Another day, another amendment of the Penal Code (Zeitgeist 6.)
Not so long ago, July and August in Slovakia were known as the "cucumber season". The reason for this title was simple. The most exciting thing happening in public space was a harvest of cucumbers. Since the Fico IV administration has been in power, we had to skip the...
Verbal attacks on judges continue (Zeitgeist 5.)
Another month, another series of legislative and political actions in Slovakia raising concerns over democratic principles and judicial independence. The parliament's condemnation of an assassination attempt on Prime Minister Robert Fico started a series of proposals...
Post-assassination Slovakia raises gloomy predictions (Zeitgeist 4.)
For a few days, there was hope that the horrible assassination attempt on Prime Minister Robert Fico might have led to a reconciliation of the polarized Slovak society. Although all political parties and civil society denounced violence, the reconciliation appeared to...
Slovak anti-NGO bill passed the first reading (Zeitgeist 3.)
The bill on foreign-sponsored organisations passed its first reading, the politician and controversial figure of the right-wing scene Štefan Harabin was nominated as a candidate for the Council of the Judiciary and Justice Minister Susko ordered lustration in the...
Slovak politicians introduce law on labelling of NGOs with foreign funding (Zeitgeist 2.)
During March, several attacks on democracy, the rule of law, and civil society occurred once again, perpetrated by the fourth government of Robert Fico. The most shameful was the proposal of a law requiring civil society organizations to label themselves as...
Zeitgeist No.1 (english newsletter)
The political situation in Slovakia has changed dramatically. Since the parliamentary elections in September 2023 and the formation of the new government consisting of two social-democratic parties, SMER-SSD, HLAS-SD, and nationalist party SNS, the institutions...