The European Commission has opened a formal investigation into Robert Fico’s government in Slovakia for the systematic dismantling of key anti-corruption institutions, most notably the Special Prosecutor’s Office for Corruption, which was abolished in 2024.
According to a statement from the European Commission, the Fico government’s actions pose a serious threat to the rule of law and the effectiveness of the fight against corruption, particularly in cases involving EU funds. The investigation is being conducted under the Rule of Law Conditionality Regulation and could lead to the suspension or reduction of payments from European funds to Slovakia.
In February 2024, the Slovak Parliament (at the initiative of the Smer-Hlas-SNS coalition) abolished the Special Prosecutor’s Office, which investigated major corruption cases, including those involving high-ranking politicians, organized crime, and fraud with EU funds. At the same time, the elite police unit NAKA (National Agency for Combating Organized Crime) was disbanded.
Fico’s government justified this by citing the “humanization” of criminal law, reducing statutes of limitations, reducing penalties, and “combatting excessive repressiveness.” However, critics (including Transparency International, EPPO, and independent experts) claim that the reforms led to the mass dismissal or reclassification of hundreds of cases, including those involving Fico’s allies.
Further steps followed in 2025–2026: weakening protections for whistleblowers (the abolition of the Whistleblower Protection Office in December 2025), amendments to the Criminal Code, and pressure on Prosecutor General Maroš Žilinka (who publicly criticized Fico and appealed to the Constitutional Court).
Slovakia was given a month to respond (the standard infringement procedure). If Bratislava fails to rectify the situation, fines, the freezing of part of the co-operative funds (hundreds of millions of euros), and further pressure through the annual Rule of Law Report are possible.