Members of the SaS party during press conference announcing that they no longer accept the coalition deal. (source: SITA)
Welcome to your weekly overview of news from Slovakia. This is the special summer edition of Last Week in Slovakia. We will be back to regular operation in mid-July, with the full commentary and news overview by Editor-in-Chief Michaela Terenzani.
Here’s what you need to know about last week: SaS pulls out of coalition deal, calling on the PM to sack Matovič. What it is like to live in a village that keeps breaking temperature records. Slovak Scientist of the Year explains why our reaction to rotten food, queue-jumping, and even sexual minorities is the same.
SaS prepared to leave the government
One of the coalition parties, Freedom and Solidarity (SaS), announced that it will no longer accept the existing coalition deal. The party demands the sacking of Finance Minsiter Igor Matovič (OĽaNO). According to SaS chair Richard Sulík, Matovič is the biggest problem in the coalition whom he criticised for the mishandling of public finances.
According to polls, Matovič is the least trusted minister in the coalition, breaking record after record. Moreover, the Finance Minister has recently escalated attacks on journalists as well.
The SaS will submit its demands for a functioning coalition and the government to the prime minister soon. However, if there is no deal and Matovič is not gone by the end of August, the party’s four ministers will resign.
Observers have criticised PM Eduard Heger for his lack of action against conflict-seeking Matovič multiple times.
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Village that keeps breaking temperature records
At the end of June in the village of Somotor, Trebišovský District, meteorologists recorded 38.8 degrees Celsius, the highest temperature ever in Slovakia. Even though it lies in the East Slovak Lowland, such a temperature is not normal. Moreover, it is accompanied by a high moisture deficit.
According to the mayor, the groundwater level is probably the lowest it has been in recent years. Luckily for inhabitants, the village has an interconnected water supply system. In the eastern half of Slovakia, between 40 to 80 millimetres of precipitation fell in May and June.
In the last few weeks, many regions in the east reported emergencies as local reservoirs have been left almost empty. Drinking water had to be trucked in. On the other hand, the west part of the country experienced double the amount of precipitation compared to the east.
Minorities, conservatives, and the science of disgust
It is only recently that research has started focusing on disgust, a human emotional response. In the last few years a growing number of studies have focused on the relationship between feelings of disgust and everything from ecological conservation to attitudes towards LGBTQ people.
In an interview, a behavioural ecologist and Slovak Scientist of the Year Pavol Prokop talks about his various studies, explaining how aspects of human behaviour are related to evolution, and why science has to research even things that we obviously know.
Quote of the week
"We can’t continue the way we have until now."
SaS chair and Economy Minister Richard Sulík during a press conference announcing that the coalition party no longer accepts the existing deal and demands the sacking of Finance Minsiter Igor Matovič.
Expected this week
SaS party will send PM Eduard Heger a letter outlining their demands as to how the coaliton should function.
Kuciak murder trial continues on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Trial with former general prosecutor Dobroslav Trnka continues on Wednesday and Thursday.
The European Parliament delegation will visit the notorious Košice neighbourhood Luník IX, which has become home to thousands of Roma people.
Must-read stories of the week
NATURAL GAS: Slovakia is seeking to limit its dependency on Russian natural gas. At its height in the 1960s, the country extracted 1.5 billion cubic metres, which would cover a third of today's consumption. A company found a gas deposit with potential near Trnava.
INTERNET EXPLORER: Despite the fact that the old web browser was put to rest and is no longer supported, some state electronic services still require the use of the program for the authorisation of electronic filing.
VOLVO CARMAKER: After many years of empty promises, the east part of Slovakia finally gets its own carmaker factory. Although it will bring thousands of job opportunities, speculators will come too.
BIOMETHANE: The first plant in Slovakia aims to harness biodegradable municipal waste. The MP agricultural company produces biomethane exclusively from waste, with 20 percent of their own and 80 percent from other sources.
BRATISLAVA AIRPORT: Milan Rastislav Štefánik Airport in Bratislava has been named the ninth best airport in Eastern Europe in the latest Skytrax – World Airport Awards. The airport is the largest in the country and the only one on the list.
THE BIGGEST MAZE: It took three years to grow the trees and create the maze. People can now find it in Stará Ľubovňa, northeast Slovakia.
If you have a suggestion on how to make this overview better, let us know at editorial@spectator.sk.
