The head of state requests an amendment to the law concerning communist officials

the Felvidék.ma , President Zuzana Čaputová has reservations about the law, according to which former officials of the communist regime would be deprived of their undeserved benefits. Nevertheless, he signed the legislation.

Eduard Heger that the government propose an amendment that would remedy the errors complained about by the head of state. If this does not take place, the president will be forced to turn to the constitutional court, said presidential spokesman Martin Strižinec

Čaputová drew attention to the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights in connection with the rule of law. In assessing similar laws introduced in the post-communist member states of the Council of Europe, the court in principle approved measures that reduced the pension of the affected persons to the level of the average pension paid in the given country.

According to the head of state, legislation ordering the withdrawal of politically motivated benefits should not exceed this framework.

According to the law in question, the pensions of former officials of the communist regime and employees of the security forces will be reduced. These are persons who played a decisive role in maintaining a totalitarian system that violates basic human rights and freedoms.

The coalition representatives emphasized that they want to guarantee justice with the rule of law.

They pointed out that the pensions of some former officials are well above the average, while the pensions of those persecuted by the communist authorities are very low. The withdrawal of benefits also affects widows. In the future, the period when they served the totalitarian regime and its oppressive apparatus, enjoying various advantages, privileges and rewards, would not be included in the pensions of the ex-parliamentary officials.

The register of the persons concerned is kept by the Institute of National Remembrance. The legislation also lists some exceptions, such as elite athletes who have only been formally assigned to the military or police.

The law will enter into force on August 5, 2021.