Boris Kollár will not use the Mgr. title while in politics, he said in response to plagiarism allegations. (source: Sme - Marko Erd)
This is your overview of news from Slovakia on Friday, June 26, 2020, with some tips for a weekend read.
Boris Kollár will not use his academic title
Speaker of Parliament Boris Kollár made his "important statement" about the plagiarism allegations he faces on Friday morning.
He is not going to step down as the second highest constitutional official, but he will not use his academic title while in politics.
"I still remain Boris," he concluded his press statement before he rushed off, leaving no room for journalists to ask questions.
PM Igor Matovič has hinted before that this "important statement" was to be expected. Other coalition partners, however, intend to question Kollár further.
A bullet in the mailbox
Peter Sabo, an investigative reporter from the team that Ján Kuciak worked with before he was murdered, found a bullet in his mailbox on Thursday morning.
Aktuality.sk Editor-in-Chief Peter Bárdy informed about it in a commentary in which he also assured that the police have already started investigating the potential threat and taken steps towards protecting the reporter.
Measures return to Kysuce region as the local outbreak grows
The recent three days have seen the number of new coronavirus cases in Slovakia reach double digits, numbers that the country has not seen since the beginning of May.
Epidemiologists said that it is an anticipated consequence of loosened measures and open borders.
Most of the cases were identified in the town of Čadca in northern Slovakia. Out of 54 new cases in the recent three days, 25 were identified in the district of Čadca. The measures that public health authorities imposed locally include the closure of local schools and kindergartens and a ban on mass events.
In other news:
There have been no hidden coronavirus deaths in Slovakia, the Denník N daily reported, citing the Eurostat data about the death rate in the EU in the past months. Nearly 8,200 people died in Slovakia between the 10th and 17th weeks of 2020 (March 2 to April 26, when the positive COVID-19 cases peaked). It is 180 fewer than the average in the last four years. In most EU countries, the number for 2020 was above the previous years average. (Denník N)
The summer holiday starts for the thousands of employees of Volkswagen Slovakia. In the Bratislava plant, the production of SUVs will be halted as planned for two weeks between July 4 and 20, while the production of small family vehicles will cease one week earlier, from June 26. The Martin and Stupava plants will continue production without a summer break.
Meteorologists have issued a first-level warning for storms for most of Slovakia. In the Košice, Skalica and Senica districts, they also warn of flooding from torrential rains. (TASR)
The My Sme Les forest-protection initiative is demanding that the government halt construction in all national parks in Slovakia. (SITA)
Ryanair will open a new route from Košice to Prague. Tickets for August are already on sale, costing €31. (Index)
Our tips for weekend reading on Spectator.sk:
