Hello, and welcome to your Friday, 15 August edition of Today in Slovakia.
Prime Minister and Smer party leader Robert Fico turned his Friday press conference into a spectacle of fury. What was meant to be a briefing on the attacks against Slovaks in Serbia spiralled into a tirade against journalists, critics, and the opposition.
When pressed by a Denník N reporter on what message he had for Slovaks assaulted in Serbia, Fico snapped: “Be quiet, I repeat once again, just be quiet, how dare you?” The journalist merely sought to defend her work when Fico lashed out at her and her employer.
Instead of expressing solidarity, Fico doubled down on his unwavering support for Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić — whom he described as a “politician of world format” — and accused Slovak media of misleading the public. Daily Sme? “Soros-run.” Denník N? “Anti-state.” Even Hospodárske noviny, a business daily, was lumped into the “enemy” camp, while Aktuality’s editor-in-chief had, in Fico’s words, “gone mad.”
He went further still: mocking reporters about their paycheques, revisiting conspiracy theories about a Georgian coup plotter, and flatly denying reports (including from Politico) of a brewing conflict over the central bank governor’s seat. “The issue does not exist, the conflict does not exist,” he insisted.
Fico’s “majdanisation” rant
Prime Minister Robert Fico, Defence Minister Robert Kaliňák (l) and Smer MP Tibor Gašpar at their press conference on 15 August 2025 in Bratislava. (source: Sme - Jozef Jakubčo)
Fresh off his Croatian holiday, Prime Minister Robert Fico accused Slovakia’s opposition of being part of a global “majdanisation” of politics, claimed they support anti-government protests in Serbia, and warned they want to “import the same tensions” into Slovakia.
Fico rejected suggestions that the violent incident in Bački Petrovac, Serbia — where members of the Slovak minority were attacked — had any ethnic character. Instead, he asked why Progressive Slovakia MP Lucia Plaváková was in Serbia weeks before the clashes, and why party leader Michal Šimečka met Serbian opposition leaders.
Fico’s warning: The prime minister claimed the opposition is planning protests in Slovakia this autumn that could spark violence, “just like in Serbia”. His message: “I do not believe our voters would join in such clashes. But I warn the Slovak Republic against these puppets.”
‘Conspiracy mixtape’: PS leader Šimečka dismissed the tirade as nothing more than a conspiracy mixtape. “Fico returned from his Croatian beach not to tackle inflation, stagnating growth or to defend Slovaks in Serbia, but to spin his usual greatest hits — Georgian legions, majdanisation, Serbian opposition, the Big Bang plan, Britain, [former prime minister] Ódor… bla-bla,” he said. “Mr Fico, go back to the beach. It will be better for everyone.”
SaS and PS: Blamed Serbian nationalists for the violence in Vojvodina, home to tens of thousands of Slovaks, called on the government to summon the Serbian ambassador, and urged the European Commission to act since some victims hold Slovak (and therefore EU) citizenship.
MORE STORIES FROM THE SLOVAK SPECTATOR
Orbán’s man in Slovakia: Hungary’s richest oligarch Lőrinc Mészáros — a childhood friend of Viktor Orbán — is muscling into Slovakia’s construction sector with a deal to acquire Doprastav, one of the country’s biggest builders.
Beijing’s mouthpiece in Bratislava? Slovakia’s economic weekly Trend is under fire for publishing unchallenged Chinese propaganda — including an “interview” with Ambassador Cai Ge that turned out to be written by the envoy himself.
Hot summer, hotter prices: Slovakia’s inflation hit a 19-month high in July, fuelled by food, drinks and holiday spending — with new sugar and alcohol taxes adding to the pain.
Kremlin smear playbook: Russian state media and Slovak disinfo outlets are pushing a baseless claim that German Chancellor Friedrich Merz descends from Nazis — a well-worn propaganda tactic to tarnish opponents.
Creeping unease in Revúca: Residents in central Slovakia say a pale, naked figure has been crawling through the streets on all fours at night — but police insist there’s no evidence.
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From Post Malone to potato pancakes: Slovakia’s festival weekend
Lovestream Festival in Bratislava (source: TASR - Pavol Zachar)
Slovakia packs the weekend of 15–17 August with music, theatre, dance and food. Highlights include Post Malone’s first Slovak performance at the Lovestream festival, a record-breaking potato pancake attempt in Topoľčany, and open-air films in Trnava. For the adventurous, there’s techno at Devín Castle, homemade boat races on Bratislava’s Veľký Draždiak lake, and even water football in Spišská Belá.
Related: Three free ways to spend the coming days in Bratislava.
Ex-Ukraine FM: Do not panic over Slovakia — Fico will not last forever
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Volodymyr Ohryzko during a joint press conference with his Slovak counterpart Ján Kubiš in Bratislava on 30 May 2008 (source: TASR - Pavel Neubauer)
Denník N sat down with former Ukrainian foreign minister Volodymyr Ohryzko (2007-2009) — who had a message for Bratislava amid PM Robert Fico’s drumbeat of “Ukrainian fascist” slurs and digs at President Volodymyr Zelensky. His advice? Do not panic. “Slovakia is a democracy,” Ohryzko said, noting Fico’s fragile majority and the possibility the coalition could collapse. Governments come and go, he added, but societies shift — just as Ukrainians once elected pro-Russian Viktor Yanukovych, only to vote him out. His bet: pro-European forces will return to power. “I wouldn’t make a tragedy of Slovakia,” he said. “Give Slovaks time to change course.”
