By: Spletni časopis
When the government, following the example of the Litijska purchase, seeks money not planned in the state budget in order to pay all public sector employees a €639 winter bonus and pensioners a €150 winter allowance, Prime Minister Robert Golob will today answer opposition MPs’ questions about irresponsible economic and fiscal policy in the pre‑election period (Jernej Vrtovec, NSi), developmental lag compared to EU countries (Rado Gladek, SDS), and the state of economic development and living standards (Tine Novak, independent). Ferenc Horváth, meanwhile, will ask about Lek’s investment in Lendava on behalf of the minority MPs aligned with the government.
The Christmas bonus will be for everyone and mandatory, even though nobody planned for it in the financial frameworks, not even the government itself, as Golob announced in the National Assembly back in September.
The government is now looking for around €120 million, which it will have to provide for its 188,000 employees, unless tomorrow’s winter bonus is stopped by a veto or a referendum initiative. Since the country has just under a million employees in total, and employers will have to pay the winter bonus to all, more than €600 million in unplanned funds are being sought nationwide.
Companies in severe distress will be allowed to postpone payments into next year. They will have more time to find what they had not planned for, and what some of them simply do not have. Successful companies, however, have in the past already paid out significantly more, and with contributions included.
This time, though, it is convenient, because no taxes or contributions need to be paid.
Another €90 million in unplanned funds will have to be found by Finance Minister Klemen Boštjančič for the winter allowance to pensioners, enacted by the same law, after the government failed to secure it earlier through the pension reform passed too late in September. Its implementation was delayed by an unsuccessful referendum initiative from left‑leaning trade unionists.
Entrepreneurs and craftsmen oppose the sudden payout of unplanned bonuses, rushed through because elections are approaching, and the ruling coalition is trying to improve its image. Yet in recent days they have told the media they do not plan to stop the project with a referendum initiative, which would be the only way to halt the payments. A possible veto from the National Council can easily be overridden by the coalition, while disputes before the Constitutional Court will only be possible once the law is published, and very likely ineffective, since the money will already have been paid out by the time the Court begins deliberations.
It seems utterly implausible that judges would demand the return of money once it has already been paid. To them as well.