Slovak health minister quits over government ‘support’ for anti-vaxxer’s Covid report

Slovakia’s Health Minister Zuzana Dolinková announced Friday she is stepping down over government backing for a prominent anti-vaxxer and insufficient prioritization of health care.

“I am sorry that at the level of the government coalition there is support for the ideas of the government proxy, which, in my opinion, find no scientific support,” Dolinková said at a press conference, adding she will officially submit her resignation in the coming days.

Peter Kotlár, the government envoy tasked with investigating Slovakia’s pandemic management and one of the country’s most prominent anti-vaxxers, presented his report — which is largely based on fringe theories — on Thursday. The report argues that the pandemic was “an act of bioterrorism” and a “fabricated operation.”

Shortly after his re-election last year, Prime Minister Robert Fico backed the initiative by the far-right Slovak National Party (SNS), one of the coalition members, to create a commission investigating pandemic measures.

“The Slovak public simply needs an answer about the vaccination … why people were vaccinated with various experimental vaccines without any tests, why all sorts of drugs were pushed into people … and what actually happened during Covid,” said Fico, who was critical about masks and vaccines during the pandemic.

Kotlár, who hails from the SNS, was named to his envoy position in January.

In his report, Kotlár recommended the government stop vaccination with mRNA vaccines and refuse to sign the global pandemic treaty, as well as the updated World Health Organization regulations.

Slovakia’s health ministry has not specifically commented on the report, but said Thursday in a statement — read aloud in the parliament — that it always “relies on scientific facts and knowledge.”

“The Ministry of Health has taken measures to expand the vaccination network … Registration for vaccination is voluntary and the ministry wants to provide the opportunity to vaccinate all inhabitants of the Slovak Republic,” it said.

Dolinková, from the social democratic Hlas (Voice) party, is also critical of the new budget cuts that are part of the government’s new consolidation package to reduce the country’s fiscal deficit that will significantly affect health care, especially workers’ salaries.

“I consider this consolidation package to be unacceptable for Slovak health care … as a health minister, I cannot guarantee the health sector is going in the right direction,” she said.

Dolinková added she does not feel enough political support to continue.

The minister has been criticized for poor work performance both by the government and the opposition. She has survived one no-confidence vote and the opposition filed another motion to dismiss her from her post early in September.