Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico’s left-wing populist coalition has voted to close the whistleblower office, further undermining the rule of law in the country, writes Politico.
The bill, which was pushed through a fast-track procedure, envisages the closure of the Whistleblower Contact Point. The point was opened in 2021, following the requirements of the European Union’s Whistleblower Directive. The closed institution will be replaced by a new one, and its management will be appointed by the government. Critics and opposition parties have said the changes will deprive whistleblowers of protection.
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office warned in November that limiting whistleblower protections seriously undermines the detection, reporting and investigation of corruption cases in particular.
The Slovak decision, which was passed by 78 votes out of 150, is expected to cause tension within the European Commission, which said in November that several parts of the new law raised serious concerns under EU law. The Slovak Whistleblowers’ Office said in a Facebook post that it regretted that whistleblowers had not heeded warnings from experts and international organisations, including the EC and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, which highlighted the negative impact of the new law. The statement added that the
law would significantly weaken the level of protection and public trust that whistleblowers would be protected.
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