The row comes amid growing tensions between Brussels and Bratislava over LGBTI+ rights
BRATISLAVA – Slovakia risks losing up to €35 million in EU funding for youth programmes after the European Commission warned that it could take action over the suspension of payments to an LGBTI+ youth organisation.
In a fresh warning letter, the Commission demanded an explanation by next week over the withholding of funds from Saplinq, an organisation supporting LGBTI+ youth, Denník N reported on Wednesday.
The row comes amid growing tensions between Brussels and Bratislava over LGBTI+ rights. Since returning to power in 2023, Prime Minister Robert Fico’s government has adopted an increasingly conservative stance on social issues. Earlier this year, the ruling coalition approved a controversial constitutional amendment stating that there are only two sexes and restricting adoption to married couples, a move that effectively excludes same-sex couples from adopting children.
The dispute emerged in June when the National Institute of Education and Youth (NIVaM) withheld a grant of around €120,000 awarded to Saplinq under the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps programmes.
