斯洛伐克议会批准了明年的预算案，但该预算遭到反对派及财政监督机构的批评。与此同时，总理罗贝尔特·菲乔似乎有意谋求第五次连任。
Slovakia’s parliament backed a budget for next year criticized by the opposition and fiscal watchdog as Prime Minister Robert Fico looks set to seek a fifth term in office.
周三，布拉迪斯拉发的多数议员投票支持这项预算案，该预算计划将财政赤字规模扩大至国内生产总值（GDP）的4.9%。
A majority of lawmakers in Bratislava backed the bill to widen the deficit to 4.9% of gross domestic product in a vote on Wednesday.
此前，斯洛伐克政府设定的明年财政赤字目标为GDP的3%。这个拥有540万人口的国家将于明年举行大选。然而，全球贸易局势的不确定性导致经济增长放缓，能源价格也持续上涨，加之社会福利支出居高不下，使得实际赤字水平远超欧盟规定的上限。
The government had previously targeted a shortfall of 3% of economic output for next year, when the nation of 5.4 million holds elections. But slower growth caused by global trade uncertainty and higher energy prices, combined with continued heavy social spending, kept the deficit well above the limit laid down by the European Union.
上周在提交预算案时，财政部长拉迪斯拉夫·卡梅尼茨基承诺不会提高税收及社会缴费标准。这一表态却引发了反对派的担忧，他们指出政府的做法可能危及国家财政健康。
Presenting the budget last week, Finance Minister Ladislav Kamenicky pledged that taxes and social contributions wouldn’t be increased, prompting opposition figures to warn that the administration’s position was a threat to public finances.
反对派指出，该预算案所依据的经济增长预测过于乐观——预计明年经济增长率仅为0.8%，而预算案却假定经济增长率能达到1.8%。根据已获批的预算，到2029年财政赤字仍将维持在GDP的4%以上；预计2025年该国总债务占GDP的比重也将从目前的61.4%升至71.8%。
The opposition said that the budget relied on an optimistic growth projection of 1.8%, with the economy forecast to expand only 0.8% this year. Under the approved budget, the deficit is set to stay above 4% of GDP through 2029, while gross debt is projected to rise to 71.8% of GDP from 61.4% in 2025.
预算责任委员会也加入了批评行列。由于预算草案仅在政府内部讨论，且在议会辩论前两天才正式提交，最高审计署此次首次无法对预算案作出全面评估。该委员会警告称，这份预算案不仅无法有效控制债务规模，还违反了宪法中关于债务管控的相关规定；从长远来看，它也可能违背维持公共财政可持续性的宪法原则。
The Council for Budget Responsibility added to the political criticism after — for the first time — the Supreme Audit Office was unable to properly assess the budget as the draft was discussed only internally and submitted just two days before the parliamentary debate. The fiscal watchdog warned that the budget fails to stabilize debt and and violates the rules of the constitutional debt brake law.
目前，宪法法院正在审议这些异议，有可能判定该预算案违宪。不过政府已提前做好了应对准备：为应对明年可能实施的临时预算，政府已批准了更为宽松的支出规则。
It likely also violates the constitutional principle of keeping public finances sustainable in the long term, the council said. The Constitutional Court will examine these objections and could declare the budget unconstitutional, though the government has protectively prepared for that scenario.
反对派警告称，这种做法会进一步加大明年出现财政不可持续状况的风险。他们还严厉批评政府只顾大肆开支，从增加养老金发放、提高公共部门薪资，到为高昂的家庭能源费用提供补贴，无一不涉及巨额支出。
It approved more lenient spending rules in case it has to operate under a provisional budget next year. The opposition has warned that this approach further increases the risk of unsustainable spending next year, while lambasting the government for focusing on spending, from extra pensions and higher public-sector wages to subsidies for high household energy prices.
“在您的任期内，斯洛伐克的债务总额将增加310亿欧元（约合347亿美元），”反对派议员马里安·维斯库皮奇早些时候在议会上说道。
“Over your term in office, you will have put Slovakia €31 billion ($34.7 billion) into debt,” opposition lawmaker Marian Viskupic earlier told parliament.