At the recent EU summit in Brussels, the European Union allowed the United Kingdom to restrict the child benefit payment to foreigners who work in the UK but have their children at home. According to the Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, it is good that the EU reached an agreement with the UK, although it didn't help for the EU's closer integration.
"This agreement anchors a two-speed EU for the first time. The myth of an ever closer Union has fallen. It is, however, a good offer for Britain to stay in the Union," said Fico on a Radio Television Slovakia's discussion program on Sunday. His opponent in the discussion, Christian Democrat chairman Ján Figeľ pointed to the unfairness of the EU-UK agreement. "There should have been pressure on keeping fair conditions for a single European market. It shouldn't have happened that Slovak citizens that work in Great Britain would become second-class citizens," said Figeľ.
In the course of the next seven years Britain may apply to curb social benefits for incoming workers from other EU countries and cut child benefits for children of foreign workers, which are not staying in Britain. As for child benefit payments, Slovaks in the UK will get as much as they would receive at home. The monthly child benefit in Slovakia represents 23.52 euro compared with 82 euro in the UK. The British will decide whether to stay in the EU in a referendum on June 23, but according to the Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, many things may happen by that time.
