State institutions in Slovakia will now conduct ongoing inspections of non-governmental organizations, focusing mainly on the use of public funds, after the government approved a resolution to strengthen oversight following a ruling by the Constitutional Court that declared the NGO law unconstitutional.
Members of parliament had passed the NGO law last April, introducing obligations such as publishing transparency reports, disclosing the use of public funds, and listing donors. “Slovaks will know how financial resources from the state budget or the European Union budget are being spent,” said MP Richard Glück (Smer-SD). At the time of its approval, however, opposition lawmaker Veronika Remišová (Slovensko – Za ľudí) criticized it, saying, “This government coalition has just approved a perverse Russian-style law aimed at harassing non-profit organizations.” The opposition and Ombudsman Róbert Dobrovodský challenged the legislation before the Constitutional Court, which ruled in December that it violated fundamental and political rights.
The government has now adopted a regulation to intensify oversight of NGOs. Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) stated, “The greatest danger in this country is represented by non-governmental organizations that carry out political activities similar to political parties, but without any public control or political responsibility.” Opposition MP Zuzana Števulová (PS) responded that it is unacceptable for the prime minister to attack the entire sector and label them as fraudsters.
MP Marián Čaučík (KDH) noted that NGOs receiving state funding are already subject to controls and must account for their spending, including potential in-depth audits. Defense Minister Robert Kaliňák (Smer-SD) said it is important to gather sufficient arguments to convince the Constitutional Court why such a law should exist.
Under the new framework, district offices will monitor legal compliance, the financial administration will oversee taxes and funding, labor inspectorates will check working conditions, and additional oversight will involve the Public Procurement Office, the Office for Personal Data Protection, and relevant ministries supervising the use of public funds.
Marcel Zajac, head of the Chamber of Non-Governmental Non-Profit Organizations, said that a recent unfinished audit of €47 million found irregularities amounting to €230,000—just 0.5 percent. Fico countered that “some non-governmental organizations grossly cheat and misuse these funds” and said the government would use all available control mechanisms.
Authorities are expected to strengthen their inspection teams by at least 10 percent. Each year, by the end of August, offices must submit inspection results to the Government Office, which will then present a comprehensive report to the cabinet by the end of October.
Source: STVR
