The European Union is considering imposing restrictions on Slovakia for undermining democratic norms, which could lead to the suspension of funding, which is an important source of public investment in the country. About this informs Bloomberg.
According to the publication’s sources, the European Commission has already prepared a decision on launching the procedure related to the actions of Prime Minister Robert Fizo, who initiated the liquidation of the special prosecutor’s office that dealt with corruption cases, including investigations related to EU funds. This step is considered a serious violation of democratic standards.
One of the possible scenarios is the application of the conditionality mechanism, which allows the EU to freeze financial aid to countries if there is a threat of improper use of funds. This could affect part of the 12.8 billion euros allocated to Slovakia from unity funds. In addition, the possibility of depriving Slovakia of all or part of the 2.7 billion euros in grants allocated to combat the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic is being considered.
As Bloomberg points out, about 80% of all public investment in Slovakia is funded by the EU, so any suspension of funding could have a significant negative impact on the country’s economy, which is already facing a budget deficit.
Since his return to power in October, Fico has been in the spotlight in Brussels for initiatives to reform the criminal code and abolish the special prosecutor’s office. Tensions have escalated since the assassination attempt on Fico in May, when he accused the opposition and the press of creating a hostile atmosphere. Since then, the prime minister has reorganized the state media, placing them under government control.
If the EU applies the conditionality mechanism to Slovakia, the country will become the second country after Hungary, where 6.3 billion euros have already been frozen due to violations of the principle of the rule of law.
