Slovakia received a second tranche of money under its EU-approved recovery plan on Wednesday, but further payments due later this year appear in doubt amid delays to reforms tied to the funding.
The €709 million payment received this week follows a first payment under the plan of nearly €399 million last summer, as well as €823 million in pre-financing which was given to Slovakia in October 2021.
The country is due to receive a total of €6 billion in grants as part of its plan.
The second payment was made after Slovakia reached 16 set milestones, including passing reforms related to public procurement, research and innovation, and hospitals. Prior to the first payment, Slovakia had already reached a separate set of 14 milestones.
Lívia Vašáková, head of the Recovery Plan Department at the Government Office, said that Slovakia is the fifth EU member state to have received a second payment.
She told the Denník N daily that despite some claims to the contrary "the recovery plan is working relatively well”.
