Opposition Slams Freeze of €200M for Municipalities, Committee Fails to Meet

Bratislava, 1 July (TASR) – A special emergency session of the House committee aimed to address the freezing of €200 million in funding for municipalities failed to convene on Tuesday due to a lack of quorum - as coalition lawmakers were absent. The opposition heavily criticized their failure to attend the session, calling it a clear sign of how little the governing coalition values local authorities and their problems. According to Progressive Slovakia (PS), the coalition’s absence sends a clear message of disregard for the needs of municipalities. The SaS party accused the government of “impoverishing” local authorities by denying them access to vital investment funds. „Minister Samuel Migal (independent) has taken it upon himself to reassess regional priorities without consulting municipalities or respecting their actual needs. He withdrew funds from towns and villages that had projects ready for kindergartens, schools, or wastewater treatment plants. A government that claims to support regions is, in reality, dismantling them,” said SaS MP Vladimir Ledecky. The legislator added that what was initially described as a temporary freeze is now tied to unclear criteria - making it highly unlikely, in his view, that the funds will ever be returned to municipalities and local authorities. PS pointed to the fact that Slovakia is lagging behind neighboring countries in its utilization of EU funds and blamed the government for managing the process in a slow and chaotic manner. „Although the minister did attend the committee, he completely failed to dispel the concerns. We still don’t know who will be responsible for reallocating the €1.3 billion, including the €200 million frozen for municipalities,” said PS vice-chair Michal Truban. Jana Hanuliakova, a PS member of the House Committee for Public Administration and Regional Development, questioned the necessity of the freeze. „Municipalities have already launched projects, resolved land ownership issues, secured permits, and begun public procurement processes. Instead of supporting them, the ministry is throwing obstacles in their path,” she said. PS called on the investment minister to restore the frozen funds and engage in talks with local authorities. „Nowhere in the EU would a government dare to interfere with regional development funds in this way - especially not by redirecting them toward defense or energy aid without any consultations,” Hanuliakova added. mf