Even if quotas passed by majority, Slovakia not to give consent: Slovak PM

If the mandatory quotas on resettlement of migrants are passed next week in Brussels by a qualified majority despite the disapproval of Slovakia, the Slovak Government still won't give its consent to them, claimed Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico in the Parliament on Wednesday.

"Every country has a sovereign right to address its demographic situation by inviting migrants, but it's unacceptable to order other sovereign states as to who they need to accept on their soil and under what conditions. That would mean the end of the illusion that small states having a voice in EU," explained Fico.

He thanked the Opposition for supporting the thumbs down of the Government on mandatory quotas.

"Their implementation would only invite more immigrants," he said, adding that it's strange to see countries that respect the Schengen rules being lambasted, whereas those that violate them are not.

"This is not a dispute between 'good-old humanistic' politicians from the old countries and those from the east who haven't grown up to fill their shoes. It's not a dispute between the bad East and good West, but a dispute for the EU rules and compliance with them," said Fico.

According to Fico, Europe as a whole is in the same boat and if EU ceases to be secure, every single Slovak will be in danger, too.

"The EU has found itself flooded by hundreds of thousands of migrants and is no longer secure. Up to 90 percent of these people are economic migrants - jobseekers. If there are people among them whose lives and health are in danger or have nothing to eat, Slovakia must show unequivocal solidarity. But we have no reason to aid economic migrants," added Fico. Endit