Good evening. Here is the Thursday, September 8 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.
Municipalities urge government to listen
Thursday's protest by the Association of Towns and Municipalities of Slovakia in front of the Government Office in Bratislava. (Source: TASR)The increase in energy prices is causing problems for municipalities and their residents, and is already affecting their daily lives as local governments find it harder to provide services.
However, the government, far from helping, is refusing to listen and even taking money away from their budgets, according to the Association of Towns and Municipalities of Slovakia (ZMOS), which held a protest in Bratislava today.
Its representatives say they are closest to the people and helped the state through Covid and the situation related to the war in Ukraine, and want to continue to do so. They say they want the government to start listening to what they have to say.
More stories on Spectator.sk
- CONSERVATION: Slovakia's most endangered bird species appears again after 12 years.
- JOBS: The chemical company Fortischem, a major employer in central Slovakia, may be about to lay off hundreds of its employees.
- OPINION: Roma workers: last chance for the East?
- ART: Later this month the White Night arts festival returns to Bratislava and Košice. Find out what you can expect to see.
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Feature story for today
Holding a jazz concert in 1960s Czechoslovakia was no simple matter.
First, you needed to convince the authorities that what you were trying to do was not subversive – after all, the genre originated in the U.S. More often than not, it was likely to bring a run-in with the secret police.
Sometimes, musicians had to be very creative about how to approach authorities and bend them to their will. So, what is the story of Slovak jazz?
Secret police and the fight for freedom: The story of Slovak jazz Read more Picture of the day
After almost 30 years, large-scale breeding of goats in the village of Lazy pod Makytou, Púchov District, is ending. The local agricultural cooperative Mestečko is unable to continue to take care of goats due to the current economic situation.
(Source: TASR)In other news
- The first delivery of coronavirus vaccines adapted to the omicron variant has arrived in Slovakia. Vaccination should start in the second half of September.
- Slovakia has signed a contract for an additional supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG). The LNG will be delivered by ship to Italy, and then supplied to Slovakia via pipeline after regasification. The contract, signed during Prime Minister Eduard Heger's visit to Rome, is between ExxonMobil and Slovak state utility SPP. The supplies will fill 10 percent of the country's gas storage capacity. Slovakia is looking for ways to secure gas supplies and and cut its dependency on Russia. Find out how to reduce energy consumption and save money.
- President Zuzana Čaputová has yet to receive information about who will be the nominees to fill four vacant ministerial posts. Prime Minister Eduard Heger, who is to deliver the names, is also yet to present his vision for how his minority administration will function. According to her spokesperson, Martin Strižinec, President Zuzana Čaputová is ready to accept the resignations of the outgoing ministers and to appoint new ones as soon as possible. Read more about the coalition crisis here.
- Several thousands residents of Poprad, eastern Slovakia, have already been issued with a card that will allow them to use public transport free of charge. The city authorities are calling upon permanent residents to take advantage of the cards. According to them, a four-member family could save up to €800 a year. Residents can use public transport free of charge until the end of the year. From 2023 those with cards can pay €10 a year to use public transport without any limit. The aim of the scheme is to eliminate car transport as much as possible, in order to make the city more green and at the same time help residents with the rising cost of living.
- Two new ferratas were officially opened to the public along cliffs near Nitra. The first ferratas in the Nitra region will consist of two routes with different difficulties.
- Meteorologists have issued first-level storm warnings for the whole of Slovakia. For the districts of Trenčín, Ilava and Nové Mesto nad Váhom second-level warning have been issued. The warnings last until midnight, with the exception of the east of Slovakia, where they will last until 10:00am tomorrow.
- The number of illegal berry pickers in the protected areas of the High Tatras is growing. The Tatra National Park administration is asking the public for help. One person can pick dozens of litres of cranberries or blueberries from the protected area, thus depriving wild animals of food. The berries usually end up being sold along nearby roads. Just a few days ago, several pickers were caught in the Furkotská dolina nature reserve. Police had to be called to help.
- On Thursday, the trial of former special prosecutor Dušan Kováčik and businessman Peter K., who is on the run, started. The prosecution alleges that Kováčik took a bribe of €50,000 in return for influencing or blocking the prosecution of two criminal cases. Kováčik asserts he is innocent. He is currently serving a prison sentence after being convicted in a separate case of taking a hefty bribe from a man who is testifying in several high-profile cases of alleged corruption and abuse of power.
- Until the end of September, people can change their health insurance company. They can choose between the state-run health insurer Všeobecná Zdravotná Poisťovňa and private companies Dôvera and Union, says the Health Care Surveillance Authority. It is urging people to remain vigilant for possible frauds and always read what they sign. It is possible to change one's public health insurance provider once a year.
- A car was torn in two in an accident on the D1 highway between Bratislava and Trnava but, miraculously, no one was injured. According to the police, the driver probably failed to see a queue of stationary vehicles and veered off the highway, hitting barriers.
If you have suggestions on how this news overview can be improved, you can reach us at editorial@spectator.sk.
