As one solution to minimise security risks to Slovakia, Member of European Parliament Richard Sulík (SaS) recommended expelling all non-Slovak citizens if they commit criminal acts. Sulík believes that it's only a matter of time before France and Germany also adopt this course of action. This was said at a press seminar in Banská Bystrica on Monday evening organised by the European Parliament's Information Office in Slovakia, which focused on the migration crisis and the tragic events in Paris.
MEP Vladimír Maňka (Smer-SD) was also in attendance, claiming that he doesn't link the terrorist attacks in Paris with the refugee crisis. Maňka believes that the attacks would have happened regardless of the migrant influx, as the fight against Islamic State (IS) is ongoing and terrorists want to intimidate countries that join the fight against IS. "Even though retaliation will follow on the heels of the attacks, what's important here is something else", said Maňka, who bemoaned how little we know about IS - how it supplies itself with arms, and how it generates revenues from selling oil illegally. "I don't understand why warring powers won't cut off these trade routes. If they did, IS would be weakened with its current strength severely degraded. It's necessary to fight terrorism but that fight should begin somewhere else", said Maňka.
"France and IS are at war. I'm also surprised that great powers such as the United States and Russia, as well as middle powers such as France, can't handle some ragtag band that drives around in Toyotas", said Sulík, who is convinced that the latest terrorist attacks in Paris were not the last. Even though Sulík doesn't claim that the events in Paris have a direct correlation with migration crisis, he thinks that "uncontrolled migration facilitates the attacks". Both MEPs hope that Europe will finally heed the wakeup call and start protecting its borders efficiently. This has to happen, according to Sulík, "with or without Ms. Merkel, because unless she changes her opinion very soon she won't be the chancellor for much longer".
