Slovak Deputy โฃPrime Minister Peter Kmec โคDismissed Amid โSubsidyโค Concerns
Bratislava, Slovakia – Slovak โขPrime Minister Robert Ficoโข hasโ proposed the dismissalโ ofโ Deputy Prime Minister Peter Kmecโ following โคquestions surrounding the distribution of government subsidies, officials announced โFriday. Kmec subsequently โขofferedโข and Fico โaccepted his resignation, though the โคpublic proclamation was delayed โคuntilโ Saturday.
Kmec, a member โof the board responsible for distributing the subsidies, faced scrutiny after reports surfaced alleging irregularities in the allocation of โfunds. According to newspaper Sme, โขone recipient of subsidies was a company with ties toโฃ Peter Pellegrini, โadvisor to the Slovak president and founder of the Hlas party. Pellegrini resigned as Hlas chairman prior to assumingโ the presidency last year.
Portal aktuality.sk reported that some companies receiving subsidies did notโค have registeredโ development activities.Theโ programโค came underโ further inquiry after Matรบลก ล utaj Eลกtok, current chairman ofโ Hlas and Minister ofโค the โขInterior, instructed Kmec โฃto suspend the program and conduct a review on Thursday.Prior to โthe suspension, Kmec’s office had already signed 13 contracts totalingโ โฌ65 million (1.57 billion crowns).
ล utaj Eลกtokโ stated on Facebook that Kmec offered his resignation, which โคwas accepted, and that Hlas acted independently of the Prime Minister’s office. The โขSlovak โฃconstitution requiresโ a member of the government to submit their resignation to โคthe โhead โฃofโข state.
The opposition party Svoboda a Solidarita characterized Fico’s proposal as evidence of corruption within the Hlas party. โขThe Christian Democratsโ welcomed the Prime minister’s moveโ but criticized โFico for consistently shifting responsibility โขonto others.