Sharp reactions and angry response to Kovesi<\/b> from Slovakia’s Defense Minister, Robert Kalinac:<\/b> “Let her sweep her own backyard first.”<\/p>\n
Slovakia is the latest (but apparently not the last) bead in the rosary of European prosecutor Laura Covesi, who continues to tirelessly meddle in the legislative work of European parliaments. Following the June 2 letter-statement to the European Commission, the reaction from Slovakia has been fierce.<\/b> <\/p>\n
According to the letter (which also includes a reference to the conditionality regulation regarding the suspension of European funds), and following a… thorough analysis of the new legislation, recent legislative changes regarding the provision of support and grants in the field of agriculture and rural development in Slovakia contain “several elements” which significantly reduce the effective protection of the EU<\/b> financial interests as well as national economic interests.<\/p>\n
In particular, the statement said, “the legislative changes have reduced the possibility to impose effective administrative measures during criminal proceedings, between indictment and final conviction. As a result, the ability of the competent authorities to suspend payments to beneficiaries accused of a criminal offence has been significantly reduced.”<\/b><\/p>\nAll guilty until proven innocent!<\/b><\/h3>\n
In other words, in Covesi’s view, proceedings should not be completed, but a decision should be… issued before a court decision is made. And if they’re innocent, well, then let’s not mess with her! This is how Ms. Covessi means the rule of law. <\/p>\n
In complete contradiction to what is consistently stated in all press releases by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (everyone is innocent until proven guilty), for Ms. Covessi (and those judges who accept her orders) everyone is guilty until proven innocent!<\/b><\/p>\n
According to the new Slovak legislation, the suspension of subsidy payments is limited to persons accused of felonies – otherwise it is certain that the way the European Public Prosecutor’s Office works, all European farmers would starve to death!<\/p>\n
As is well known, after the September 2023 elections, when Robert Fizzo<\/b>, leader of the social democratic nationalist Smer-SD party, was the winner, a coalition government of Smer-SD with the centre-left HLAS (Voice) party and the Slovak Nationalist Party, SNS, was formed in October 2023.<\/p>\nHurdles to normalising relations with the EU<\/b><\/h3>\n
HLAS, which was split from SMER in 2020 and is considered more moderate, came third in the election and has pledged to ensure that Slovak foreign policy moves towards normalising the country’s relations with the EU and NATO. Its leader, the pro-Russian Peter Pellegrini,<\/b> was elected president in April 2024. <\/p>\n
Last May, Fisso visited Moscow, but did not attend the Victory Day parade, as he had previously clarified in a meaningful way, explaining that the visit was “his expression of respect for the victims” of World War II.<\/p>\n
It is well known that the EU is trying in every way to maintain its political cohesion – which is the ultimate European priority<\/b> and therefore far from further tensions Brussels needs.<\/p>\n
However, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office does not seem willing – perhaps even uninterested – to contribute in this direction, despite the fact that the EU is faithful to the principle of the separation of powers.<\/p>\n
Since last November it has already targeted Slovakia for VAT fraud.<\/p>\n
Her statements against Slovakia had provoked a strong reaction from the (Social Democrat) defence minister Robert Kalinac<\/b>, who did not hesitate to say that while he respected the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, he did not respect Ms. Kovesi, whom he accuses of involvement in “political purges”, describing her as a “problematic” and “unreliable” person. <\/p>\n
In addition, the Slovak defence minister did not fail to recall that during his time in Romania he was prosecuted for abuse of power.<\/p>\n
As he said, her “political purges” during her tenure at the Romanian prosecutor’s office were “by order.” K<\/b>and that only part of the Romanian political spectrum was targeted.<\/p>\n
In fact, Kalinac compared Laura Covesi to the Slovakian former justice minister and prosecutor Daniel Lipsi\u0107<\/b>, who had clashed with his former friend and colleague, prosecutor general Maros Zilinka.<\/b> <\/p>\n
Lipsic, as head of the Special Prosecutor’s Office (which was abolished in 2021), had been accused of targeting and aggressively investigating cases of officials linked to Fitch’s party.<\/p>\n
In addition, he was accused of making sarcastic comments against fellow prosecutors and of aggressive behavior toward the director of the attorney general’s office.<\/p>\n
On January 22, 2026, the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Administrative Court found him guilty of misconduct and verbal assault against the director, proving that he disrespected her office and violated the basic principles of prosecutorial ethics. At the same time, he was acquitted of two other counts of misconduct. <\/p>\n
According to allegations, the director of the Attorney General’s Office Elena Cerna <\/b>had sent the suspended prosecutor Mikael Surek<\/b> to his home as she could not find him in his office. Surek had been temporarily removed from office after a file was formed against him by the Police Inspector General’s Office.<\/p>\n
According to Cherna’s testimony, in a chance encounter with her in a hallway, Lipschitz approached her, raised his voice and accused her of serving the attorney general’s agenda. She said, she felt humiliated and all she remembered was that the prosecutor’s face was contorted in anger.<\/b><\/p>\n
For his part, he admitted he raised his voice when the complainant accused him that he and “his people” had removed the sign with her name from her office door.<\/p>\n
Three years earlier, Lipcic was also convicted for comments against the police inspector and the way he handled cases. <\/p>\n
It was this very civil war between prosecutors – with many unethical and arrogant outbursts – that apparently prompted the defence minister’s comparison between Lipschitz and Covesi.<\/p>\n
“This lady is telling us we have problems with tax fraud?” asked Cullinak. “We know that because it’s being addressed, and that’s the baseline we’re following until next year so we don’t have to take further action. We have increased the efficiency in tax collection because we are fighting tax fraud.” <\/p>\n
This follows a statement by Kovesi in November 2025 that
Slovakia “has become a money laundering hub, an attractive country for organised crime groups because they exploit the weaknesses of the state and financial fraud is obviously not considered a priority here.”<\/b><\/p>\n
For his part, Kalinac responded as follows to the allegations that tax evasion is dealt with by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office and not by the Slovak authorities: “The European Public Prosecutor’s Office was set up to prosecute,” he said – suggesting that it is normal for it to do its own investigations and take its own actions<\/b>.<\/p>\n
“Ms. Covesi is wrong,” he said, saying that all this “is just nonsense. She is driven by her political positions, which she has had for a long time because she is always the world champion. That’s why I say that Kovesi and Lipschitz are one and the same.”
To conclude with intensity that Kovesi “should wipe her own backyard first.” <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Strong reactions and an angry response to Kovesi from Slovak Defence Minister Robert Kalinac: “Let her sweep her own backyard first.”<\/p>\n
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