The European Commission’s latest report on the rule of law praises Slovakia for progress in certain areas of judicial reform while raising concerns about corruption, media independence and the transparency of lawmaking. The Commission welcomed steps aimed at strengthening the independence of the Judicial Council and efforts to abolish the criminal offence of “bending the law”, which allows judges to be prosecuted for their decisions.
At the same time, Brussels warned that Slovakia has made no progress in the effective investigation and prosecution of high-level corruption. The report points to a significant decline in the number of corruption cases and notes that amendments to the Criminal Code have made investigations more difficult. The Commission also criticised the continued use of extraordinary powers by the Prosecutor General and called for stronger rules on lobbying, asset declarations and conflicts of interest.
In addition, the report identified limited progress in improving protections for journalists and safeguarding the editorial independence of public-service media. The Commission urged Slovakia to make the legislative process more transparent and reduce the use of accelerated procedures.
The findings have triggered criticism from government representatives, including Prime Minister Robert Fico (SMER-SD), who rejected the Commission’s assessment. Opposition politicians, however, defended the report and argued that the government has failed to tackle weaknesses in the country’s anti-corruption system. The debate highlights continuing divisions over the state of the rule of law in Slovakia.
Source: STVR
