Slovakia Gets a Stern Talking-To from European Parliament (Again)
The European Parliament has officially entered its “we need to talk” phase with Slovakia, passing a resolution with 347 votes that essentially amounts to a very formal “what on earth is going on over there?”
MEPs are sounding the alarm bells—loudly—about Slovakia’s apparent decision to speedrun through every democratic red flag imaginable. The concerns? Oh, just minor things like weakening anti-corruption laws, shutting down specialized anti-corruption units, and allegedly harassing the very people who used to investigate corruption. Nothing to see here, folks.
But wait, there’s more! The European Parliament is particularly miffed about EU funds potentially being funneled into luxury private estates under the creative accounting category of “rural development and tourism projects.” Because nothing says “supporting local farmers” quite like a renovated mansion, apparently.
The resolution reads like a greatest hits album of democratic backsliding. Constitutional changes that challenge EU law supremacy? Check. Attempts to abolish whistleblower protections? Check. Political interference in public media? You betcha. The government even tried to restrict postal voting for citizens abroad—presumably because democracy works better when fewer people can participate.
MEPs are now demanding the European Commission pull out all the stops, including infringement procedures and the rule of law conditionality mechanism (which is Brussels-speak for “we might withhold your allowance”). They want Slovakia to strengthen judicial independence and implement anti-corruption recommendations, which seems reasonable given the circumstances.
The resolution also tackles media freedom concerns, women’s rights, LGBTIQ+ protections, and issues affecting the Roma and Hungarian minorities, including the troubling matter of property confiscations based on post-war decrees.
This isn’t Slovakia’s first rodeo with parliamentary scolding—MEPs raised similar concerns in 2025 after fact-finding missions. At this rate, Slovakia might want to consider a loyalty card for EU reprimands.