BRATISLAVA, November 9, (WEBNOVINY) — Ministers of the Cabinet of Iveta Radicova advocate freezing salaries of constitutional officials, including themselves, as proposed by opposition SMER-SD Chairman Robert Fico. Environment Minister Zsolt Simon, Transport Minister Jan Figel and Economy Minister Juraj Miskov all favor the idea. They have no problem with the fact that the measure was proposed by the opposition. “This is not about who comes with the solution but about the majority, and I hope it would be a dominant majority, supporting such proposal,” said Figel after this Wednesday’s Cabinet session.
According to Simon, there were doubts about whether it would not bring salaries increase in 2012 already when SaS Chairman Richard Sulik presented his salaries model in parliament last year. Simon now thinks the model did not work as it should have. Minister Miskov did not rule out that SaS would propose halting the increase of salaries, yet he primarily considers this to be an issue the parliament should deal with. “Caucuses should meet and discuss a solution they would propose,” says Miskov, adding that when the law on salaries of constitutional actors was amended, the risk of high budget deficits was imminent. “Binding salaries to the deficit seemed as a motivating element which the lawmakers incorporated into the proposal,” explained Miskov.
Prime Minister Iveta Radicova informed that the Cabinet will propose freezing the salaries of constitutional officials. According to her, the issue of salaries of judges remains open due to the injunction issued by the Constitutional Court that prevented their salaries from being reduced.
Salaries of MPs are based on average income in the national economy. After the Cabinet of Robert Fico froze them so that until 2010 their salaries were calculated from 2007 data, the current Cabinet allowed increasing them again. Also, a rule that they could be curbed based on budget deficits was adopted. The Finance Ministry estimates that 2012 salaries of the MPs could increase by 652 euros to 4228 euros per month because of the sharp deficit reduction this year. Salaries of judges and Cabinet ministers and the country’s president are calculated as multiples from salaries of MPs.
SITA