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KDH: Government's Social Policy Is Harmful, Tomanova Should Go
Thursday 25 March 2010 Zoom in | Print page
Bratislava, March 25 (TASR) - The Government under the leadership of Prime Minister Robert Fico is damaging the country, said Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) chairman Jan Figel at a press conference in Bratislava on Thursday.
"The social policy of the current Government is harmful for Slovakia in some of its measures," said Figel.
According to KDH, there are several examples of failures vis-a-vis social measures, such as the growth in unemployment, problems with pilot social enterprises, and amendments in social services and in the pension system. The party thinks that Labour Minister Viera Tomanova has failed in carrying out her office. "She doesn't have our support," said KDH vice-chair Julius Brocka.
Figel thinks that the premier should dismiss Tomanova. The biggest argument for her removal is the social enterprises project and the results of an audit conducted by the European Commission (EC) in December 2009, according to which it is clear that the EC won't pay Slovakia a single euro of the €25 million designated for such projects. The projects were dismissed by the EU due to grave mistakes. "The EU won't finance these projects," said Figel.
KDH also criticised the high unemployment rate in the country. "This unemployment hasn't been caused solely by the global economic crisis," said Brocka, who added that Fico's Cabinet has failed to act in certain cases, while in others it acted too late. Brocka thinks that the effectiveness of measures aimed at tackling the crisis is questionable.
The unemployment rate in Slovakia is growing more rapidly than in some other EU-member states. One of the worst-affected groups is made up of young people aged under 25, of which as many as 33 percent are unemployed. "That's a really serious number," stated Figel.
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