'Slovakia' Party: Cutting MPs' Salaries Pure Coalition Hypocrisy

Bratislava, 18 September (TASR) - MPs for the opposition 'Slovakia' party plan to submit amendments to the consolidation package and see the coalition agreement to reduce lawmakers' salaries next year as hypocrisy, arguing that the proposed reduction won't have any significant effect. "They say that they will cut their salaries by €220 a month. That's nothing for MPs, for heaven's sake. This is a clear example of false solidarity from government MPs. They are doubling your debt, cooking up a third round of consolidation, taking €7.4 billion out of your pockets, yet from their €6,000 [per month] parliamentary salaries they cut only €220. That is absolute falseness and hypocrisy," said Julius Jakab ('Slovakia'). Leader of the party Igor Matovic pointed to the disproportionate level of MPs' salaries, arguing that coalition MPs do almost nothing for such high pay and that the cuts should be more radical. Along with other members of his party, he plans to propose tougher reductions via amendments to the consolidation package. "It's time to turn the tables, for people to call the tune and for politicians to dance to it," said Matovic. The party maintains that if MPs' salaries are reduced, it will be thanks to their initiative. "We've been pointing this out," said Jakab. Michal Sipos ('Slovakia') recalled that the party has already submitted several proposals in Parliament to cut lawmakers' pay. MPs also rejected assertions that consolidation is the result of the previous cabinet's management, describing claims that Fico's government inherited a broken budget as lies. On Thursday, coalition representatives announced that they've agreed to reduce MPs' salaries next year. The actual cut is to result from freezing both salaries and allowances and raising the taxation of MPs' salaries by 10 percent. tim/df/am