Good evening. Here is the Friday, October 27 edition of Today in Slovakia – the main news of the day in less than five minutes.
NOTE: On Sunday morning, at 3:00, clocks will be turned backward 1 hour. You will thus sleep a bit longer and there will be more light in the morning.
Fico, citing 'corruption' tropes, seeks to condition aid to Ukraine
Robert Fico talks to Belgian Prime Minister De Croom (c) and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán during the EU summit. (source: Government Office)
Slovakia is considering increasing its contribution to the European Union's budget by €400 million over the next four years, as part of a €50-billion aid package intended for Ukraine. According to the Government Office, which newly appointed premier Robert Fico (Smer) controls, the prime minister is prepared to support the proposal, subject to specific conditions.
"Ukraine is one of the world's most corrupt countries," said Fico. "We condition its brutal financial support on guarantees that EU money (including Slovak money) will not be misused and that part of these resources will be used to restore Slovak infrastructure in border areas and to support Slovak companies in the restoration of Ukraine," said Fico.
2022 Corruption Perceptions Index. (source: Transparency International)
2022 Corruption Perceptions Index. (source: Transparency International)
Fico also wants this money to be used on the fight against illegal migration and increasing the EU's competitiveness.
Slovakia's public finances are in a bad state.
On Thursday, he also met with EC President Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels. He told her that Slovakia would support Ukraine in a humanitarian way only. Fico is ready to help demine Ukraine, too. He said the same thing to a Slovak parliamentary committee prior to his flight to Brussels on Thursday morning.
Related: Read about Robert Fico's return to power, from his positions on Ukraine to threatening NGOs and ambitions to revive the V4 group.
Opinion: The new Fico IV government will be a big test for the European Union, writes editor-in-chief of the Sme daily Beata Balogová.
More stories from The Slovak Spectator website
Animal: A previously unseen species has appeared in western Slovakia.
Weekend: It's a Halloween weekend. Check out some spooky activities to celebrate Halloween in Slovakia.
Good news: Bratislava Zoo has a golden new attraction.
Bratislava: Famous department stores in Bratislava's centre get a new look.
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WHAT'S ON IN BRATISLAVA
Halloween on Ice
Come and enjoy a Halloween programme at the ice rink at the Avion shopping centre in Bratislava (and take your children). On October 28, from 13:00 to 19:00, they can enjoy seasonal fun while skating. Children who come in masks will be admitted to the rink free of charge!
Here are some more Bratislava events to look forward to.
PODCAST FOR THE WEEKEND
What it takes to make a student film
Ľuboš Balažovič Jr. (source: Facebook/Ľuboš Balažovič Jr. - Filmmaker / Video production)
Ľuboš Balažovič Jr., a young filmmaker, made a documentary about the Slovak National Uprising.
The documentary Posledný Povstalec (The Last Insurgent) describes the story of the Trnava garrison and the fate of one its members, Štefan Minarovič, who took part in the uprising as an 18-year-old.
In other news
The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe has called on the Slovak authorities to address problems associated with municipal fragmentation in the country, improve the funding of local authorities, revise the fiscal equalisation system aimed at mitigating regional and inter-municipal disparities, and improve consultation.
The 32-year-old Smer member and MP Erik Kaliňák should become PM Robert Fico's chief adviser. Kaliňák has been in charge of Smer's social media pages and the party's communication. (Sme)
PM Robert Fico told the press after the EU summit in Brussels (October 26-27) that he does not plan to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. (TASR)
In the Košice steel mills, U.S. Steel will introduce reduced working hours in the months of November and December. According to the company, reduced working hours allow the firm to adapt to what is happening in the market. "It makes no sense for all technological units to run at full capacity at the end of the year," said the firm. (TASR)
The Special Prosecutor's Office again filed charges against the ex-head of the Slovak Information Service, Vladimír Pčolinský, with the court. The first attempt failed because the General Prosecutor's Office cancelled the charges upon Pčolinský's request. Later, when the prosecutor filed the charges after all, the Specialised Criminal Court rejected it due to a procedural error. Pčolinský is charged with the crime of accepting a bribe, of abuse of authority of a public official, and of endangering confidential information. (Sme)
President Zuzana Čaputová lays a wreath at the M.R. Štefánik Monument on the occasion of the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Czechoslovak Republic in Bratislava on October 27, 2023. In November 2020, MPs approved two amendments to the law, on the basis of which October 28 became a national holiday. The day of the establishment of the independent Czechoslovak state is not a non-working day. (source: TASR)
WEATHER FOR THE WEEKEND: Expect mostly sunny and pleasant weather on Saturday and Sunday, with daytime temperatures reaching up to 20°C on Sunday. On Monday, it will be mild with the sun breaking through high clouds. The highest daytime temperature will be 21°C. (SHMÚ)
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