US EditionSlovakia’s parliament approves plan to dismantle whistleblower protection office
Slovakia’s government fast-tracked the bill with 78 of 79 coalition MPs voting in favor despite EU objections and €114,000 fines against the Interior ministry, critics say.
- On Tuesday, Slovakia’s governing coalition approved abolishing the Whistleblower Protection Office in an accelerated parliamentary procedure, with seventy-eight of 79 MPs voting to fast-track the bill.
- After fines totalling €114,000, the proposal from Hlas‑SD aims to replace the Whistleblower Protection Office created in 2021 under the EU Whistleblower Protection Directive.
- Coalition cohesion is uncertain as the president has signalled he would "very likely" return the bill to parliament and SNS leader Andrej Danko said the party could abstain on Sunday.
- Critics warn the Prosecutor General, NGOs and lawyers argue the law weakens protections and the Slovak government plans to replace the WPO with politically chosen leadership, while WPO staff said `political interests prevailed over substantive and expert discussion`.
- Brussels warned Slovakia's government, and two weeks ago told Euractiv Slovakia whistleblower bodies must be autonomous; opposition plans to challenge the bill at the Constitutional Court, leaving its fate uncertain if Pellegrini vetoes.
22 Articles
22 Articles
The ruling left-populist coalition of Prime Minister Robert Fico has voted in parliament to abolish the institution that guarantees protection to those who denounce corruption cases, in a new offensive against the rule of law in Slovakia. The bill, approved by an accelerated procedure, means the immediate closure of the Office for the Protection of Complainants, created in 2021 and which will now be replaced by a new institution whose directive …
Slovakia government's actions on rule of law, NGOs and media
Dec 9 - Slovakia's parliament approved on Tuesday the scrapping of the country's whistleblower protection office, in another move by the leftist-nationalist government that raises doubts about the rule of law in the EU member country. Read more at straitstimes.com.
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