BRATISLAVA, August 1, (WEBNOVINY) — The president of the IVO think-tank, Grigorij Meseznikov, stands by the published results of their regular Barometer project on the quality of democracy in Slovakia in the first half of this year in the area of activities of the Constitutional Court, called into question by its President Ivetta Macejkova. In her stance, Macejkova insists that the IVO survey is not objective. “It is not clear what information its authors based their conclusions on, nor is it obvious what aims are pursued in the survey with which I do not identify myself because of its bias,” stated the Constitutional Court president in her stance, published on the court’s website. Macejkova has sent her reservations to the IVO president in writing.
The point that has spurred this exchange of opinions is the IVO conclusion that in the case of selection and election of the prosecutor general, the Constitutional Court has become a participant in a confrontation of state institutions, in which the Cabinet and the parliament are on one side, with the Constitutional Court and the Prosecutor General’s Office are on the other. According to the IVO, the court and the prosecutor’s office have a proven affinity for certain political powers. Macejkova, however, argues for the independence of the institution she leads, anchored in the constitution. “I underscore that the Constitutional Court is not part of Mr. Meseznikov’s alleged fight against parliament and the Cabinet, and it will not allow being drawn into such a confrontation,” she stated. In her stance, she cited passages from information presented by media from the IVO news conference, where Meseznikov evaluated the level of democracy in Slovakia in the first half of this year in the area of law, as well.
Meseznikov said, in his answer to Macejkova, that the arguments she has opted for in her reply prove that she has little information on the content or methodology of the IVO project in question, but is attacking the think-tank based on reports about the IVO news conference. “All statements published at IVO news conferences are fact-based and explained in an analytical report published in full on the IVO website,” he concluded.
SITA