PS Wants MP Probe in Statistics Office, Suspects It Pursues Smer-SD Interests

Bratislava, April 14 (TASR) - The opposition's Progressive Slovakia (PS) party wants to initiate an MP probe in the Statistics Office, as PS leader Michal Simecka believes that the authority —specifically Infostat — might be acting as a "PR agency" for the Smer-SD party by conducting surveys on topics that interest Smer-SD politicians, and doing so with public funds. Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Simecka declared that the head of the Statistics Office, Martin Nemky, should resign. “Yesterday, it was revealed that the Statistics Office — a public institution funded by all of us, including through the transaction tax — is essentially functioning as a PR agency for Smer. It is using public resources, our money, to conduct surveys on topics that interest Smer politicians. In a properly functioning democracy, where we have independent institutions and the rule of law, this would be absolutely unacceptable — and it should be unacceptable,” emphasized Simecka. He added that other parties, including PS, also want to understand public opinion on certain issues, but they pay for such surveys from their own funds. According to Simecka, the published surveys include questions about coalition partners and even about himself. He said Nemky should resign, noting that Nemky previously served as a legislator for Smer-SD, which makes the suspicion that the ruling party is misusing the public institution even stronger. “What has already come to light is so discrediting for the leadership of the Statistics Office that chair Nemky should step down,” he said. The content of the public opinion surveys conducted by the Institute of Informatics and Statistics (Infostat) was reported by TV Markiza. The surveys were said to examine public opinion on internal coalition disputes, possible early elections, and the activities of Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) in relation to Russia. In response to TASR’s question about the call for Nemky’s resignation, the Statistics Office stated that the appointment and dismissal of the office’s chairperson is the responsibility of the government. “As an independent and professional institution responsible for official statistical data, the Statistics Office does not comment on political matters,” said the office’s spokesperson, Jana Morhacova. mf