On Tuesday, both supporters and opponents of the prepared reform of national parks gathered in front of Parliament to voice their respective approval or disapproval. The opponents are concerned that the planned transfer of national parks under the management of conservationists could “dictate” to people living in the concerned districts how they should live in the countryside.
“It’s time for the voice of the countryside to be heeded and for foresters, private land owners, hunters and rural inhabitants to be invited to a round table and together prepare a quality reform of the national parks," stated representatives of the Slovak Forestry Chamber, who are taking part in the protest.
The vote on the reform should take place on Tuesday evening. An MP from the largest governing party Ordinary People, Jaromír Šíbl, submitted a motion to adjust the bill according to an accord that resulted from talks between a number of relevant bodies on the matter. The coalition party We Are Family signalled that it will not support the reform, and it is expected that several other coalition MPs will follow suit.
