Everyone hoped that today would be the day when the week-long discussions over the Government Manifesto would end. Not quite so, however, because now opposition party Smer-SD has put forward an amendment proposal to the draft Manifesto.
The proposed amendment consists of seven key points. “This approach should be seen as a constructive contribution that is presented without malice and political rivalry in the interests of Slovakia’s future development,” said Smer MP, Vladimir Faic.
The main points of the proposal demand that the government elaborate a strategy to combat the economic crisis, a concept to boost employment and generate jobs, and an analysis of the risks posed by the Government Manifesto in respect of the EU’s efforts to deal with the consequences of the economic crisis.
Smer is also requesting that a national strategy be put together to improve the quality of life in the country, together with a programme targeted at the elderly.
Overall, it would be a refreshing change if the politicians in the country started working together instead of facing each other off at every possible opportunity just for the sake of populist gain. Whatever the intentions of this new proposal, there is a lot of hard work ahead for the government, not just in terms of dealing with the catastrophic state that it received the country in, but also in appeasing its opponents on the other bench.