Opposition Files Motion to Remove Matovic as Finance Minister
Bratislava, June 28 (TASR) – Independent MPs from the extra-parliamentary Voice-SD party on Monday presented in Parliament an official proposal signed by 39 lawmakers for the dismissal of Finance Minister Igor Matovic (OLANO).
“Igor Matovic is politically responsible for the chaos and disintegration of the state as we’re witnessing it. The pandemic crisis has revealed entirely the failure of both Matovic’s governments [Matovic’s ‘second government’ being the current one, in which he’s the leader of the strongest party – ed. note] and of the entire parliamentary majority, which should supervise the executive power and correct it, instead of serving it thoughtlessly,” said Voice chairman Peter Pellegrini, a former prime minister for Smer-SD.
According to Pellegrini, it’s Matovic, not Prime Minister Eduard Heger (OLANO), who’s the real head of the current Cabinet and at the same time the “greatest evil in Slovak politics”.
OLANO Supports Matovic against Opposition Attempt to Dismiss Him
Finance Minister and OLANO chairman Igor Matovic has full support of his party’s caucus in Parliament, said Peter Dojcan from OLANO’s press team on Monday in response to an opposition motion in Parliament aimed at dismissing Matovic.
According to OLANO, those who presented the proposal don’t have the moral right to engage in such initiatives.
“The parties Smer and its Voice have left behind, apart from other things, a huge investment debt for hospitals, poor efficiency of health care and a decimated situation with nurses. So, the current government isn’t only fighting against the pandemic, but also against the chaos and decline left behind by these people in health care,” said Dojcan, adding that Voice figures should abandon politicking and instead engage in calls for the public to get jabbed against COVID-19.
Former Government MP Miroslav Kollar to Back Dismissal of Matovic
Independent MP Miroslav Kollar, formerly serving for junior government party For the People and now a member of extra-parliamentary party Together, said on Monday that he’ll support an opposition motion in Parliament to dismiss Finance Minister Igor Matovic, chairman of the strongest governing party OLANO.
According to Miroslav Kollar, it’s necessary to remove Matovic before he wreaks havoc in the state budget, taxes and payroll deductions.
“We saw the chaos created by Igor Matovic as he led the unsuccessful response to the pandemic. It’s our obligation to do everything possible to prevent him causing similar damage to public finances,” said Kollar.
Valasek: Matovic Should Quit as Finance Minister
Independent MP Tomas Valasek, who in the spring left the co-governing For the People to join the extra-parliamentary Progressive Slovakia, formerly the party of President Zuzana Caputova, said on Monday that he’ll support the opposition’s motion in Parliament to dismiss Finance Minister Igor Matovic.
Valasek said that he called in the spring on Matovic, then prime minister, to draw responsibility for his poor management of the government’s response to COVID-19.
“I don’t view it as drawing responsibility, if one moves from the top place in government (prime minister) to the second from top (finance minister),” said Valasek, who also denounced Matovic for “daily attacks” against his critics and coalition partners as well.
