ZMOS: Cuts to Number of Municipalities a Political Proposal, Open to Debate

Bratislava, May 22 (TASR) - The proposal by Prime Minister and Smer-SD party leader Robert Fico to reduce the number of municipalities and self-governing regions is seen by Jozef Bozik, president of the Association of Slovak Towns and Villages (ZMOS), as a political opinion within the broader discussion on fiscal consolidation. Bozik said this for TASR on Thursday, adding that ZMOS is open to dialogue, but in his view, the proposal does not necessarily mean the state coffers will see more money. „Everything is up for discussion, including reducing the number of ministries, government members, and members of Parliament. If we’re going to save, then savings should happen across the board,” Bozik remarked. He recommended that government officials present the proposal at the ZMOS general assembly on Tuesday (May 27) during their addresses. „Reducing the number of towns and municipalities does not mean the state will have more funds. It does mean, however, that the existing funds will be redistributed differently within the operations of local authorities and related services,” Bozik explained. „I believe this is a well-opened debate. However, it must be said that reducing the number of towns, municipalities, and regions requires decisions that will not be made in a week or a month. The state needs consolidation here and now. The process of creating a lower number of local authorities has taken place in other European countries as well, but it took years, even decades. The effects we would like to see in seven months likely cannot be achieved within that time frame,” he added. The Prime Minister, following a meeting with Finance Minister Ladislav Kamenicky (Smer-SD) on Wednesday (May 21), stated that the senior governing party is ready to pursue significant savings at the state level as part of further consolidation. This could include a major reduction in the number of civil servants, municipalities, and members of Parliament, along with tightening the conditions for parties to enter Parliament, Fico noted. However, he expressed doubt that other coalition or opposition politicians would agree with these changes and said he expects reactions to his proposals. mf