Decision
Rule of law, fundamental rights and misuse of EU funds in Slovakia: the need for an EU response
- Effect
- Adopted
- Result
- 347 for · 165 against · 25 abstained roll call
- Date
- 20 May 2026, 13:45–13:52
- Kind
- Resolution
More facts (9)
- Margin
- by a large majority
- Dossier
- 2026/2607(RSP)
- Source
- Motion for a resolution
- Topics
- Justice, rule of law & rights Assigned by a model, not checked by hand.
- Votes
- 40 votes · 20 roll calls · 7 amendments
- Requested by
- The Left (1 roll call) · Renew (1 roll call) · EPP (4 split votes, 1 separate vote) · ECR (1 roll call, 2 split votes) · Patriots (1 roll call, 1 separate vote) · ESN (1 roll call)
- Sitting
- Wednesday 20 May 2026
- Final vote
- 193026
Result
The final vote and what it means for this kind of decision.
Final vote: 347 for, 165 against, 25 abstained (roll call).
Adopted by a large majority.
Parliament adopted the text as its official position.
Before the final vote, MEPs decided on 7 amendments (7 rejected) and 32 parts of the text voted on separately (24 adopted, 6 rejected, 2 lapsed).
Backed by The Left, Greens, S&D, Renew and EPP; opposed by ECR, Patriots and ESN.
Groups
| Group | For | Against | Abst. | No vote | Majority line | Clear line | Cohesion | Bar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Left | For 27 | Against 1 | Abst. 10 | No vote 7 of 45 | Majority line For | Clear line For | Cohesion 0.57 | |
| Greens | For 37 | Against 0 | Abst. 0 | No vote 16 of 53 | Majority line For | Clear line For | Cohesion 1.00 | |
| S&D | For 106 | Against 0 | Abst. 0 | No vote 30 of 136 | Majority line For | Clear line For | Cohesion 1.00 | |
| Renew | For 57 | Against 0 | Abst. 0 | No vote 20 of 77 | Majority line For | Clear line For | Cohesion 1.00 | |
| EPP | For 114 | Against 3 | Abst. 4 | No vote 62 of 183 | Majority line For | Clear line For | Cohesion 0.91 | |
| ECR | For 4 | Against 53 | Abst. 6 | No vote 18 of 81 | Majority line Against | Clear line Against | Cohesion 0.76 | |
| Patriots | For 0 | Against 70 | Abst. 0 | No vote 15 of 85 | Majority line Against | Clear line Against | Cohesion 1.00 | |
| ESN | For 0 | Against 23 | Abst. 1 | No vote 3 of 27 | Majority line Against | Clear line Against | Cohesion 0.94 | |
| No group | For 2 | Against 15 | Abst. 4 | No vote 9 of 30 | Majority line — | Clear line No line | Cohesion — |
Members who changed group are counted in the group of the day: Branko GRIMS changed group, Elena YONCHEVA changed group, Nikola BARTŮŠEK changed group, Pina PICIERNO changed group, Taner KABILOV changed group.
Voted against their group, 29
Members who voted otherwise than a clear line (at least two thirds of the votes cast, at least 10 members voting) of the group they sat in that day. A group without a clear line is divided and not counted.
The Left line For · 1 voted against, 10 abstained of 38 who voted
Voted against (1)
- João OLIVEIRA Portugal
Abstained (10)
- Carolina MORACE Italy
- Danilo DELLA VALLE Italy
- Dario TAMBURRANO Italy
- Gaetano PEDULLA' Italy
- Giuseppe ANTOCI Italy
- Marc BOTENGA Belgium
- Mario FURORE Italy
- Pasquale TRIDICO Italy
- Rudi KENNES Belgium
- Valentina PALMISANO Italy
EPP line For · 3 voted against, 4 abstained of 121 who voted
Voted against (3)
- Massimiliano SALINI Italy
- Matej TONIN Slovenia
- Miriam LEXMANN Slovakia
Abstained (4)
- Branko GRIMS Slovenia
- David CASA Malta
- Milan ZVER Slovenia
- Zala ČERNILEC TOMAŠIČ Slovenia
ECR line Against · 4 voted for, 6 abstained of 63 who voted
Voted for (4)
- Assita KANKO Belgium
- Kris VAN DIJCK Belgium
- Ondřej KRUTÍLEK Czechia
- Veronika VRECIONOVÁ Czechia
Abstained (6)
- Beatrice TIMGREN Sweden
- Charlie WEIMERS Sweden
- Kristoffer STORM Denmark
- Reinis POZŅAKS Latvia
- Rihards KOLS Latvia
- Sander SMIT Netherlands
ESN line Against · 1 abstained of 24 who voted
Abstained (1)
- Zsuzsanna BORVENDÉG Hungary
Countries
The final vote by national delegation.
