Representatives of the three co-ruling parties, the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ), the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) and Most-Híd have not decided specifically on what legislation to include in the next session of parliament but they did agree that passing the state budget is of highest priority, the TASR newswire reported.
Agriculture Minister Zsolt Simon from Most-Híd party told journalists after a meeting of the coalition partners last Friday, October 14, that he is uncertain whether the coalition will be able to pass further laws before the early elections scheduled for March 2012, adding however
“I am convinced that there are motions, such as the bank levy, that have the support of all parliamentary parties,” as quoted by TASR.
Regarding the state budget, Simon expressed confidence that the current government can monitor the budget deficit for the first three months of 2012 until the new government is installed and creates a new budget.
“This scenario is the price to pay for the fall of the government brought about by SaS [Freedom and Solidarity party],” he said.
Simon added that the proposed tax-levy reform cannot be included among the laws to be passed by the government since it was “a sacrifice placed on the altar on Slovakia’s behalf by SaS”, TASR wrote.
Though SaS had previously said it is prepared to support the state budget proposal it is not certain whether it will finally do it. According to the chair of party’s caucus, “if the government will continue in scrapping their [SaS’] proposals and will not allow the parliament to discuss them, they will not vote for the state budget draft”, the Sme daily reported.
If the state budget is not approved by parliament expenditures will remain at the same level as currently. Financial analysts have also warned that if Slovakia does not pass the budget it will face the threat of lowered credit rating since the willingness of the country to bring the budget deficit below 4 percent of GDP will be doubted, Sme wrote. Nevertheless, an analyst for Next Finance, Markéta Šichtařová, told Sme that Slovakia belongs among the countries where such scenario is the least possible.
Source: TASR, Sme
Compiled by Radka Minarechová from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
