News digest: Supreme Court's ruling on the "Faecal Phantom" case

Slovakia will celebrate Slovaks living abroad. The Visegrad Group is now led by Slovakia.

(Source: SME.sk / Hej,ty)

Good evening. The Monday, July 4 edition of Today in Slovakia is ready with the main news of the day in less than five minutes.

The Slovak Spectator will be back with another edition on July 6, as Slovakia will mark a public holiday on Tuesday. Keep in mind that shops will be closed.

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Visegrad Group's return to its roots

Slovakia took over the rotating presidency of the Visegrad Group (V4) last Friday, and the bloc of four central European countries is not going to make a big splash in European politics.

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On the contrary, Bratislava is aiming to lower the voice of the Visegrad Group in the EU due to diverging views within the grouping on the rule of law and the war in Ukraine. It wants to focus on regional things, like infrastructure and culture.

Mateusz Gniazdowski of the Centre for Eastern Studies says that, ultimately, the bloc can only work if all four countries are on the same page. "If the Visegrad Group is to remain an effective instrument of Central European cooperation, it cannot be liberal or illiberal, right-wing or left-wing," he stresses.

Priorities: Read Slovakia's programme for the presidency in English.

Twitter: If you are a twitter user, you can follow the Slovak presidency of the V4 here.


For a deeper insight into current affairs, check out the summer version of Last Week in Slovakia piece published earlier today. You can sign up for the newsletter here.

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More stories from The Slovak Spectator website:

  • SUPREME COURT: In its July 4 ruling, the Supreme Court criticises some judges for their irresponsible decision-making in the case of Martin Macko, who was convicted of committing faeces attacks at women in 2018.
  • BEAR: A cyclist encountered a bear outside Košice, but there is no need to panic.
  • HOT WEATHER: At the end of June, meteorologists recorded 38.8 degrees Celsius in the town of Somotor.
  • DAY OFF: Slovakia will mark a public holiday on July 5, and also the Day of Slovaks Living Abroad.
  • REAL ESTATE: Absolute prices of flats may hit the limit of what people can afford.
  • WATER: Here's a map of a wild swimming spots. In the Košice Region, they have saltwater pools.

FEATURE STORY FOR MONDAY

Exhibition highlights Danube's history as border between Habsburg and Ottoman worlds

While today the Danube River flows peacefully through Bratislava, its role in history, even relatively recently, has sometimes been anything but that, a new exhibition at Bratislava Castle reveals.


If you like what we are doing and want to support good journalism, buy our online subscription. Thank you.


IN OTHER NEWS:

  • The Health Ministry is examining the options and rules for vaccination in pharmacies.
  • From July 1, Slovakia increased the level of subsistence minimum to €234.42.
  • Slovenský Plynárenský Priemysel (SPP), the largest energy supplier in Slovakia, still receives less gas from Russia's Gazprom Export. Last week, gas flows were roughly 50 percent lower. The situation is not expected to improve this week.
2022 EUROPA Competition: Slovakia is hoping to win the contest that awards the most beautiful stamps in Europe. Click on the picture to learn more about this 2022 EUROPA Competition: Slovakia is hoping to win the contest that awards the most beautiful stamps in Europe. Click on the picture to learn more about this "Lomidrevo" stamp and the stories of stamps from other countries. The vote will close on September 9. (Source: PostEurop)
  • The "Roam-Like-At-Home" initiative has been extended until 2032 and allows travellers in the EU and the European Economic Area to call, text and surf the internet abroad without extra charges.
  • The Czech Republic will help Slovakia guard its airspace from September, as the country's ability to service its Soviet-era jets, and thus protect its own skies, is limited. New American jets should arrive in 2024.
  • This year, political parties in the parliament will receive €11.7 million from the state budget for their 2020 elections results.

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


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