BRATISLAVA (Reuters) - The European Commission`s new ambassador to Slovakia, Walter Rochel, said on Tuesday political changes since last September`s general elections could open the way for accession talks. Slovakia`s new government, whose rise to power marked the end of years of domination of Slovak politics by authoritarian populist leader Vladimír Mečiar, has pledged to forge closer ties with the West and regain the country`s place as a front runner for European Union membership. The EU relegated Slovakia from the first accession wave of former Soviet bloc countries in 1997 amid criticism that Mečiar was compromising post-communist, democratic reforms and mistreating the 500,000 strong ethnic Hungarian minority. "Mr Rochel recalled that the situation in Slovakia since the parliamentary elections in September 1998 allows for the prospect of opening negotiations on condition that regular stable and democratic functioning of the institutions is confirmed," a statement from the Commission said. Rochel added that progress in the political arena needed to be complemented by further economic reform and implementation of "community legislation". Prime Minister Mikuláš Dzurinda said in January he was hopeful Slovakia would be formally invited for accession talks at the EU`s December summit in Helsinki. The government, which is a broad coalition of four parties, is working on proposals for a new language law for the Hungarian minority and has begun investigations into alleged abuses of power by the Mečiar government. Its economic policy priorities are for a slashing of the current account and budget deficits by the end of the year and reform and then further privatisation in the banking sector.