Protest in Bratislava Against Plan to Reshape Whistleblower Office

Bratislava, 25 November (TASR) – A protest against the proposed transformation of the Office for the Protection of Whistleblowers (UOO) into a new authority took place on Tuesday evening outside the Parliament building in Bratislava, with the protest organized by the extra-parliamentary party Democrats and joined by the parliamentary opposition parties Progressive Slovakia (PS), Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) and the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH). "The governing coalition has decided to liquidate the Office for the Protection of Whistleblowers of Anti-Social Activity – a state institution that protected people who uncovered and reported corruption. Without any discussion, without comments, without shame," the Democrats declared. They consider the abolition of the office an act of open revenge by Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok (Voice-SD) and Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD). "This is open revenge against honest corruption whistleblowers and police investigators around Jan Curilla. Fico and Sutaj Estok could not accept that the office imposed fines on them, so they decided to abolish it altogether," the party stated. On Saturday (22 November), the government approved a draft bill to establish a new central Office for the Protection of Victims of Crime and Whistleblowers of Anti-Social Activity. It is to replace the existing whistleblower protection office and also take over the crime victim compensation agenda from the Justice Ministry. The Prime Minister declared that the level of protection for whistleblowers of anti-social activity will remain unchanged. "We are only proposing to change the structure of the office and give it additional powers in the field of protecting victims of crime," Fico said. The Interior Minister added that the proposal to establish the new office resulted from a joint initiative of his ministry, the Government Office and the Justice Ministry. "We are protecting victims and whistleblowers of crime, not those accused of committing it. A new office will be created to serve those who genuinely need protection, not those who abuse it politically," Sutaj Estok wrote on social media. mf