Viskupic Criticises Fico for Weak Economic Growth

Bratislava, 15 August (TASR) - The Slovak economy's growth is weak, with government creating debt at record-high levels, whereas low unemployment is not the result of the current coalition's effort, but a consequence of the youth and other people leaving the labour market, opposition Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) MP Marian Viskupic said in response to Prime Minister Robert Fico’s (Smer-SD) statements on statistical indicators, TASR has learnt on Friday. According to Viskupic, the Premier's statements are misleading the public and, at the same time, do not reflect the real condition of the Slovak economy. "Yes, unemployment is at a historic low. But not thanks to this government - quite the opposite. More and more young people are leaving Slovakia because they don't want to live in a country where its prime minister attacks students and minorities while spreading Russian propaganda," he said, adding that people leaving the labour market is not a sign of a strong economy, but rather of a loss of potential. He also pointed out that Slovakia’s lower indebtedness compared to some European countries does not mean that the state is in good shape. Currently, Slovakia's debt relative to GDP is the fastest-growing in the EU due to non-targeted social packages and energy subsidies available for everyone – including the wealthiest. According to Viskupic, Fico only takes those countries into his government debt comparisons as he sees fit, leaving out the Czech Republic with a significantly lower debt. When it comes to GDP growth, Fico is also misleading the public in that he is celebrating the expected growth of 0.9 percent compared to 0.4 percent seen in Germany. However, Viskupic said that, back in December, Fico anticipated 2.5 percent. "The reality is that the year-on-year GDP growth for the second quarter was only 0.4 percent. Meanwhile, in the Czech Republic, the growth is 2.4 percent," Viskupic added. jrg/mcs/am