Fico’s Slovakia failing on rule of law and EU fund oversight, MEPs warn

BRATISLAVA – The European Parliament’s Budgetary Control Committee has issued a sharply critical report accusing Slovakia of failing to protect EU funds and of undermining democratic oversight.

The findings follow a fact-finding mission in May, led by Czech MEP Tomáš Zdechovský, which examined rule-of-law conditions and the protection of EU financial interests in Slovakia.

“The report is more critical than usual – but unfortunately, entirely justified,” Zdechovský wrote in a press release on Tuesday.

The report adds to growing EU concerns over the erosion of democratic checks and balances in Slovakia under Prime Minister Robert Fico’s government. His critics accuse him of abandoning Slovakia’s pro-Western course and aligning more closely with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

One of the key issues raised in the report is a “serious deterioration in the rule of law” in Slovakia.

The abolition of Slovakia’s Special Prosecutor’s Office and National Criminal Agency under Fico’s government has, according to the delegation, caused a dramatic collapse in indictments for serious economic crimes – from 120 to 150 annually to just two so far in 2025.

Furthermore, MEPs say Fico’s government is fostering a hostile climate for civil society and the media, who face administrative harassment, smear campaigns, restricted access to information, and intimidation.

The European lawmakers also renewed long-standing concerns over the performance of Slovakia’s Agricultural Paying Agency (PPA), which allegedly ignores EU anti-fraud tools like ARACHNE, resulting in ineffective oversight and widespread subsidy abuse.

The document also criticises ineffective funding of projects aimed at the Roma community, and again raises the alarm over alleged surveillance and political intimidation by Slovak authorities during the European Parliament's mission.

Zdechovský’s delegation faced strong backlash from Slovakia’s ruling politicians, with the harshest attack coming from Fico, who called Zdechovský a “political assassin” and suggested that if similar MEP tried to visit Slovakia, they would be asked to leave.

The same day Zdechovský’s report was published, another European Parliament mission – from the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs – voiced similar concerns following its visit to Slovakia in June.

Sophie Wilmès, the Belgian MEP who co-led the June mission, warned that Slovakia under Fico is on the path to "becoming another Hungary".

A divisive figure at home and abroad, Fico returned to power for a fourth time in 2023 after his leftist Smer party won parliamentary elections on a pro-Russia, anti-American platform.

(cs, aw)