Governments are judged by a variety of things, one of which is unemployment. Of course the issue is more than a campaign topic. European politicians and their North American counterparts are intimately familiar but the question is how to tackle the problem when the loss of jobs grows to a degree that it no longer is managable. All historians and the more astute novices will remember FDR’s ‘New Deal’ with the American electorate; while those who check their pocketbooks will remember the late 90’s with nostagia and wonder how 2001-2002’s ‘jobless recovery’ did not harm President Bush.
A survey by Eurostat, the European Union’s Statistical Office, shows that the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in Slovakia remained unchanged in September from August at 11.1 percent. This put Slovakia at the top of the list among EU countries. Poland, which until recently had usually posted the highest unemployment rate, put even more distance between itself and Slovakia, decreasing its rate to 8.8 percent in September from 9.1 percent in August.
As of yet such news has not forced Mr Fico to publically say anything. Indeed, in a parliamentary democracy such questions are best handled by the Finance Minister or relevent person in Cabinet; however both former Chancellor Schroeder and former British Prime Minister Blair personally took responsibility for and an active role in fixing their respectful countries unemployment rates while in office.
Several months ago, Mr Fico attributed the healthy condition of the Slovak economy to the hard work of the Slovak worker. This was a wonderful news soundbite, but with last weeks announcement that promised Christmas bonuses to pensioners instead would go to Slovak train transportation and now the EU unemployment ranking, the prime minister may want to take a more pro-active, public approach. Yes, recent polling still shows that his party is the most popular in Parliament, but this is no reason to remain mute. Answer the critics, calm the pensioners, and introduce a plan to fight the unemployment.
