The Slovak opposition is calling on Brussels to continue to hold the government in Bratislava to account.
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00:00Slovakia's opposition says that dismay with the government of Robert Fico has reached
00:06a boiling point and that the European Union needs to remain vigilant of the government's
00:12reforms.
00:13In recent days, thousands of Slovaks have taken to the streets to denounce government
00:18decisions they say undermine freedoms and the rule of law.
00:22They include the dismissal of the heads of the National Theatre and Gallery by hard-right
00:27Culture Minister Martina Simkovičová and the dismantling of the National Crime Agency,
00:33moves opponents say are symptoms of a broader crackdown.
00:37We've heard also from the mouth of the Prime Minister is that he is calling liberalism,
00:43progressivism a cancer, quote unquote.
00:46So clearly there is a frontal attack on freedom, freedom of expression, arts, culture and especially
00:54rule of law which is very much a concern for the European Commission.
00:59Since returning to power last October, Prime Minister Fico has sparked outcry for overhauling
01:05the country's criminal code and dissolving the special prosecutor's office, prompting
01:10mass protests over the winter.
01:13He is also expected to disband the National Crime Agency, which was handling high-profile
01:18corruption cases in which he himself was involved.
01:22Last week Fico's justice minister also brokered the release from prison of a former special
01:27prosecutor convicted on charges of corruption and bribery.
01:31Brussels has taken no action yet.
01:34The European Commission so far has been very careful not to draw a line of attack on the
01:42government and that has been made much more difficult for the Commission because of the
01:48recent assassination attempt on Mr. Fico himself.
01:52So they had to draw a very careful line between criticising, legitimately criticising the
01:57actions of the government that stand at odds with some of the fundamental principles of
02:03the EU, especially the rule of law, but on the other hand not giving in to the hatred
02:08against Mr. Fico himself.
02:11The Commission reprimanded Slovakia for backsliding on the rule of law and media freedoms in July.
02:17In the past it has withheld EU funds from member countries such as Hungary for similar violations.