Votes by country (27 delegations)
| Country | For | Against | Abst. | No vote | Cohesion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | 9 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 0.40 |
| Belgium | 13 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 0.58 |
| Bulgaria | 8 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0.70 |
| Cyprus | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | — |
| Czechia | 6 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 0.44 |
| Germany | 53 | 18 | 1 | 24 | 0.60 |
| Denmark | 11 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0.77 |
| Estonia | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | — |
| Spain | 34 | 8 | 0 | 18 | 0.71 |
| Finland | 9 | 0 | 0 | 6 | — |
| France | 35 | 26 | 0 | 20 | 0.36 |
| Greece | 10 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 0.57 |
| Croatia | 9 | 0 | 0 | 3 | — |
| Hungary | 5 | 8 | 1 | 5 | 0.36 |
| Ireland | 12 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1.00 |
| Italy | 25 | 26 | 8 | 17 | 0.16 |
| Lithuania | 7 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0.55 |
| Luxembourg | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | — |
| Latvia | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | — |
| Malta | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | — |
| Netherlands | 17 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 0.52 |
| Poland | 19 | 25 | 0 | 9 | 0.35 |
| Portugal | 13 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0.72 |
| Romania | 19 | 5 | 0 | 9 | 0.69 |
| Sweden | 15 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0.82 |
| Slovenia | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | — |
| Slovakia | 0 | 9 | 0 | 6 | — |
Members
Each member’s recorded position on the final roll call, in the group they sat in that day. Filter by country, group, position or name.
Debate speakers and how they voted
| Member | Group | Speeches | Spoke | Final vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roberta METSOLA Malta | EPP | Speeches3 | 20 May 2026 (verbatim report, official site) | No vote recorded |
| René AUST Germany | ESN | Speeches1 | 20 May 2026 (verbatim report, official site) | Against |
| Jacek OZDOBA Poland | ECR | Speeches1 | 20 May 2026 (verbatim report, official site) | Against |
| Daniel FREUND Germany | Greens | Speeches2 | 11 Feb 2026 (verbatim report, official site) · for the group | For |
| Markus BUCHHEIT Germany | ESN | Speeches2 | 11 Feb 2026 (verbatim report, official site) | No vote recorded |
| Sven SIMON Germany | EPP | Speeches2 | 11 Feb 2026 (verbatim report, official site) | For |
Show the other 43 speakers
All votes on this decision, 40
| No. | Vote | Recorded | Result | Requested by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amendment 2 to paragraph 1 B10-0245/2026 – § 1 – Am 2 | Roll call | 192 for, 451 against, 4 abstained Rejected | Requested byroll call: ESN |
| 2 | Amendment 12, adding text after paragraph 1 B10-0245/2026 – After § 1 – Am 12 | Roll call | 193 for, 431 against, 8 abstained Rejected | Requested byroll call: Patriots |
| 3 | Separate vote on paragraph 2 | Counted | 278 for, 357 against, 6 abstained Rejected | Requested byroll call: Renew |
Show the other 39 votesShow the other 37 votes
| No. | Vote | Recorded | Result | Requested by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Amendment 12, adding text after paragraph 1 B10-0245/2026 – After § 1 – Am 12 | Roll call | 193 for, 431 against, 8 abstained Rejected | Requested byroll call: Patriots |
| 3 | Separate vote on paragraph 2 | Counted | 278 for, 357 against, 6 abstained Rejected | Requested byroll call: Renew |
| No. | Vote | Recorded | Result | Requested by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Separate vote on paragraph 2 B10-0245/2026 – § 2 | Roll call | 435 for, 190 against, 16 abstained Adopted | Requested byroll call: Renew |
| 5 | Amendment 3 to paragraph 4 B10-0245/2026 – § 4 – Am 3 | Roll call | 189 for, 440 against, 10 abstained Rejected | Requested byroll call: ESN |
| 6 | Separate vote on paragraph 4 | Counted | 302 for, 328 against, 16 abstained Rejected | Requested byseparate: EPP |
| 7 | Separate vote on paragraph 4 | Show of hands | Adopted | Requested byseparate: EPP |
