Slovak Opposition Seizes on EU Rule-of-Law Report as Evidence of Democratic Backsliding

The European Commission published its annual rule-of-law report on Friday, finding that Slovakia had made progress in certain areas of its justice system — but Slovakia's opposition parties have seized on the report as proof that the ruling coalition is undermining democratic institutions. The European Commission, the executive body of the European Union responsible for monitoring member states' adherence to democratic norms and legal standards, releases the report each year to assess the state of the rule of law across EU countries. While the Commission acknowledged some advances in Slovakia's judicial sector, opposition politicians interpreted the overall findings as confirmation of what they describe as a systematic dismantling of checks and balances under the current government. Slovakia is governed by a coalition led by Smer-SD, the left-nationalist party of Prime Minister Robert Fico, which returned to power in 2023. Since then, the government has faced sustained criticism — both domestically and from European institutions — over changes to the criminal code, the disbanding of a specialized anti-corruption prosecutor's office, and perceived pressure on independent media and the judiciary. The opposition argues these moves have weakened the rule of law, a concern that EU bodies have repeatedly flagged. The annual Commission report adds fresh diplomatic weight to those concerns, even as the government maintains that the reforms are legitimate and necessary.