Thousands protest in Slovakia against Fico government’s judicial reforms

Al JazeeraCenterEN 2 min read 100% complete by By News AgenciesDecember 16, 2025 at 11:51 PM

AI Summary

medium article 2 min

Thousands of people protested across Slovakia on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, against Prime Minister Robert Fico's government's changes to the judicial system. The protests, organized by the Progressive Slovakia party, took place in Bratislava and eight other cities. Demonstrators called on President Pellegrini to veto the changes, which they claim undermine the rule of law by dismantling the whistleblower protection agency and altering the treatment of crown witnesses. Critics argue that Fico's government is weakening criminal codes, revamping the public broadcaster, and asserting national sovereignty over EU laws, similar to Hungary under Viktor Orban. Fico's administration defends the changes, stating the previous whistleblower agency was politically abused.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Bratislava 40% European Union 50% Viktor Orban 60% Michal Simecka 70% Robert Fico ×480% Slovakia ×590%

Keywords

slovakia 90% protests 80% judicial reforms 80% robert fico 70% rule of law 70% whistleblower protection 60% criminal codes 50% national sovereignty 40% european union 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.40

Source Transparency

Source

Al Jazeera

Political Lean

Center (0.00)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Slovakia

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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slovakia protests judicial reforms robert fico rule of law whistleblower protection criminal codes national sovereignty european union

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