Slovakia’s Escalating Campaign Against Civil Society

Since returning to power in 2023, Fico’s government has characterized NGOs as politically motivated entities operating with opaque foreign funding. While the Slovak Constitutional Court struck down a proposed "foreign agents" law in December 2025—citing privacy violations and unreasonable administrative burdens—the executive branch pivoted immediately. Fico ordered state authorities to ramp up audits, a move that aligns with a broader strategy to stigmatize critics.

Data from an Amnesty International survey of over 120 organizations paints a grim picture of this shifted landscape. More than half of the respondents report that state inspections have intensified significantly compared to the previous five years. Beyond bureaucratic pressure, the rhetoric from the highest levels of government has had tangible consequences: 35 percent of surveyed groups report online harassment, including hacking and doxxing, while 18 percent have experienced physical attacks against their staff or offices.

Government ministers have actively fueled this hostility, labeling civil society groups as participants in a "state coup" and disparaging LGBTI human rights defenders as a "malignant ideology." Minister of Culture Martina Šimkovičová has explicitly vowed to cut all state funding for such groups. This has created a chilling effect where many organizations no longer apply for grants, fearing they have been effectively blacklisted. UN human rights experts issued a rare warning in March 2025, noting that the state’s aggressive posture is stifling not just NGOs, but the fundamental freedoms of media and protesters alike.