Former Slovak prime minister Mikuláš Dzurinda. (source: SITA - Diana Cernak)
Good afternoon. Here is the Friday, January 27 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.
Get ready for the weekend with the Spectacular Slovakia Roundup.
Ex-PM Dzurinda returns to Slovak politics
Ex-PM Mikuláš Dzurinda introduces his new political project at a press conference on January 27, 2023. (source: TASR - Jaroslav Novák)
Many people stood at the podium, but very few that Slovaks would recognise. One of the well-known faces was ex-double Slovak PM Mikuláš Dzurinda.
On Friday he officially announced his new political project, Modrá Koalícia (Blue Coalition), which aims, Dzurinda says, to bring liberals and conservatives closer together. The announcement came only four days before a parliamentary vote on the date of early elections.
Telling journalists off during a press conference, Dzurinda did not reveal much about his project's manifesto, except for his ambition of keeping Slovakia in the EU, reform the country, and fight the mafia. It is not even clear if Dzurinda will become the Blue Coalition leader.
Under Dzurinda's rule, Slovakia joined NATO and the EU. The country introduced a number of major reforms. However, corruption did not bypass Dzurinda's governments either.
Other stories from The Slovak Spectator website
Travel: A calvary in Lisková, Liptov region, will provide you with a spectacular panoramic view of the area.
Culture: The Andy Warhol Museum in eastern Slovakia has a problem when it rains or snow melts.
Opinion: Slovaks love putting letters before and after their names, don't they?
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In a few lines:
OĽaNO leader Igor Matovič, a former prime minister and also former finance minister, is the politician who polarises society the most, according to an AKO poll commissioned by the JOJ television channel. The polling agency surveyed 1,000 people from January 10-16, 2023. Respondents were asked to name the three most polarising politicians.
President Zuzana Čaputová has said the fact that politicians will vote on the date of early elections on the last possible day, next Tuesday, shows that Slovakia needs early elections.
Slovakia is not fulfilling its own obligations related to climate change and a sustainable future, the Supreme Audit Office has said. For example, Slovakia developed a low-carbon development strategy until 2030 with a view to 2050. However, according to the office's analysis, almost half of its components have been developed only partially or not at all.
Slovak MEP Lucia Ďuriš Nicholsonová is calling on European institutions to take action in the case of ecological pollution in Bratislava's Vrakuňa borough. The industrial waste dump has an area of 4.65 hectares, which contains about 120,000 cubic metres of highly toxic waste.
President Zuzana Čaputová, and other Slovak officials, marked the International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27. The president pointed out that verbal and physical hatred against Jews and other minorities has not yet been rooted out, despite the Second World War ending almost 80 years ago. (source: SITA - Martin Mednansky)
WEATHER FOR THE WEEKEND:Saturday will be cloudy, with the highest temperature reaching 5°C. In northern Slovakia and Horehronie, a region in central Slovakia, the daily temperature will not exceed -2°C. Occasional snow or drizzle. The weather will be similar on Sunday, though the highest temperature will be lower: 4°C in most regions, except for Spiš, Kysuce, Liptov, Horehronie and Orava where the highest daily temperature may reach -3°C. Monday morning will be foggy in some places, with snow in many regions or sleet in the south. (SHMÚ)
Thank you for reading The Slovak Spectator. Enjoy your weekend!
P.S. If you have suggestions on how this news overview can be improved, you can reach us at editorial@spectator.sk.
