Bratislava – The opposition has not requested the delegation from the European Parliament (EP) that arrived in Slovakia on Monday to assess the rule of law. Members of the European Parliament are entitled to be informed about conditions in Slovakia, stated Igor Matovič, chairman of the opposition movement Slovakia and a member of the National Council (NR) of the Slovak Republic, at a press conference on Monday, according to TASR.
“I sincerely hope that the MEPs visiting the government office will not be cowed by Robert Fico’s threats, as he attempts to undermine their credibility beforehand. He labels them as individuals who came at the request of the Slovak opposition. None of us contacted them,” Matovič remarked.
Veronika Remišová, chairwoman of the opposition party For the People, highlighted that government officials are attacking the judiciary, security forces, and freedom of expression.
“A warning to the members of the euro-delegation arriving in Slovakia: Euro MPs should be vigilant if they notice anyone unusual in glasses trailing or photographing them. That’s the situation here in Slovakia. When a critical European Parliament mission comes, instead of learning from it, the government coalition has them followed,” Remišová noted, referencing remarks by Czech MEP Tomáš Zdechovský, who led a previous EP delegation and alleged he was shadowed by Slovak secret services during his visit.
Michal Šimečka, leader of the opposition movement PS and a member of the National Council (NR) of the Slovak Republic, expressed optimism that the second EP delegation’s reception in Slovakia would improve compared to the last. He emphasized the regularity of oversight by EU delegations.
“It demonstrates paranoid thinking when the Prime Minister describes these individuals as hired assassins merely for checking the use of European funds. The Minister of the Interior referred to it as a terrorist or criminal mission, and the Deputy Speaker of Parliament labeled it a hybrid operation or threat. What kind of comments are these against our EU partners and a European institution that oversees the usage of EU funds?” Šimečka inquired.
A four-member delegation from the EP Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) arrived in Bratislava on Monday to evaluate the current state of democracy, rule of law, and the respect of fundamental rights in Slovakia.
The delegation intends to engage with representatives from the Slovak government, the NR SR, the judiciary, the ombudsman, and various relevant authorities, organizations, and stakeholders, including media representatives and NGOs focused on human rights, democracy, and non-discrimination. (June 2)
“I sincerely hope that the MEPs visiting the government office will not be cowed by Robert Fico’s threats, as he attempts to undermine their credibility beforehand. He labels them as individuals who came at the request of the Slovak opposition. None of us contacted them.”” Igor Matovič.
Leave a Reply