Office: Hard-earned Trust in Whistleblowers Protection System Will Be Weakened

Bratislava, 9 December (TASR) - The level of protection and public confidence in the whistleblower protection system will be significantly weakened, said the Whistleblowers Protection Office (UOO) in a statement on Tuesday in response to the decision by MPs earlier in the day to approve its transformation into a new Crime Victims and Whistleblowers Protection Office. "The level of protection, as well as people's trust in the whistleblowers protection system, which we've worked hard to build up at the office over the past few years, will be significantly weakened by this law," stated the authority. The office further said that it regrets MPs didn't heed the warnings of dozens of experts and international organisations, including the European Commission and the European Public Prosecutor's Office, which pointed to the negative effects of the new law. According to the office, political interests prevailed over a factual and professional discussion on the protection of those who, in good faith, protect the interests of the state and all those in it. The Whistleblowers Protection Office will be transformed into a new Crime Victims and Whistleblowers Protection Office, MPs decided in a vote on Tuesday, approving the Interior Ministry's bill debated via a fast-tracked legislative procedure. In addition to handling the agenda of whistleblowers reporting criminal activity, the new institution will also take over the agenda for compensating the victims of crime from the Justice Ministry. The new legislation is set to enter into force on 1 January 2026. am/df