Good evening. Here is theWednesday, January 17 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.
MEPs' resolution criticises Slovak government
The European Parliament. (source: TASR/AP)
On Wednesday, MEPs adopted a resolution criticising the draft amendment to the Criminal Code submitted by Prime Minister Robert Fico's (Smer) government. Out of 630 MEPs, 496 voted for the resolution, 70 were against and 64 abstained.
MEPs are concerned about the ability of the new Slovak government to fight corruption and protect the financial interests of the EU if the amendment is approved.
Among other things, the changes will include the abolition of the Special Prosecutor's Office which prosecutes cases against people engaged in high-level corruption. The government has also proposed more lenient punishments for some crimes.
In December, the European Commission asked the government not to proceed with the amendment. The European Public Prosecutor's Office said the steps posed a serious risk of violating the principles of the rule of law.
Opposition parties have since initiated a series of anti-government protests that have been gaining strength. On Thursday evening, another round of protests will take place in at least 15 towns across the country.
MORE STORIES FROM THE SLOVAK SPECTATOR WEBSITE
CULTURE: Culture Ministry stops funding to respected institution in Bratislava.
CHILDREN: General prosecutor reveals severe violation of children's right in re-education centres.
BUSINESS: Kofola co-owner: Ad with a wild boar still works, it's part of Christmas now.
ADVERTORIAL: The situations that can affect a family business in the event of the death of the 'head of the family'.
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FEATURE STORY FOR WEDNESDAY
An interview with the 'whistleblowers ambassador'
Tom Devine of the Government Accountability Project visited Slovakia in December 2023. (source: Office for the Protection of Whistleblowers)
Tom Devine, a US advocate for whistleblowers, has helped thousands of whistleblowers in his long career but the Slovak government’s current attempts to strip police officer-whistleblowers of their right to protection is something that he has never seen before.
In an interview, he says the Fico government’s actions targeting a group of whistleblowing police officers are illegal.
FILM FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS
Much-anticipated movie arrives
The Boy and the Heron will be screened in Bratislava. (source: SME ARCHIVE)
The legendary master of Japanese animation, Hayao Miyazaki, once again ventures beyond the boundaries of fantasy and dreams in his critically acclaimed latest film, The boy and the heron. Cinemas in Bratislava, such as Nostalgia, Kino Film Europe, Mladosť and others will screen the movie in the coming days, offering you a chance to see one of most anticipated films of recent years. Learn more here.
IN OTHER NEWS
Next school year, Slovak medical faculties will be able to accept 150 more students. Both the Faculty of Medicine of the Comenius University in Bratislava and the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Pavel Jozef Šafárik in Košice should accept 45 additional students, while the Jessenius Faculty of Medicine in Martin and the Slovak Medical University in Bratislava 30 more. Academic senates of individual universities must approve the agreement first. At Slovak medical faculties, the number of foreign students continues to increase year by year. (TASR)
At the moment, the city of Bratislava is unable to offer a specific date for the completion of the tram line extension in the borough of Petržalka. The extension was supposed to be built by the end of September 2024. However, according to Petržalka Mayor Ján Hrčka and the head of the city's transport commission, Jozef Uhler, it will not be finished until 2025. (TASR)
Police in Trenčín have charged an 18-year-old student who threatened to shoot his classmates, one of which reported him to the school's headmaster. The student allegedly owns a revolver and visits a shooting range. If found guilty, he could spend up to three years in prison. (TASR)
A 48-year-old man from India has been charged with illegal production of narcotic and psychotropic substances, as well as of obstruction. He was detained in Poprad on January 13, and police subsequently found out that he was in Slovakia illegally.
WEATHER FOR THURSDAY
Cloudy, with snowfall locally and later rain in many places. Daily temperatures between 3 °C and 11 °C. Several level 1 weather warnings, including for wind, ground ice, snowdrift, have been issued for central and eastern Slovakia, see the map here. (SHMÚ)
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