European Parliament Adopts Report on Slovakia's Progress

The European Parliament has adopted a report evaluating Slovakia's progress, with the document suggesting that EU funds to Slovakia would already be frozen if the European Union did not suffer from its own democratic deficit. The report appears to be critical of Slovakia's current trajectory, implying that the country's democratic and rule-of-law standards have deteriorated to a level that would normally trigger financial penalties under EU mechanisms. The assessment comes as the EU has increasingly used its budget as leverage to pressure member states over rule-of-law concerns, having previously suspended funds to Hungary and Poland over similar issues. The report's language suggests that procedural or political constraints within EU institutions may be preventing stronger action against Slovakia despite concerns about its democratic governance.