SNS proposes limiting state administration bonuses to 100 percent of base salary

The Slovak National Council is expected to see a new legislative proposal from the SNS party to limit bonuses within state administration. Andrej Danko, the Chairman of SNS and Deputy Speaker of the National Council of the Slovak Republic, announced the plan during a radio discussion. The proposal seeks to cap bonuses at 100 percent of the gross basic salary of the recipient.

Legislative context and the Lex Taraba proposal

The proposed amendment, which the party has referred to as Lex Taraba, is intended to address concerns regarding high bonuses paid during the tenure of Tomáš Taraba as Minister of Environment. The SNS party intends to submit this proposal as an amendment to existing legislation that is currently part of the parliamentary program.

The discussion regarding state compensation has drawn scrutiny toward specific individuals. According to reports by Aktuality.sk, several former officials received significant bonus payments. Marek Chovan, a former Secretary General of the Service Office, received a total of €160,000 in bonuses between January 2025 and September 2026. This included individual payments of €21,000 in May 2026 and August 2026, and €27,000 in September 2026. In that same month, the total earnings of Marek Chovan reached €33,000 when including his regular salary.

Other figures mentioned in recent reports include Martin Siváček, a former Director of the office of Tomáš Taraba and Marek Chovan, who received €100,000 in bonuses during 2026. In September 2026, Martin Siváček received a €36,000 bonus, bringing his total monthly income to €40,000. Additionally, Monika Škrabáková, a former Director of the Eurofund section, received €90,000 in bonuses between April 2024 and February 2026, with her highest monthly bonus reaching €8,300 in February 2026.

Regarding the source of these funds, Tomáš Taraba stated that high bonuses were paid from EU technical assistance funds rather than the state budget.

Political reactions and upcoming legislative votes

The proposal has met with mixed reactions from other political leaders. Milan Majerský, the leader of KDH, stated that limiting bonuses is only a small part of the necessary changes and questioned whether salary increases might offset the proposed bonus caps. Milan Majerský argued that the government must address broader economic burdens and suggested that the government should end as soon as possible due to the decline in living standards.

The political landscape remains active with several other legislative matters on the horizon. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Affairs has submitted a proposal to amend the Foreign Service Act. Furthermore, Pravda reported that the Slovak Parliament is expected to vote on the abolition of the transaction tax starting in January 2028. On a separate matter, Pravda reported that President Peter Pellegrini rejected the nomination of Filip Kuff, though Andrej Danko stated that the SNS party intends to maintain Filip Kuff as a nominee.

The parties also hold diverging views on international and domestic policy. Andrej Danko expressed support for the position of Prime Minister Robert Fica regarding not participating in further EU loans for Ukraine. Conversely, Milan Majerský argued that Slovakia should participate in financial aid for Ukraine, potentially guaranteed by energy and arms companies. Additionally, both SNS and KDH expressed opposition to Slovakia ratifying the Istanbul Convention, a stance similar to the position held by Hungary.

Glossary

• SNS party — The SNS party is a political party that has proposed legislation to limit bonuses within state administration. It also intends to maintain certain nominees for office.
• KDH — KDH is a political party represented by leader Milan Majerský. The party has expressed opposition to Slovakia ratifying the Istanbul Convention.
• Slovak National Council — The Slovak National Council was an organisation formed at various times in the 19th and 20th centuries to act as the highest representative of the Slovak nation. Following the 1989 Velvet Revolution, it was transformed into the new democratically elected Slovak parliament.
• Foreign Service Act — The Foreign Service Act of 1980 included the Foreign Agricultural Service, which has been a foreign affairs agency since 1930.
• transaction tax — An excise tax is a transaction tax on the sale of specific items. It was broadly used prior to World War I.