MPs End Friday's Debate, Continuing to Discuss Changing UOO into New Office

Bratislava, 28 November (TASR) - MPs concluded Friday's session of the 43rd sitting with a discussion on the government's proposal to set up a new authority to replace the current Office for the Protection of Whistleblowers (UOO). They spent the entire day debating this issue. More than ten speakers are still registered to speak in the debate. Opposition MPs have been particularly vocal in the debate, criticising the proposal, arguing that it will lead to reduced protection for whistleblowers and victims of crime. They've pointed to a possible conflict with European law and inconsistency with the Slovak Constitution. The government last Saturday (22 November) approved a draft bill on setting up the new Crime Victim and Whistleblower Protection Office, which should take over the agenda of compensating victims of crime from the Justice Ministry and replace the current Whistleblower Protection Office. The Interior Ministry pointed to the need to respond to problems when applying the current law, in particular the insufficient rights of the employer of a protected whistleblower. It added that the bill would also make the institutional protection of victims of crime and whistleblowers, which is currently divided among several state bodies, more effective. am/df