SNS Urges Coalition Partners to Back Pension Rise for Over-90s

Bratislava, 19 May (TASR) - The Slovak National Party (SNS) has called on its coalition partners Smer-SD and Voice-SD to reconsider their position presented at Tuesday's session of the parliamentary finance committee, where they refused to support a proposal to increase pensions for seniors over 90 years old. The amendment to the Social Insurance Act, submitted by a group of SNS MPs, is currently in its second reading, meaning Parliament could take a final vote on it at the next session starting next Tuesday (26 May). The proposal envisages raising pensions for around 25,000 seniors aged over 90 so that their monthly pension reaches approximately €824. "SNS is convinced that seniors over 90 years old have the right to a dignified life and support from the state. For many of them, paying for social care facilities or covering basic living needs is currently a problem. SNS considers it incomprehensible that assistance for this group of citizens is being blocked by parties that have long described themselves as socially oriented," SNS declared in a statement. The party announced that SNS chair Andrej Danko will contact Prime Minister and Smer-SD leader Robert Fico, as well as Interior Minister and Voice-SD chair Matus Sutaj Estok, requesting that MPs from their parties support the proposal. "SNS believes that coalition partners will reconsider their stance and support assistance for people who, given their age and life situation, deserve it the most," the party added. mf