Good evening. Here is the Monday, September 23 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.
Woeful sales of e-cars in Slovakia
Illustrative image. (source: Sme)
When it comes to electric cars, Slovakia ranks last among all EU member countries. Out of all cars sold last year, only 2.7 percent were electric. For comparison, the EU average was 14.6 percent, reports Index magazine.
Of the neighbouring countries, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Hungary fared better with a share of 3, 3.6 and 5.4 percent, respectively.
At the end of the first half of 2024, not even 13,000 battery cars have been registered in Slovakia. In total, 2.7 million vehicles drive on Slovak roads.
The demand for electric cars is low, with the vast majority of buyers being companies. For an average Slovak, an electric car is financially unaffordable and prefer to opt for an ordinary car. Moreover, there is no talk about subsidy schemes on the part of the government.
Importers consider the high inflation, high interest rates and the absence of systemic state support for electromobility in Slovakia as the main reasons for low sales.
MORE STORIES FROM THE SLOVAK SPECTATOR WEBSITE
LAST WEEK: Fico does two things he has never done before; he sidelines the opposition in parliament and hikes VAT.
TRAVEL: Interior Ministry proudly unveiled new passports featuring ornaments from Čičmany. However, they appear to be from an image bank.
SPORT: Two finals in two weeks, Slovak tennis player experiences career surge.
ADVERTORIAL: Atypical bottles reflect the character of business's owner.
ARCHAEOLOGY: For the first time a Stone Age culture known from western Europe was found in a cave in the Tatras.
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FEATURE STORY
What skills to acquire in the age of AI
(source: Unsplash)
While some fear that artificial intelligence and robots will automate all human work, reality is more nuanced. At the same time, people should not fall prey to the temptation of using AI-powered solutions as shortcuts in their daily work, but instead focus on developing their skills for the long haul, says David Timis in an interview, global communications & public affairs manager of an NGO called Generation. He adds that "one shortcut leads to another and another and another, and then you miss out on important skills that you only develop by doing the hard work".
FILM SCREENING
Wishing on a Star
Award winning Slovak director Peter Kerekes has made a new documentary film, this time about an Italian astrologer who offers guidance on how to find fulfilment in life, or at least make it a bit better. To do so, she uses a computer, map and thick books with yellowed pages and tells her clients where to go on their birthday. You can read more about the film here.
Over the next few days, the film will be screened in several cinemas in Bratislava such as Kino Lumiére, Kino Mladosť, Kino Nostalgia, and Kino Film Europe. Click on the individual links to find out when and get your tickets.
IN OTHER NEWS
On Saturday, Environment Minister Tomáš Taraba (SNS nominee) underwent surgery. The minister had been complaining of abdominal pain for several days, which he attributed to stress and diet. According to SNS chair Andrej Danko, Taraba is currently out of danger, but remains in hospital. (Pluska.sk)
A bridge that passed over the R1 expressway in Kremnička near Banská Bystrica, central Slovakia, was demolished over the weekend after unexpectedly declared to be in critical condition last week. The expressway was closed on Thursday and traffic was diverted. The demolition of the bridge built in 1979 began on early morning Saturday and finished on Sunday evening, with traffic gradually returning. A new bridge will be constructed in the future. (My Bystrica)
The place where the now demolished bridge over the R1 expressway near Banská Bystrica stood. (source: TASR)
As of Monday, a week after the heavy rains that caused several streams and rivers in western and northwestern Slovakia to overflow, no third-degree flood warning is in place in the country, according to the Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute. Still, some rivers, such as the Danube and the Morava, have yet to return to the levels from before the local floods. (ČTK)
According to the Nadácia Zastavme Korupciu (Stop Corruption Foundation), the government coalition is preparing the fourth amendment to the controversial Criminal Code presented by Justice Minister Boris Susko (Smer). This time the MPs want to lower the threshold from which non-payment of customs duty will be a criminal offense. Specifically, they want to return it to €10,000, a value set before the minister made the first amendment. Previously, the European Commission criticised the Slovak government over the reduction of penalties for crimes related to the misuse of European funds. MPs convened during summer to amend the code in fear of losing EU money. (Nadácia Zastavme Korupciu)
The Vienna prosecutor's office requested the extradition of a 52-year-old Slovak suspected of killing a 91-year-old woman after breaking into a garden house in the Austrian capital. According to the Austrian police, the burglary and subsequent murder took place at the beginning of September in the Wien-Floridsdorf area. The man was convicted by DNA traces, and after a search he was finally detained in the Slovak village of Čakanovce. (TASR)
The majority of Slovaks - 70 percent - believe that social media negatively influence the development of democracy in Slovakia. Only 16 percent do not think so and 13 percent do not know about the issue, or do not want to comment. This follows from an online survey carried out by the NMS Market Research Slovakia agency, conducted from July 4 to 8 on a sample of 1,020 respondents. The negative impact of social networks on democracy is primarily perceived by supporters of the opposition. (NMS Market Research)
A new academic year opened on September 23 at Comenius University in Bratislava (pictured), Technical University of Košice, and Žilina University. (source: TASR)
WEATHER FOR TUESDAY: Cloudy to overcast skies, with showers and rain expected over the course of the day in many places. Daily temperatures will rise to between 18 °C in the west to 27 °C in the east. Level 1 wind warning in the mountains issued for northern districts, see map here. (SHMÚ)
SEPTEMBER 24 NAME DAY IN SLOVAKIA: Ľuboš, Ľubor
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