Deputies of the National Council (NR) of the Slovak Republic will have an unusual meeting already on Monday (December 1). From 10:00 a.m., they have an extraordinary meeting on the agenda regarding the opposition’s motion to dismiss the Minister of Transport Jozef Ráž (Smeru-SD nominee). The opposition is demanding his departure, especially in connection with the railway accidents of recent weeks. If the deputies do not have a quorum, the discussion will continue on Monday with the program of the regular 43rd session. They should thus return to negotiations on the transformation of the Office for the Protection of Whistleblowers (ÚOO) into a new office.
Almost the entire past week of deliberations, the parliament devoted itself to the government’s proposal to change the ÚOO into a new Office for the Protection of Victims of Crimes and Whistleblowers of Anti-Social Activities. It is being discussed in abbreviated legislative proceedings. Mainly opposition MPs took part in the debate. The law is in the first reading. The parliament has not yet reached the other points of the meeting. There are still around 150 of them on the agenda. In addition to the standard proposals, there are also laws vetoed by President Peter Pellegrini, for example the amendment to the Gambling Act.
The parliament also has another proposal on the table, which the government wants to take over in an accelerated mode. This is an amendment to the Criminal Code. For petty theft, the “three times and it’s enough” rule is to be re-introduced into the Criminal Code. Offenders are to be punished with imprisonment for up to two years after they commit a similar offense against property three times in a row in one year. Subsequently, the parliament should return to the amendment to the Act on the Environmental Fund. At the previous meeting, they agreed that they would discuss it in abbreviated legislative proceedings.
Deputies are to discuss the amendment to the law on gambling again, because the head of state returned it to them. The President rejects the entire amendment, considering it an inadmissible interference with the constitutional right to territorial self-government, the autonomy of municipalities, cities and their exercise of public authority. The NR SR is also to take over the vetoed law on the so-called covid amnesties. It was supposed to be discussed in June.
The parliament also has on its agenda opposition proposals for the dismissal of ministers and a motion of no confidence in the entire government, which was submitted back in January. The opposition wants to recall ministers Matúš Šutaj Eštok, Kamil Šašek (both Hlas-SD), Tomáš Taraba (SNS nominee), Robert Kaliňák (Smer-SD) and minister Martina Šimkovičová (SNS nominee). The most recent addition was a proposal to dismiss Minister Samuel Migaľ (independent). Motions to appeal are due to be heard on December 3.
There is also a coalition proposal in the parliament to increase the number of Košice city deputies. SNS wants to transform the Council for Media Services into the National Media Office. Deputies should also approve the coalition’s proposal to amend the Rules of Procedure of the National Assembly of the Slovak Republic.
The opposition also has a number of proposals on its agenda. For example, Hnutie Slovensko wants to ban advertisements for alcohol and gambling in daily broadcasts. The SaS again presented an amendment to the Constitution of the Slovak Republic, thanks to which the membership of the Slovak Republic would be anchored in the EU and NATO. The KDH wants to prevent ordering an examination for a fee with one of its amendments. PS also proposed several changes, among them adjustments in the process of selection and appointment of the head of the Slovak Information Service. In addition to the laws, the opposition also wants to adopt several resolutions.
