BRATISLAVA, Slovakia — Peter Kažimír, the governor of Slovakia’s central bank and a key figure in the European Central Bank’s monetary policy council, was convicted of bribery on Thursday and ordered to pay a fine of €200,000 ($225,000) by the country’s Special Criminal Court.
The ruling, delivered by Judge Milan Cisarik in the town of Pezinok, comes just days before Kažimír’s six-year term ends on Sunday. Though he was not present in court, Kažimír issued a statement maintaining his innocence and vowing to appeal the decision. His legal team had argued that the recent sweeping changes to Slovakia’s penal code — which include lighter penalties for corruption — should have led to his acquittal.
Kažimír, a former finance minister under leftist Prime Minister Robert Fico, was accused of paying €48,000 ($54,000) in bribes between late 2017 and early 2018 to the head of the national tax authority. The alleged payment was reportedly linked to a tax audit involving several private firms, one of which belonged to the seller of a luxury villa in Bratislava that Kažimír was in the process of purchasing at the time.
Kažimír has pleaded not guilty and repeatedly denounced the case as politically motivated and fabricated. The charges stem from his tenure in Fico’s Smer (Direction) party government, which ruled from 2012 to 2019.
He is the first cabinet minister from Fico’s era to stand trial for corruption, marking a rare legal reckoning within Slovakia’s elite. The case is seen as a litmus test for the country’s fragile commitment to combating systemic corruption.
The conviction comes in the midst of intense national debate over recent judicial reforms spearheaded by Fico’s newly reinstated government, which returned to power in 2023 on a pro-Russia and anti-American platform. In February 2024, lawmakers loyal to Fico’s coalition passed legislation that drastically weakened anti-corruption mechanisms — including the elimination of the special prosecutor’s office tasked with handling major crimes.
The penal code changes, which critics say were designed to shield political allies from prosecution, also included reduced sentences for corruption, broadened eligibility for suspended sentences, and shortened statutes of limitations. These reforms triggered widespread condemnation from civil society, legal experts, and international observers.
Thousands of Slovaks took to the streets in repeated demonstrations to protest what they viewed as a calculated dismantling of the rule of law and an attempt to sabotage ongoing high-profile corruption investigations.
Kažimír’s conviction is especially notable given his influential role on the European Central Bank’s governing council, which sets monetary policy for all 20 eurozone countries. His legal troubles cast a shadow over the ECB’s governance structure and have raised questions about ethical oversight within European institutions.
The central bank has not yet commented on Kažimír’s status or the implications of his conviction. With his term expiring imminently, speculation is growing about whether he will seek reappointment or step away from public office entirely.
As Kažimír prepares his appeal, the case has further inflamed the already volatile political climate in Slovakia, where anti-corruption efforts and judicial independence remain flashpoints in an increasingly polarized society.
