Police surveillance requests peaked before Robert Fico's return to power

Slovak police submitted the highest number of surveillance requests in 2023, filing nearly 1,300 out of 1,902 total wiretapping applications that year. The surge in surveillance activity occurred during the period leading up to Robert Fico's return as Prime Minister following parliamentary elections in September 2023. Fico, leader of the social-democratic Smer-SD party, had previously served as Prime Minister from 2006-2010 and 2012-2018 before losing power after mass protests following the murder of journalist Ján Kuciak. The timing of the increased surveillance requests raises questions about law enforcement activities during the politically sensitive pre-election period.