Slovak Government Faces Criticism for Excluding Partners from Growth Package Discussions

The Slovak government is expected to debate so-called pro-growth measures today, but is facing criticism for repeating the same pattern seen with its consolidation packages by failing to publicly discuss the proposals or officially present their final form. Trade unions and employers are demanding that the measures be discussed at the tripartite forum before approval. The ruling coalition, led by the social-democratic Smer-SD party, is also facing internal criticism, with objections coming from coalition partner SNS (Slovak National Party) and even from within the government itself, as at least one minister has expressed disagreement with parts of the package. The tripartite is Slovakia's formal consultation mechanism between the government, trade unions, and employer organizations for discussing major economic and social policies.