Government Strips Powers from Roma Communities Commissioner's Office, Opposition Claims

The opposition Hnutie Slovensko party accused the government of removing key powers from the Office of the Government Plenipotentiary for Roma Communities, including authority over EU funds designated for Roma programs. The party claims this decision-making authority has been transferred to the head of the Government Office of the Slovak Republic. Hnutie Slovensko has called on President Peter Pellegrini not to sign the legislation, which would restore the commissioner's original powers. The Office of the Government Plenipotentiary for Roma Communities was established to coordinate government policies and programs aimed at improving conditions for Slovakia's Roma minority, one of the largest in Europe proportionally.