Good to have you on board! Here’s your latest Today in Slovakia – Tuesday’s top news, all in one place.
Slovakia declares nationwide emergency
A sign banning public entry to hunting grounds is seen at the gate of an agricultural cooperative in the village of Malá Lúč, Dunajská Streda district, on 25 March 2025. A highly contagious outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease has been confirmed at a local farm. (source: TASR - Milan Drozd)
Prime Minister Robert Fico has warned that the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease — a highly contagious viral illness affecting cloven-hoofed animals — poses a serious threat to the country’s national interests.
While the disease is not transmissible to humans, international regulations mandate the culling of all infected animals.
“What we are facing is a threat to Slovakia’s national interests,” Fico said at a press briefing on Tuesday.
The outbreak has so far been confirmed in livestock herds in three southern Slovak villages — Medveďov, Ňárad and Baka. A new case was reported on Tuesday at a farm in Lúč na Ostrove, also in the Dunajská Streda district.
In response, the government declared a nationwide emergency at 13:00 on Tuesday, enabling authorities to adopt targeted containment measures more swiftly. Some restrictions have been in place since Friday, although travel remains unaffected.
Slovakia is already operating under a separate emergency related to the war in Ukraine and the resulting influx of refugees.
Opposition: Premier Fico — the man who downplayed the coronavirus pandemic and organised protests during lockdowns — now claims that tackling the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease is his top priority. But opposition leader Michal Šimečka is not buying it. According to him, neither are the public. “This is what happens when you first play down Covid-19, then keep crying wolf about a state coup — one day it’s paving stones, the next it’s Georgian legions. When something serious actually happens, people simply don’t believe you,” Šimečka said.
Conspiracy theory: Slovak MEP Ľuboš Blaha (Smer) claims the outbreak is a form of punishment from Brussels for Slovakia’s refusal to support military aid to Ukraine — and suggests there is a plot to destroy the country. “Does anyone seriously believe this is just a coincidence?” Blaha said on Telegram. “A virus from Pakistan suddenly appears right on the Slovak-Hungarian border, and we’re pretending it just dropped from the sky?”
Meeting of the Central Crisis Staff in Bratislava on 25 March 2025, following the declaration of a nationwide emergency due to the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease across Slovakia. (source: TASR - Jaroslav Novák)
Open door: Agriculture Minister Richard Takáč (Smer) has rejected suggestions of misconduct in the handling of cattle transports amid the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak, after opposition politicians raised concerns about biosecurity breaches. A lorry carrying infected cattle to Slovakia’s only rendering plant, located in Žilina, northern Slovakia, was reportedly not hermetically sealed. “All containers, including the animals being transported, are disinfected and inspected before departure,” Takáč said. If any container was found partially open upon arrival, he added, it was likely due to technical issues during transit. The director of the rendering plant, Alexandra Orčíková, confirmed that sufficient disinfectant had been used to prevent the virus from spreading. The facility can process up to 300 animals per day. At one of the affected farms, in the village of Baka, the herd included approximately 1,060 dairy cows, 50 pregnant heifers and 220 calves.
Burial: Culled animals are being buried at a military facility near Levice, southern Slovakia, under tight security by soldiers and police officers, as authorities respond to the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease. Agriculture Minister Takáč said the government had selected the safest possible sites for disposal. “The process in the soil happens very quickly — everything is completely neutralised. Soon there’s nothing left, no virus,” he claimed. Neither local residents nor the town of Levice were informed in advance of the move. Defence Minister Robert Kaliňák (Smer) added that most of the culled animals were not infected and none had died naturally.
Czech response: The Czech Republic has sent two decontamination units to Slovakia to assist in the fight against the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak, Czech Agriculture Minister Marek Výborný announced on Tuesday. Since Friday, Czech authorities have introduced border checks with Slovakia amid fears of the disease spreading. The import of animal products has also been restricted. Disinfection frames for lorries are being installed at four or five border crossings. (ČTK)
Crying cows: Juraj Bertalan, mayor of Baka, has described the situation as a “major tragedy”. Since Saturday, cattle have been culled at the Exata farm, with the sound of distressed animals echoing through the village. “It’s heartbreaking to hear them cry,” Bertalan told Napunk. Local residents say the animals’ relentless cries have made it impossible to sleep at night.
Vehicles leaving the village of Baka in the Dunajská Streda district undergo disinfection on Saturday, 22 March 2025. (source: TASR - Jakub Kotian)
EU: Prime Minister Fico claims Brussels is watching the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the heart of Europe “with great concern”. Aiming his message squarely at critics in the opposition and media, Fico stressed that the European Commission has confirmed his government’s response is in line with EU rules. “All necessary measures were immediately adopted in accordance with European legislation. In addition, Slovakia introduced a complete ban on the movement of species susceptible to the disease, going beyond EU requirements,” said European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Kostas Kadis. The Commission has also sent veterinary experts to Slovakia to help manage the crisis. (Euractiv)
Compensation: As Slovakia scrambles to contain an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease believed to have entered from neighbouring Hungary, officials are confident the country will have little trouble securing EU compensation for affected farmers. The government is seeking support from several European funding mechanisms, including the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy, which includes a crisis reserve for exceptional market disruptions. PM Fico warned that the damage is likely to run into the tens of millions of euros — and could climb into the hundreds of millions in a worst-case scenario. “Just one farm with a herd of 1,000 dairy cows could face losses of between seven and ten million euros, once you factor in the loss of milk and meat,” Fico said.
MORE STORIES FROM THE SLOVAK SPECTATOR
Crunch: An escalating global trade war could derail Slovakia’s economic outlook for next year and put 20,000 jobs at risk, the central bank has warned.
