The European Union has - rightly in my view - worked out programmes in order to financially support projects for those, who lack either training or experience to give them the necessary stepping stones to return back into the ranks of the employed. Creating a This is not exclusively a project for some poor countries, as these projects are equally existent in countries like the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden and the like. These so-called Employment and Social Inclusion Programmes, in order to be eligible to European funding,
As Mr Fico's rhetoric frequently has indicated, that his SMER party is dedicated to creating a social state. It would not be too much of an exaggeration to add that Fico's behaviour leans heavily towards creating a pre-1989 socialist state. In any case, objectively speaking: the official state policy is to support the less fortunate in society and the unemployed. Providing an opportunity to learn a new skill, to be economically active (in a group) has advantages over staying at home unemployed, and do also to a certain degree contribute to raise the self-awareness of people.
The Ministry of Labour Social Affairs and Family Matters under minister Mrs Viera Tomanová is responsible for the portfolio of these projects and both Mrs Tomanová as well as prime-minister Fico repeatedly fence with their social programmes to shout down the critical question in all the other current huge financial scandals. While some signals already came from Brussels, that Mrs Tomanová's pilot-projects would not meet legal standards and apparently the financing from Europe will be halted even to be returned. Not just another embarrassing disclosure. Mrs Tomanová never gave any factual information, even denied such allegations and lately highly irritated requested the journalists not to ask about untrue information or write lies.
The opposite however surfaced, as the full findings of the Audit Report on the said projects was presented yesterday. Admittedly, I expected a slightly higher interest on the matter, but I found myself sitting with 5 journalists at the presentation given by Miroslav Beblavý, which surprised me a bit.
The findings have some interesting conclusions; While in June 2009 the Ministry of Labour was informed of, among others, "worrying findings on the level of personnel costs, duplication of expenditures, assessment of state aid. By the time of the audit fieldwork (November 2009) these significant and urgent issues had not yet been addressed.", as well as "Unlawful State Aid risks distorting the market" and more specifically "The presence of indicators of serious fraud was identified...". Furthermore, a directors are commercially interconnected, etc.
I shall not bother you with technical details and the consequences. But clear is, that the critical approach to Mr Fico's government is not a mere baiting of press, opposition or the third sector. The amounts involved for these projects could have been adequately applied if properly managed for those, who are needing them. Those for whom the projects are intended. This way, only the political-interconnection has clearly richly profited, while the projects are stopped the support for employment and social inclusion has been just an cover up without any effect to the employees. How much longer does Tomanová and Fico need to further deny these murky businesses? As expected one of the first arguments will surely be "the EC is not an impartial, so the conclusions are not objective". A tunnel is always a tunnel. Wondering how Robber Fico will plea. (Please note, there is no typo-error in the prime-minister's name).
MS
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