(source: SME.sk / Hej,ty)
Good evening. The Monday, March 14 edition of Today in Slovakia is ready with the main news of the day in less than five minutes.
Slovak police arrested three people suspected of espionage for Russia
Russian Embassy in Bratislava (source: Sme)
National Criminal Agency (NAKA) arrested at least three people suspected of espionage for Russia. The Denník N daily was the first to break the news.
According to Denník N the detained people are from the Defence Ministry, Slovak Information Service and the disinformation website Hlavné Správy, which was taken down in early March. The colonel of the Armed Forces is allegedly among the detained people.
The Foreign Affairs Ministry thus decided to expel three Russian diplomats. They have 72 hours to leave.
Most Slovak voters do not want to see extremists in the gov't
Republika protest against the defence agreement with the US (source: Sme)
Chair of opposition party Smer, Robert Fico, is not shying away from cooperation with Republika, the party formed by the far-right ĽSNS renegades.
The Focus agency's February poll for the Na Telo political discussion programme on the Markíza television network showed that while for 75 percent of Smer voters it would be unacceptable if the future ruling coalition after the next election relied on the support of Marian Kotleba's ĽSNS, the Republika party is more acceptable for them.
In fact, 43 percent of voters of the Smer party supported the future coalition's potential cooperation with Republika. However, a majority of Smer voters — 52 percent — do not support the idea.
The poll demonstrated that a future coalition with the support of ĽSNS is unacceptable for 80 percent of all voters. Cooperation with Republika is unacceptable for 67 percent.
War in Ukraine
The government approved the donation of military supplies to Ukraine at a value of more than €2 million. The Defence Ministry will use the possibility of refunding some costs at the level of the EU while based on the bilateral agreements.
Slovakia has to be ready for anything, but currently there is no reason for panic due to the continuing war in Ukraine and its possible movement towards Slovakia’s territory, said PM Eduard Heger (OĽaNO) on the public service RTVS television network.
More than 8,800 people had crossed the Ukrainian-Slovak border in 24 hours by Monday, 6:00. Altogether, more than 205,000 people have crossed the border since the Russian invasion of Ukraine started.
Ukraine should be discussed in parliament this week. The parliament proposed, besides other things, that a private person who would like to accommodate a Ukrainian citizen or family will receive €7 per day, or €210 monthly for an adult. This sum will be halved in the case of a child.
For a deeper insight into current affairs, check out our Last Week in Slovakiapiece published earlier today. You can sign up for the newsletter here.
Photo of the day
Pope Francis received PM Eduard Heger in the Vatican on Monday. They discussed the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This was Heger’s first official visit to the Vatican. Pope Francis visited Slovakia in September 2021.
“We agreed that humanity must take the path of peace, mutual solidarity, respect and selfless help,” Heger said. He appreciated the Pope’s attempts to establish peace in Ukraine. Heger thanked him for the active attitude of the church, helping people fleeing war at the Slovak-Ukrainian border.
Pope Francis meets PM Eduard Heger (source: TASR/Vatican Media)
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On this day in history
Nazi-puppet Slovak state that sent thousands of its Jewish citizens to extermination camps was established on March 14, 1939.
Read on the day of this inglorious anniversary our archive story of the people who pleaded help to their president Jozef Tiso.
In other news
3,375 people were newly diagnosed as Covid positive out of 6,307 PCR tests performed on Sunday. The number of people in hospitals is 2,437. 32 more deaths were reported on Sunday. The vaccination rate is at 51.24 percent, 2,818,384 people having received the first dose of the vaccine. More stats on Covid-19 in Slovakia here.
The National Health Information Centre said that there are 2,063 people in the virtual waiting room for the Nuvaxovid vaccine in Slovakia. 1,229 are awaiting the second or third dose with this vaccine.
The National Security Authority blocked another portal spreading disinformation, Hlavný Denník. This was made possible by a law accepted after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The blocking is temporary. Another disinformation portal, Hlavné Správy, has been blocked in the past days.
Public transport in Bratislava will be reinforced as of March 14. The increase in capacity is linked to the start of in-person education and thus an increase in travellers.
Anti-pandemic measures were lifted as of March 14. The capacity restrictions at mass events were cancelled and limits on opening hours were scrapped. However, it is still obligatory to wear FFP2 respirator masks, but news anchors are exempt from this.
Foreign Affairs Minister Ivan Korčok alongside his Israeli counterpart Yair Lapid called on Russia to immediately stop the war in Ukraine. They are calling on Russia to withdraw the army from Ukrainian territory and to start the political negotiations that will lead towards peace. They denounced the escalation of conflict by the Russian Federation. Lapid met with Korčok in Bratislava and later visited President Zuzana Čaputová.
Do not miss on Spectator.sk today
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