On March 14, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer party) informally asked Slovak President Ivan Gašparovič to not sign the Patriotism Act, recently passed by the parliament, which was prepared by the Slovak National Party (SNS). The prime minister’s main objection was its effective date as Fico considers the act better to be valid from the beginning of next school year, September 1, the Sme daily wrote on its website.
The Slovak PM deemed the current effective date of April 1 as not practical, as it leaves no time for the schools to prepare the technicalities necessary to implement it. He also said the SNS could also get more time to specify ways in which the schools could be repaid the costs stemming from the law.
As for the intent of the law, PM Fico said he has no reservations. “I think that work with state symbols should be more active – but it is questionable whether to do it through a law,” Fico said.
He expects that if the law is returned to the Slovak parliament, the Speaker of Parliament, Pavol Paška (Smer), will find a way to move an amended act through approval during this term of parliament before the June general elections. Sme
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
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