Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico’s left-wing populist coalition has voted to close the whistleblower office, further undermining the rule of law in the country, writes Politico.
The bill, which was pushed through a fast-track procedure, envisages the closure of the Whistleblower Contact Point. The point was opened in 2021, following the requirements of the European Union’s Whistleblower Directive. The closed institution will be replaced by a new one, and its management will be appointed by the government. Critics and opposition parties have said the changes will deprive whistleblowers of protection.
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office warned in November that limiting whistleblower protections seriously undermines the detection, reporting and investigation of corruption cases in particular.
The Slovak decision, which was passed by 78 votes out of 150, is expected to cause tension within the European Commission, which said in November that several parts of the new law raised serious concerns under EU law. The Slovak Whistleblowers’ Office said in a Facebook post that it regretted that whistleblowers had not heeded warnings from experts and international organisations, including the EC and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, which highlighted the negative impact of the new law. The statement added that the
law would significantly weaken the level of protection and public trust that whistleblowers would be protected.
NGOs and the political opposition have said there was political payback from Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok, whose ministry was fined by the Whistleblowers’ Office for dismissing high-ranking police officers without first notifying the office. The dismissed police officers were investigating a corruption case involving Slovak officials. The Slovak Interior Ministry told Politico in a statement that the opposition’s claims of retaliation were false and lacked any evidence.
The ministry said the changes were not personal, but institutional: “It is a systemic solution to long-standing issues that have arisen in the practical application of the current law, as confirmed by several court rulings.” The changes are in line with an EU directive, as said by the Ministry.
The law still needs to be approved by Slovak President Peter Pellegrini, who has hinted that he could use his veto power, which would require a re-vote by parliament.
Since taking office for his fourth term, Fico’s party has sought to dismantle anti-corruption institutions.
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