MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Friday, 12 December 2025 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Thursday, 11 December): BRATISLAVA - President Peter Pellegrini has vetoed a bill transforming the Whistleblowers Protection Office (UOO) into a new authority, defending the decision by pointing to the lack of grounds for a fast-tracked legislative procedure, serious substantive concerns regarding insufficient protection of crime victims, and unresolved objections from the European Commission that may have consequences for Slovakia, TASR learnt from the President's Office's press department on Thursday. "I'm convinced that the government and the governing coalition can fulfil their legitimate objectives without violating legislative rules, without potentially breaching the principles of the rule of law and without endangering Slovakia's interests vis-a-vis the European Union," stated Pellegrini. In his view, the current UOO plays a special role in meeting conditions under the Recovery Plan, from which Slovakia draws billions of euros. He also thinks that Parliament made a mistake by failing to dispel doubts during the legislative process about whether the final text is in line with EU directives. "Legitimate concerns remain over the risk of part of the European funds for Slovakia being frozen," he stressed. BRATISLAVA - Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) has criticised President Peter Pellegrini's veto of the law aimed at changing the Whistleblowers Protection Office (UOO) into a new institution, and he's called on the coalition to override it. The premier claimed that for this reason, Smer-SD will have to consider whether to support Pellegrini in the next presidential election. According to him, the president's decision is an expression of no-confidence in Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok (Voice-SD), and the head of state has thus sided with the police officers known as the 'Curilla group'. "By his decision, the president has fully supported the illegal activities of law-enforcement bodies between 2020 and 2023, when criminal law was grossly abused against the then opposition. The president has sided with the Curilla group. His decision is a clear expression of no confidence in the Voice-SD chair, Matus Sutaj Estok," the prime minister said. BRATISLAVA - MPs have dismissed MP Jan Ferencak (Voice-SD) from the post of parliamentary European affairs committee chair. They did so in a secret ballot on Thursday, with Voice-SD's proposal being backed by 107 lawmakers of the 111 present for the vote. Of the 109 valid votes, 107 were in favour of the proposal, one MP abstained from voting and one was against. The proposal was submitted by Voice-SD MPs, seeking Ferencak's replacement in the post by Peter Kmec (Voice-SD). "Given that MP Kmec has begun to exercise his MP's mandate, we propose MP Ferencak's dismissal from the post of parliamentary European affairs committee chair, as MP Kmec has many years of experience, professional practice, very good contacts and a good reputation in the field of diplomacy," stated the Voice-SD MPs. BRATISLAVA - The Criminal Code will once again include the "three strikes and you are out" rule for petty theft, reinstating the criminal liability of repeat offenders for minor offences, as Parliament approved an amendment to the Criminal Code on Thursday. Additional changes were added to the legislation during its second reading. The scope of the offence of obstructing an election campaign will be broadened to include actions related to the activity of a "foreign power", and criminal liability will also be introduced for "denying or questioning post-war documents regulating conditions in Slovakia after the Second World War". The legislation also modifies the status of cooperating defendants. Parliament discussed the amendment under a fast-tracked legislative procedure. Of the 136 MPs voting, 76 supported the bill, 60 opposed it, none abstained and 14 were absent. The amendment also changes the Distraint Code. Distraint officers will be allowed to impose coercive measures to recover damages caused by a crime or an offence. BRATISLAVA - The Supreme Court ruled on Thursday on the appeal filed by Justice Minister Boris Susko (Smer-SD) in the case of the accused former head of the Special Prosecutor's Office (USP) Dusan K. [name abbreviated due to legal reasons], overturning the Supreme Court's 2022 ruling as well as the 2021 ruling of the Specialised Criminal Court (STS), Supreme Court spokeswoman Alexandra Vazanova has confirmed for TASR, adding that STS should rule on the case again. It was SME daily that broke the news first. According to the spokesperson, the Supreme Court found that the law had been violated to the detriment of the accused Dusan K. In the summer of 2024, the justice minister filed an appeal in the case of legally convicted former special prosecutor Dusan K. He also decided to suspend the execution of the prison sentence until the Supreme Court rules on the appeal. BRATISLAVA - A march defending democracy, independent institutions and the rule of law is taking place in Bratislava on Thursday evening. The gathering, which began at Velvet Revolution Square and is set to move in front of Parliament, is organised by the opposition's Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) together with Progressive Slovakia (PS), the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) and the extra-parliamentary Democrats. According to SaS chair Branislav Groehling, the march is a response to a style of governance that undermines trust in the state. SaS MP Alojz Hlina said citizens have the right to make it clear they reject such developments. SaS vice-chair Maria Kolikova stated that the government is dismantling the systemic safeguards of the rule of law. "Abolishing the office that was meant to protect whistleblowers is the liquidation of the last independent counterbalance," she noted. ko