Slovak Opposition Slams Government's 'Punish the Poor' Benefit Plan

The Progresívne Slovensko (PS) party vehemently opposes the government's proposed 'No School, No Benefits' initiative, labeling it a punitive measure that targets the most vulnerable.

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The proposal titled 'No School, No Benefits' is based on a simple but flawed assumption – that the problem of truancy is primarily a matter of parental irresponsibility. The reality is much more complex. It is often a consequence of poverty, poor living conditions, lack of access to kindergartens, segregation, or insufficient support from the state. Withdrawing benefits does not solve these problems. On the contrary, it exacerbates them.

According to PS lawmaker Ingrid Kosová, the government's approach is fundamentally flawed, resting on the false premise that truancy is solely a parental irresponsibility issue. Kosová asserts that the reality is far more complex, with poverty, poor living conditions, lack of access to kindergartens, segregation, and insufficient state support often being the underlying causes.

"If you take money from a family that is already living on the edge, you are not punishing the parent. You are punishing the child," Kosová stated, directly contradicting the government's claims of protecting children. She accused the government of deliberately targeting the most vulnerable with this policy, which is set to take effect in January 2027.

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If you take money from a family that is already living on the edge, you are not punishing the parent. You are punishing the child. And that is in direct contradiction to what the government is declaring today.

Kosová emphasized that the government should instead focus on systemic solutions, such as investing in accessible and quality education from preschool, supporting teachers, providing systematic field support to families, dismantling segregation in schools, and offering greater support to schools in disadvantaged regions. She warned that the law, while appearing ethnically neutral, would disproportionately affect marginalized Roma communities, further pushing them to the margins instead of providing necessary support.

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To say that 'no one will lose a single cent' is simply misleading. This government plans to take money from the most vulnerable. And it does so consciously.

This approach, Kosová argued, shifts responsibility solely onto families while ignoring systemic failures. "I call on the government to stop punishing poverty and start addressing its causes," she concluded, urging a shift from repression to constructive solutions.

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This solution shifts responsibility solely onto families without addressing systemic failures of the state. I call on the government to stop punishing poverty and start addressing its causes.