Good evening. Here is theMonday, August 21 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in fewer than five minutes.
Hungarian daily does not like the 1968 invasion but for different reasons
A symbolic cross for a victim of the shooting near the Comenius University building in Bratislava, August 22, 1968. The caption reads: They fell for freedom. (source: TASR)
The Warsaw Pact troops that invaded Czechoslovakia 55 years ago on this day included Hungarian soldiers. They left the country in October of that year.
"The problem was not that the Hungarian army came, but that it left," claims the Hungarian pro-government daily on the anniversary of the invasion. In addition, Hungary should stop feeling guilty for participating in the event.
According to Magyar Nemzet, the country should have grabbed the opportunity and taken back the southern Slovak regions that Czechoslovakia gained after the First World War.
The 1968 invasion was a response to a series of political and economic reforms that were happening in the late 1960s, spearheaded by Slovak politician Alexander Dubček.
The daily echoes the rhetoric of Viktor Orbán. Speaking at a summer event held by the Hungarian minority in Romania late July, he described Slovakia as a breakaway territory.
MORE STORIES FROM THE SLOVAK SPECTATOR WEBSITE
LAST WEEK: Top security officials charged in the middle of election campaign.
OPINION:As in 1968, we should again rise to the challenge, writes Foreign Affairs Minister Miroslav Wlachovský.
THE CAPITAL: Former gardener’s house in Bratislava is turned into community centre.
MUSIC: Vašo Patejdl, a co-founder of Slovakia’s most successful band, is dead at 68.
INSTALLATION: What it’s like to crawl inside an elastic animal hanging in the Old Market Hall.
REGIONS: Two Liptov villages to get a "UFO" just like Bratislava.
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FEATURE STORY FOR MONDAY
The legendary soft drink that survived communism
The production of the Vinea soft drink was launched in 1974. (source: TASR)
Created in 1973 due to the surplus of grapes around the town of Pezinok, Bratislava Region, Vinea was supposed to be an alternative to the unaffordable soft drinks of the West.
Even though a quarter litre bottle of Vinea was pricier than a pint of beer, it quickly became popular. However, in the 1990s it seemed that the drink was done for due to strong competition. Moreover, the story of Vinea is riddled with brand disputes. Yet the famous soft drink is still here.
EVENT FOR THE WEEK
Remembering 1968
A tank in Bratislava during the August invasion in 1968. (source: TASR )
On the occasion of the 55th anniversary of the 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia, the National Memorial Institute has prepared a series of opportunities to remember what happened during the operation.
A dedicated website (in Slovak) showcases documents, including videos and pictures, related to the invasion from individual Slovak districts. In Trenčín, an exhibition on Štúrovo Námestie square depicts a complex view of what preceded the invasion, what transpired and the results. It takes place between August 19 to September 10.
In Bratislava, if you have the SmartGuide tourist app installed in your phone, you can embark on a guided tour of where the important event took place.
IN OTHER NEWS
Had the election taken place in August, the Smer party would have won with 20 percent of the votes, according to a recent poll carried out by the Focus agency for the private television Markíza, followed by Progresívne Slovensko with 15 and Hlas with 14.2 percent. Other parties that would have made it include the extremist Republika, KDH (Christian Democrats), SAS, SNS (Slovak National Party) and Sme Rodina.
According to the Conservative Institute, taxes, levies and other payments of citizens have risen again. Last year's mandatory payments increased by almost 0.8 percentage points compared to 2021. Analysts calculated that an employee with an average gross salary of €1,304 costs the employer €1,844. They added that ahead of September's elections, politicians are promising to give people money even though the health of public finances continues to deteriorate.
Based on reviews online, Spišský Hrad has become the top castle/château in the Košice Region and received the Golden Pin award. Last year the castle was visited by almost 120,000 people.
Spišský hrad (Spiš Castle) (source: Peter Baňas (Spectacular Slovakia))
The most frequented place in Tatra National Park this year was the Hrebienok tourist resort. According to a tourist census, 5146 people made their trip there on a single day. In total in one day, 27,216 tourists passed through the mountain terrain either on foot or on bike. The second most visited place is Popradské Pleso lake, followed by Skalnaté Pleso lake.
President Zuzana Čaputová has temporarily suspended head of the Slovak Intelligence Service, Michal Aláč. Last week, he was charged with setting up, masterminding and supporting a criminal group and misusing his powers. PM Ľudovít Ódor later announced that he plans to submit a motion to dismiss Aláč at the Wednesday government session.
WEATHER FOR TUESDAY:
Sunny and very hot. Daily temperatures between 30 ºC and 35 ºC expected. Level 2 high temperature warning issued for western and south-western Slovakia, Level 1 warning applies to certain districts in the Trenčín, Nitra, Banská Bystrica and Košice regions; click here for map. (SHMÚ)
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