Good evening. Here is theTuesday, December 19 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.
EU: Slovnaft refinery can export Russian oil products
Slovnaft refinery in Bratislava. (source: TASR - Dano Veselský)
Slovnaft, a Bratislava refinery, can export products made from Russian oil to the Czech Republic in 2024 following an exemption approved by EU member states.
The exemption, which was first approved last year, is part of the recently adopted twelfth package of anti-Russian sanctions. It has entered into effect today and will expire on December 5 next year.
The export-oriented refinery hasn’t completed its transformation and is able to process only 30 percent of non-Russian oil.
More stories from The Slovak Spectator website
Parliament: MPs approved the government’s consolidation package, increasing taxes and hundreds of fees like a citizenship application fee.
Business: Expert Erika Matwij discusses the benefits and pitfalls of keeping a firm in the family.
Travel: Zemplínska Šírava in eastern Slovakia has a new Finnish attraction.
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PODCAST FOR TUESDAY
A Glasgow native who sings about Bratislava
John Boyd, a Scottish native, arrived in Slovakia on the day when the Velvet Revolution started and communism in former Czechoslovakia ended. But he didn’t come to protest. He came to meet his future (ex-) wife. In an interview with Jeremy Hill, Boyd reflects on his life in Slovakia and why he continues to feel like an outsider.
EVENT(S) FOR THIS WEEK
Slovak Philharmonic: Christmas concerts
The Slovak Philharmonic in Bratislava holds Christmas concerts until Friday.
The concerts are opened by the work of the English composer Benjamin Britten, Ceremony of Carols, op. 48, for harp and mixed choir, which is an integral part of the celebration of the Christmas holidays in many English-speaking countries, the Slovak Philharmonic has said. There will also be Christmas hits – Leroy Anderson’s composition called ‘A Christmas Festival’, ‘The Little Drummer Boy’ by the American composer Katherine Kennicott Davis, and the popular song ‘Jingle Bells’ by the American composer James Pierpont. The concert will traditionally end with ‘Silent Night, Holy Night’ by Franz Xaver Gruber.
The concerts start at 19:00. You can buy your ticket (s) here.
In other news
The Government Office refuses to publish the names of advisors, the Aktuality.sk news website writes. The website is one of the media outlets that the government refuses to communicate with. It is the government’s obligation to publish the names of those who advise the premier and his ministers.
National Crime Agency (NAKA) Director Ľubomír Daňko will retire from the police force tomorrow. He decided to quit after Police Chief Ľubomír Solák didn’t allow him to serve, at least, as a NAKA investigator, the Denník N daily writes. Daňko was close with ex-police chief Štefan Hamran. Hamran, who considers running for Slovak president, had been attacked by the ruling coalition before he was sacked by Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok in late October.
Slovenian President Nataša Pirc Musar will meet with Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová in Bratislava on Wednesday. The Slovenian president should arrive in Slovakia tonight.
Teachers in Slovakia are getting older. Secondary schools and kindergartens are especially at risk. The largest number of teachers at retirement age are in the Bratislava Region, reads a report published by the Education Ministry’s Education Policy Institute.
In Bratislava, a year-round ban on the use of pyrotechnics applies, including New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Only children’s fireworks and scenic pyrotechnics are allowed. People violating the ban can receive a fine ranging from €33 to €500. People can call 159 in case they think a person violates the ban. (TASR)
On Tuesday, a raid was carried out by the Antimonopoly Office in three companies engaged in medical laboratory diagnostics (Medirex, Unilabs, Klinická Biochémia) due to the suspicion of the formation of a cartel. If the suspicion is confirmed, the three firms face fines in the millions of euros. Laboratory diagnostics is one of the most profitable businesses in the Slovak healthcare sector. Some companies have higher profit margins than IT companies. (Sme)
The third wave of anti-government protests took place in a dozen of Slovak towns, including Bratislava and Košice (picture) on December 19, 2023. The crowds, led by the opposition, demand the government halt its effort to change the Criminal Code without a wider discussion. The protests are growing bigger. They will continue in January. (source: TASR - František Iván)
WEATHER FOR WEDNESDAY: It will be very cloudy. The met office warns of fog in the morning. You can expect snow and rain. The highest daytime temperature will rise to 8°C. Ground-ice and fog weather warnings are already in place across the country.(SHMÚ)
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