Down with flu on Tuesday, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico reacted sharply to the annual publication of the independent think tank Institute for Public Affairs (IVO) Slovakia 2007, which evaluates the state of society in Slovakia last year. The prime minister accused the report's authors of connection to the right-wing opposition and of lack of objectivity. "Politically driven summary reports" cannot change the objective of the government to let the poor also benefit from economic growth, wrote the prime minister. Despite the fact that Tuesday, after the publication of the IVO report, the prime minister's spokeswoman Silvia Glendova announced that the government would not comment on the report, the prime minister presented a statement through the Cabinet's Office's press department saying that it is absurd that "so-called analysts. present their opinions and thoughts as independent and objective,"
Prime Minister Fico considers IVO to be unambiguously right-oriented. "It is understandable that an unambiguously right-centered organization disagrees with the policy of a government that is clearly socially-oriented and therefore always connected with more active interference of the state into economic and social processes. In the interest of correctness toward the public, it would be appropriate to publicly declare its orientation, and not disguise itself with the pretense of independence," Prime Minister Fico wrote. According to him, analysts from the IVO are not only supporters of the former government, but either belonged to or still belong to the wider circle of its advisors.
The prime minister continued by saying that his government would continue to push through its "socially-oriented program, aimed at effective combination of economic growth with social justice, cutting public spending, significant intensification of infrastructure construction and further measures with clear social handwriting," the prime minister wrote in his statement.
According to the IVO annual report, the rising influence of the state, tyranny of the majority, and suppression of the third sector and of the opposition were characteristic of 2007 in Slovakia. The report states the prime minister used more aggressive vocabulary than Vladimir Meciar during his 1994-1998 government. He called members of the opposition criminals and traitors to the state. The report states with concern that the government deviated more and more from the principles of the rule of law last year. The ruling coalition pursued a policy that made investors and citizens insecure. Moreover, the IVO report mentions that the government tried to gain control over non-government organizations and restricted the right to information. Recent nominations of members of control boards of the state-run Slovak Television and Slovak Radio proved the prime minister's promises to nominate people who represent the government's interests.
IVO does not see this year optimistically. The institute fears that the government is prepared to compromise basic principles in place in Slovak society, pointing to several draft bills on the verge of approval. There is a bill on civic associations and other non-governmental organizations, a new "muzzle" press bill for free private media, a bill on obedience for public service media, extra fees for consumers of electricity and a law on protection of the republic for all its citizens.
BRATISLAVA, February 19, (SITA)
