Slovakia - December 2023

The government approved amendments to the Whistleblower Protection Act which would remove whistleblower protections extended to police and enable the Attorney General to nullify court decisions granting whistleblower status. In addition, the proposed legislative changes would allow the whistleblower’s employer to appeal against the status. As a next step, the amendments will be put to a vote in Parliament. The new government, led by Robert Fico of the Smer-SD party, has suspended six police investigators at the National Crime Agency (NAKA), responsible for probing organized crime under previous Smer-SD governments. These investigators were given whistleblower status in October 2023 by the Special Prosecutor’s Office for a period of three years. The Interior Minister, Matúš Šutaj Eštok has claimed that the whistleblower status was granted illegally. In November, Eštok survived a no-confidence vote initiated by members of the opposition.

Sources: The Slovak Spectator (1), The Slovak Spectator (2), The Slovak Spectator (3), Euractiv (1), Euractiv (2), Aktuality

The government proposed amendments to the penal code which would dissolve the Special Prosecutor’s Office charged with overseeing high-level corruption cases and weaken penalties for crimes of corruption. Prime Minister Robert Fico has accused the body of bias against his Smer-SD party. On 12 December, thousands of people marched in Námestie Slobody (Freedom Square) in Bratislava and across the country to protest the planned reforms, and an estimated 35,000 people signed an online petition to express their resistance to the proposals. The amendments have been roundly criticized by the EU and the opposition. As a next step, the draft bill will be put to a vote in Parliament via a fast-tracked legislative process. The European Parliament will vote on a resolution in mid-January.

Sources: Renew Europe, Barron’s, The Slovak Spectator, Pravda