Slovakia Votes on PM's Pension, Special Prosecutor

0:00Savakia's set for referendum on July 4th to scrap life-long monthly payments for prime minister Robert Fiko and other top leaders after there. Terms wrap up. Voters will also decide whether to bring back the special prosecutor's office that tackled big-time corruption and organized crime. The push came from a petition by the pro-Western Democrats' opposition party, which racked up over 350,000 signatures, the exact, number needed by law. Peter Pellegrini confirmed the vote this week, but he drew a line, no question on early elections, since the Constitutional Court ruled that, unconstitutional, back in 2021. These payments kicked in after a scary assassination attempt on Fiko last year, giving prime ministers and parliament speakers with at least two terms, a check matching lawmaker salaries for added security. Before that, the perk was just for ex-presidents. Fiko's coalition shut down the special prosecutor's office in 2024, drawing fire from critics

1:00at home and abroad, who saw it as shielding. Allies and graph scandals. That sparked massive street protests, with thousands hitting the pavement repeatedly. Fiko stayed a lightning rod since regaining power in 2023, especially with his pro-Russian moves feeling more unrest. With Savakia's referendum history spotty only the 2023 EU vote succeeded due to turnout issues. Iran's got real stakes as folks, way in on accountability. That's your Canada News today update, AI powered and always on.