Štefanec to Ask EU to Look into Fico's Bill on Restructuring

Slovak MEP Ivan Štefanec (Independent, formerly SDKU-SD) is set to meet EU Commissioner for Competition Margrethe Vestager later on Thursday to discuss a proposal tabled by the Government concerning restructuring procedures in the wake of the disputed restructuring of Slovak construction giant Váhostav-SK. Štefanec wants to ask the European Commission to look into whether the proposal in question is in line with EU legislation on providing state assistance. "I have a legitimate doubt that the solution that Smer-SD is pushing for in Parliament interferes with economic competition and is associated with unauthorised state assistance," claimed Štefanec. The MEP believes that the solution unveiled by Prime Minister Robert Fico on Wednesday can be viewed as help to "friends of his party", adding that Fico's Cabinet has failed to assist small firms and entrepreneurs, who in fact are getting a raw deal. Štefanec finds it absurd that tax payers' money should be used to compensate for inefficient management of one company, which had previously received commissions from public resources.