Monitor: Danko: SNS to Propose Cap on Bonuses for State Employees

(STVR, 'Sobotne dialogy', 14 November) The Slovak National Party (SNS) will submit a legislative proposal to the House to cap bonuses for public administration employees at 100 percent of their gross basic salary, SNS leader and parliamentary vice-chair Andrej Danko announced on STVR's politics programme 'Sobotne dialogy' (Saturday Dialogues). "You can call it Lex Taraba," Danko declared, confirming that the proposal was prompted by media reports about bonuses allegedly handed out by former environment minister Tomas Taraba. According to Danko, SNS intends to introduce the measure through an amendment to legislation already on the parliamentary agenda, referring to a bill submitted by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, headed by Juraj Blanar (Smer-SD). The ministry has submitted a draft amendment to the Foreign Service Act to Parliament. Danko's opposite number, Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) leader and MP Milan Majersky, said he wanted to wait for details of the proposal first. He raised questions about whether, for example, bonuses would be capped while salaries continued to rise. He also argued that the proposal was merely a "small fragment" of what the governing coalition should adopt, underlining the need to reduce the economic burden on the population. "Then why not bring forward, for example, the KDH proposal to abolish fees for visits to doctors?" he challenged Danko. Both politicians also discussed a loan for Ukraine and European representation in negotiations aimed at ending the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. Danko said he shared the position of Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) that Slovakia should not participate in another EU loan for Ukraine. "We should help Ukraine, but we should not become involved in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict," Danko stated. He also claimed that money from loans to Ukraine was "disappearing". Danko described German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's remarks about the possibility of vetoing the EU budget if member states failed to adopt a united position as an attempt to "foist Germany's problems upon the whole of Europe". Majersky said Slovakia should also contribute to financial assistance for a country suffering from Russian aggression. "However, the loan should be guaranteed by energy and arms companies that are making extraordinary profits from this war," he added. Commenting on the Slovak prime minister's proposal that European Commissioner Maros Sefcovic represent Europe in multilateral talks on ending the war between Russia and Ukraine, Majersky described it as merely Robert Fico's "wishful thinking". "He could put forward proposals if he had the trust of European leaders," Majersky remarked. Danko, for his part, said he fundamentally opposed Sefcovic, including in his capacity as European Commissioner. mf