| 8 | Separate vote on paragraph 6 B10-0245/2026 – § 6 | Roll call | 418 for, 210 against, 9 abstained Adopted | Requested byroll call: Renew |
| 9 | Paragraph 11 — part 1 B10-0245/2026 – § 11/1 Part voted on: ‘Strongly condemns the closure of the Special Prosecutor’s Office in light of its evident impact on the investigation and prosecution of corruption,’ | Roll call | 474 for, 73 against, 91 abstained Adopted | Requested byroll call: ECR; split: ECR |
| 10 | Separate vote on paragraph 11 | Show of hands | Adopted | Requested bysplit: ECR |
| 11 | Amendment 13, adding text after paragraph 14 B10-0245/2026 – After § 14 – Am 13 | Roll call | 204 for, 432 against, 8 abstained Rejected | Requested byroll call: Patriots |
| 12 | Amendment 4 to paragraph 15 B10-0245/2026 – § 15 – Am 4 | Roll call | 184 for, 454 against, 6 abstained Rejected | Requested byroll call: ESN |
| 13 | Separate vote on paragraph 15 | Show of hands | Adopted | Requested bysplit: ECR |
| 14 | Paragraph 15 — part 2 B10-0245/2026 – § 15/2 Part voted on: “pays tribute to Ján Kuciak following his assassination and to his essential work as an investigative journalist; calls on the Slovak authorities to ensure that justice is served in this case;” | Roll call | 635 for, 4 against, 3 abstained Adopted | Requested byroll call: ECR; split: ECR |
| 15 | Separate vote on paragraph 19 | Counted | 313 for, 321 against, 11 abstained Rejected | Requested byroll call: The Left; split: EPP |
| 16 | Paragraph 19 — part 1 B10-0245/2026 – § 19/1 Part voted on: “Calls on the Slovak authorities to ensure the effective prevention and combating of violence against women and domestic violence in law and in practice, in accordance with EU law and international human rights law;” | Roll call | 572 for, 37 against, 37 abstained Adopted | Requested byroll call: The Left; split: EPP |
| 17 | Paragraph 19 — part 2 B10-0245/2026 – § 19/2 Part voted on: “reiterates the importance of the ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence without delay and of bringing the legal definition of rape in line with international human rights standards;” | Roll call | 463 for, 151 against, 28 abstained Adopted | Requested byroll call: The Left; split: EPP |
| 18 | Separate vote on paragraph 20 | Counted | 394 for, 203 against, 38 abstained Adopted | Requested byroll call: The Left; split: EPP |
| 19 | Separate vote on paragraph 20 | Roll call | 0 for, 0 against, 0 abstained Lapsed | Requested byroll call: The Left; split: EPP |
| 20 | Separate vote on paragraph 20 | Roll call | 0 for, 0 against, 0 abstained Lapsed | Requested byroll call: The Left; split: EPP |
| 21 | Separate vote on paragraph 21 B10-0245/2026 – § 21 | Roll call | 465 for, 122 against, 42 abstained Adopted | Requested byroll call: ESN |
| 22 | Separate vote on paragraph 23 | Show of hands | Adopted | Requested byseparate: Patriots |
| 23 | Vote on text inserted after paragraph 23 | Show of hands | Adopted | |
| 24 | Vote on text inserted after paragraph 24 | Show of hands | Rejected | |
| 25 | Separate vote on citation 7 B10-0245/2026 – Citation 7 | Roll call | 426 for, 192 against, 17 abstained Adopted | Requested byroll call: ESN |
| 26 | Separate vote on citation 11 B10-0245/2026 – Citation 11 | Roll call | 464 for, 134 against, 30 abstained Adopted | Requested byroll call: ESN |
| 27 | Separate vote on citation 21 | Show of hands | Adopted | Requested byseparate: EPP |
| 28 | Separate vote on citation 25 B10-0245/2026 – Citation 25 | Roll call | 451 for, 145 against, 52 abstained Adopted | Requested byroll call: ESN |
| 29 | Amendment 1, adding text after recital C B10-0245/2026 – After recital C – Am 1 | Roll call | 201 for, 438 against, 4 abstained Rejected | Requested byroll call: ESN |
| 30 | Recital D — part 1 of 2 Part voted on: “Text as a whole without the words: ‘and proposals challenging the primacy of EU law;’” | Show of hands | Adopted | Requested bysplit: EPP |
| 31 | Recital D — part 2 of 2 Part voted on: “those words” | Show of hands | Adopted | Requested bysplit: EPP |
| 32 | Amendment 10, adding text after recital D B10-0245/2026 – After recital D – Am 10 | Roll call | 187 for, 440 against, 18 abstained Rejected | Requested byroll call: Patriots |
