EU Warns of Legal Action Against Slovakia Over Controversial NGO Law

The European Commission has cautioned Slovakia, stating it would initiate immediate legal action should the country proceed with a controversial law labeling NGOs receiving foreign funding as "foreign-supported organizations."

The amendment, which cleared the first reading in the Slovak parliament in April, would affect all non-governmental organizations receiving over 5,000 euros ($5,400) annually from abroad. Both the Slovak opposition and the Council of Europe have voiced apprehensions about this legislation, reports Reuters.

European Commission Vice President Vera Jourova, speaking after her visit to Bratislava, warned: "If you follow the Hungarian example on the NGOs law, we will launch an infringement procedure (for violation of EU law) immediately, because already we have the decision of the court on the table." She referred to Hungary's similar law on foreign-funded NGOs, repealed in 2021 after being deemed illegal by the European Court of Justice.

Following the EU's annual rule of law report, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico stated he had reviewed the report's recommendations, and relevant ministries would engage in dialogue with the European Commission. Fico alleged that criticisms actually stem from disagreements in foreign policy, with the Commission seeking "obedience."

Recently, legislation in Slovakia and Hungary has drawn comparisons to a foreign agents law adopted in Georgia, sparking widespread protests and straining Tbilisi's relations with the EU and the U.S. Georgia's law is widely viewed as mirroring Russian legislation used to suppress domestic opposition.