Slovak citizens unsatisfied with their country getting further involved in the European bailout mechanism have been asked to gather in protest before the parliament building on June 19 – the day lawmakers are scheduled to discuss the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), the TASR newswire reported.
"This protest is designed to express the unhappiness of Slovak citizens with the approach of the government, which – according to prior statements of Prime Minister Robert Fico – will promote further bolstering and subsequent ratification of the European bailout fund," said activist Peter Pčolinský to TASR. Pčolinský believes that the ESM will only serve to add to Slovakia's indebtedness and exacerbate the financial crisis.
"In the situation where Slovakia offers government bonds on the market and borrows money to repay its own debts and for the functioning of the state, we consider it irresponsible towards Slovak citizens to have the country lend money to a country where state benefits for the unemployed reach up to €1,000 per person and there are one-year or even two-year severance packages after quitting a job," stated Pčolinský, as quoted by TASR.
"We call on parliament and its lawmakers to reject making such pompous gestures towards countries that acted irresponsibly in allowing their debt to spiral out of control ... and to think about their own citizens," said Pčolinský, who was also one of the main organisers of the Gorilla Protests that began in early 2012 and focused on corruption and cronyism.
Pčolinský also heaped criticism on golden parachutes for outgoing managers in a number of state-owned companies. "They [golden parachutes] are absolutely immoral and in the difficult social situation that people face, they represent a mockery from the former transport minister” [Ján Figeľ of the Christian-Democratic Movement (KDH)].
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.
