BRATISLAVA, November 18, (WEBNOVINY) — Speaker of Parliament Pavol Hrusovsky (KDH) fears that representatives of four parties of the former ruling coalition will not manage to approve the state budget bill for 2012 without winning over some opposition votes. “SaS Chairman Richard Sulik said that he could guarantee eighteen votes of SaS deputy caucus. If that was true, the state budget is unlikely to be passed,” said Hrusovsky after the meeting of the parliament’s gremium. Hrusovsky will make an effort to secure budget’s approval despite the complicated situation. “It is better to have some budget even though it is not the ideal one,” he opines.
Hrusovsky thinks that requirements of independent MPs regarding approval of some bills that political parties reject are the chief obstacle to the budget approval. “If MPs and deputy caucuses continue adding new requirements, the chance that the draft bill on the state budget will be approved will become even slimmer. I assume the accord may be reached but it will be very difficult and require many compromises,” he fears. The chief of parliament suggests the vote on the state budget to be held on Tuesday, December 6 at 5 PM.
Considering Slovakia’s position on financial markets, Hrusovsky wants parliament to pass the draft constitutional bill of the debt brake in expedited legislative proceedings. “Markets are nervous and waiting whether Slovakia is able to make fundamental decisions to ease the pressure,” he explained his intention. Since only the Cabinet can submit proposal for expedited legislative proceedings, Hrusovsky wants to discuss the issue with Prime Minister Iveta Radicova. Parliament will discuss the budget and the debt brake at its 26th session that Hrusovsky planned to convene on November 29.
SITA