Fico's Minister Is Furious About the Delegation Led by Zdechovský. He Is Slandering Us, the People's Party Member Countered

Slovak Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok was angered by the visit of MEPs from the Budgetary Control Committee (CONT) to Slovakia. He described it as a punitive mission from Brussels, the aim of which is to find excuses for the country to lose money from European funds. The delegation is led by Czech People's Party member Tomáš Zdechovský. "I had already received messages before the mission that our presence would not be welcome," he admitted.

The head of the inspection mission, Tomáš Zdechovský, rejected Bratislava's criticisms of the ongoing visit of members of the Budgetary Control Committee. "Instead of the representatives of the current Slovak government and the delegation of the Budgetary Control Committee discussing important topics calmly and objectively, they started attacking and accusing each other," wrote Czech MEP Zdechovský (KDU-ČSL) from the strongest faction of the Eur…

MEPs planned their mission to Slovakia three quarters of a year in advance, but had to adjust their program at the last minute. Originally, the MEPs were supposed to mainly address the rule of law and the abolition of the Special Prosecutor’s Office, but after the findings of investigative journalists, including Denník N, the Agricultural Paying Agency case was added to their list. MEPs from the Budgetary Control Committee (CONT) are asking abou…

While the coalition sees the MEPs' inspection mission as an opposition attack on Slovakia, opposition representatives point to the failures of the Agricultural Paying Agency (PPA) and do not believe the words of Minister Richard Takáč.

We are receiving disturbing reports of alleged misuse of EU funds and violations of rules by senior officials and individuals associated with the Slovak government, said MEP Tomáš Zdechovský.

A total of three delegations of MEPs will be sent by the European Parliament to Slovakia in the coming weeks, and their aim will be, among other things, to check whether the rule of law is functioning in the country and how the country handles European money, or rather how it distributes subsidies. The mission focused on the management of European funds is led by Czech MEP Tomáš Zdechovský (KDU-ČSL).