Independent MP Simona Petrik wasn't allowed to enter Parliament with her five-month-old daughter on Thursday, TASR learnt on the same day. Petrik expressed her remonstrance on Facebook, stating that she only planned to stay for a few minutes to ask Labour, Social Affairs and the Family Minister Jan Richter a question, while carrying her child in a scarf wrapped around her neck. "Because apart from MPs, no one can enter a parliamentary session - not even a five-month-old baby with her mother", said Petrik.
"It's 2016. I was taken aback by parliamentary employees who told me outright that a baby isn't welcome in this building. But I'm not really surprised, as I couldn't find a single baby changing table in the whole area as well. These ancient rules of procedure need to change. I'm on it", wrote Petrik on her Facebook page.
Parliamentary Vice-Chairman Béla Bugár (Most-Hid) was unimpressed by Petrik grandstanding the occurrence on her Facebook page, however, he admitted that rules of procedure need to be more detailed in order to address this issue in the future. Parliamentary Vice-Chair Lucia Nicholsonová (SaS), who is expecting a baby and also plans to bring it into parliamentary sessions, has personally apologised to Petrik. Nicholsonová wants legislators who are mothers to be able to bring their babies into parliamentary sessions.
Parliament Office communication director Zuzana Čižmáriková has confirmed that the current version of parliamentary rules do not allow for anyone other than MPs themselves to enter Parliament. "Female legislators haven't shown any interest to work at sessions with babies so far. Parliament doesn't prevent this from changing, but such a request needs to be properly proposed before a panel and approved by all of its members, that is, by all leaders of parliamentary parties", Čižmáriková told TASR.
