Slovak Parliament Reverses Law That Would Have Abolished Whistleblower Protection Office

Slovakia's parliament reversed a controversial law that would have abolished the country's whistleblower protection office, using an amendment attached to unrelated legislation about war graves and monuments. Prime Minister Robert Fico described the reversal as burying a "legislative corpse" that had been introduced by the Government Office and Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok from the Voice party as a key priority late last year. The chaotic legislative process began when the ruling coalition initially moved to dismantle the Office for the Protection of Whistleblowers, which provides legal protection for individuals who report corruption and other wrongdoing. The decision to reverse course through an amendment to criminal law regarding war graves highlights the turbulent nature of the legislative process surrounding whistleblower protections in Slovakia.