Fico: Bill on So-called COVID Amnesties has Logic, Veto Needs to Be Broken

Bratislava, April 27 (TASR) - The bill on so-called COVID amnesties has "huge logic", it is just, and it needs to be re-approved, Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) told a news conference on Sunday, adding that he will mobilise MPs to break President Peter Pellegrini's veto, therefore. Fico stressed that between 2020 and 2023, people were unjustifiably isolated, "had to pay board-money, and were given fines that were not justified." It should only be possible to claim compensations by August, he said. "The president has the right to veto it, I respect that, it's his constitutional right," said Fico, adding that the head of the state must respect if Parliament breaks his veto and re-approves the law, too. Fico said that he's willing to accept potential technical conditions of the president. At the same time, Fico stressed a need to ease tensions over COVID-19 vaccines. He thinks that quantitative analysis could ease this tension. Forcing people to get vaccinated wasn't right, he said. Fico stressed that Government Proxy for Investigating COVID-19 Pandemic Management Peter Kotlar won't be dismissed. "I will never allow this, Kotlar has been doing a good job," he said, noting that the proxy is due to submit a complete report on his activities by June 30. ko