Sipos: Opposition Must Respond Accordingly to Coalition's Radical Moves (2)

Bratislava, 28 December (TASR) – The opposition must react accordingly to the coalition's insane and radical steps, as harmful proposals pass through Parliament without sufficient notice when opposition lawmakers merely take part in debate, 'Slovakia'-For the People parliamentary caucus head Michal Sipos has told TASR in a year-end interview. Sipos spoke in response to developments in Parliament during the last December session. "When the coalition does insane things, hijacks the state, we have to shout, we have to whistle, we have to hold banners. Of course, we can discuss whether some words used at the last session could have been softer or more carefully phrased. But everyone has a different personality and everyone reacts differently in tense situations," he said. According to Sipos, the current actions of the governing coalition are far worse than the use of vulgar language. "What is happening here is, in my opinion, much worse. I therefore think it is necessary to do at least something, to shout, to raise a banner. It is simply necessary to shout to the nation that something is happening here, that the state is being hijacked and that it could end very, very badly," he noted. Sipos also pointed out that the opposition had, for example, "very politely but critically" opposed the amendment to the Criminal Code adopted in 2024, yet its negative impacts did not resonate strongly enough with the public. "There were many cases when we spoke in Parliament, discussed, made factual remarks and presented arguments, but it did not resonate among people. The bills simply went through. And that makes government officials' appetite only grow. That is why I think that when they do such fundamental, radical and insane things, we must respond in an adequate way," he added. During the December parliamentary session, lawmakers voted on an amendment to the Criminal Code. The opposition disagreed with several changes added to the bill after committee negotiations. From the start of voting on the amendment, opposition lawmakers chanted the word "shame" in the chamber and blew whistles to express their disagreement. There was also a physical scuffle between some coalition and opposition lawmakers. NOTE: This story has been extended to include the final two paragraphs mf