The delegation of the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties (LIBE) and the Democracy, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights Monitoring Group, led by Dutch MEP Sophie in 't Veld (Renew Europe) said on Wednesday 22 September that they were “cautiously optimistic” about developments in Slovakia.
The delegation spent 2 days in the country and, while there are still areas of “concern”, said the Liberal MEP, “there are also things” that are going in the right direction “and that are on the road to improvement”. “Efforts are being made” regarding the Rule of law and Slovakia can even “become an example for Europe”, she added.
The delegation met with NGOs, journalists, but also with representatives of the police and the financial intelligence unit. The delegation also met the parents of the journalist murdered in 2018, Jan Kuciak, and those of his fiancée, Martina Kusnirova (who was murdered too).
“I had already been to Slovakia 2.5 weeks” after these murders the MEP recalled, noting that during the 2 days the issues of hate speech, intimidation of journalists, and anti-corruption activists had been discussed.
The delegation will report back to the LIBE Committee, but Mrs in 't Veld does not yet know whether the visit will feed into a resolution or a Monitoring Group report. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)