President Schuster announced after a meeting with PM Mikuláš Dzurinda that he would not sign a bill on social assistance, which he called “a frontal attack” on poor people, and said he might even appeal the draft to the highest court.
The draft would lower state payments for long-term unemployed people, and would cap child benefits at Sk10,500 ($250) a month, regardless of the number of children a family has.
The new centre-right government has vowed to reduce spending on social programmes to cut the state budget deficit. The president’s signature is not necessary on laws passed by parliament, but its absence is generally regarded as a political sign of disapproval.
Compiled by Tom Nicholson from press reports.
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
