On April 11th, the European Parliament held a Mini-Plenary Session to discuss the threats against the rule of law and media freedom in Slovakia under Robert Fico‘s government. Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders expressed concerns about justice reform, state intervention in public television, and the freedom of journalists. The European Commission worries about the government’s media and judiciary control. MEPs agreed that the situation in Slovakia is severe, except for members of SMER-SD, Fico’s political party.
Despite warnings from the Commission, Fico’s government abolished the special prosecutor’s office, which is responsible for investigating serious crimes related to organized crime and high-level corruption. The justice reform has also weakened the judiciary’s role, which risks undermining the rule of law. Commissioner Reynders warned that the Commission would take action to protect EU law.
The debate in the European Parliament followed the victory of government candidate Peter Pellegrini in the presidential election. Pellegrini, a former member of SMER-SD, formed his nationalist party, Voice—Social Democracy (Hlas), a Fico government partner, along with the far-right Slovak National Party. With Pellegrini as the new President of Slovakia and Fico as prime minister, the country’s interests align with those of the regime of Vladimir Putin in Russia.
MEPs warned about the risks of Slovakia moving further away from the EU. In April 2024, Pellegrini stated that he would oppose sending Slovak Armed Forces to assist any NATO member state in case of a Russian attack, as Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty requires.
“The nationalists won by exploiting fear, but victory brings with it the responsibility to keep Slovaks in Europe,” MEP Vladimír Bilčík of the Democrats (Demokrati), a member of the People’s Party (EPP), said.
Martin Hojsík, vice-president of the European Parliament and member of Progressive Slovakia (Renew group), warned that Fico is dismantling the rule of law, bringing Slovakia closer to Viktor Orbán‘s Hungary and Putin’s Russia. MEP Łukasz Kohut of the Polish New Left party told MEPs about the Polish “experience”, calling on Slovakia to cancel its reforms before it is too late. “In Poland, we know how difficult it is to repair the damage done by the populists,” Kohut stressed.
Limiting media freedom
During a heated discussion on media freedom, Commissioner Reynders raised concerns about the limited freedom of state TV. He pointed out that journalists face too much intimidation, which risks resulting in violent incidents.
Meanwhile, MEP Ivan Štefanec of the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) reminded everyone how Orbán’s Hungary influenced the presidential election. He explained how the Budapest TV stations campaigned intensively pro-Pellegrini to sway the Hungarian minority residing in Slovakia, which makes up approximately 8.5 per cent of the population.
