Slovakia’s Parliament continued discussions on Thursday morning on opposition proposals to dismiss several ministers and to pass a vote of no confidence in the government. The debate began on Wednesday (4 February) shortly before 10:00 p.m. and is set to continue without breaks until it is fully concluded. Of the original 67 speakers registered in writing, more than 50 still remain, after which it will also be possible to register to speak orally.
During the night, the debate was dominated mainly by opposition MPs. They conveyed their objections to the government and individual members of the cabinet. According to them, the government does not serve the citizens of the Slovak Republic. “Seventy percent of people in Slovakia want this government to resign, because it in fact works only for itself, consumes power—its own power—works for its own benefits, the benefits of friends, oligarchs, and for impunity,” stated MP and leader of the opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS), Michal Šimečka. In their speeches, opposition representatives spoke about scandals involving the current coalition and also criticized the government’s current foreign policy.
They also addressed the poor economic situation in Slovakia and pointed to a loss of trust in the state and state institutions. “People do not believe that the state takes care of their safety. And this government allowed that to happen,” noted Mária Kolíková (SaS). She asked how people are supposed to obey the law when they see the coalition changing the rules in order to avoid courts. The opposition also objected to the fact that the dismissal motions are being discussed in a joint debate and during nighttime hours. They further criticized government representatives for not being present in the chamber and for not listening to the criticism.
Representatives of the coalition also spoke during the night debate. Ľubica Laššáková (Hlas-SD) devoted her speech to defending ministers from Hlas-SD. “Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok (Hlas-SD) has stabilized the police force, stopped political manipulation, and restored trust in the security services, just as Health Minister Kamil Šaško (Hlas-SD) has stabilized the healthcare system,” she declared, adding that the opposition’s proposals, in her view, contain only stories and not facts.
The head of the Smer-SD parliamentary group, Ján Richter, spoke after 3:30 a.m. He rejected claims that the government had deceived voters regarding the promises it made. According to him, the motion of no confidence contains many half-truths, untruths, and “completely made-up things.” He also advised the opposition to show more humility in its speeches when using the term “brutal” support, noting that elections are still far away. He focused mainly on social and economic issues, reminding listeners that consolidation is necessary. He acknowledged that the government has not stopped the rise in food prices in Slovakia, but has significantly slowed it compared to the previous situation during the pandemic. “The government of Robert Fico (Smer-SD) is taking certain measures that are having an effect. Maybe not to the extent some might imagine, but there are concrete results,” Richter added.
On Thursday from 9:00 a.m., MPs were originally supposed to deal with proposals from the Ministry of Investments. However, already on Wednesday, parliament approved that if the debate on the dismissal motions does not end by Thursday at 9:00 a.m., it will continue and the ministry’s proposals will be discussed only afterward.
Source: TASR
