(source: SME.sk / Hej,ty)
Good evening. Here is your September 1 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.
Slovak constitution is 30 years old today
While in most surrounding countries September 1 sees schools open again after summer holidays, this has not been the case in Slovakia since 1994, when September 1 was made a national holiday marking the adoption of the constitution of the newly-founded state.
As has become the tradition, September 1 is also an open day in the Slovak parliament.
MPs convened for a holiday session to mark the 30th anniversary of the adoption of Slovakia's constitution, amid an ongoing governmental crisis that appears set to lead to either a minority government or early elections. Slovakia is a democratic republic and must remain such, PM Eduard Heger said in an address to parliament.
"Regarding political culture, even after 30 years since the adoption of our constitution, we are still quite far from being able to call ourselves a mature democracy with a high level of rule of law, where the constitution enjoys respect," President Zuzana Čaputová told MPs.
Meanwhile, opposition leader Robert Fico spoke in the house and was criticised for what his opponents called political abuse of the holiday. Fico turned to President Čaputová during his speech and called on her to "give state power to citizens", referring to a petition for a referendum on early elections that his party has initiated. Čaputová replied by saying she would continue act in line with the constitution.
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Politicians have so far attempted to amend the Slovak constitution 174 times. In the first 20 years of its existence, MPs filed 59 draft amendments, the Via Iuris watchdog noted.
In Košice, hundreds gathered to protest over rising prices, "government incompetence", and in support of early elections. (Korzar)
Parliament Speaker Boris Kollár presented the Jozef Miloslaw Hurban Award to six people, including actress Božidara Turzonovová, playwright Viliam Klimáček, former president Rudolf Schuster, rabbi Itzchack Jehud Schapiro, and in memoriam to the recently deceased Cardinal Jozef Tomko and lawyer Karol Plank. (TASR)
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Featured story for today
Slovakia’s constitution, adopted 30 years ago, is referred to in some legal circles as a “shopping list”.
Since that day on September 1, 1992, just four months before Czechoslovakia split into two countries, different parliaments and the Constitutional Court adopted 20 amendments to it – and politicians unsuccessfully tried to change it more than 150 times.
Today, experts believe the country’s supreme act of legislation needs to be treated with more respect - and some believe it is time for Slovakia to adopt a new one.
Picture of the day
The Slovak Constitution was ceremonially signed on September 3, 1992, in the Knights Hall at Bratislava Castle. (source: TASR)
In other news
As of today, Czech and Polish jets are responsible for the defence of Slovak airspace after Slovakia's own Mig-29 jets were grounded as of September 1.
Eight Slovak MEPs have called on the Party of European Socialists (PES) to expel the Smer party of former prime minister Robert Fico from their group. The party has nothing to do with the values of European socialists and European social democracy, claims the initiator of the open letter, Vladimír Bilčík (Spolu). The letter's authors point to Smer's cooperation with the far-right Republika party and its celebration of the Slovak National Uprising anniversary earlier this week with the Russian ambassador. Along with Bilčík, the letter was signed by MEPs Ivan Štefanec, Miriam Lexmann, Peter Pollák, Lucia Ďuriš Nicholsonová, Martin Hojsík, Michal Šimečka and Michal Wiezik. (TASR)
We are preparing for a coalition of three, but it would be an unfortunate outcome, Sme Rodina Boris Kollár said ahead of the party's leadership meeting on Friday. He has repeatedly said in the past that early elections would be preferable to a minority government.
If you have suggestions on how this news overview can be improved, you can reach us at editorial@spectator.sk.
