President Andrej Kiska (source: Sme)
With that in mind, the head of state suggested that parliament modify the bill and remove the perceived discrimination. Kiska highlighted the fact that approved bill underwent significant change compared to its version approved by parliament that resulted in lower guarantees for pensioners who had been saving for their retirement in the second, or capitalisation, pillar that ultimately result in lower pensions.
Calling the arrangement “direct discrimination”, Kiska referenced a ban on discrimination that is enacted in the Slovak Constitution. Neither the bill as such nor its rationale contain reasons that justify such a discrimination, he said.
Kiska was urged to refer the bill back to Parliament by Opposition envoys on May 27. The bill introduces an arrangement whereby when considering whether a person is eligible to receive a minimum pension only the money sent to the state-managed first pillar will be taken into account. In other words, people who are saving in the private second pension pillar will have their minimum state pension curbed. A handful of bills have now been vetoed by Kiska only to be passed again by the majority Smer-SD government.
