Constitutional Court to Assess Lex Assassination Attempt

The Slovak Constitutional Court will assess the constitutionality of the 'Lex Assassination Attempt,' passed by Parliament last June, after a group of opposition MPs challenged it, and the Court has accepted their complaint for further proceedings regarding its alleged unconstitutionality.

The opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS) party argued that the legislation restricts the right to assemble and interferes with freedom of expression. The party also criticised the fact that it was discussed in a fast-tracked procedure.

"We also object to the fast-tracked legislative procedure, which was defended as a reaction to the attempted assassination of Premier Robert Fico, but the adopted amendment regulates legal norms that have absolutely nothing to do with this, whether it concerns a life-long salary for the prime minister or restrictions on assemblies in general. At the same time, we object to the fact that individually adopted amendments are inconsistent with the Slovak Constitution – [including] a general restriction of the right to assembly in certain places, and a blanket discarding of the state's obligation to protect peaceful assemblies from counter-demonstrations," stated Plavakova.

MP Zuzana Stevulova (PS) compared the Lex Assassination Attempt to a dangerous tool. "Its broad powers allow this governing coalition, in the worst-case scenario, to make it impossible for a protest to take place, and so we have every reason to believe that the Lex Assassination Attempt could simply pave the way for possible restrictions on any critical protests in practice," she stated.