Democracy Digest: Slovakia Processes Shock Acquittal Again of Kocner in Kuciak Murder

Meanwhile, two off-duty US soldiers stationed in central Slovakia caused an incident in a grocery store last weekend, which needless to say is being exploited by pro-Russian elements in the country. Though nobody was hurt and the two soldiers did not damage anything, they were loud and under the influence of alcohol. The soldiers were then aggressive towards the police officers who attended the scene. They were eventually taken to the police station, and the US military has decided to initiate disciplinary proceedings against the two soldiers, who are no longer in Slovakia. In April, another US soldier had to leave Slovakia over his involvement in a separate incident. While the US embassy has condemned the misbehaviour of these US soldiers, disinformation media, the far-right party Republika and the Smer party used the incidents to spread lies - for example, about attacks on Slovak people by US soldiers - and to criticise a recently signed defence agreement with the US. Ahead of the September election, Smer tops the public opinion polls and Republika is very likely to make it into parliament as well.

Hungarian Justice Minister Judit Varga speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Budapest, Hungary, 19 May 2022. EPA-EFE/Tibor Illyes Hungary's EU presidency threatened; EU green lights Russian-built NPP, again

Hungarian Justice Minister Judit Varga reacted angrily to speculation this week that Hungary could be deemed unfit to fulfil its six-month rotating presidency of the Council of the EU, which is due to begin in July 2024. "We will not let the European Parliament take away this possibility," she thundered in a Facebook post. The European Parliament is debating a draft proposal about the rule of law on June 1...