Remisova Flags Up Collapse of Rule of Law in Slovakia to EU Justice Commissioner

Bratislava, 24 March (TASR) - Opposition MP and member of the parliamentary European affairs committee Veronika Remisova ('Slovakia'-'For the People' caucus) has handed an official letter to European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection Michael McGrath about the systematic elimination of the rule of law in Slovakia, Alexandra Konig from 'For the People' press department told TASR on Tuesday. During their meeting, Remisova gave McGrath a 'blacklist' of violations of the rule of law, including legislative 'riders', attacks on judges and attempts to liquidate NGOs. "I handed over written evidence to the Commissioner about how the governing coalition is intentionally creating a system of impunity for 'our people' while dismantling the rule of law," stressed Remisova. According to Konig, the European Commissioner criticised Slovakia's insufficient progress in combating high-level corruption and expressed concerns over legislative amendments that caused the statute of limitations to expire in sensitive cases. Remisova also urged McGrath to meet opposition leaders during his next visit. Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) said during his talks with McGrath that Slovakia is still going through the trauma of the 2020–23 period, which was marked by gross violations of the rule of law. He added that Slovakia doesn't want to continue that tradition but must respond to those violations primarily through legislation. McGrath has arrived in Bratislava to discuss the rule of law with top government officials and representatives of civil society organisations as part of the European Commission's ongoing preparations for the 2026 Rule of Law Report. On Tuesday, he's due to present the 2025 Rule of Law Report to MPs from three parliamentary committees and discuss the measures taken to follow up the recommendations in the report. He'll also discuss the state of the rule of law, the EU Strategy for Civil Society and the European Media Freedom Act with civil society representatives, and he's due to attend a meeting dedicated to the media sector. jrg/df