Headlines
Slovaks rally against government moves they see damaging rule of law
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on December 16, 2025
Last updated: January 7, 2026
Global Banking and Finance Review
Company
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on December 16, 2025
Last updated: January 7, 2026
Dec 16 (Reuters) - Thousands of people took part in rallies across Slovakia on Tuesday to protest against changes to the judicial system that opposition politicians and critics say are destroying the rule of law in the European Union member, Slovak media said.
Protesters filled much of a central square in the capital Bratislava, and there were protests in eight other cities.
The biggest opposition party, Progressive Slovakia, called the protest after Prime Minister Robert Fico's leftist-nationalist government pushed legislative changes through parliament last week that dismantle the whistleblower protection agency and change the way the state deals with crown witnesses.
"They took a chainsaw to the rule of law," Michal Simecka, leader of the largest opposition party Progressive Slovakia, told the crowd in Bratislava, according to live video shown on the internet.
People carried Slovak and European Union flags and slogans such as "Fico's government is helping Mafia" and chanted "Enough of Fico" and "Shame!".
Fico's administration argues that the old whistleblower agency was politically abused. The administration has also weakened criminal codes for financial crimes, revamped the public broadcaster and pushed constitutional changes asserting national sovereignty over some EU laws, which has raised European Commission scrutiny.
Fico's government has faced several large protests since coming to power in 2023, and Tuesday's rally was one of the biggest since last February when tens of thousands demonstrated against what critics say is a foreign policy shift taking the country closer to Russia.
(Reporting by Jan Lopatka and Jason Hovet in PragueEditing by Frances Kerry)
The rule of law is a principle that ensures all individuals and institutions are accountable to the law, which is fairly applied and enforced. It protects fundamental rights and maintains order in society.
Crown witnesses are individuals who provide testimony for the prosecution in criminal cases, often in exchange for immunity or reduced sentences for their cooperation.
Financial crime refers to illegal activities that involve the manipulation of financial systems for personal gain, including fraud, money laundering, and embezzlement.
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