Fico: Coalition Must Also Address Practical Issues after Pellegrini's Election

        Bratislava, April 7 (TASR) - Following the election of Peter Pellegrini as president, the governing coalition must handle in a short time practical issues in addition to its commitments, Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) said in a video on a social network on Sunday.
        Apart from dealing with the situation with public-service RTVS, he also talked about a possible "punishment of the West" for not electing Ivan Korcok to office. He declared that the main goal of the government remains to make life in Slovakia better, more peaceful and safer.
        The premier pointed out that Smer-SD had supported Pellegrini's running for the president from the beginning. "We've tailored our support to him, support that takes into account the specifics of the relationship between Smer-SD and Voice-SD," he said, pointing to the opposition's anti-campaign and criticising Korcok's overnight statements.
        Fico noted that the votes Korcok received weren't expressions of support for him, but votes of opposition to the government. He therefore also addressed the opposition voters. "We have a difference of opinion on some things, but this shouldn't lead to an increase in hatred and aggression, which is spread with such intensity by the media. We live in the same country and we should respect that different means can be used to achieve certain political goals," he stressed.