Smer signs coalition agreement to end ‘foreign NGO rule’

Slovakia’s new government wants to crack down on foreign-funded NGOs in a move reminiscent of laws labelling NGOs as foreign agents introduced in Russia and Hungary, with the latter seeing its laws struck down by the EU Court of Justice.

Fico claimed while signing a coalition agreement with Hlas and the Slovak National Party, which included the division of resorts but did not specify the names of ministers.

“Today marks the end of the rule of political NGOs in Slovakia,” Fico said, adding that any NGOs with foreign funding “must be labelled as foreign agents”.

Russia enacted its foreign agent law in 2012, and Hungary followed suit in 2017 but repealed it in 2021 after the EU Court of Justice struck it down.

The EU court ruled that such restrictions were “discriminatory and unjustified”. Mass protests erupted in Georgia this year when the government attempted to pass a similar bill.

Michal Šimečka, the leader of Progressive Slovakia, which will be Slovakia’s biggest opposition party, criticised Fico’s statements and the fact he did not mention “stopping rising prices, cheaper food and higher pensions”, which were Smer’s campaign priorities.

Fico’s declaration mirrors the campaign rhetoric of the far-right party Republika, which narrowly missed out on the 5% quorum and put up billboards saying “not a cent to NGOs”.

Fico started mentioning the idea in 2018 when he alleged that massive public protests in reaction to the murder of journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kušnírová were organised by NGOs financed by philanthropist George Soros.

The coalition agreement also promises to reform Slovakia’s system of justice and “human rights mechanism”. Regarding foreign policy, the coalition guarantees Slovakia’s place in NATO and the EU.

Fico added that Slovakia’s Foreign Ministry, which Smer will staff, will start to do “Slovak foreign policy” and not be a “mouthpiece to foreign interests.”

(Barbara Zmušková | Euractiv.sk)