The Slovak Constitutional Court has blocked the government's controversial judicial reform. It decided today that the part of the package that aims to significantly reduce penalties for crimes such as bribery and fraud cannot, for now, come into force on March 15, as planned.
However, the court did not address another area of reform that has also been criticized by the opposition and President Zuzana Caputova: the planned abolition of the special prosecutor's office responsible for crime and corruption at the highest level.
This dealt, among other things, with cases involving high-level civil servants and members of Prime Minister Robert Fico's ruling party.
Court wants more consultation time
In view of the expected reduction of the sentence, the court granted more time for consultation, which could have taken months. However, the extinction of the Special Public Prosecutor's Office may continue. The Slovak parliament quickly approved both measures in early February.
Fico's government accuses the Special Prosecutor's Office of bias against the party in power. This is why changes are necessary.
The opposition and tens of thousands of Slovaks, who protested against the reform in rallies across the country, accuse Fico of wanting to protect his allies from investigations. The EU Commission and the European Public Prosecutor's Office have also expressed concern about the reform plans.