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Pavol Gašpar takes over top intelligence agency
Pavol Gašpar now serves as deputy SIS chair with competences of the chair. (source: TASR)
Pavol Gašpar, who was removed from the post of deputy justice minister on March 6, has become the deputy chief of the Slovak Information Service (SIS), the country’s top intelligence agency.
As the SIS said in a press release on Thursday, Gašpar possesses the competences that belong to the SIS chief. The SIS has been without its chief since August 2023 when Michal Aláč was dismissed after a criminal charge was pressed against him.
Under normal circumstances, the president appoints the SIS chief. However, President Zuzana Čaputová said that she would leave this job to her successor. Her term will end in June. Therefore, to bypass the president, the government changed the agency’s statute.
“There was no reason for such a deplorable course of action,” said the president, stressing that it is the Fico cabinet that bears responsibility for the SIS’ operation now.
The opposition plans to turn to the General Prosecutor’s Office and, if needed, to the Constitutional Court. It also wants to see the statute declassified.
Gašpar’s background:Pavol Gašpar is the son of the charged Smer MP and ex-police chief Tibor Gašpar. He has his father's face tattooed on his hand. Pavol Gašpar faced a charge for giving a false statement and of lying under oath. He was also suspected of giving a €60,000 bribe to police officers.
Opposition: SaS MP Mária Kolíková, who chairs the special parliamentary committee for the supervision of the SIS, has announced that the extraordinary session will take place on Monday afternoon, so that Gašpar can present himself and his plan for the agency. She believes the change of the statute is unlawful.
More stories from The Slovak Spectator website
Politics: Czech PM Petr Fiala has deferred joint meetings with the Slovak cabinet due to its position on the war in Ukraine.
Bratislava: More than 1,000 German mines were found in the city in three days.
Politics: On Wednesday the Foreign Ministry summoned Dutch Ambassador Gabriella Sancisi over an event in Prague.
Business: Local shared service centres will be created across eastern and central Slovakia. Bratislava already has its own.
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SLOVAK MATTERS
A Canadian journalist did not land in the porridge, but many Slovaks did
(source: rawpixel.com on Freepik)
Byť v kaši (to be in the porridge) is a very important phrase in the next piece written by Tom Nicholson more than 20 years ago. It recounts a story about the collapsed S & L houses in Slovakia and outraged Slovaks.
FREE EVENTS
3 events in Bratislava
The refurbished SNG (source: Sme - Jozef Jakubčo)
Entry to the Slovak National Gallery will be free on Saturday, March 9. There is also another great event worth waiting for.
In other news
GDP in 2023 grew by 1.1 percent. The 5.7-percent growth in industrial production had the most significant influence on overall developments. A 5-percent decrease in domestic demand had a dampening effect on overall GDP growth. (Statistics Office)
France organised a teleconference on Ukraine, but Slovakia and Hungary were not invited. (Denník N)
MEP Monika Beňová will be the number one candidate on Smer’s slate for the EP elections, number two is Kremlin-admiring Deputy Speaker of Parliament Ľuboš Blaha.
A fire engulfed Louis Pasteur University Hospital in Košice on Thursday night. The fire broke out in a psychiatric clinic. Nine people were injured. Almost 800 were in the building. (Korzár)
Anti-government protests took place in eastern Slovakia (Košice, Prešov, Poprad and Spišská Nová Ves) on March 7. (Korzár)
The silent Orange Protest took place in Košice on March 7. The same protest was held in Bratislava and Liptovský Mikuláš. The protest pointed to the downplaying of sexualised and intimate partner violence, as well as condemned misogynistic aggression against female journalists by politicians. (source: Korzár)
WEATHER FOR FRIDAY: Expect cloudy to overcast skies across Slovakia, with the possibility of gradually decreasing cloud cover as the day progresses. Occasional rain showers are likely. Daytime temperatures will range between 5°C to 11°C. The wind is forecast to be light to moderate. (SHMÚ)
MARCH 8 NAME'S DAY IN SLOVAKIA: Alan, Alana (International Women’s Day).
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