Slovakia is singled out by Commission and Parliament as falling behind in basic democratic standards, and thus not eligible for membership in the first wave.
The Commission takes the view that the Slovak government does not sufficiently respect decisions from its own Constitutional Court and is refusing to involve the opposition in political institutions, especially as regards parliamentary supervision. There are concerns about over heavy policing and about the secret service, concerns about the independence of judges and worries that corruption is taking hold in the country. In addition, the Hungarian and Romanian minorities need better protection.
MEPs are anxious to keep the door open to Slovakia, and Parliament's resolution requests that the Slovak Republic benefit from the reinforced pre-accession strategy and receive help to adopt its economy and to improve its political institutions. In fact, MEPs detect a more positive attitude towards democratic pluralism in the country.