Part of the opposition is calling for a general strike on November 17 against higher taxes and the scrapping of public holidays. The proposal comes from the non-parliamentary Demokrati party, together with the opposition SaS party.
SaS leader Branislav Grӧhling said he would hold dozens of meetings with employers and unions who see the current austerity measures as a threat. But not all opposition parties agree. William Karas from the KDH party called the idea “infantile,” and party leader Milan Majerský was also sceptical. Progressive Slovakia leader Michal Šimečka announced his party will hold a roundtable on Friday with partners, unions, employers, and civic groups, urging coordinated action.
Meanwhile, Union spokeswoman Martina Neméthová stressed unions cannot take part in a strike declared by a political party and questioned whether such a step would even be realistic. The Employers’ Association likewise ruled out support. Political scientist Radoslav Štefančík said a general strike is unrealistic and largely a voter-mobilization tactic by SaS.
Finance Minister Ladislav Kamenický (SMER-SD) rejected changes to the austerity measures package, while the coalition said calls for a strike show a lack of respect for election results.
President Peter Pellegrini urged any cancellation of public holidays to be temporary, warning that permanently scrapping November 17 would needlessly stir tensions.
A general strike would affect all sectors. The last nationwide strike in Czechoslovakia took place on November 27, 1989, when citizens protested the communist regime in the streets.
Source: STVR, TASR
