PS: Each Day of Fico's Rule Risk to Slovakia

Bratislava, 24 October (TASR) – Every additional day of Prime Minister Robert Fico's (Smer-SD) government is a risk and a threat to the security, health and wallets of people in Slovakia, said opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS) party leader Michal Simecka at a press conference on Friday, marking two years of the government's term in office. He considers its biggest failures to be the country's economic decline and international isolation, the rise in crime, the breakdown of the police and corruption scandals. Simecka criticised the government for failing to deliver on its pre-election promises. "They promised to raise people's salaries, lower food prices, pursue a sovereign foreign policy in the interests of Slovakia and ensure political stability," he said. He pointed out that so far the government has only raised its own salaries, while people face higher taxes, social contributions and food prices. According to Simecka, the cabinet has also failed to provide political and social stability. "If you look at how the governing coalition functions, it's practically one coalition crisis after another ... And if we take a broader look at whether Slovakia is stable or not, we can see how they approved consolidation, alienated trade unions, employers and municipalities and caused the breakdown of social dialogue and peace. This isn't the stability they promised," he stated. Simecka views the government's greatest failure as economic decline and the impoverishment of people in Slovakia. "I'm talking about a three-year consolidation, at the end of which we have the highest debt, an equally high public finances deficit, practically stalled economic growth, still very high inflation and the destruction of small business owners and active working people," he explained. He identified as the second biggest failure the country's international isolation, which he said is the result of the so-called "sovereign foreign policy in all four directions". According to PS, Slovakia has gained nothing from it, only losses. "After two years, the current government has erased Slovakia from the diplomatic map ... Furthermore, the government has literally destroyed Slovakia's voice at the Alliance table and at the European Union table," said Ivan Korcok from PS. Simecka also criticised the government's amendment to the Criminal Code, which he said brought impunity for thieves and thus increased crime nationwide. He condemned the dismantling of the police and the liquidation of the National Crime Agency and the Special Prosecutor's Office. "They needed to take control of the police so that nothing could threaten them any more," he said. He also pointed to corruption scandals, ongoing attacks on minorities, the state of civil society and scientific institutions, as well as "thriving" elitism. By appointing Pavol Gaspar as head of the Slovak Information Service, the government, according to Simecka, has ruined the secret service's reputation. The opposition leader also criticised the actions of the Culture and Environment Ministries, referring to the destruction of Slovakia's natural environment and its protection system, and the breakdown of Slovak culture and its key institutions. At the press conference, Korcok also commented on Thursday's summit in Brussels. He welcomed the prime minister's support for the 19th package of anti-Russian sanctions and continued support for Ukraine in all areas. However, he criticised Fico's "repeated pattern of behaviour" before summits. "Recently, the prime minister has been literally conducting manoeuvres, especially on the domestic scene, before negotiations in Brussels. He threatens to block conclusions and says that he'll oppose what the European Union wants to adopt if his conditions are not met ... All the things the prime minister presents as his victories would apply regardless of whether they were explicitly mentioned in the conclusions," he explained, adding that this kind of behaviour brings Slovakia nothing and only causes harm. mf/df