All the things that were left overdue

Last week brought a resignation and a half-hearted opposition deal.

Deputy Speaker Martin Glváč (left) and Smer chair Robert Fico (right) held a press conference on October 29, 2019Deputy Speaker Martin Glváč (left) and Smer chair Robert Fico (right) held a press conference on October 29, 2019 (Source: Sme)

Last Week in Slovakia is a commentary and overview of news in Slovakia that The Slovak Spectator subscribers receive in their inboxes every week as part of The Slovak Spectator online subscription. Subscribers also receive a pdf with an overview of news and have access to all of our online content. By subscribing you are helping us provide news about Slovakia you can trust. Thank you.

SkryťTurn off ads
Article continues after video advertisement
SkryťTurn off ads
Article continues after video advertisement

It is not much of a loss to speak of, particularly just a few months before the parliamentary election, but Slovakia lost a deputy parliament’s speaker last week. Martin Glváč apparently assessed that society was ready to handle some trauma, and announced he was stepping down.

SkryťTurn off ads

His decision was immediately preceded, among other things, by a one-on-one meeting with coalition partner Béla Bugár, who had been saying in the pre-trauma days that his party’s MPs weren’t necessarily going to support his fellow deputy parliament’s speaker in an opposition-organised no-confidence vote. It should also be noted that Glváč, who with some exaggeration could be called the Donald Trump of Facebook in Slovakia, broke the news to the now-traumatised Slovak public in a status on this social network.

As Smer politicians do, Glváč’s resignation came with a dose of self-pity (“dirty election campaign”), sacrifice (“common sense must come before personal interests”), and whataboutism, when he called on several opposition leaders and Bugár to step down due to their contacts with Kočner, too.

SkryťTurn off ads

When it snows

The rest of this article is premium content at Spectator.sk
Subscribe now for full access

I already have subscription - Sign in

Subscription provides you with:
  • Immediate access to all locked articles (premium content) on Spectator.sk
  • Special weekly news summary + an audio recording with a weekly news summary to listen to at your convenience (received on a weekly basis directly to your e-mail)
  • PDF version of the latest issue of our newspaper, The Slovak Spectator, emailed directly to you
  • Access to all premium content on Sme.sk and Korzar.sk

Top stories

Slovakia marks 20 years since joining NATO.

Slovakia marks 20 years in the Alliance.


Daniel Hoťka and 1 more
Píšem or pišám?

"Do ľava," (to the left) I yelled, "Nie, do prava" (no, to the right), I gasped. "Dolšie," I screamed. "Nie, nie, horšie..." My Slovak girlfriend collapsed in laughter. Was it something I said?


Matthew J. Reynolds
Czech biochemist Jan Konvalinka.

Jan Konvalinka was expecting a pandemic before Covid-19 came along.


SkryťClose ad