Slovak President Opposes Government's Plan to Dismantle Special Prosecutor's Office

President Zuzana Čaputová may use veto or constitutional challenge, but government could likely override any veto.

Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová has announced her intention to block the government's plan to dismantle the special prosecutor's office that handles major crimes, including graft and organized crime.
The government, led by populist Prime Minister Robert Fico, aims to return the prosecution of these crimes to regional offices, which have not handled such cases for 20 years.
Čaputová has expressed concerns that the proposed changes go against the rule of law and has noted that the European Commission shares these concerns.
Fico's government has the majority in Parliament and could likely override any veto by the President. It remains unclear how a constitutional challenge to the legislation would fare.
Since Fico's return to power, some investigators and police officials dealing with top corruption cases have been dismissed or furloughed, and the planned legal changes include a reduction in punishments for some types of corruption.