Pellegrini Urges Government to Treat All Public Holidays Equally

Bratislava, 22 September (TASR) – President Peter Pellegrini called on the government and Parliament on Monday to avoid dividing public holidays into different categories when considering the suspension of holidays as part of fiscal consolidation efforts. Pellegrini said this in New York during his visit to the United States, proposing that any cancellation of public holiday work-free days should be temporary and subject to future evaluation. „If they want to cancel three days of public holidays, let them do so temporarily for all three, with an option to reassess in two or three years whether the measure has served its purpose. Then it can be decided whether to make the change permanent or revert to the original state," Pellegrini stated. He warned against stirring division in Slovak society by assigning varying importance to different holidays — such as proposing the permanent cancellation of 17 November [celebrating the end of totalitarian regime in erstwhile Czechoslovakia -ed.note], while only temporarily suspending work-free status for two other holidays. According to the President, the government should not categorise holidays based on significance it subjectively attaches to them, as doing so could only further polarise the public. Pellegrini also stressed the need for an objective assessment of whether these measures generate the expected financial benefits for the state budget. As for discussions of a potential general strike, Pellegrini cautioned that such action could further damage the Slovak economy and increase the need for additional consolidation. Nonetheless, he expressed respect for the right of the people to peacefully express their dissatisfaction with government policies, provided they do so within the law and without endangering lives or property. „This is exactly why people jingled their keys on the squares on 17 November — so that the freedom of speech and opinion remains fully protected forever," he noted. At the same time, Pellegrini doesn't believe that a misguided hope should be kindled among the protesting people that a general strike can lead to any government change. Pellegrini emphasised the importance of monitoring whether the consolidation package might further suppress economic activity, warning that Slovakia could edge closer to recession — an outcome, he said, no one desires. mf