SLOVAK: Slovak President Zuzana Caputova pleaded with legislators to review ideas that have sparked worries about the rule of law, such as eliminating a special prosecution agency for serious crimes and reducing punishments for financial crimes.
The administration of Robert Fico, the four-time prime minister, is attempting to expedite changes that it claims are required to stop what it referred to as abuses at the Special Prosecution Office (USP) during Fico’s opposition years.
In recent weeks, thousands of demonstrators have flocked to Slovak squares in protest of the government’s plans.
Caputova informed the legislature that implementing such modifications in a streamlined legislative process was “unprecedented.”
“The absence of proper expert debate multiplies the risks connected with this amendment, because there is a lack of analysis of its all practical and technical consequences,” she stated.
Fico has claimed that the Slovak penal system is unfair in comparison to many other European nations and has charged that the USP is biased against his political party.
However, Caputova noted that the European Prosecutor’s Office has expressed worry that the proposed modifications would result in inadequate penalties for misappropriation of funds from the European Union.
Additionally, she stated that the suggested sentence reduction would be greater than that of neighboring states. Caputova gave the example of a burglary that may have resulted in up to 350,000 euros in damage, but in many other cases, such as money laundering, the punishment would just be a suspended sentence.
She cautioned that reducing statutes of limitations would immediately absolve thousands of previously committed crimes of their culpability.
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“The four-way combination of the fundamental lowering of sentences, higher damage thresholds, changes to conditions of suspended sentences and changes in statutes of limitations would be resignation of the state on protecting its citizens,” Caputova stated.
Fico responded by saying the administration was still committed to the ideas and that they will modernize the penal code and make certain corrections.
He said during a briefing, “These are steps we consider fundamentally correct.”
