KDH Warns Middle Class at Risk, Proposes Tax and Labour Reforms

Bratislava, 17 December (TASR) – The opposition's Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) warned of the worsening situation of the middle class in Slovakia and proposed a series of tax, social security, and labour law measures aimed at improving its economic position, with KDH representatives outlining the proposals at a press conference on Wednesday. According to KDH vice-chair Viliam Karas, the middle class faces growing concerns over rising living costs, housing prices, and overall economic uncertainty. He emphasised that the middle layer forms the backbone of society, and its weakening could have long-term negative consequences for the country. "The middle class in Slovakia does not live in abundance, but in fear of whether they will be able to pay their mortgage, rent, or afford a family holiday in the coming year, or cover extracurricular activities for their children. Some may even question whether they can afford a lunch at work. In such a situation, the state, and particularly the Prime Minister and the coalition, should not focus on the partial interests of a few individuals worried about their fate, but should take decisive action to address the situation faced by the middle class," Karas said. KDH MP Jozef Hajko highlighted rising health and social security levies, increasing tax burdens, cuts to energy subsidies for some households, and low housing availability. He said the costs of consolidating public finances are being borne mainly by working people and younger generations. "Up to 42 percent of next year's consolidation package comes in the form of taxes and contributions, meaning that the main burden will fall on workers and the middle class," Hajko stated. In response, KDH presented its own proposals. These include introducing a flat tax, abolishing the loss tax and transaction tax, reducing social security burdens, and maintaining contribution incentives for new entrepreneurs. The party also suggests increasing the portion of income exempt from contributions under contracts, making the Labour Code more flexible with a focus on part-time work, and intensifying housing construction. KDH argues that higher economic activity would also lead to increased state revenue from taxes and contributions. KDH stressed the need for a stable and predictable business environment. It criticised the current economic policy as unsustainable and called for a fundamental change in the country's direction. mf