Convening a parliamentary session two days before the general election to delve into a reduction in state contributions for political parties – initiated by the still-governing coalition (Smer, the Slovak National Party and the Movement for Democratic Slovakia) – is sheer populism, Béla Bugár, the chairman of the extra-parliamentary party Most-Híd said on June 9, according to the TASR newswire.
“Beautiful gesture, and we wouldn't even be against it if (Premier Robert) Fico had not spent his reserve fund for football pitches and artificial nails (for a female fitness model) ... and now he’s attempting to shirk responsibility,” said Bugár. Moreover, the Finance Ministry is set to allocate the funding for political parties as late as in autumn. “This means that the people would get the aid that late,” emphasised Bugár, stressing that the money is needed now.
Bugár further stressed that the premier's reserve fund was supposed to be used for extraordinary situations but Fico has already frittered the money away. Bugár, who has been a party leader for all seven of Slovakia's post-1989 elections (with three different parties), remarked that if Fico’s Cabinet hadn't sold the carbon dioxide emission quotas 'for a buck', the premier would not have to busy himself looking for money for flood-hit areas.
Source: TASR
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
