Gaspar: Coalition Likely to Enable Opening of Special House Session on PPA Funds

Bratislava, 4 June (TASR) - Coalition MPs are discussing the possibility of allowing a special emergency session of Parliament to be opened on Thursday (5 June) over suspicions of unauthorized subsidies granted by the Agricultural Payment Agency (PPA), Deputy Parliament Speaker Tibor Gaspar (Smer-SD) announced on Wednesday. „But how we will proceed further, I would leave that for tomorrow," said Gaspar. „What I mean is that there is a possibility that the agenda will not be approved, or that it will be approved and we'll go on to hold a debate with the opposition," he explained. The start of the session, initiated by opposition MPs, is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. At least 76 MPs need to be present to open the session and approve the agenda — a number the opposition does not have. According to Gaspar, coalition partners consider the topic politically very suitable and have all the arguments prepared to show that the discussion linked to the construction of private haciendas from EU funds is merely a continuation of a certain "hybrid threat". According to him, this threat has already occurred before and is being carried out by the same people who were behind it in 2018, around the time of the murder of journalist Jan Kuciak. The aim of the special session is to adopt a resolution regarding suspicions of misuse of European Union funds provided by the Agricultural Payment Agency for the purpose of building accommodation facilities aimed at promoting agrotourism. The opposition parties consider it the only viable option in the case involving private haciendas financed through the PPA. mf