US embassy cable - 04BRATISLAVA1011

UNCLAS  BRATISLAVA 001011 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, EU, UP, LO 
SUBJECT: WIDE SUPPORT FOR EU ACCESSION TALKS WITH TURKEY 
 
REF: (A) BRATISLAVA 00909 
 
     (B) BRATISLAVA 00923 
 
1. (U) Summary.  The vast majority of Slovak political 
parties have expressed support for beginning EU-accession 
talks with Turkey.  However, they caution that beginning 
talks is not a guarantee of support for joining the EU; 
Turkey must fully meet all the political and economic 
requirements for membership.  One government coalition 
party, the Christian Democratic Party (KDH), has vocally 
opposed opening EU accession talks with Turkey.  A recent 
constitutional amendment gives parliament the final 
authority to make decisions on Slovakia's positions within 
the EU.  Deciding how Slovakia will vote in December on 
Turkish EU-accession talks is the first test case of the new 
law.  End Summary. 
 
Dzurinda Gets Support from Opposition 
-------------------------------------- 
 
2. (U) True to his word, after promising in a 10/1 press 
conference at his Slovak Democratic and Christian Union 
(SDKU) party's headquarters to begin a dialogue among 
political parties on Turkish EU accession (ref A), Prime 
Minister Dzurinda did just that.  He secured support for 
setting a firm date to begin talks with Turkey from the co- 
governing Hungarian Coalition Party (SMK) and Alliance of 
the New Citizen (ANO), and from the two major opposition 
parties, Smer and the Movement for Democratic Slovakia 
(HZDS).  All were careful to say that beginning talks was 
not a guarantee that Turkey would be admitted to the EU; it 
must first fulfill all the conditions for membership.  HZDS 
Chairman Vladimir Meciar stated, "If EU entry talks begin, 
they will consist of several years of political hang-ups, 
but it is better that they start than not at all."  Smer's 
chairman Robert Fico indicated his party's support for 
beginning negotiations did not automatically presume future 
support of Turkey's membership in the union. 
 
3. (U) Smaller parties in Parliament, such as the People's 
Union (LU) and the Free Forum (FF), also agreed on the need 
to start entry talks with Turkey.  President Gasparovic 
commented that Turkey should be admitted to the European 
Union after its long wait. The president said, "Telling 
Turkey 'no' would not be acceptable from a political or 
civil view." 
 
KDH Chooses God Over Politics 
----------------------------- 
 
4. (U) Of the four governing parties, only the KDH remains 
resolutely opposed to opening talks.  KDH Chairman Pavol 
Hrusovsky recently stated on national TV that his party 
objects to talks because of unresolved issues, such as 
Cyprus, human rights violations, and maintaining standard 
democratic practices throughout the EU.  As a strong 
Catholic-based party, KDH has also maintained that the EU 
should remain solely a Christian community.  The Slovak 
Conference of Catholic Bishops said Turkey has not met the 
criteria for entering the EU and "lacks the basic roots of 
Europe, which are Greek philosophy, Roman law, and 
Christianity." 
 
5. (SBU) SDKU MP Roman Vavrik told emboffs 11/2 that KDH 
sought support from opposition parties for its stance 
against accession talks and against Slovakia signing the EU 
constitution.  However, only the KDH and the Communist Party 
(KSS) oppose these two key foreign policies, which the vast 
majority of Slovak politicians see as crucial for Slovakia's 
prosperity and security.  SMK MP Lajos Ladanyi summarized 
the prevailing view when he told emboffs that cutting off 
Turkey's option to join the EU could send the country in the 
direction of extremism and Islamic fundamentalism. 
 
Parliament's Role 
----------------- 
 
6. (U) Political party dialogue was crucial to this issue 
because parliament will decide what stance the GOS will take 
in December.  Based on an amendment to the Slovak 
Constitution effective August 1, 2004, parliamentary 
decisions on EU-related issues are binding for the 
government.  The issue of opening accession talks with 
Turkey is the first test of this process.  Parliament 
started the ball rolling by requesting that the MFA prepare 
a report regarding Slovakia's stance on opening EU accession 
talks with Turkey. 
 
7. (SBU) The chairman of the Parliamentary Committee for EU 
Affairs, Tibor Mikus (HZDS), told poloffs 10/19 that 
committee members thought the report was incomplete and 
lacked a clear position.  On October 20, the Committee 
 
recommended postponing the parliamentary discussion on this 
topic until December and requested a new MFA report due in 
late November. However, Mikus also told poloffs that 
Slovakia is a little player in the EU, and it should watch 
and listen carefully, indicating the final decision would 
not be anti-Turkey. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
8. (SBU) The GOS will likely flow with the prevailing stream 
in the EU regarding Turkey.  The new amendment to the 
constitution has provided a valuable tool for coalition 
parties to transfer this issue to parliament so that it 
doesn't create too much tension in the cabinet.  We can 
expect heated parliamentary debate from the KDH, but the 
overwhelming majority of coalition and opposition parties 
agree on the position "open talks -yes, accession - maybe." 
 
WEISER 
 
 
NNNN