EU working on proposal to freeze EU funds for Slovakia
The European Union is working on a proposal to freeze EU funds for Slovakia, Bloomberg sources say. The main reason is the crackdown on anti-corruption efforts, namely the abolition of the Office of the Special Prosecutor. The proposal is in an initial stage. The freeze would affect €12.8bn allocated for 2021-27, and Slovakia would have to return €2.7bn in pandemic assistance. Impact on Slovakia’s level of investments and economic growth will be substantial. The EC has already taken a similar step against Hungary and Poland. In June, the European Commission published its rule of law report in which it condemned Slovakia and Hungary in particular. In addition to abolishing the special prosecutor's office, the ruling coalition has already abolished the elite Naka police unit and, by shortening sentences and statutes of limitations, halted corruption probes of many Smer officials. It is attacking both the courts and the media. PM Robert Fico accused the EC of basing its review on articles by "anti-government media."
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