The Constitutional Court on Tuesday ruled that parts of the so-called pro-family package, re-approved by Parliament in June after being vetoed by President Zuzana Caputova, contradict the Slovak Constitution. Constitutional Court chairman Ivan Fiacan announced the court's ruling on Tuesday.
The president approached the Constitutional Court in July regarding the pro-family package sponsored by Finance Minister Igor Matovic (OLaNO), asking it to examine the package for compliance with the law. Caputova suspected the approved package of contravening the Constitution for several reasons. She argued that it was adopted via a fast-track procedure even though there was no legal reason for doing so. She also believed that the law violates constitutional rules on budgetary responsibility and transparency.
President Zuzana Caputova posted Tuesday on a social network that the decision is an important contribution towards strengthening the rule of law, and it will impose constitutional limits to any governing majority that might wish to misuse fast-tracked procedures again in the future.
The OLaNO party respects the ruling of the Constitutional Court that parts of the so-called family package of measures are unconstitutional, chair of the House constitutional committee Milan Vetrak (OLaNO) told TASR on Tuesday. Vetrak added that aid for families will definitely be forthcoming despite Tuesday's court decision. "We, of course, respect the decision of the Constitutional Court and will amend the House Rules of Procedure accordingly, although we're saddened that the court has changed its practice in this particular case regarding families with children when it had several opportunities to do so in the past and didn't. It didn't do so, for instance, when Parliament approved the so-called 100 Measures [sponsored by SaS - ed.note], an election moratorium and the like," stated Vetrak.
According to Vetrak, families with children are "safe", as child benefits of €60 and a tax bonus of €140 per month were passed at the previous parliamentary session anyway. (TASR)