Fiscal desperation: A new financial transaction tax hits Slovakia’s self-employed — complete with Kafkaesque banking hoops, extra fees, and April 1 irony.
Smer strikes: Slovakia’s ruling Smer party has moved to fine and oust opposition MP Veronika Remišová as chair of the parliamentary ethics committee, after she exposed Defence Minister Robert Kaliňák’s failure to declare a luxury villa in Croatia.
A night to remember: A teenage talent from central Slovakia made his NHL debut for the St. Louis Blues — and left a strong first impression.
Sky watch: Slovaks may catch a glimpse of a partial solar eclipse around noon on Saturday, coinciding with the Day of Planetariums and Observatories — weather permitting.
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SLOVAKS ABROAD
Slovak wine has global potential — and he is ready to prove it
Jason Whiteside (source: Archive of J. W.)
Slovakia may be a small country, but its wine-making heritage runs deep — and one Slovak-American is on a mission to share it with the world. Jason Whiteside, a wine professional with roots in the Zemplín region, believes Slovak wines have the potential to rival global favourites.
CURTAIN FALLS ON SLOVAK OSCARS
Slovakia’s ‘Oscars’ dropped from live TV
President Zuzana Čaputová (left) attended the 2023 Sun in a Net National Film Awards ceremony, held in Bratislava on 26 April 2024. (source: TASR - Martin Baumann)
Slovakia’s most prestigious film awards, the Sun in a Net (Slnko v sieti), will no longer be broadcast live on public television — a move raising questions about political pressure and censorship.
The Slovak Film and Television Academy (SFTA) will hold the 14th edition of the ceremony in April. But unlike previous editions, the event will not air live on STVR’s flagship channel Jednotka. Instead, the broadcaster will show a delayed recording days later — on its secondary channel Dvojka, at 20:10.
The decision comes after last year’s live ceremony featured pointed criticism of the government and public broadcaster by prominent filmmakers. Director Peter Bebjak used his speech to denounce the political climate, receiving prolonged applause, while SFTA president Katarína Krnáčová publicly apologised to President Zuzana Čaputová for the cultural sector’s lack of support, thanking her for her integrity — drawing a standing ovation.
The politically charged moments sparked backlash from politicians in power, with accusations of bias and political messaging levelled at the broadcaster. It remains unclear whether this year’s broadcast changes are a response to that controversy — or simply a shift in programming strategy.
IN OTHER NEWS
Norbert Bödör, a businessman facing corruption charges, was seen at Slovakia’s Government Office on Monday ahead of a coalition council meeting, footage from TV Markíza shows. Neither Bödör nor Prime Minister Robert Fico explained the visit. He is charged in the “Purgatory” and “Cattle Farmer” cases, involving alleged police abuse and subsidy fraud.
A return to mandatory military service — a proposal repeatedly pushed by SNS leader Andrej Danko — has the support of just under half of Slovak voters, according to a new poll. The Ipsos survey, conducted for Denník N between 10 and 14 March, found that four in ten respondents oppose the idea. Support is strongest among voters of Smer, Republika, as well as the Slovensko movement and Christian Democrats (KDH). The lowest support comes from supporters of Progressive Slovakia (PS), Demokrati, and Hlas. The data also suggest backing for conscription increases with age.
A record 74 percent of EU citizens believe their country benefits from membership in the bloc, according to the latest Eurobarometer survey — the highest level of support recorded since the question was first asked in 1983. In Slovakia, support is even stronger, with 80 percent of respondents viewing EU membership as beneficial.
Slovakia’s parliament convened for its 33rd session on Tuesday afternoon, with several new MPs sworn in to replace those who have joined the government. Among the new faces in parliament are Miroslav Radačovský, who ran on the SNS ticket, and Ján Hrubý and Andrea Szabóová, both elected on the Hlas list. They replace coalition MPs who have taken up executive posts. Tourism and Sports Minister Rudolf Huliak and Investment Minister Samuel Migaľ formally resigned their parliamentary mandates, as did Radomír Šalitroš, who has been appointed state secretary at the Ministry of Investment, Regional Development and Informatisation.
MPs in the chamber on 25 March 2025 (source: TASR - Jaroslav Novák)
The government has reinstated a minimum corporate tax, which from this year will apply even to loss-making or inactive companies. The measure is expected to affect around 200,000 businesses and bring an estimated €120 million into the state budget.
The number of foreign nationals in Slovak company structures continues to rise, with many acting as figureheads. Firms involving these individuals owe the state and insurer Union a combined €1.7 billion — nearly half of Slovakia’s total corporate debt. Over 94 percent of the sum is owed in taxes, according to data published by FinStat on Tuesday.
Authorities have reopened the Šútovská Valley in the Malá Fatra mountains, days after a bear attacked a man and his son. According to the national park administration, the hiking trail leading to the Šútovský Waterfall is now considered safe for visitors. The incident occurred on Friday, when the bear reportedly attacked the pair while they were delivering salt for forest animals.
WEDNESDAY WEATHER BRIEFING: Partly cloudy to overcast, with isolated patches of morning fog. A few scattered showers are possible. Daytime temperatures will range from 13°C to 19°C, with mostly light winds throughout the day. (SHMÚ)
The Veľká Pec Cave Natural Monument, located beneath the 438-metre Veľká Pec peak along the educational trail in the Little Carpathians above the village of Prašník, on 21 March 2025. (source: TASR - Martin Medňanský)
HAPPY NAME DAY: March 26 is a special day for Emanuel, so if you know one, don’t forget to send your warmest wishes. Všetko najlepšie!
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