Slovakia’s new cabinet, led by Robert Fico’s Smer party, has faced a wave of criticism from the EU after approving the elimination of the Special Prosecutor’s Office and changes to the criminal code.
The legislation aimed at dismantling the Special Prosecutor’s Office has been criticised by the opposition, journalists and analysts as designed to shield Smer officials in the party’s previous government from further investigations. The legislation also reduces penalties for financial offences, weakens whistleblower protection and allows for a review of the incentives given to whistleblowers.
Slovak MEPs have called a session in the European Parliament to discuss the legislative changes approved by Fico’s cabinet. Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders told MEPs:
I would like to assure you the Commission won’t hesitate to take all the steps necessary to secure the observing of EU law including orderly financial management of EU funds.
Fico attends an EU summit in Brussels, where he said his cabinet would support Ukraine’s EU bid but that Ukraine was not ready for EU membership.
European Parliament Vice-President Martin Hojsik (Progressive Slovakia/Nova), one of the most senior Slovak MEPs, held talks with Reynders. He noted:
There is a concern that financial interests of the EU could be threatened by the legislative changes pushed by the Slovak cabinet. In other words, that cases investigating stealing of EU’s financial resources could be stopped.
The opposition obstructed the passage of the state budget in the Slovak National Parliament this week in an attempt to prevent the opening of the session on the abolition of the Special Prosecutor’s Office. This tactic postponed discussion of legislative changes until after Christmas.
The Special Prosecutor’s Office was established in 2004. Its remit includes overseeing some of the most high-profile and serious financial and organised crime cases, including those brought in 2020 during the Smer era of the 2010s, which ended in 2018 amid mass protests sparked by the murder of investigative journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kusnirova.
