Slovakia is heading into another bout of political turbulence as the government moves to dismantle the country’s whistleblower protection authority, despite a presidential veto that, for now, has only delayed the confrontation. Appearing on TVP World’s World Talks, Martin Sklenár, a former Slovak defense minister, said the veto issued by President Peter Pellegrini is unlikely to resolve the dispute. “Well, the simple answer is no, it doesn't. The story continues.” According to Sklenár, lawmakers are already preparing their next move. “As we speak, the parliament is getting ready to vote to overturn the president’s veto,” he said. At the center of the controversy is the Office for the Protection of Whistleblowers, an institution Sklenár said is now being reshaped for openly political reasons. In his account, the proposed changes are aimed squarely at replacing the leadership. “The office will be disbanded and replaced by another... replacing, first and foremost, the leadership of the office,” he said. Sklenár also suggested the speed of the parliamentary process is intended to enforce discipline within the ruling coalition. “It seems to be the case” that the government has the numbers needed to override the veto, he said, leaving little room for dissent. “It’s going to be overruled.” The dispute comes amid broader public frustration with the government. Sklenár said support for the coalition is eroding. “The support for this party and the coalition in general is steadily declining,” and “two out of the three coalition parties are now doing really not good in the polls.” Slovakia, he said, remains deeply split; “the population is very polarized and divided.” Sklenár linked the domestic tensions to Slovakia’s stance on Ukraine and to shifting signals from Washington under President Donald Trump. Asked whether Prime Minister Robert Fico is trying to position himself as a useful ally, Sklenár replied: “He certainly is.” But he cautioned that results are limited so far. “We haven't seen any big statements” and “we don't see any, any tangible, tangible steps or results out of that.”
