Leader of the SDKU and soon-to-be Prime Minister, Iveta Radicova, has demanded that the outgoing government stop signing ‘rushed’ contracts, which is perfectly justified considering the fact that the future government will have to respect them, inclusive of whatever large penalties they carry for cancellation or default.
“Talking about all kinds of loans on one hand while continually signing senseless contracts worth billions on the other is simply unacceptable,” said Radicova at a news conference on Monday, 28 June, following a meeting of the coalition board.
She added that the centre-right coalition would be re-assessing all contracts that have been signed after and right before the elections, and that they would be cancelled where possible. Such an option will probably be costly, however. These ‘contracts’ involve huge expenditures worth billions, which is not only senseless, but also something that Slovakia cannot afford under the current climate.
The new coalition’s demands do not refer to the country’s obligations towards the European Union, however, and as Radicova explained, her demand is based primarily on the fact that Slovakia’s financial situation at present make these contracts expendable. In this respect, Radičová informed that the volume of contracts and wasting of public money are escalating daily.
Is the outgoing government really so interested in ‘doing it’s job’ right to the last minute, or are these contracts a final emptying of the country’s coffers to the advantage of the ‘contractors’ alone? All of the tenders that have been called and the contracts that have been signed in such a rush recently should be subject to maximum examination, and those responsible for any discrepancies should be held liable, because that is what democracy is supposed to be about.