What plagues the Matovič government after COVID

Graduation season is over, but final theses are all the rage in Slovak politics.

PM Igor Matovič and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels on July 16, 2020. PM Igor Matovič and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels on July 16, 2020. (Source: AP/TASR)

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

This is the limited summer format of our news overview.

More tests mean more cases, Donald Trump infamously told a rally of supporters last month with regard to the coronavirus testing in the US, with an appeal to “slow the testing down please”. In that, the coronavirus has much in common with another infection currently plaguing Slovak politics - plagiarism, as many commentaries and memes from the past week have pointed out. The coverage of Denník N, which has been on to plagiarists ever since they first reported on Andrej Danko’s copy-paste doctoral thesis, shows just how true the more tests - more cases concern is about plagiarists in the current government.

SkryťTurn off ads

Plagiarism is not limited to just one party, as it might have appeared two weeks ago, when Speaker of Parliament Boris Kollár (Sme Rodina) fiercely defended his “academic paper” in parliament. Since then, Education Minister Branislav Grohling of Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) has faced plagiarism allegations over his thesis. And then last Thursday, Denník N broke its story about PM Igor Matovič's thesis.

Full Matovič

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

Stock image.

Twice as many Ukrainians work in Slovakia now than before the Russian invasion.


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