Centre-right parties reunite to pass measures in parliament

Despite the current government failing to win the confidence of MPs in a vote over the eurozone bailout mechanism on October 11, measures prepared by its centre-right parties are successfully passing through parliament again after they agreed to continue supporting important changes, the Sme daily reported.

Despite the current government failing to win the confidence of MPs in a vote over the eurozone bailout mechanism on October 11, measures prepared by its centre-right parties are successfully passing through parliament again after they agreed to continue supporting important changes, the Sme daily reported.

“After the SaS [Freedom and Solidarity] party was excluded from the government they [the rest of the coalition] cannot except that we will behave like nothing has ever happened,” said SaS party leader, Richard Sulík, as quoted by Sme, before a meeting with his coalition partners that took place on Tuesday, October 18.

But after the session with his former colleagues from the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ), the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) and Most-Híd he changed his mind and helped them to pass several laws, including changes to the financing of municipalities – the so-called tax mix – which has been criticised by the opposition.

“SaS will support a majority of the government’s measures because it helped to prepare them,” Sulík explained, as quoted by Sme. He added that the parties had already started to discuss the draft state budget.

The leader of the main opposition party, Smer, has expressed his dissatisfaction with parliament’s adoption of laws prepared by a coalition which has failed to pass a confidence vote. However, although his party has decided not to support the draft state budget proposed, Robert Fico admitted that it is still better than having to use a provisional budget.

“It should be expected that the internal structure of this budget will be changed after the elections, [as] priorities will be elsewhere,” Fico said, as quoted by Sme, apparently assuming that his party will win an election slated for March 2012.

Though the coalition agreed to support individual laws, it is still not certain who will represent Slovakia at this weekend’s eurozone summit, where the leaders of member countries will discuss changes to the eurozone bailout funds. According to Prime Minister Iveta Radičová, it would not be good if President Ivan Gašparovič represented Slovakia during the talks as the summit will be attended only by prime ministers. However, Fico is insisting that Radičová cannot go because her government technically no longer exists.

Source: 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.

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