Slovakia’s national parliament backtracked on its controversial criminal code following concerns from the European Union, with 77 deputies voting in favor of new amendments on Tuesday. This change comes after Slovakia’s Constitutional Court deemed some of the most contested amendments to the criminal code constitutional.

Slovakia’s Minister of Justice, Boris Susko, stated in a press conference that the primary purpose of the approved amendment is mainly to protect the interests of the Slovak Republic after the European Commission had threatened to block EU funding.

In response to the European Commission’s comments, MPs agreed to impose harsher penalties if EU financial interests are at stake. This includes a mandatory prison sentence if the maximum penalty specified in the Criminal Code exceeds six years. Additionally, in cases involving crimes such as obstructing tax administration, indirect corruption and giving or receiving undue advantages, the amendment proposed to adjust prison sentences to align with relevant EU directives. A conceptual definition of the “EU’s financial interests” was also introduced.

Earlier in February this year, the Slovak parliament swiftly approved amendments to the criminal code via a fast-track procedure after Prime Minister Robert Fico had announced the criminal reforms in December 2023. These changes included reducing penalties for financial crimes and abolishing of the Office of the Special Prosecutor, responsible for dealing with high-level crimes such as corruption and financial fraud. The decision took place despite nationwide protests across the country and criticism from opposition parties. Various institutions of the EU also questioned the government’s actions, displaying concerns over the rule of law and the decision to abolish the prosecutor’s office. The European Commission even went as so far as to threaten to block Slovakia’s EU funding in a letter sent to the government earlier in March of this year.