Opposition Blasts Gov't for Jeopardising European Money for Slovakia

Bratislava, April 12 (TASR) - The opposition has lambasted the government for potentially jeopardising the drawing of resources from the Recovery Plan in light of the European Commission's reservations towards the manner in which the Special Prosecutor's Office was scrapped and changes were made to the Penal Code. Progressive Slovakia (PS) called on Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) to start negotiations in Brussels and to accept responsibility. According to MP Veronika Remisova ('Slovakia'-Christian Union-For the People), Slovakia has never been so close to having its European resources stopped than it is now. The opposition responded in this way to a letter that the European Commission has sent to the Slovak Government. PS chair Michal Simecka pointed out that investments worth more than €3 billion have been put in jeopardy. "This is the responsibility of this government of Robert Fico," he underlined. Instead of the prime minister doing everything he can to save European money, he's recording videos and insulting everyone around him, added Simecka. PS also rejected Fico's claim that Slovakia's EU funds might be stopped as a "punishment by the West" because Ivan Korcok wasn't elected president. It pointed out that the letter was sent even before Peter Pellegrini won the presidential election. According to Remisova, it is clear that the Commission has quite good knowledge of what is happening in Slovakia. "In short, the European Commission has doubts about whether Slovakia is capable of supervising European money effectively, making sure that it isn't stolen," stated the former vice-premier. Because of this, Remisova wants to propose a resolution in Parliament that would task Vice-premier for the Recovery Plan Peter Kmec and Investment Minister Richard Rasi (both Voice-SD) with drafting a report on existing measures to protect European money, share the full wording of Slovakia's answers to the European Commission and introduce specific remedial measures. mf/df