Slovak Labour Ministry Awards Millions in Social Innovation Grants to Politicians' Organizations

The Slovak Labour Ministry has allocated millions of euros in social innovation grants to organizations linked to politicians from the ruling Hlas party, despite these groups lacking previous experience in social innovation projects. The ministry, led by Erik Tomáš of Hlas, distributed funds from a 10-million-euro program to organizations that received funding for activities including cooking goulash and organizing children's celebrations, according to critics who question whether these qualify as genuine social innovation projects. Experts from the ministry's advisory committee have warned that political favoritism in grant allocation could damage the reputation of legitimate social innovation initiatives in Slovakia. The controversy represents another funding scandal for Hlas, the social-democratic party that is part of Slovakia's ruling coalition, following previous disputes over grant distributions including the so-called "slay grants" controversy. The case highlights concerns about the politicization of public funding in Slovakia, where opposition critics and civil society groups have increasingly questioned whether grant programs are being used to benefit political allies rather than serve their intended public purposes.