Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has accused the nongovernmental organizations of planning to escalate public protests against his government’s policies.
Slovakia’s parliament approved a law on Wednesday tightening reporting and other requirements for nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).
The new statute requires NGOs to name their donors and publish wide lists of their officials, as well as introducing fines for administrative errors.
Organizations affected by the legislation have labelled it a “Russian law” the government was using to settle scores with critics from the civil sector, and likened Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Fico’s government has long accused NGOs of supporting their liberal opposition parties and foreign interests, taking aim at those funded by a foundation set up by Hungarian American billionaire George Soros.
Fico has accused the organizations of planning to escalate public protests against his government’s policies, an accusation they refute.
“Non-governmental organizations are a gray zone, they do politics, draw money from around the world, and no one knows what they do with it,” Richard Glück, a…
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