MEPs have called on the European Commission to assess whether Slovakia’s government poses a “clear risk of a serious breach” of the EU’s founding values and to use available measures to protect the EU budget.
The demand was made in a resolution adopted on Wednesday by 347 votes to 165, with 25 abstentions, the European Parliament informed in a statement.
MEPs said they were concerned about what they described as a deterioration in respect for democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights in Slovakia, adding that “systemic deficiencies” were endangering the protection of the EU’s financial interests.
The Parliament said it wanted the Commission to use preventive and enforcement tools, including infringement procedures — the EU’s legal route for action when member states are suspected of breaking EU law — and the rule of law conditionality mechanism, which can link EU funding to compliance with rule of law standards.
MEPs raised concerns about criminal law changes in Slovakia, including less strict rules on corruption and the closure of specialised anti-corruption entities, and about reported harassment of former anti-corruption investigators.
The Parliament also cited recent constitutional changes that it said restricted fundamental rights and challenged the primacy of EU law.
Media freedom, minorities and voting rights
The resolution also expressed concern about media freedom and political interference in public service media, the Parliament said.
It criticised pressure on civil society and called on Slovakia’s authorities to prevent and combat violence against women, and to guarantee access to sexual and reproductive health and rights, including safe and legal abortion.
MEPs said Slovakia should improve protections for LGBTIQ+ people and the Roma minority, and reiterated concerns about the implementation of EU funds intended for Roma communities.
They also cited reports of retroactive confiscation of property based on the “collective guilt” of EU citizens from minority communities, and called on authorities to halt confiscations based on post-war decrees that it said particularly affected Slovakia’s Hungarian minority.
The Parliament also stressed the need for equal access to elections for Slovak citizens living abroad, referring to the government’s plan to restrict postal voting.
