By: Dominik Štrakl
After the decision of the EU Court and the persistence of MEP Milan Zver, the infamous third point of the memo “What we want from Accetto” was finally published, in which the European Commission (EC), under the leadership of Commissioner Věra Jourová, proposes that the Vice President meet with the President of the Constitutional Court of Slovenia and “verify his positions on the RTV Slovenia law.”
The law, which at the time was suspended and under constitutional review. It took nearly three years for the European Commission to disclose what had been obvious from the start. In the case of Jourová/Accetto, it was a matter of political pressure on Slovenia’s Constitutional Court.
This is no longer a matter of interpretation but of evidence. The Commissioner responsible for rule of law and transparency acted in contradiction to both principles. Instead of respecting the independence of a member state’s judiciary, she attempted to influence a decision with direct political and legal consequences. And instead of transparency, the European Commission concealed the document that exposes this abuse for two years and seven months.
Now that the truth is out, it is clear why Brussels feared its publication. The European institution tasked with safeguarding the rule of law itself interfered with the sovereignty of a member state, in the name of political loyalty, which has nothing to do with European values. This is not just a misstep; it is a systemic issue.
But the real test is yet to come. Will Slovenia’s Constitutional Court be capable of ruling without the shadow of political influence? Will the European Commission be able to admit its mistake and take steps to ensure such a thing never happens again?
Europe that loses respect for its own rules also loses its moral authority. If institutions that preach the rule of law themselves resort to political pressure, then we are not far from the point where Brussels too must be reminded that democracy is more than just a pretty word in resolutions and rule-of-law reports.