Monitor: Tomas Expects Voice-SD to Win Double-digit Support in Next Election

(JOJ 24,'Politika 24', 18 October) Speaking on JOJ 24's discussion programme 'Politika 24' (Politics 24) on Sunday, Labour, Social Affairs and Family Minister Erik Tomas (Voice-SD) declared that he expects the party to secure a double-digit share of the vote in the next parliamentary election and would regard a result below 10 percent as a disappointment. He also rejected claims that Voice-SD's popularity was declining, saying its support has stabilised since January. "We, the Voice party, naturally want a double-digit result," Tomas stated. He pointed out that a poll published by JOJ put the party's support at 8.6 percent, but said its ratings has changed since January. According to him, two established polls by the Focus agency put support at around 9 percent. He said some media outlets were creating a distorted picture by suggesting that Voice-SD was losing support. Commenting on the political project launched by independent MP Tomas Taraba, the minister said Voice-SD was ready to compete with all political parties, both within the governing coalition and in the opposition. Asked about regional Voice-SD representative Peter Slisko's decision to join Taraba's project, Tomas said he had no choice but to respect it. "I must admit I do not understand this move. We have to respect it, though," he noted. On possible post-election cooperation, Tomas said Voice-SD was not going to rule anyone out in advance. Regarding the position of the Republic party on the 1944 Slovak National Uprising (SNP), he said Voice-SD respected the SNP and Slovakia's membership of the European Union. He added that the positions of other political parties on these issues were important, too. If Voice-SD secured strong voter support, it would clearly state which parties it could and could not envisage cooperating with. The minister also reiterated the priorities Voice-SD has secured in next year's state budget. These included maintaining the 13th pension payment, recalculating pensions to take periods of childcare into account, increasing the birth grant from €830 to €1,000, and raising minimum child maintenance payments from €40 to €135. He also cited income tax exemptions for working mothers who have raised four or more children and for single fathers. Assistance for people dependent on social services was another key priority, he said. Tomas stressed that Voice-SD wanted to maintain social measures despite efforts to consolidate public finances. He also argued that growth-oriented measures, particularly cuts to taxes and social security contributions, would significantly widen the public finance deficit at present. "We can start reducing the tax and social security contribution burden when public finances are in good shape," he said. He underlined that the government was focusing on social measures because it was a social democratic government. mf