Jana Maškarová, pictured during a press conference in Bratislava on January 27, 2025,. (source: Martin Baumann)
On Monday, January 27, Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok (Hlas) introduced Jana Maškarová as Slovakia’s new police president. Her appointment is not entirely surprising – seven years ago, Maškarová was appointed as the first female police vice-president by the then interior minister, Denisa Saková (Smer).
Maškarová has had a distinguished career, becoming Slovakia’s first female police general in 2019. “This proves that gender equality is not always the main issue; what matters are the results of an individual’s work,” Saková stated at the time.
When Milan Lučanský resigned as police chief in 2020, Maškarová was considered for the top job, but not ultimately appointed. She remained vice-president under Peter Kovařík but was sidelined by his successor, Štefan Hamran, in 2021, and left the force.
Hamran later stated that she lacked the “moral and mental prerequisites” to lead the police. Maškarová dismissed these claims, ascribing them to professional disagreements. Hamran recently repeated his claim about Maškorová's competence to lead the police.
Asked about Hamran's remarks on Monday during an interview on TV news channel TA3, Maškarová replied: “Everyone has their own opinion.” She explained her departure from the police four years ago as having been the result of differing views and perspectives.
“Mr Hamran and I had a discussion where we disagreed on the management of the Police Force. I had one opinion, he had another, and that’s why our paths diverged,” Maškarová said.
Declines to comment on the dissolution of NAKA
After leaving the police, she worked at the National Security Office (NBÚ), which oversees security clearances, where she became deputy director in 2023.
Her return to law enforcement comes with a clear goal: “My priority is to stabilise the police force,” she declared, emphasising her desire to secure better working conditions and restore public trust.
Maškarová was involved in founding the National Crime Agency (NAKA) in 2012, but its dissolution under outgoing police chief Ľubomír Solák remains a contentious issue. Asked about this, she declined to comment, stating she needs a better understanding of the current structure.
Former police spokesperson David Púchovský, who has since left the force and is a critic of the government, said that Maškarová declined an offer to lead the police following the 2023 general election as she did not want to be part of what he called Šutaj Eštok’s “dirty dealings”. Púchovský expressed hope that she would repair the damage done to the force.
Maškarová has faced scrutiny in the past. In 2021, former tax official Ľudovít Makó, who had agreed to assist prosecutors after admitting corruption, accused her of leaking classified information, a claim she denies. In 2018, she was criticised for renting a government-subsidised apartment while owning private property.
For now, Maškarová is only the acting police president, pending a parliamentary hearing. However, this is seen little more than a formality, as the final decision rests with the interior minister.
The last president of the police, Ľubomír Solák, resigned earlier this month in the wake of a knife attack at a public school that left two people dead.
