The EC has criticised the government over its reduction of penalties for crimes related to misuse of European funds.
Despite the summer holiday, Slovak lawmakers will meet in parliament next week to approve a change in the criminal law to prevent Slovakia from losing out on funds from the European Union.
The amendment, which responds to criticism by the European Commission and aims to enhance the protection of the bloc’s financial interests, was approved by the government on Wednesday, July 10, a week after the Constitutional Court ruled that most of the much-criticised changes to the penal code originally proposed in early February 2024 are in accordance with the constitution.
The European Commission has repeatedly criticised the Slovak government for wanting to reduce penalties for crimes related to the misuse of European money. Justice Minister Boris Susko (Smer) claims that this week’s change, which will slightly increase penalties for the misuse of European funds, could not have been made earlier; another change concerns the extension of the statute of limitations in these cases.
“These matters, which we have now included in the proposal, arose from the Constitutional Court’s decision and subsequent communication with the EU. Therefore, they could not have been done in advance,” Susko added, as quoted by the state broadcaster STVR. He did not explain why the government had reduced the penalties in the first place.
Susko claims that the government had to adopt the changes in part due to the activities of the opposition, which he said is engaging in “anti-Slovak activities”. The opposition has pointed out to European institutions that the government’s changes could allow fraudsters to steal European money with virtual impunity.
“They are engaging in activities in the EU and the European Commission that damage the interests of the Slovak Republic, especially financial ones,” Susko said, as quoted by the Denník N daily.
The opposition likened the government to bunglers, due to its repeated corrections to criminal laws over a short period of time.
The government wants to adopt the changes before the decision of the Constitutional Court is published in the collection of laws. If the new changes are approved and published in the collection of laws after the court’s July 3 decision, this week’s changes will be meaningless, according to legal expert Jozef Čentéš.
“Perpetrators will be prosecuted under the more favourable rules, and this amendment will be pointless,” said Čentéš, a criminal law professor.
Parliament will convene on Monday, July 15, at the request of interim speaker Peter Žiga (Hlas). The government intends to adopt the changes through a fast-tracked legislative process.
