BRATISLAVA, November 8, (WEBNOVINY) — Political leaders in Slovakia are determined to consolidate the general government deficit to 3 percent of GDP planned for 2013, but the details about how they want to attain this goal remain thin for the time being. The outcome of the early elections in March 2012 will also play a significant role. Voices that citizens will contribute to fiscal consolidation are becoming louder.
MOST-HID MP Ivan Svejna frankly admitted the need to trim the deficit and that 2012 and 2013 would be very difficult for citizens as some measures directly afflicting people would have to be passed. Ondrej Matej of SDKU-DS also presented the ambition to save funds without giving further details. Any government is obliged to do its utmost to cut the deficit below 3 percent of GDP in 2013 and, in Matej’s words, SDKU-DS will resolutely continue on this path. He sees several ways to achieve this aim, whereby the impact of individual moves has to be considered. Peter Kazimir of the opposition SMER-SD noted that the 3-percent deficit in 2013 was a must.
Some deputies anticipate that it will not be so easy to trim the deficit below the Maastricht cap of 3 percent of GDP in 2013 regardless of the next year’s development. “In my opinion, it is absolutely inevitable to meet the 3.8 percent deficit set for 2012 and 3 percent in 2013 unless we want to play the second fiddle in Europe. I think that any other figures manifest irresponsibility and anarchy,” KDH member Anton Marcincin noted. Jan Mikolaj of SNS also highlighted the importance of fiscal consolidation next year.
SITA