The Slovakian parliament has definitively decided to dissolve a whistleblower protection agency, despite strong protests from the liberal and conservative opposition.
Lawmakers narrowly overrode a veto imposed by President Peter Pellegrini. As a result, the current agency will be dissolved from January 1 and replaced by a formally similar institution.
The opposition said that the apparent purpose of the restructuring was to replace the head of the agency, who is critical of the government, with someone less objectionable.
In addition to the president, who is generally aligned with the government camp, Slovakian Chief Prosecutor Maros Zilinka and EU Chief Prosecutor Laura Codruţa Kövesi also raised concerns about the legislative amendment. They feared a weakening of the protection for whistleblowers and thus a reduction in the fight against corruption and organized crime.
Scuffles in parliament
The decision of the National Council, as the unicameral parliament in Bratislava is officially called, was preceded the day before by a tumultuous debate.
Igor Matovič, the head of the populist conservative opposition Slovakia Movement, initially prevented the left-wing nationalist Prime Minister Robert Fico from continuing a speech by blocking the lectern. He wore a T-shirt with the inscription "We have had enough of Fico!"
Eventually, Matovič walked through the rows of government camp lawmakers with his mobile phone, filming them while saying: "These are the people who amnesty...
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