Representatives of more than 100 towns and municipalities from regional associations from all over Slovakia at a joint meeting of the Council of the Association of Towns and Municipalities of Slovakia (ZMOS) agreed that The pressure in the territory is increasing due to government consolidation measures and the draft budget of public administration for 2026. This was stated by the chairman of ZMOS Jozef Božik.
According to him, cities and municipalities openly expressed dissatisfaction with the consolidation measures of the Government and the proposal of the public administration budget next year, which ZMOS refused and which according to them directly interfere with the functioning of the territorial self -government and threatens the stability of local public services.
The present representatives of municipalities and towns by Božik warned that Today, municipalities perform a number of tasks in many areas that the state would not have done, from education and social services to culture, sport or security. Nevertheless, the government adds new obligations without adequate financial security. They described this trend as unbearable and unsustainable.
According to him, the municipalities are already losing about EUR 291 million as a result of the government decisions, in connection with the reduction of share taxes, fiscal transfer and uncompensated expenses. Government consolidation meant a reduction in the share of the income tax of natural persons from the original 56 % to 55.1 % and subsequently to 53 %, which represents a failure of EUR 145 million per year.
According to Božik, the representatives of the municipalities pointed out that municipalities are financed by many expenditures that belong to the state. Only in 2025 they had to, according to ZMOS calculations, Municipalities pay approximately EUR 590 million for state measures, namely to increase salaries of teachers, doctors, nurses, family bonuses and energy aid. However, from these funds, the state did not fully compensate for municipalities, except for wage expenditure in regional education and remuneration within the meaning of a higher -level collective agreement for 2025, to which the State has legally committed.
According to him, the question of the Constitutional Budgetary Liability Act, known as the Debt Brake Act, was also opened at the negotiations. Representatives of the local governments have identified the current setting of the law as disproportionately hard towards the territorial self -government, as its share in public debt is only 1,14 %.
At the negotiations it was said that the atmosphere in the territory is tense and the pressure on self -government is growing. Several mayors and mayors have pointed out that instead of solving real financial problems of municipalities, the government creates wildlings that only increase tensions and polarize society. Pointed out that Cities and municipalities are already hitting the limit of their possibilities.
He added that the discussion also affected the deteriorating security situation in cities and municipalities. Representatives present They pointed out the lack of state police officers in the field, forcing local governments to substitute their activities through municipal and municipal police.
