Zilinka: Interior Ministry Breaks Law by Fining President

Bratislava, 7 October (TASR) – By imposing a fine on President Peter Pellegrini with respect to his 2024 election campaign, the Interior Ministry broke the law, Prosecutor-General Maros Zilinka stated on social media on Tuesday. According to Zilinka, the president is immune to prosecution for administrative offences. He also announced that a prosecutor has filed an official protest with a proposal to annul the ministry’s decision. Pellegrini was fined in March for accepting campaign funds after the legal deadline. „Due to the constitutional privilege of immunity, the president of the Slovak Republic cannot be prosecuted or held accountable during his term of office for unlawful conduct constituting an administrative offence, including breaches of legal obligations related to campaign financing," said Zilinka. In addition, the Prosecutor's Office uncovered irregularities in the failure to initiate administrative proceedings over suspicions that the president’s campaign exceeded the financial limit. According to Zilinka, the Interior Ministry did not secure all documents necessary for supervising the financing of the presidential campaign. „The established relevant facts justified suspicion of an administrative offence," Zilinka added. However, he acknowledged that the ministry lacked the legal authority to initiate such proceedings due to the president’s immunity – though for a different reason than that cited by the ministry. Pellegrini was fined in March for accepting campaign donations past the legal deadline. He paid the fine in April and admitted the error. mf