Freezing salaries by the minister? I have no problem with that, says Matovič, and he would add deputies to them – PRAVDA.sk

Former Minister of Finance Ladislav Kamenický (Smer-SD) calls for a freeze on the salaries of members of the government. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Igor Matovič (OĽANO) claims that he has no problem with this and would also freeze the salaries of members of the National Council (NR) of the Slovak Republic.

Minister of Finance Igor Matovic

They exchanged views in a discussion show on Radio Slovakia Saturday Dialogues, which was in the spirit of the draft budget approved by the government this week.

Kamenický criticizes that the draft budget for next year does not provide for an increase in salaries in the state administration. “You give a big zero to firefighters, cops, soldiers, the whole public administration. You are looking for an increase in the salaries of health professionals on the basis of a vending machine that works there, but in addition you do not give them anything and you want to give teachers if your coalition partners will listen to you, “commented Kamenický.

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Matovic denied that the budget negotiations involved blackmailing coalition partners. He reminded that if the state wants to give extra money somewhere, somewhere else it is necessary to take the money, so it is a call for the responsibility of coalition partners.

Kamenický said that he would design the budget itself completely differently. Among the steps he would have taken differently from Matovic, he also mentioned the freezing of salaries of members of the government. “For example, this year, the Minister should have frozen the salaries of the entire government, he has not done so far,” the ex-minister emphasized.

Matovič commented on this proposal in such a way that he would not have the slightest problem with it. “And I would very much like to reduce the salaries of deputies, which Mr. Kamenický increased by 1,000 euros in net, agreed with the Minister of Finance,” Matovič added, adding that he considered it extremely irresponsible. Kamenický’s call for a reduction in salaries is therefore considered Pharisaic. “At that time, to agree to an absolutely unjustified increase in the monthly salary of deputies by EUR 1,000 in net and now to be wise here,” Matovič remarked.

Kamenický reacted that the salaries of deputies were frozen for several years during the government of Smer-SD. “Tell your deputies to freeze their salaries and I have absolutely no problem with that, please like it,” Kamenický remarked.

During the discussion, the former minister and the current finance minister agreed that the latter did not understand the topic of public finances. Kamenický believes that he has studied the budget better than Matovič himself and would like to talk about the details. Matovič, on the other hand, claims that Kamenický was the most irresponsible finance minister in the European Union, wasting billions and now he is just waking up.