| 33 | Recital F — part 1 of 2 Part voted on: “Text as a whole without the words: ‘that enable Slovak authorities, including courts, to assess whether and to what extent EU law applies in Slovakia, including rulings of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU);’” | Show of hands | Adopted | Requested bysplit: EPP |
| 34 | Recital F — part 2 of 2 Part voted on: “those words” | Show of hands | Adopted | Requested bysplit: EPP |
| 35 | Separate vote on recital S | Counted | 299 for, 306 against, 30 abstained Rejected | Requested byseparate: EPP |
| 36 | Separate vote on recital S | Show of hands | Adopted | Requested byseparate: EPP |
| 37 | Separate vote on recital W | Show of hands | Adopted | Requested byseparate: Patriots |
| 38 | Separate vote on recital W | Show of hands | Adopted | Requested byseparate: Patriots |
| 39 | Vote on text inserted after recital W | Show of hands | Rejected | |
| 40 | Final vote — text as a whole B10-0245/2026 – Motion for a resolution (as a whole) | Roll call | 347 for, 165 against, 25 abstained Adopted | Requested byroll call: The Left, Renew |
Roll calls requested by The Left, Renew, ECR, Patriots, ESN · split votes by EPP (4), ECR (2) · separate votes by EPP, Patriots.
Text
The text voted on.
AI: What this vote decides Written by AI from the official text — check the source
Parliament adopted a resolution on the rule of law, fundamental rights and misuse of EU funds in Slovakia, calling for an EU response.
The resolution expresses serious concerns about criminal law reforms, pressure on judiciary and media, and weaknesses in EU fund management in Slovakia.
It asks the EU institutions to address these issues, including through the Rule of Law Conditionality Regulation.
AI: The text in short Written by AI from the official text — check the source
This resolution expresses deep concern over the deterioration of democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights in Slovakia, and calls on the Commission to use all available instruments to address these issues and protect EU funds.
Dossier
Where the dossier stands and its other decisions in plenary.
2026/2607(RSP) · Resolution on a topical subject
Parliament adopted the text on 20 May 2026. This is its final position on the matter.
Show the 3 steps of the dossier
- Tabled for plenary (done)
- Plenary vote · Adopted 20 May 2026 (done)
- Parliament’s position · Final (done)
Connections
What this decision touches: the procedural chain, the same text, running issues, votes that split the chamber the same way.
Show 23 connections: Running issue: EU funds misuse · Running issue: Rule of law in EU · Running issue: EU fundamental rights · Final votes that split the chamber the same way
Running issue: EU funds misuse
- Issue EU funds misuse Running issue · Crisis 20 May 2026
- Decision Control, transparency and traceability of performance-based instruments Resolution · report by Monika Hohlmeier 28 Apr 2026 Adopted
- Decision Protection of the European Union’s financial interests – combating fraud – annual report 2024 Resolution · report by Julien Sanchez 28 Apr 2026 Rejected
- Decision Implementation of the rule of law conditionality regime Resolution · report by Jean-Marc Germain, Monika Hohlmeier 18 Dec 2025 Adopted
- Decision Amending certain CAP Regulations as regards the conditionality system, types of intervention in the form of direct payment, types of intervention in certain sectors and rural development and annual performance reports, data and interoperability governance, suspensions of payments annual performance clearance and controls and penalties New EU law · report by André Rodrigues 16 Dec 2025 Passed
- Decision Amending certain CAP regulations as regards the conditionality system, types of intervention in the form of direct payment, types of intervention in certain sectors and rural development and annual performance reports, data and interoperability governance, suspensions of payments annual performance clearance and controls and penalties New EU law · report by André Rodrigues 8 Oct 2025 Passed
Running issue: Rule of law in EU
- Issue Rule of law in EU Running issue · EU initiative 20 May 2026
