Slovak MEPs are sharply divided over the European Commission’s potential freezing of EU funds amid concerns over the rule of law, Euractiv reports.
As the EU grapples with how its budget will be affected by rule of law-related conditions, Slovak MEPs are divided over how the Commission should approach a potential freeze of EU funds.
The issue has arisen following reports that the Commission is considering taking action against Slovakia in response to Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico’s decision to abolish the special prosecutor’s office responsible for investigating corruption cases. Such a move would echo the Commission’s previous decision to freeze 6.3 billion euros allocated to Hungary because of similar rule of law problems. Branislav Ondruš from the ruling party from Hlas-SD (NI) said in a discussion organised by Euractiv Slovakia:
The European Commission does not have relevant arguments to justify this action.
Ondruš described the alleged threats to the rule of law in Slovakia as a “virtual threat” and described the Commission’s consideration of suspending the allocation of funds as a “political game” driven by discontent over last year’s Slovak parliamentary elections, which returned Fico to power. Ondruš also said:
Such an approach is highly dangerous, as it could be used against other member states if their election outcomes don’t align with the preferences of some people in Brussels.
MEP Katarína Roth Neveďalová, his Smer-SD counterpart Robert Fico (NI), argued that conditionalities can be politically manipulated and believes Slovakia’s judicial system is not failing. Katarína Roth Neveďalová said in a debate:
If you keep telling people that there is corruption in Slovakia, they will think so.
While MEPs from the ruling parties condemn this possible perception of Slovakia, the opposition has no consensus on the issue.
Slovak opposition about the rule of law
Miriam Lexmann, opposition MEP (KHD/EPP), noted that any conditions must be firmly rooted in the EU treaties, but said that “the EU Court of Justice has stated in several disputes that the rule of law issue is not clearly defined in the treaties.”
She warned that the withdrawal of funds due to the abolition of Slovakia’s special prosecutor’s office is outside the EU’s competence, as such structural decisions are within the competence of the member state. According to Lexmann, the main task should be to fight corruption and protect public funds contributed by taxpayers.
On the other hand, Ľubica Kravašová, MEP for the leading opposition party Progressive Slovakia (PS/RE), believed that linking the allocation of European funds to compliance with rule of law standards is crucial. She emphasised that ensuring effective judicial systems in all EU countries is a priority necessary to fight corruption. Karvašová noted that this principle is part of the EU accession negotiations with Ukraine, which emphasises its wider importance within the EU.
