News digest: Putin increasingly popular in Slovakia, Sputnik vaccine less so

Teenagers register for Covid jab in their thousands in Slovakia. Bus connections between Vienna and Bratislava restored post-lockdown. And all you wanted to know about holiday in Slovakia.

(Source: SME.sk / Hej,ty)

The Tuesday, June 8 edition of Today in Slovakia is ready with the main news of the day in less than five minutes. We wish you a pleasant read.

Looking to the West but admiring Putin

Slovakia is a country of paradoxes, reads a Globsec Trends 2021 report researching attitudes towards democracy, media, the pandemic and other topics.

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The report summed up that the only country with a clear trend in any direction is Slovakia, with support for EU membership gradually rising from 66 percent in 2018 to 78 percent in 2021.

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Moscow still gains a sympathetic audience among Slovaks though. “Vladimir Putin’s image has remained largely stable over the past four years in the CEE,” the Globsec report reads. “Slovakia is an exception to this trend since public approval of the Kremlin leader has increased by 14 percent.”


How to enjoy a safe holiday in Slovakia

Slovakia is currently divided into five different colour tiers according to the Covid automat warning tier system. Valid measures in each of them differ.

The Slovak Spectator is presenting FAQs that may be helpful for anyone planning a holiday in Slovakia.

Are hotels and restaurants open, should people wear a mask or a respirator, will a music festival take place and where is a negative test result necessary?

Find the answer to these and more questions and enjoy a safe holiday in Slovakia without breaking any anti-epidemic rules.

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Coronavirus and vaccination news

  • More than 5,200 teenagers aged 12 to 15 have registered in the virtual waiting room for Covid-19 vaccination. They will receive the Comirnaty vaccine by Pfizer/BioNTech. Parents must accompany their children to the vaccination.
  • Last April was the month with the lowest number of deaths in the last seven months. Covid-19 was not the most frequent cause of death for the first time. The biggest mortality rate was among younger seniors aged 65 to 74. Preliminary data on the number of the deceased and causes of death in April 2021 showed that 5,300 people died in Slovakia in April 2021 which is still 22 percent more than the April average in the previous five years (4,300).

Photo of the day

Samuel Vlčan is the new Agriculture Minister. President Zuzana Čaputová appointed him on June 8 after she accepted the resignation of the previous minister Ján Mičovský, who changed his mind yesterday but PM Heger had already found a replacement for him.


Feature story for today

About a dozen, mostly older people are sitting or standing in the waiting room. It feels overcrowded because the room is barely three per four metres in size.

"Given the expected interest it's not that many people," Silvia Pekarčíková, head of the health department of the Žilina Self-Governing Region, says of her first impression of the vaccination centre, which started to administer Sputnik V vaccine on June 7.

Determined and unconcerned about travelling abroad. Who are the people interested in the Russian vaccine? Read more 

In other news

  • Flixbus is re-introducing the bus connection between Bratislava and Vienna from June 10. Two morning lines are connecting the Slovak capital and Vienna international airport. These connections begin and end at the Vienna Main Station. Company spokesperson Eva Krajčí said that they are relaunching the connection based on the interest of travellers and valid anti-pandemic measures.
  • Stricter checks at the Slovak-Austrian border were cancelled. At the same time, smaller border crossings are opening, including the Devínska Nová Ves – Schlosshof cycling bridge and the Devín – Hainburg crossing for river transport.
  • Branches of the Poštová Banka bank will be transferred under the 365.bank brand, gradually from July. However, Poštová Banka will continue in the banking market. It will return to Slovenská Pošta and its financial workplaces.
  • Slovak inhabitants may participate in the census until June 13, which is the final deadline and the census will not be available later. Anyone who has not participated may visit the contact place or order a mobile census assistant to visit their home. This service is free.
  • The new Bratislava Nivy bus station should open by the end of summer. Developer HB Reavis stated that the work is in the final stages. Originally, the project should have been completed in 2020, but the opening was postponed due to the pandemic.
  • Employees of the engineering company Booster Precision Components in Beluša (western Slovakia) are striking on June 10. Trade unions did not agree with company management on closing a wage supplement for the collective agreement.

Do not miss on Spectator.sk today

Pandemic has made Slovakia more attractive for investors, a survey shows Read more  Slovaks are the only EU members that cannot film with a drone abroad Read more  Discover one of the largest castles in Europe Read more  Orbán’s government bought lucrative buildings in central Košice Read more 

If you have suggestions on how this news overview can be improved, you can reach us at editorial@spectator.sk.

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