Monitor: Gaspar and Simecka Concur on Need for Tougher Criminal Laws

(STVR, 'O 5 minut 12', 28 June) Speaking on STVR's discussion programme 'O 5 minut 12' (Five Minutes to Twelve) on Sunday, parliamentary vice-chair Tibor Gaspar (Smer-SD) and Progressive Slovakia (PS) leader Michal Simecka agreed on the need for a tougher criminal legislation following the recent murder of a woman in Gelnica by her husband after his release from prison. The debate also covered next year's state budget and the overall state of the country. Gaspar said he will fully support any legislative change that helps prevent similar crimes from happening again. He stressed the need to reduce the risk of such cases, noting that some former prisoners seek revenge after their release and that victims are not limited to spouses or domestic violence cases. He said the system must be improved and agreed that if failures occurred in the recent murder case, concrete measures should be taken against those responsible. Simecka said all politicians should apologise to Slovak women because the state continues to fail to protect them, describing the issue as a systemic problem. He announced that he will convene the parliamentary Human Rights Committee to address the matter. He also outlined proposals under preparation, including mandatory notification for women if an offender is released from prison in circumstances similar to the recent case, as well as providing them with appropriate protection. Gaspar also commented on competition for voters within the governing coalition, saying it was already under way and citing Slovak National Party (SNS) leader Andrej Danko as an example. He accused Danko of raising issues in what he described as a populist manner and putting forward proposals incompatible with the state budget and Slovakia's financial capacity. Gaspar said this will remain a serious obstacle to reaching responsible agreements until the next parliamentary election, adding that coalition partners should recognise that operating under a provisional budget would be the worst possible outcome. Last Saturday, SNS announced it will not support next year's state budget unless all pensioners aged over 90 receive a minimum monthly pension of €824. Gaspar and Simecka differed sharply over Slovakia's current development. Gaspar argued that living standards were not as poor as portrayed by the opposition, pointing to several positive indicators. Simecka, however, said Slovaks were significantly worse off than before the current government took office, accusing the cabinet of failing to maintain social standards and allowing living standards to deteriorate. He said he saw no positive developments in the economy. Simecka also commented on the 13th pension payment, saying PS would retain it but target it more effectively to reduce public spending. He argued that while the state must protect citizens from high prices, it must first ensure it has the financial means to do so. Gaspar responded that the current government will continue to defend the 13th pension payment and said further improvements to energy support measures will be needed as energy prices continue to rise. The politicians also discussed the Vision 2040 strategy document, saying they still needed to examine it in greater detail. Simecka also declared his support for Milan Majersky (KDH) in the Presov regional elections. Gaspar confirmed that discussions had taken place on nominating MEP Judita Lassakova as Smer-SD's candidate for Presov regional governor, although no final decision had yet been made. mf