The parliamentary Conflict of Interest Committee dismissed a no-confidence motion against Health Minister Ivan Valentovič on April 23 at the behest of the ruling Smer party's deputy chairperson, Renáta Zmajkovičová.
The motion, submitted on April 17 by non-parliamentary Civic Conservative Party members Ondrej Dostál and Juraj Petrovič, concerns an interview with the minister being used along with his photo in an advertisement for the public health insurer, Všeobecná Zdravotná Poisťovňa, published in the Sme daily on April 5. Supporters of the motion said insurance companies in the private sector were put at a disadvantage by his endorsement.
If the motion had passed, Valentovič could have been fined up to 12 times his monthly income.
According to Zmajkovičová, Valentovič didn't promote any of the insurance company's products in the advertisement, but only presented points of the cabinet's manifesto. Her proposal to dismiss the motion was supported by more than half of the committee members present.
Opposition Hungarian Coalition Party MP Gábor Gál objected that the committee dismissed the motion before its members had the chance to go through the case.
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
