European Union funds transformed Slovakia. They also made it dependent on Brussels, a review shows.
European Union funds have become the dominant source of public investment in Slovakia, raising concerns that the country has grown increasingly dependent on Brussels financing despite receiving almost €29 billion in net support since joining the bloc.
A review by the Supreme Audit Office (NKÚ) found that EU funding gradually shifted from supplementing domestic investment to replacing it. In some years, European money accounted for four-fifths of all public investment spending outside defence.
The findings challenge one of the assumptions behind EU cohesion policy — that European funds would help countries build stronger economies capable of generating their own investment.
€28.8 billion - Total net financial gain Slovakia received from EU membership
