News digest: Mochovce to make Slovakia energy self-sufficient again

Early elections date set, hoax prompts hundreds of Slovaks to refuse military service. Learn more in today's digest.

Good evening. Here is the Wednesday, February 1 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.


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MPs agree early elections date

After what Speaker Boris Kollár (Sme Rodina) called a "referendum and election date circus", MPs have agreed early elections will be held on September 30, 2023.

President Zuzana Čaputová said she respected the decision, but reserved the right to appoint a caretaker government instead in the event of "fundamental failures" from the current interim administration.

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You can find out about other important dates related to the early elections by following this link.

Read more about the current political situation:


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Feature story for today

When Russia illegally annexed Crimea over eight years ago, a hoax spread online in Slovakia about a general conscription, spurring many to submit a declaration of refusal to perform extraordinary military service.

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Now, a similar hoax is doing the rounds. A well-known disinformation website claimed a planned military exercise, in reality only involving professional military personnel, will lead to some people being called up to the army.

This led to hundreds of men filing documents refusing service.

Mobilisation hoax prompts hundreds of Slovaks to refuse service in case of war Read more 

Movie tip of the day

Slovak film director Mátyás Prikler's movie POWER will be premiered at the 2023 International Film Festival Rotterdam. A fatal hunting accident leads to revelations about the hidden machinery of political power. The movie, which deals with the theme of power, will be released in Slovak cinemas on April 20.


In other news

  • Weather forecast for Thursday: Mostly cloudy across Slovakia with occasional rain in most of the country. Daytime temperatures will be from 1°C to 6°C. Level 1 alerts for wind are in place in the Bratislava and Trnava Regions and Poprad District, while a level 1 alert for snow is in place in northern and central Slovakia.
  • The Czech government will not extend checks at the border with Slovakia. They will stop overnight from Saturday to Sunday February 4 - 5. The measure was introduced in late September 2022 due to increased illegal migration.
  • The signature of Ján Budaj, former leader of the Velvet Revolution and today's Interim Environment Minister, on an agreement of cooperation with the communist secret service ŠtB, has been found by a Czech historian during preparation of a documentary series for the Slovak public-service broadcaster RTVS. Read more in Slovak.
  • The city of Bratislava will lose €14.3 million over the next two years due to a government decision this week on taxing revenues from selling electricity, says Mayor Matúš Vallo.
  • The Milan Rastislav Štefánik Airport in Bratislava announced on Tuesday that flights to Mallorca, Rhodes or Antalya are available again. Charter flights will also run to Burgas in Bulgaria, Heraklion in Crete, and Rhodes in Greece, Majorca in Spain, Tirana in Albania, Hurghada and Marsa Alam in Egypt, Antalya in Turkey and Malta.
  • On Wednesday, police confirmed the body of a woman has been found in the vicinity of Lužný Bridge in Bratislava. A murder investigation has begun. More information about the identity of the woman will be available after an autopsy and the results of a DNA analysis.
  • Inspired by a similar program abroad, the Trnava Archdiocese Charity has opened the first furniture bank in Slovakia with the goal of creating a space for homeless people to get back into work. Operating since the start of the year, the program now involves five clients who renovate furniture under the guidance of a social rehabilitation instructor.
  • A supposed leaked document with the names of members of a potential caretaker government which is circulating on social media is a fake, the President's spokesperson, Martin Strižinec, has said.

Thank you for reading The Slovak Spectator!

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


Top stories

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Jan Konvalinka was expecting a pandemic before Covid-19 came along.


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