European Parliament Urges Commission to Assess Breach of EU Values in Slovakia

Strasbourg/Bratislava, 20 May (TASR) - MEPs have called on the European Commission (EC) to assess a possible serious breach of the EU's founding values by Slovakia's government, according to a resolution adopted by the European Parliament with 347 votes in favour, 165 against and 25 abstentions at a plenary session held in Strasbourg on Wednesday. MEPs are also concerned about the deterioration of democracy and the rule of law in Slovakia, where systemic deficiencies endanger the protection of the EU's financial interests. Slovak MEPs from the opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS) party abstained from the vote, while all of the remaining Slovak MEPs voted against. In the adopted resolution, the MEPs called on the EC to make full use of all available tools to address the aforementioned concerns with a view to ensuring compliance with the values enshrined in EU Treaties, starting with preventive tools. Where concerns persist and are duly substantiated, the EC shouldn't hesitate to make use of all enforcement measures at its disposal, including infringement procedures, suspension of payments or the application of recovery procedures. The MEPs also expressed regret over recent amendments to Slovak criminal law, including a reduction in penalties for corruption and financial crimes, the shortening of statutes of limitations, and the closure of the National Crime Agency (NAKA) and the Special Prosecutor's Office (USP). This has resulted in a significant drop in the number of corruption cases, thus undermining the prosecution of offences involving EU funds. Concerns were also expressed over constitutional amendments in Slovakia, in particular those restricting the primacy of EU law. MEPs therefore called on the Slovak authorities to ensure that the Constitution complies fully with EU law. According to the resolution, the EC should intensify targeted controls in order to "compensate for the weakening of national enforcement capacities". The independence of the judiciary should be strengthened as well. The resolution went on to express concerns about allegations of misuse and irregularities in the implementation of EU-funded rural development and tourism projects in Slovakia and so-called luxury private estates. It reiterated concerns about the functioning of the Agricultural Payment Agency (PPA). The European Parliament expressed particular concern regarding the "retroactive confiscation of property on the basis of collective guilt" and post-World War II decrees, as well as deep concern about the deterioration of media freedom and pluralism in Slovakia. MEPs also called on the Slovak government to improve the protection of the rights of LGBTIQ+ people and the Roma. jrg/df