Luxemburg, 04/04/2006 (Agence Europe) - The Slovakian government has named Jan Mazak Advocate General of the European Court of Justice. Currently President of the Slovakian Constitutional Court, he will, like all new members of the Court, take up his duties on 6 October 2006 and will serve for six years.
Before then, the Slovakian Constitutional Court will have reached its decision on the European Constitutional Treaty. In July 2005, it suspended ratification by Parliament at the request of 13 Slovakian citizens, who had lodged a complaint, believing that ratification should be carried out by referendum. This suspension was criticised by MEP Monica Benova (PES) of the Opposition SMER Party. Interviewed by Radio Slovakia International, Ms Benova said that “Jan Mazak's decision” had been “strongly influenced by the radicalism of the Right”.
Jan Mazak will replace Christine Stix-Hackl whose post had been allocated to Austria for the period 2000 to 2006. Until 2012, the post becomes Slovakia's under the principle which sees it revolve among the “small” countries.