SaS Leader Accuses Rival Politician of Playing Both Sides of Political Divide

Richard Gröhling, leader of the liberal opposition party Freedom and Solidarity (SaS), has publicly accused László Gubík of political opportunism, saying he shifts his allegiances depending on the circumstances. Gröhling criticized Gubík for appearing alongside opposition leader Michal Šimečka at a press conference one day, then holding talks with Robert Šutaj Eštok — a senior figure in the ruling coalition — the next. Šutaj Eštok serves as Slovakia's Interior Minister and is a leading member of Hlas-SD, one of the parties in the governing coalition led by Prime Minister Robert Fico. Gröhling challenged Gubík to make clear which side of Slovakia's political divide he stands on. Gubík is associated with representing the interests of Slovakia's Hungarian-speaking minority, but Gröhling argued that a separate political party is not necessary to address the concerns of Hungarians living in Slovakia, suggesting existing parties are capable of doing so. SaS is a center-right, pro-European opposition party that has been a vocal critic of the current Fico-led government.