Adam Lucanský, an MP for the Slovak National Party (SNS), has suggested a new amendment to Slovakia’s NGO Act that would limit NGOs’ facility to influence by reclassifying them as lobbyists rather than “foreign-funded” groups. The commission to label groups as “foreign-supported” if they received more than €5,000 from foreign birthplaces would no longer be in effect. The “foreign agent” law in Russia, which has been used to prosecute and stigmatize people and groups there at the whim of Russian rule, is seen to be disturbingly similar to this change. Rather, NGOs would be required to register and impart all of their lobbying activities, including the financial details and identities of their donors. Fines of up to €10,000 or even the termination of the offending institute by court order could follow noncompliance. Lucanský contends that to contain openness and remove conflicts of interest, lobbying must be regulated. He emphasizes that although lobbying is allowable in democracies, it must follow the rules of accountability and transparency.
SNS alters course on NGO oversight
The proposal has tired criticism from civil society organizations, who say it would break their ability to hold public policy and hinder public participation. The first plan was doomed to potentially endangering Slovakia’s civil society and EU relations by attempting to identify non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that would obtain foreign financing. The amendment aims to bring NGOs closer to European legal norms while maintaining stricter oversight of their political projects. Following a recent event at an airport boarding gate, James Thomson of The Slovak Spectator examines the recent US election results and the clumsily stated justification of state violence by the Slovak charge. “Unfortunately, we humans, when given consent, quite like to witness suffering and sometimes to inflict it,” he states.
From ‘foreign-funded’ label to lobbying regulation
Civil society organizations have criticized the proposal, claiming it would discourage public participation and limit their ability to influence public policy. The initial plan, which aimed to identify non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that received foreign funding, was criticized for possibly jeopardizing Slovakia’s civil society and ties with the EU. The updated amendment seeks to preserve tighter monitoring of NGOs’ political activities while bringing them closer to European legal standards. Polish Defense Minister W?adys?aw Kosiniak-Kamysz and Slovak Defense Minister Robert Kali?ák met to talk about defense industry collaboration and regional security. They selected many cooperative projects for the armed forces of both nations that had the potential to succeed internationally and concentrated on fostering self-sufficiency in the area. Kosiniak-Kamysz emphasized the value of the Slovak partnership for Poland’s large-scale production of heavy-calibre ammunition and emphasized Slovakia’s defense sector skills. In order to facilitate future cooperation in special forces, military training, and education, the ministers also decided to draft an intergovernmental agreement on defense-industrial cooperation.
SNS revises approach to NGO accountability
As part of central procurement, the Interior Ministry has agreed to pay around €43.5 million for software licenses. Three payments will be made under the terms of the three-year contract: more than €11.5 million by January 2025, about €16 million in 2026, and the same sum by January 2027. Tens of thousands of licenses must be delivered by the vendor by the middle of December, and system support must be provided for the term of the contract. Nearly five years after Sme Rodina party leader Boris Kollár entered office, in part due to his unfulfilled pledge to construct 25,000 rental units a year, Slovakia’s rental housing program has taken an unexpected turn. The proposal can move forward after Prime Minister Robert Fico declared that the European Commission has no objections to a proposed five percent VAT rate on the construction of new rental units. There is an air of magic in Bratislava as Christmas draws near. What about Christmas songs on Saturdays in the heart of Bratislava? Visit Františkánske Námestie this year to take part in customs from southern Slovakia’s Hont area. Slovak National Party (SNS) MP Adam Lu?anský has suggested a new amendment to Slovakia’s NGO Act that would restrict the lobbying operations of NGOs by reclassifying them as lobbyists instead of “foreign-funded” organizations. The previous requirement to designate organizations receiving more than €5,000 from foreign sources as “foreign-supported” would no longer apply.
