BRATISLAVA, August 19, (WEBNOVINY) — Entrepreneurs associated in the Club 500 are calling on Slovakia’s political elite in connection with the decision about the European bailout mechanisms to bear in mind their responsibility as statesmen toward Slovakia and its citizens. “We would welcome a unanimous position of the ruling and parliamentary parties, taking into consideration the fact that they supported adoption of the common European currency in the past. More is at stake than just political points, while politicians should finally display their statesmanship through ability to agree upon a common stance on the support to the bailout fund,” the association’s statement reads.
Club 500 has also called on political parties which are fundamentally opposed to common coordinated steps of the euro block to realize that their attitude is a very bad road, which Slovakia cannot afford to take. In the past, Slovak businesses have already experienced a difficult situation of export companies with high exchange rate losses during the existence of the Slovak national currency, as well as the period of transition from the Slovak crown to the introduction of the common European currency, during which the Slovak crown considerably and unfoundedly strengthened. The appreciation of the Slovak crown had very negative impacts on Slovak businesses. “From the viewpoint of businesses, taxpayers, we have to clearly declare that the road toward the Slovak crown would be a way back and we say definite no to that”, the statement further says.
The ruling coalition member the SaS party and the opposition SNS party do not want to support in parliament increasing the capacity of the first European bailout fund and establishing the second bailout fund. The ruling coalition therefore does not have enough votes to push it through. The opposition SMER-SD supports both mechanisms, but does not want to vote for it unless the coalition can guarantee the support of all its deputies.
SITA
