BRATISLAVA, June 13, (WEBNOVINY) — Slovak parliamentary opposition parties want to postpone the parliamentary vote on ratification of the European Stability Mechanism Treaty establishing the EU’s permanent rescue funding program. This item has already been included on the agenda of upcoming the upcoming session of Parliament that begins on June 19. Therefore, at a meeting of heads of factions with the parliamentary leadership on Wednesday representatives the opposition parties asked the Speaker of Parliament Pavol Paska (SMER-SD) to postpone vote on ratification so that the Slovak Parliament deals with it only after it will be decided by the German Bundestag.
However, it is rather questionable whether the opposition parties can succeed with this proposal. They failed at the meeting of the parliamentary leadership, so now they hope to discuss it on Thursday at the meeting of heads of the opposition parties with Prime Minister Robert Fico. „Chairmen of all the opposition caucuses requested the postponement. The Speaker of Parliament informed us of his position that he insists that the international treaty should be ratified at this session of Parliament,“ said Pavol Hrusovsky. He added that the opposition wants to open the issue on Thursday in talks with the Prime Minister, which should concern primarily alternative proposals to consolidate public finances.
„This request originated from the fact that we are facing elections in Greece and also waiting for the ratification of the ESM in Germany, which is scheduled for late June or early July,“ said the head of the SaS faction Juraj Miskov. He added that with regard to the fact that this is a very serious matter, where Slovakia enters into an obligation from which there is no way out, it should be extremely cautious in view of what is now happening in Europe.
Any change of the date of the vote on ESM until a later date is in the hands of the ruling party SMER-SD because it controls an absolute majority of members of parliament that is required to approve it. Speaker of Parliament Pavol Paska recommended to the opposition to try and delay the vote using the standard way and present their proposal to a vote in Parliament.
SITA