House Passes Extension of State of Emergency in Slovakia with 83 Votes

House Passes Extension of State of Emergency in Slovakia with 83 Votes

Bratislava, February 26 (TASR) – Parliament approved a further extension of the state of emergency in Slovakia on Friday.Of the 118 MPs present for the vote, 83 voted for the extension, while 35 were against. In addition to opposition MPs, coalition MP Marian Viskupic (SaS) didn’t support the extension.

The Government decided to extend the state of emergency by another 40 days on February 8 due to the coronavirus situation in the country.

Parliament has been debating the extension of the state of emergency at its special session since Wednesday (February 24). In line with amended legislation, the extension of the state of emergency must subsequently be approved by parliament within 20 days of the government’s approval at the latest.

Opposition MPs criticised the Government’s proposal to extend the state of emergency due to an absence of an analysis of the measures so far and concrete proposals for further measures. They pointed out that several measures can be taken without the need to have a state of emergency in effect. Coalition MPs declared their support, but several of them expect measures in future that won’t be bound to the state of emergency.