Illustrative photograph (source: TASR - Henrich Mišovič)
Slovakia’s opposition parties have renewed scrutiny of agricultural subsidies, alleging that millions of euros in EU funds were granted to farms owned by entrepreneurs with long‑standing ties to the governing Smer party.
The non‑parliamentary Demokrati and Piráti parties on 30 July criticised the allocation of subsidies to farms controlled by brothers Pavol and Juraj Ondriš, who built their fortunes in IT and telecoms through the Swan group and mobile operator 4ka. The pair have also been active in real estate and were long regarded as politically well‑connected during previous Smer administrations, according to Denník N.
According to the opposition, the Ondriš brothers’ companies Naša zem, Farma Medovarce and Dobrá úroda received a total of more than €2.8m in 2015 from Slovakia’s Agricultural Paying Agency (PPA) to build fruit and vegetable warehouses, establish orchards and acquire farm machinery. Yet the farms have posted minimal revenues for years. The three companies together generated only €290,000 in turnover in 2024, employed nine people and booked a combined loss of over €400,000.
Opposition figures allege that some of the subsidised facilities are unused or repurposed. Zuzana Šubová of the Piráti party, who was dismissed from the PPA after criticising the agency and its practices, claimed that the fruit warehouses in the Krupina region are now filled with hay, and that some of the meadows receiving mowing subsidies were in fact rocky slopes.
“Naša zem pledged to produce 12 tonnes of apples and 4.5 tonnes of plums a year on 10 hectares and to expand abroad by the seventh year,” said Šubová. “Yet by 2025 not a single tree has been planted.”
The head of the Piráti party also criticised Pavol Ondriš for hiring himself and another manager from his related firms under the subsidised project. She noted that the scheme required the creation of new jobs, yet Ondriš effectively counted his own role as meeting that condition.
The case has fuelled calls for a special investigative team to examine the PPA’s subsidy practices. The agency has previously faced criticism for weak oversight of EU agricultural funds, particularly during the tenure of Smer’s former agriculture minister Ľubomír Jahnátek.
The Ondriš brothers reject any wrongdoing. Pavol Ondriš said the farms met the required five‑year sustainability period for fruit production but were forced to scale back due to heavy losses caused by wildlife damage. “Even with 52 kilometres of electric fencing, the game destroyed our orchards,” he said, adding that the facilities are now used for hay storage and livestock breeding. He described the allegations as a “personal vendetta” by local rivals with whom the family has legal disputes over hunting grounds and forestry.
The controversy adds to the broader debate over the politicisation of EU agricultural funds in Slovakia. Investigative reports in recent years have documented patterns in which subsidies flowed to individuals or companies close to Smer and its allied business networks.
The Ondriš family’s business interests also extend beyond farming. Their company Danubia Invest secured a 99‑year lease from the state in 2007 over land surrounding the Čunovo water sports complex near the Danube, with plans to build a leisure park. The lease was terminated in 2023 after years of non‑payment and lack of development.
The renewed focus on the brothers comes as the European Commission continues to monitor Slovakia’s handling of EU subsidies, amid lingering concerns about conflicts of interest and misuse of funds in the agricultural sector.
