Good evening. Here is theTuesday, February 13edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.
Brussels ready to take action against Slovakia, a letter shows
Justice Minister Boris Susko. (source: TASR)
In letters sent to Slovakia, the European Commission warns the Fico cabinet that the approved amendments to the Penal Code will impact EU law and the Union’s financial interests.
The coalition MPs approved amendments last Thursday, February 8. On this day, the EC also sent its last letter to the government.
As it’s already known, the government ignored a warning that concerned the way of adoption of the amendments. The coalition used the fast-track procedure, thus excluding a debate on the changes with experts. But Brussels also refers to the directive on combating fraud, writes the Sme daily. The Commission also warns that the reform will significantly reduce the ability of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office to investigate crimes damaging the EU’s financial interests.
The Commission plans to prepare a deeper analysis of the new Penal Code if it comes into force in March. It added that it is ready to defend the EU’s interests and take action against Slovakia.
Related: The Justice Ministry said on Monday that it couldn’t publish the letters in question. It went on to call on Progresívne Slovensko to “not spread unverified information in the public space to which they can’t have access due to their non-public nature”. PS said on Monday that the Commission has addressed two letters to Slovakia in which it warned the cabinet that the country might lose money sourced from the EU. (TASR)
More stories from The Slovak Spectator website
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PROFILE INTERVIEW
A rising tennis star listens to Mozart before matches
Renáta Jamrichová. (source: TASR)
Renáta Jamrichová, who’s ranked as the world number one in girls’ singles following her recent triumph in Melbourne, is a rare Slovak tennis talent. A case in point: She is only the fourth Slovak player to win a junior singles major. Read on how Jamrichová became the world’s number-one junior player.
EVENT FOR SATURDAY
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in concert
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. (source: IMDb)
You can enjoy the music from the film Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets together with the film on a large 12-metre screen this Saturday in the company of the 90-member Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra. This year it will be conducted by the Dutch conductor Ernst van Tiel. Tickets are available here.
Venue: NTC Aréna
Date: February 17 (13:00 and 19:00)
In other news
Slovakia sent humanitarian aid (four transformers and Devit vitamins) to Ukraine, the Interior Ministry has said. The total value of this aid is almost €158,000.
The opposition parties will organise another anti-government protest after February 21. The civic society will organise a protest in Bratislava on February 21.
The police have pressed charges against a man who stole nine bottles of wine worth more than €14,000 from a shop in the Bratislava borough of Devín. The most expensive stolen bottle cost €5,300. (TASR)
The Slovak Agriculture and Food Chamber is starting to organise a protest in several places in support of protesting European farmers and food producers. Slovak farmers and food producers will take to the streets and the borders on February 22. The main reason for dissatisfaction is the huge load of bureaucracy that the European Commission imposes on farmers and food producers, its unrealistic green goals and the insufficient protection of European markets from imports of Ukrainian commodities. (TASR)
The amendment to the Penal Code approved by parliament last week hasn’t yet been received by President Zuzana Čaputová. The opposition has criticised PM Robert Fico (Smer) for his political games in delaying the signing of the Penal Code. “If he hasn’t signed the bill yet and hasn’t given it to the president, he’s doing this only because he wants to deny her leeway to exercise her constitutional powers in a reasonable time and to make sure that there won’t be reasonable time for the Constitutional Court to deal with this,” said SaS MP and ex-justice minister Mária Kolíková. (TASR)
The police search the buildings of the Faculty of Management and the Faculty of Pharmacy of the Comenius University in Bratislava on February 13, 2024 in connection with threats. (source: TASR)
WEATHER FOR WEDNESDAY: Wednesday should be sunny, but fog may appear in the morning in some places. It’s going to be warm. The daytime temperatures will range from 5°C to 12°C. (SHMÚ)
FEBRUARY 14 NAME DAY IN SLOVAKIA: Valentín.
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