- Decision The Commission’s 2025 Rule of Law report Resolution · report by Konstantinos Arvanitis 29 Apr 2026 Adopted
- Decision Situation of fundamental rights in the European Union in 2024 and 2025 Resolution · report by Anna Strolenberg 29 Apr 2026 Adopted
- Decision Extension of the term of office of the Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield Other decision 28 Apr 2026 Adopted
- Decision Attempted takeover of Lithuania’s public broadcaster and the threat to democracy in Lithuania Resolution · motion for a resolution 22 Jan 2026 Adopted
- Decision Implementation of the rule of law conditionality regime Resolution · report by Jean-Marc Germain, Monika Hohlmeier 18 Dec 2025 Adopted
Running issue: EU fundamental rights
- Issue EU fundamental rights Running issue · EU initiative 16 Sept 2026
- Decision Gender inequalities in health, specifically as regards gender-specific conditions Resolution · report by Billy Kelleher 16 Sept 2026 Adopted
- Decision Countering transnational repression – towards an EU strategy to protect Europe’s sovereignty and democratic values Resolution · report by Hannah Neumann 16 Jun 2026 Adopted
- Decision Advancing towards a care society: addressing the gender care gap Resolution · report by Eleonora Meleti, Rosa Estaràs Ferragut 21 May 2026 Adopted
- Decision Rights, support and protection of victims of crime New EU law · report by Javier Zarzalejos, Lucia Yar 21 May 2026 Passed
- Decision Women’s entrepreneurship in rural and island areas and outermost regions Resolution · report by Elżbieta Katarzyna Łukacijewska 30 Apr 2026 Adopted
Final votes that split the chamber the same way
- Decision Monitoring the application of European Union law in 2023, 2024 and 2025 Resolution · report by Dainius Žalimas 29 Apr 2026 Adopted
- Decision Discharge 2024: EU general budget – Commission Budget decision · report by Daniel Freund 29 Apr 2026 Discharge decision adopted
- Decision Existence of a clear risk of a serious breach by Hungary of the values on which the Union is founded Resolution · report by Tineke Strik 25 Nov 2025 Adopted
- Decision UN Climate Change Conference 2024 in Baku, Azerbaijan (COP29) Resolution · motion for a resolution 14 Nov 2024 Adopted
- Decision Implementation of the rule of law conditionality regime Resolution · report by Jean-Marc Germain, Monika Hohlmeier 18 Dec 2025 Adopted
Sources & citation
Where the facts on this page come from, and how to cite it.
- Official sources
- Data source
- Licensed CC BY 4.0.
- Retrieved
- 25 September 2026
Cite as
European Parliament (2026). “Rule of law, fundamental rights and misuse of EU funds in Slovakia: the need for an EU response”. Decision, 20 May 2026. votingId 193026, document B-10-2026-0245, reference 2026/2607(RSP). EU Parl Watch Research. https://news.eu-parl.st-solutions.dev/decisions/2026-05-20/11 (retrieved 25 September 2026). Official sources: Roll-call votes, sitting of 20 May 2026 (European Parliament), https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/PV-10-2026-05-20-RCV_EN.html; Results of votes, sitting of 20 May 2026 (European Parliament), https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/PV-10-2026-05-20-VOT_EN.html. Data: EP Open Data API: decisions of the sitting MTG-PL-2026-05-20, https://data.europarl.europa.eu/api/v2/meetings/MTG-PL-2026-05-20/decisions?format=application%2Fld%2Bjson (CC BY 4.0).
BibTeX
@misc{epw-decision-2026-05-20-11,
author = {{European Parliament}},
title = {{Rule of law, fundamental rights and misuse of EU funds in Slovakia: the need for an EU response}},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-05-20},
howpublished = {\url{https://news.eu-parl.st-solutions.dev/decisions/2026-05-20/11}},
url = {https://news.eu-parl.st-solutions.dev/decisions/2026-05-20/11},
urldate = {2026-09-25},
publisher = {EU Parl Watch Research},
note = {Decision. votingId 193026, document B-10-2026-0245, reference 2026/2607(RSP). Official source: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/PV-10-2026-05-20-RCV\_EN.html, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/PV-10-2026-05-20-VOT\_EN.html. Data: EP Open Data API: decisions of the sitting MTG-PL-2026-05-20 (CC BY 4.0)}
}