Slovak Prime Minister Says No Legal Means to Remove Prosecutor General
– Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has stated his government lacks the legal authority to prematurely remove Prosecutor General Maroš Žilinka unless specific circumstances defined by law arise. Fico made the comments during an appearance on the STVR program “Sobotné dialógy,” responding to remarks from a fellow party member, Robert Kaliňák, who suggested Žilinka’s successor (whose term ends in December 2027) could be chosen by the current parliament.
“Parliamentary elections are scheduled for September 2027. It’s clear that the entire political cycle will end sometime in May or June. July, August, September will be a classic pre-election campaign. I don’t think there’s room to decide on the Prosecutor General in March or April,” Fico said.
The Prime Minister’s reaction follows Žilinka’s public criticism of the state of corruption investigations in Slovakia, which Žilinka attributed to amendments to the Criminal Code enacted by Fico’s government. Fico repeatedly emphasized that Žilinka had “completely lost” the government’s trust.
“We can no longer have confidence in a prosecutor who politically attacks the government,” Fico stated, adding that Žilinka then “shamelessly attempted to blame others” for failures in combating corruption. He also referenced Žilinka’s subsequent praise for the previous Matovič and Heger governments, specifically their handling of assets transferred to Ukraine.
According to Fico, the prosecutor’s office is responsible for criminal proceedings, and if someone fails in the fight against corruption, We see Žilinka himself who is at fault.
Fico Claims Žilinka is Protecting Lipšic
During the broadcast, Fico linked the current Prosecutor General to former special prosecutor Daniel Lipšic.
The Prime Minister’s statements come amid a broader political context of strained relations between the government and the Prosecutor General’s office, raising questions about the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law in Slovakia. The timing of a potential replacement for Žilinka, as suggested by Kaliňák, also adds a layer of political complexity, potentially intertwining the appointment with the upcoming parliamentary elections.
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