Slovak Opposition MP Raises Concerns Over Cocaine Use in Parliament, Women's Safety

Slovak opposition lawmaker Vladimíra Marcinková has called attention to several contentious issues, including suspected drug use among politicians and the state's failure to protect women from domestic violence. Marcinková, a member of parliament for SaS (Freedom and Solidarity), a liberal opposition party, made the remarks in a political interview program. Commenting on allegations of cocaine use among Slovak politicians, Marcinková pointed to the behavior of colleagues sitting on the European Affairs Committee of parliament, suggesting that scrutiny should focus there. On the topic of women's safety, she cited a recent murder in Gelnica — a town in eastern Slovakia — as evidence that protecting women from violence, particularly killings by intimate partners, is not a priority for the current government. She contrasted this with what she described as the government's active efforts to shield individuals accused of corruption. Marcinková also weighed in on a controversy surrounding Education Minister Tomáš and his approach to Roma children's school attendance. She argued that the minister has effectively targeted the country's poorest children, saying Roma parents often have objective reasons for not sending their children to school, and that punitive measures fail to address the underlying social and economic barriers facing Roma communities in Slovakia.