MEPs and Slovak officials discussed the current development of events in the rule of law.
In Brussels on Thursday, a monitoring group of the European Parliament (EP) met for democracy, the rule of law and the fundamental rights that devoted itself to the current development of events in the Slovak Republic in the area of the rule of law. At the meeting of the Slovak Republic, the State Secretary of the Ministry of Interior was represented by Lucia Kurilovská and State Secretary of the Ministry of Justice Milan Hodás. Members of the EP Committee on the rule of law and civil freedoms, including MEP Veronika Cifrová Ostrihoňová (Renew Europe/PS), were also present. TASR informed the press department of the Ministry of Justice and the Progressive Slovakia Party (PS).
At the beginning of the meeting, Kurilovská explained the motivation and goals of the changes that occurred last year in the police force. It explained in particular the reasons for the reorganization of the National Criminal Agency (NAKA), which was replaced by the Office of Combating Organized Crime (ÚBOK) in September.
Hodás clarified the members of the group to the motivation and objectives of the reform of criminal law, which came into effect last August. In particular, he pointed out the case -law of the European Court of Human Rights and the efforts to humansize criminal law. He stated that in connection with the annulment of the Office of the Special Prosecutor’s Office, the continuity of the ongoing criminal proceedings was maintained.
State Secretary of the Ministry of Justice in connection with the administration on the rule of law appreciated cooperation with the European Commission, but presented reservations about the methodology of its preparation and justification of individual claims.
MEP Cifrová Ostrihoňová after the meeting of the monitoring group said that there is a number of questions about the steps of the current government, “whether the compliance of citizens’ fundamental rights and the proper functioning of institutions is guaranteed in Slovakia”.
Given the confidentiality of the meeting, she did not comment on the statements of the other participants. “For myself, I can say that I asked what the Slovak government was doing to calm the situation it caused by its indiscriminate statements. We must realize that these steps also have an impact on the reputation of the Slovak Republic abroad. I wish it to stop destroying him with her chaotic decisions, “she said.
