On 30 September, Slovenia’s National Assembly adopted legislation effectively dismantling the NGO Development Fund by redirecting its dedicated revenue to a new fund for advanced treatment of rare diseases, without providing replacement financing for civil society. The decision puts hundreds of organisations at financial risk, particularly those working on democracy, human rights, rule of law and anti-corruption. With 12.6 million EUR in existing contractual obligations, the changes could create a 5 million EUR funding gap affecting agreements with more than 300 NGOs. The legislation was adopted through an urgent procedure in just 13 days, without public consultation and despite strong objections from civil society. Several organisations were prevented from participating meaningfully in parliamentary discussions, while proposed safeguards for existing grants were rejected. The decision comes amid growing pressure on independent civil society, including attacks on organisations, scrutiny of their financing and restrictions affecting independent institutions. Find more here.
Source: BCSDN