Decision on international flights expected on Monday (news digest)

Major arrest of 37 people from the state forestry company on suspicion of corruption.

Open border between Slovakia and the Czech Republic.Open border between Slovakia and the Czech Republic. (Source: TASR)

This is your overview of news from Slovakia from June 4, 2020.

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Peace treaty centenary marked

  • The Trianon Treaty was signed a hundred years ago. Trianon, and the events that led up to it, are seen differently from the two sides of the Danube today. While Hungarians tend to treat the whole history of the Hungarian state as their own, Slovaks seem to be unable to find their place in it, and tend to forget this part of their history. Read what anniversary of the peace treaty means for Slovaks and Hungarians today.
  • Change to the preamble of the Constitution, the rectification of the law about dual citizenship, a vast minority law and further development of underdeveloped regions with a mixed population are demands that the non-parliamentary party Most-Híd addressed to PM Igor Matovič . The non-parliamentary Hungarian Forum demands change to the preamble as well. The Party of Hungarian Community delivered its own Hungarian Community Memorandum to the prime minister, demanding, among other things, an autonomous territory that would be governed by the elected representatives of the Hungarian community. (TASR, mkp.sk)

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State of emergency still not clear

  • The state of emergency will not be lifted until the 90 days are up, said PM Igor Matovič after the meeting of the crisis staff. He added that if there is a favourable epidemiological situation, it will not be prolonged. The current state of emergency state would end on June 14 at the latest. (TASR)

More progress in international travel expected

  • The Central Crisis Staff decided that train and bus connections with the Czech Republic will be renewed and in several hours or days, also with Hungary and Austria.
  • “International transport to countries with which the border regime was opened is restored immediately,” Martin Klus, deputy minister for Foreign Affairs, wrote on Facebook. “On Monday, the medical consilium will decide about the renewal of international flights.”
  • Meanwhile, Slovak railway company ZSSK announced the renewal of daily international transport at all border crossings with the Czech Republic on June 9. There will be 48 long-distance and 45 regional trains commuting daily. (TASR)

Corruption in the forestry company

Bratislava roads to be closed

  • Two main roads in Bratislava – the I/2 running from Petržalka to Rusovce and the I/61 stretching from the capital to Ivanka pri Dunaji – will remain closed for several days in June, as reported by the company D4R7 Construction.

Kočner wants dismissal from custody

  • Marian Kočner asked the Supreme Court that he be released from the custody into which he was taken because of the case of promissory notes of TV Markíza. The senate of the Supreme Court with chair Alena Šišková will decide on June 10. Marian Kočner and Pavol Rusko were sent to prison for 19 years over the case brought before the Specialised Criminal Court. Both defendants and the prosecution office have appealed. (Denník N)

Election of General Prosecutor debated

  • MPs started a discussion in parliament about the amendment of the law governing the prosecution office which aims to change the way the General Prosecutor is elected. The opposition party Smer said that if the amendment is passed in its current form, MPs would submit it to the Constitutional Court. (TASR)

Jahnátek dismissed

Layoffs reported in the east

  • One hundred people in Snina will lose their jobs. Snina's company Unex Slovakia announced mass dismissals. The company is also laying off workers from its plant in the Czech Republic because of a drop in orders. Two thirds of employees of the Slovak plant may lose their jobs. (Korzár)

New Ministry seeks building

  • Veronika Remišová, minister for Investments, Regional Development and Informatisation, is seeking a proper building for her new ministry. It will officially start to work as a ministry on July 1. Currently, the office has seats in four to six building at various places in Bratislava. (TASR)

Correction: Free entrance to museums and galleries remains in place

  • Free entrance to museums and galleries on the first Sunday of the month remains valid, said the Culture Ministry. The ministry refuted information sent to media by the Slovak National Museum on June 4 that stated free entrance had been cancelled. “The Slovak National Museum published information that is not current without consulting with the Culture Ministry,” said spokesperson of the ministry, Matúš Bystriansky. (TASR)

Also on Spectator.sk

COVID-19 causes restaurant owners to sell their businesses Read more  City beach to spruce up a Bratislava waterfront after all Read more  Construction work to result in further traffic restrictions in Bratislava Read more 

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