Coalition pushes controversial conflict-of-interest amendment towards first reading

The government coalition has put a controversial amendment to the Conflict of Interest Act on the Chamber of Deputies' agenda, paving the way for its first reading.

The proposed changes would ease restrictions on companies linked to government ministers receiving public subsidies and taking part in public procurement.

The anti-corruption organization Transparency International has called for it to be withdrawn, arguing that it would weaken oversight of conflicts of interest and effectively grant an amnesty to recipients of subsidies paid out unlawfully.

The watchdog says the changes would narrow the definition of a conflict of interest so much that it would effectively no longer apply to the prime minister.

The amendment would also shorten the period for recovering subsidies wrongly paid out by the State Agricultural Intervention Fund from ten years to four.