IN OTHER NEWS
Ombudsman Róbert Dobrovodský has filed a constitutional challenge to the coalition’s NGO law, arguing it breaches both the Slovak constitution and international human rights conventions. He warned the measure imposes excessive restrictions on freedoms, notably by obliging NGOs to disclose donors’ personal data, stripping them of anonymity. The law also broadens reporting obligations and could deter people from serving on multiple NGO boards due to heavy administrative burdens. While parliament removed some contentious clauses, Dobrovodský insists the remaining provisions still pose a serious threat to civil society in a democratic state.
Constitutional Court President Ivan Fiačan is preparing to address parliament over its two-year delay in filling a vacant judge’s seat, warning the absence hampers the court’s efficiency. The post has been empty since former MP Jana Laššáková resigned in September 2023, but three elections have failed to produce a replacement. Justice Minister Boris Susko (Smer) has remained silent on the appointment, focusing instead on a bill to shift complaints about judicial delays from the Constitutional Court to regional courts – a move applauded by Fiačan but fiercely opposed by judges, who call it unworkable and rushed. Critics warn the proposal would overburden already stretched courts and do little to solve systemic delays. (Denník N)
Defence Minister Robert Kaliňák (Smer) has admitted his family paid over €100,000 more than previously stated for a seaside property on Croatia’s Pag island, after buying additional land from the wife of a prominent Slovak lawyer. The villa, owned by his wife, was omitted from the confidential section of his asset declaration, prompting opposition claims of a legal breach and a parliamentary ethics probe that could lead to a fine worth three months’ salary. In a twist, Smer is pushing for a much harsher penalty against ethics committee chair Veronika Remišová, who first revealed the omission, accusing her of breaching confidentiality. Remišová calls it “mafia-style revenge”. (Aktuality)
The Environment Ministry has approved plans for a plastic waste recovery plant in Senica, western Slovakia, using a pyrolysis-based thermochemical process, despite fierce local opposition. The town’s mayor, Martin Džačovský, said Senica will appeal, arguing the project threatens environmental stability and residents’ quality of life. Investor SETECO insists the facility is not a waste incinerator and claims it will operate without CO₂ emissions or a chimney, but green groups warn the technology is insufficiently tested and could produce dangerous pollutants. The project still requires local planning approval before construction can begin. (My Záhorie)
Comenius University in Bratislava has retained its place as the only Slovak institution in the latest Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), known as the Shanghai Ranking, placing in the 901–1000 band. Harvard University topped the list once again. Rector Marek Števček noted the ARWU’s demanding criteria, which heavily reward Nobel and Fields medallists – categories where Comenius had no representatives in the assessed period. The ranking evaluated over 2,500 institutions worldwide, focusing on research output and academic excellence across six key indicators. (TASR)
Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok (Hlas) says he will demand answers from Ukraine over how a Ukrainian man suspected of sending bomb threats to schools, including in Slovakia, managed to flee to Belarus. He expressed “great outrage” and questioned Ukraine’s border security and law enforcement after the terrorism suspect vanished from the reach of an international investigation team. The case has stirred political tensions after Šutaj Eštok recently downplayed possible Russian involvement, prompting criticism from Czech intelligence and Slovak opposition. He now calls the suspect’s escape a “major failure”.
Raising of the flag of the city of Michalovce in front of the town hall during the ceremonial opening of the 54th Zemplín Fair on Friday, 15 August 2025, in Michalovce. The flag resembles the Ukrainian flag. (source: TASR)
WEEKEND WEATHER BRIEFING:
Saturday, 16 August
Hot and mostly sunny, with some afternoon cloud and isolated showers or storms. Highs of 32°C–37°C, cooler in the north (28°C–32°C). Weather alerts in place.
Sunday, 17 August
Partly cloudy, with occasional showers or storms, mainly in central and eastern Slovakia. Highs of 25°C–30°C, and 21°C–25°C in the north and east.
Monday, 18 August
Mostly sunny with only brief cloud. Highs of 24°C–29°C, cooler in the north (19°C–24°C).
Good news before we go: All STaRZ swimming pools in Bratislava will stay open until 20:00 for the next few hot days. Our colleague Elizaveta has more good news for you.
Name Days: Leonards celebrate on 16 August, Milicas on 17 August, and Elenas and Helenas on 18 August. All the best to them! And to wrap up the week, here’s a weekend banger from Czech pop legend Helena Vondráčková — a star not only at home, but long adored in Poland and Slovakia too.
Thanks for reading and subscribing – it truly means a lot. Enjoy the weekend — ideally by the water — and we’ll see you back here on Monday!
P.S. If you have suggestions on how our news overview can be improved, you can reach us at editorial@spectator.sk.
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