Matovic Seen Digging His Own Political Grave with Sputnik Vanity Project

Matovic's sudden visits to Moscow and Budapest last week in an attempt to salvage the 200,000 Russian-made Sputnik V vaccines that he secretly procured in early March, yet have lain unused in Slovak warehouses since, took even his coalition partners by surprise. This was a bold move given that Matovic lost his premiership only two weeks ago after a month-long political crisis prompted by his furtive purchase of the Sputnik jabs.

Yet instead of chewing over public finances in his new ministry, he travelled to Moscow last Thursday on public health business and without any diplomatic cover. He met with officials from the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which promotes the distribution of Sputnik V around the world and is now requesting Slovakia return those vaccines, citing an undisclosed breach of contract - the details of which remain secret and known only to Matovic.

"Congratulations, idiots," wrote Matovic in reaction to the RDIF announcement it wanted the jabs back, referring to "cynical" people in Slovakia who had "executed" his health minister, Marek Krajci, and were now holding hostage other people's health by trying to sabotage the use of Sputnik in the country.

The first batch of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine arrives at Košice airport on 1 March 2021. FOTO TASR - Francis Iván No questions asked

"Sabotage" was the word the RDIF used when it was revealed by Dennik N that the Slovak Institute of Drug Control had refused to approve use of Sputnik V in Slovakia due to a lack evidence and close to 80 per cent of missing documentation from the manufacturer. The regulator's memo also noted that the vaccines delivered to Slovakia were not identical to those deemed safe for use in a study by The Lancet science...