Fico Reprehends Ambassadors' Visits to Constitutional Court, Court Rejects It

Bratislava, 29 July (TASR) - Since the beginning of this year, the Constitutional Court has been allegedly visited by the ambassadors of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and France, Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) stated on Tuesday, claiming that they discussed at the court an amendment to the law on non-governmental organisations, which was being debated in Parliament at the time, as well as an amendment to the Slovak Constitution. The Constitutional Court objected to Fico's claims, considering them to be false and unsubstantiated. The Constitutional Court referred to them as a gross and inadmissible interference in the impartiality and independence of the judiciary and added that it won't tolerate any discrediting of its activities. "We know that they've been pushing the Constitutional Court that it should declare this law unconstitutional in any case. The Constitutional Court refused to suspend the law, but it is dealing with a submission regarding NGOs, and they have also asked about the issue of the Slovak Constitution," Fico told a press conference on Tuesday, adding that the Constitutional Court cannot judge whether a constitutional amendment is compatible with the Constitution itself. "What is an ambassador of a different country supposed to do at the Constitutional Court?" Fico asked, not believing claims that the discussions were about the court's powers and status. "The Constitutional Court strongly objects to Prime Minister Robert Fico's statements to the Constitutional Court regarding the Constitutional Court's communication with ambassadors about the law on non-governmental organisations and the amendment to the Slovak Constitution," said spokesperson for the Constitutional Court Martina Ferencova in a statement. "The Constitutional Court has already stated in the past that it doesn't communicate with anyone outside the legal procedures on matters that are the subject of proceedings before the Constitutional Court," she stressed. am/mcs