Slovakia’s Opposition Plans for Fico’s Legacy: Reversing Legal Changes & Benefits

Slovakia’s Opposition Vows to Reverse Fico Government’s Changes if Elected

As thousands protested in February amidst the winter chill, members of Slovakia’s new coalition government swiftly rewrote criminal law. The demonstrations were called by opposition parties, who warned that the coalition was rushing through an amnesty for its allies and protecting organized crime figures.

“We will fight in parliament, at the Constitutional Court, in Brussels, and in the streets. Mr. Fico, we are not going anywhere,” Progressive Slovakia (PS) leader Michal Šimečka said at the time, according to reports.

Despite opposition, protesters, and numerous experts, the coalition approved amendments to the Criminal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure in February 2024. These changes reduced sentences for many crimes, including corruption, shortened statutes of limitations, and abolished the Office of the Special Prosecutor, which had been responsible for investigating high-profile corruption and organized crime cases.

Since then, controversial proposals from the coalition have continued to emerge, including the abolition of public broadcaster RTVS and the National Criminal Agency (NAKA), as well as amendments to the law on repentant witnesses. Aktuality.sk reached out to all opposition parties – PS, SaS, KDH, and Hnutie Slovensko – asking what they would do with the legacy of Robert Fico’s fourth government if they were to take power after the next elections.

While some are calling for an immediate return to the pre-amendment status quo, others warn against an endless cycle of political revenge and do not plan to reverse everything approved by the Fico government. However, it is certain that the prime minister will lose benefits approved by parliament following the assassination attempt against him.

Criminal Code Revisions

Amendments to the Criminal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure remain a central point of contention for opposition parties. Progressive Slovakia recently highlighted this issue following a court ruling in the case of Jozef Brhel. “Oligarch Brhel would originally have gone to prison, now he got off with a suspended sentence. And all because of the amendment to the criminal code, which Fico’s majority approved as a priority immediately after the elections,” PS wrote following the verdict.

There is broad agreement among opposition parties that the coalition’s changes should be reversed, but disagreement exists on the extent of that reversal. KDH appears to be the outlier, holding a position closer to Hnutie Slovensko, with whom they have stated they will not govern after the elections, despite being allied with PS and SaS. Parties emphasize the need to restore higher penalties for certain crimes, but KDH opposes this.

“We plan to amend the laws relating to corruption and tax crimes to ensure that the fight against tax fraud and corruption is effective again. We would certainly like to adjust (reduce) the damage threshold for tax crimes, which was raised to 20,000 euros, resulting in a catastrophic state of prosecution of tax crimes,” Zuzana Števulová, a PS MP specializing in justice issues, told Aktuality.sk.

Mária Kolíková, a SaS MP and former Minister of Justice, confirmed that her party also wants to change the criminal justice process, ensuring an effective system of cooperating defendants, sufficient time for investigators to clarify crimes, and the removal of tools for abusing positions by those under criminal investigation. “Specifically, we want to return to the situation before the shameful amendment. At the same time, we advocate for strict penalties for tax fraud and corruption, at least at the level before the amendment,” Kolíková added.

Viliam Karas, a prominent member of KDH who replaced Kolíková as Minister of Justice when SaS left the Eduard Heger government in 2022, holds a slightly different view. Karas had plans to intervene in criminal policy when he took office, but lacked sufficient support.

KDH’s approach is to avoid a “pendulum policy” where each new government simply negates the actions of its predecessor. They do not want a return to excessively harsh penalties, arguing that the reduction of penalties was the main justification for the coalition’s criminal code amendment.

Regarding the institution of cooperating defendants, the parties agree on the need to maintain it, but KDH believes that such witnesses should be subject to stronger judicial oversight to prevent abuse. The government coalition also speaks of the abuse of repentant witnesses.

The Future of Specialized Prosecution and NAKA

The coalition’s amendment to the Criminal Code also led to the abolition of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (ÚŠP), which had investigated corruption. There is not complete consensus among the opposition on whether the specialized prosecutor’s office should be reinstated. Hnutie Slovensko and SaS advocate for its direct return. “Yes, our goal is to establish the Office of the Special Prosecutor,” Igor Matovič stated concisely.

Kolíková argues that the specialization of prosecutors is crucial for effectively prosecuting organized crime and corruption. However, Progressive Slovakia and KDH favor a comprehensive reform of the prosecution service rather than a simple restoration of the ÚŠP in its original form. PS plans to reform the entire prosecution system, creating a specialization in combating corruption and organized crime. KDH shares this view, believing that the existence of a specific office alone does not guarantee justice.

Regarding the National Criminal Agency (NAKA), which was abolished in September 2024 and replaced by the Office for Combating Organized Crime (ÚBOK), most opposition parties would likely not return to the previous model. KDH believes that the existence of NAKA proved to be politically vulnerable and calls for a new model that responds to the challenges of the 21st century, including the development of elite units with nationwide jurisdiction to tackle economic crime, cybercrime, and drug networks. “Key is closer cooperation with the banking sector and international partners, not a return to models that have proven to be politically vulnerable,” KDH stated.

Matovič says that the name doesn’t matter: “The essential thing is that all units in the police force have the space to investigate and work freely, as they did during the 2020-2023 government, not on political orders.”

Former Police President Jaroslav Spišiak, now a PS MP, echoed this sentiment: “We plan to carry out a comprehensive reform of the police force – including specialized units responsible for combating organized crime and corruption. The name is not important, the structure, working relationships, methods of management and control are important.”

Only Kolíková explicitly supports the return of NAKA, stating that without specialization in the police force, it is impossible to effectively prosecute corruption, organized crime, or other serious crimes, especially tax offenses.

Fico to Lose Post-Attack Benefits

Following the attack on Robert Fico, the coalition quickly approved a law known as “lex atentát” (the attack law). This included new financial benefits for the prime minister, including a lifetime pension for anyone serving more than two presidential terms, which only Fico currently meets. This monthly payment is equal to the salary of a member of the National Council, which was 4,115 euros before tax in 2025 and changes annually depending on the average wage. The state would pay the money to the prime minister for life.

The opposition criticized the rules of the pension as being tailored to Robert Fico. Its representatives say that if they take power, they plan to abolish it. “We reject lifetime privileges that unnecessarily burden the budget and create a category of ‘chosen ones’,” KDH stated.

Hnutie Slovensko goes even further, proposing not only the complete abolition of the lifetime pension for the prime minister but also limiting the pension for the president to the number of years they served in office. The head of state currently has the right to a lifetime pension equal to the salary of a member of parliament.

SaS also openly proposes abolishing Fico’s benefit. “Given the state of public finances, We find no free resources for such a pension and other considered pensions, or the proliferation of new public functions and various new public rewards,” Kolíková said.

Zuzana Števulová of PS did not comment on the pension itself, stating only that they challenged the entire Lex atentát at the Constitutional Court and are awaiting its decision.