Premier: I Believe I'll Persuade Coalition Partners of Mandatory Vaccination

Bratislava, December 22 (TASR) – I believe that I’ll be able to persuade coalition partners of compulsory vaccination against COVID-19 through an honest discussion, Prime Minister Eduard Heger (OLaNO) said in an interview with TASR.

“The trend of the European Union is on the path of compulsory vaccination. It’s clear to everyone that we won’t get out of the pandemic without vaccination. If we don’t do so, we’re dependent on lockdowns,” stated the premier.

Heger claims that when he first mentioned the topic of compulsory vaccination, it was a controversial issue. According to him, the discussion has shifted since then, some can’t imagine that they would support compulsory vaccination, but they understand that otherwise they won’t stop the pandemic. “Through persistent political work, I’ll move this topic further on a daily basis. I believe that we’ll achieve results there. Yes, it’s laborious, it’s demanding. I could imagine it even faster,” noted the prime minister.

Initially, Heger would like to introduce compulsory vaccination of people aged 60 and over, as this is the most vulnerable group in terms of the spread of novel coronavirus. Furthermore, mandatory vaccination will depend on how the new coronavirus variant omicron develops, he said.

Opinions in the coalition differ on mandatory vaccinations. OLaNO admits a discussion about it, Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) has several opinions in the party, We Are Family is against. According to ‘For the People’ chairwoman Veronika Remisova, the party will promote mandatory vaccination for at least people aged 60 and over from the beginning of next year.