Slovak lawmakers will postpone until September a vote on a proposed constitutional change that would give national laws precedence over European Union law and other international treaties on issues related to “national identity”, Slovak news agency TASR and Reuters reported today.
The decision to postpone was announced by the head of the ruling party's parliamentary group. It comes amid difficulties in securing the necessary three-fifths majority in parliament to pass constitutional amendments.
Critics, including legal experts, warn that the measure, pushed by the left-wing nationalist government, could undermine Slovakia's commitment to EU law and international obligations. Under current EU rules, European law takes precedence over national law when there is a conflict between them - a principle that the proposed amendment calls into question.
The changes also touch on issues related to national identity, such as "fundamental cultural and ethical issues", including family life, marriage, public morality and other similar areas.
The text of the amendments stipulates that the only recognized genders will be male and female, and curricula must comply with the constitution and its cultural and ethical principles. Stricter adoption rules are also being proposed.
Prime Minister Robert Fico's government, which has a slim parliamentary majority, proposed the changes earlier this month as part of efforts to build a "dam against progressivism," as he put it.
Fico, who has taken increasingly illiberal positions on human rights, has pursued a pro-Russian foreign policy, promoted closer ties with Russia and China, and has been outspoken in his criticism of EU sanctions against Moscow and military support for Ukraine.