At question time in parliament yesterday, Prime Minister Iveta Radicova pointed how Slovakia would have to return at least EUR 13 million in funding to the European Union because of the actions of the previous Robert Fico government.
The money has to be paid back primarily because of the dubious nature of the so-called Notice board tender and the social companies set up by the former government. Both these projects were covered by European funds, and the EU later deemed that its regulations had been breached and that the money had been used in a non-transparent way.
The largest part of the sum, EUR 10 million, has been called back by the EU because of the notice board tender, as it was in gross violation of public procurement rules. PM Radicova noted that this might just be the start of the problem and that more funds might be recalled in future. “Another audit focused on the European Social Fund will be conducted this month,” she added.
Radicova also took a swing at the opposition, saying that before they criticised the government’s austerity measures, they should keep in mind that this EUR 13 million alone would have helped solve many of the issues that it now has to deal with in other ways.