we can once again trust the state, its representatives, its ability to protect us and ensure justice. In order to be able to stand up again after this wound.

Today, people’s mistrust in the state is enormous. Many do not trust the authorities involved in the criminal proceedings. Many from personal experience. And this mistrust is justified. The boundaries have been crossed, things have gone too far and there is no way back. We have reached a moment where we perceive the arrogance of power.

I believe the best investigators are dealing with this case and they want to solve the murder of two young people. I would therefore like to ask all people, as the President of the Slovak Republic: let us trust them for the moment.

I cannot mitigate the atmosphere that suffocates our country today. The rancor is enormous. The mistrust is unprecedented. The feeling of an unjust state is almost absolute. 

 If any motive would be proved behind the murder of two young people, even though somewhat random, a large number of people are convinced that this tragedy in many ways reflects Slovak reality in general.

This gives our state a very bad image after 25 years of existence. Something bad is under the surface, something bad at the very foundations of our state.

I waited a week for the political steps the government majority would do. What decisions it would make to try to ease tensions and restore confidence. However, no solution seems to be outlined. Some have resigned and I have listened to others. But I do not see any plan to bring the country out of this crisis of trust.

That is why I will begin negotiations with the political parties on how they imagine the future, the existence of the government, the relationships of the government and the opposition - and above all, how we will begin to restore the trust of the people in Slovakia in their own state.

I see two options now:

The extensive and radical reconstruction of a government that would not polarize society as well as demand and gain the trust of the National Council.

Or early elections, which would be the most natural solution in many democratic countries. It can be done quickly and efficiently along with municipal elections. But this must be decided by the Parliament with 90 votes.

Negotiations with political party leaders will begin in the coming days and I will then inform the public.

I am ready to bring this country through this complex and difficult situation.”