📢 The process of preparing the state budget confirms the concerns of Rule of Law Initiative regarding predictability and adherence to rules.
In recent weeks, IniciatĂva za právny štát has repeatedly highlighted the need for a transparent budget preparation process, respect for fiscal responsibility rules, and sufficient scope for expert discussion.
Recent developments further deepen these concerns.
➡️ The government approved the draft of the year’s most important economic law less than a day after its publication.
➡️ The exceptionally tight timeframes severely limited the scope for social dialogue and expert scrutiny. The Supreme Audit Office of the Slovak Republic pointed out that, due to the lack of time, parliament began debating the budget without the office’s formal expert opinion for the first time.
➡️ At the same time, the rules governing a potential provisional budget arrangement were hastily altered via a parliamentary amendment.
Formal deliberation cannot be considered genuine participation if social partners and expert institutions lack sufficient time to assess the document and its implications.
Transparency, predictability, and adherence to rules during the preparation of the year’s most important economic law cannot depend on goodwill; they must be a standard feature of the rule of law.
đź”— Full text of the Rule of Law Initiative’s press release: https://lnkd.in/ex3SHK8r
