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Gov't Expected to Okay EFSF But Reject Loan to Greece on Thursday
Thursday 15 July 2010 Zoom in | Print page
Bratislava, July 15 (TASR) - The Government at its extraordinary session on Thursday is expected to agree to sign the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF).
The move has been proposed by the Finance Ministry and support was also indicated by the leaders of the governing Coalition parties (SDKU-DS, Freedom and Solidarity/SaS, the Christian Democrats/KDH and Most-Hid) after the Coalition Council session late on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Iveta Radicova (SDKU-DS) reiterated her stance formulated in Brussels earlier this week that Slovakia as the last eurozone country to agree won't block the EFSF. At the same time, Slovakia will demand strict supervision of the EFSF at EU level.
SaS leader Richard Sulik has also agreed with signing the financial safety net framework, even though his party criticised the mechanism from the very beginning. "We'll agree to the safety net framework, as we don't want to hinder the whole of the EU. Our opinion on the subject is different, we don't deem it to be a good thing, but we can recognise political reality, and so we'll vote for the framework," said Sulik. [The EFSF is a eurozone project and not an EU one. - ed. note.]
KDH and Most-Hid also agreed with signing the EFSF. KDH chairman Jan Figel wants to see more precise and enforceable rules within it, however. "More discipline in the Stability and Growth Pact," he said.
Meanwhile, KDH is the only Coalition party that agrees with providing a loan to Greece, albeit under "strict and more acceptable conditions", said Figel.
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