Welcome to Today in Slovakia – your Tuesday briefing with the top news in one place.
Aló Primer Ministro!
PM Fico in his video titled “What didn’t make it into the press conference XXXVII” on 13 April 2025. (source: Facebook)
Prime Minister Robert Fico is doubling down on his proposal to scrap the country’s long-standing tradition of Sunday political talk shows – and he is broadcasting the message loud and clear.
On Tuesday, Fico took to social media to announce that he had sent a letter to political parties and broadcasters urging them to shift the programmes to weekdays. Sunday debate shows have a deep-rooted tradition in Slovakia and regularly draw large audiences.
“I propose that we jointly consider moving political TV discussions from Sundays to weekdays,” Fico wrote, claiming that Slovakia leads Europe in the number of Sunday talk shows, which he says are dominated by “verbal attacks and aggressive exchanges of opinions”.
Critics question whether that claim holds water – and argue that viewers are perfectly capable of deciding for themselves whether to tune in.
PM Fico argues the move would help reduce “aggressiveness and political hatred” in Slovakia. How such a move would ease political tensions – particularly in the age of social media – remains unclear.
Fico pledged that if other parties agree to the shift, his Smer party would refrain from sharing its views during the Sunday debate slots currently offered by four major broadcasters. But even if the prime minister is sincere, the promise raises questions: Could he really prevent his party colleagues from weighing in on social media? Would he abandon his new weekly media initiative – Sunday press briefings that allow him to bypass critical journalists and reach voters directly?
The prime minister’s playbook echoes familiar tactics from other strongmen. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Russian President Vladimir Putin have both worked to suppress dissenting voices in the media. In Slovakia, public broadcaster RTVS – now renamed STVR – drew criticism last August for pulling two presenters from its flagship Sunday show “O 5 minút 12”, fuelling accusations of political interference.
Fico, for his part, appears to be carving out his own platform. His regular Sunday press conferences and Facebook videos have more than a whiff of “Aló Presidente!” – the Sunday TV show once hosted by Venezuela’s late autocrat Hugo Chávez.
And if political parties and broadcasters do not play along – which seems very likely – Fico says he will keep holding his own briefings, timed just before the traditional Sunday talk shows begin.
“I have my own reasons,” he said. “Because whether I’m in the studio or not, my name is mentioned and criticised a hundred times over.”
Related: Fico, who has long boycotted televised political talk shows, is expected to break his own rule this Sunday. Instead of holding his usual press conference, the prime minister is reportedly set to appear on TA3’s flagship political programme “V politike”. In February, he also appeared on Joj24’s new Sunday political talk show “Politika 24”.
Sunday political talk shows on TV: 10:00 – “Politika 24” on Joj24; 11:00 – “V politike” on TA3; 11:55 – “O 5 minút 12” on Jednotka (STVR); 13:00 – “Na telo” on Markíza.
MORE STORIES FROM THE SLOVAK SPECTATOR
Victimhood: PM Fico survived a bullet – now his party is weaponising it, blaming critics for the violence and warning: “Who will be next?”
Overpriced: Slovakia’s interior minister is under fire over a €326M PC plan without Windows – and expensive hats that almost got through.
Trailjam: Slovak Paradise is heaving with tourists weeks ahead of peak season, as Polish visitors in particular flood the park’s gorges.
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TRAVEL
Branč to the beach: Slovakia’s unexpected south-west
Branč Castle ruins, western Slovakia (source: Podbranč)
Where communist bunkers meet Caribbean-style beaches, Slovakia’s Senica district offers a journey like no other. From sulphur spas to forgotten synagogues, restored mills to mediaeval ruins, this quiet corner of the country is full of stories waiting to be uncovered – whether by bike, on foot or with a towel in hand.
MYSTERIOUS REPORT
Controversial vaccine study published
Peter Kotlár (source: TASR - Martin Baumann)
A controversial and long-shrouded study promoted by Peter Kotlár, the Slovak government’s envoy tasked with investigating alleged mismanagement of the coronavirus pandemic, has finally been published, with discredited American doctor Richard M. Fleming named as lead author, Sme reports. Co-authors include Kotlár, who previously referred to Covid-vaccinated people as “corn” and cited a self-administered test to support his claims about the alleged dangers of Covid-19 vaccines, as well as controversial Czech biologist Soňa Peková.
The paper, which questions the safety of mRNA Covid-19 vaccines, appeared in Herald Scholarly Open Access, a publisher accused of predatory practices and lacking scientific credibility.
Fleming and Kotlár have called for a vaccination ban, but experts have dismissed his claims as fear-mongering.
Fleming has announced plans to visit Slovakia and the Czech Republic to meet his co-authors and urge Prime Minister Robert Fico to halt mRNA vaccinations.
IN OTHER NEWS
Slovak police have dropped a criminal investigation into the 2022 pollution of the Slaná River, citing an “unforeseeable event” and “systemic failure” as the cause of the environmental disaster. The discharge of highly mineralised water from a former mining site into the river caused environmental damage estimated at more than €357 million, according to the investigation. The local branch of the Slovak Anglers’ Union in Rožňava, which filed the original complaint, said it disagreed with the police findings and plans to file a formal objection. (TASR)
Slovakia’s EU membership has brought in a net gain of nearly €26 billion — funds meant to support sustainable development. But much of that money has been used inefficiently, the head of Slovakia’s Supreme Audit Office, Ľubomír Andrassy, warned on Tuesday. (TASR)
MPs from the Slovensko, Za ľudí and KÚ parliamentary group have proposed lowering the voting age to 16. The group argues that younger people deserve a greater say in decisions shaping their future.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys has criticised PM Robert Fico over his recent visit to Moscow. It took place on 9 May to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe. Even Slovakia’s pro-Russian fringe has turned on Fico, criticising his Moscow visit – particularly his decision to skip the military parade.
A banner appeared overnight from Monday to Tuesday in Košice, showing PM Robert Fico dressed in a Red Army uniform, with the word “Traitor” emblazoned above his image. The banner was hung from a bridge at a busy intersection linking Moscow Avenue and Československého odboja Street, in the city’s KVP district. The display was clearly visible to drivers on the major road beneath, drawing immediate attention. (source: Korzár)
The intensity and nature of political polarisation in Slovakia remain unchanged following the assassination attempt on PM Robert Fico, according to political scientist Aneta Világi of Comenius University in Bratislava. Speaking to TASR, Világi said hopes for a de-escalation in political tensions had not materialised. Instead, she noted, Fico’s post-attack rhetoric has become more personal and inflammatory.
Vietnam, one of the fastest-growing economies in Asia and globally, offers opportunities to deepen trade ties with Slovakia and the wider EU, Slovakia’s Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday. The statement followed a meeting between Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár (Smer) and the Vietnamese ambassador to Slovakia, Pham Truong Giang. (TASR)
WEDNESDAY WEATHER BRIEFING: Partly cloudy to overcast, with the north and east seeing more frequent cloud cover. Isolated light rain or showers expected, more likely in the north. Snowfall possible on the Tatra mountain ridges.
Afternoon highs between 18°C and 23°C, around 16°C in Orava, Liptov and the Prešov Region. At 1,500 metres above sea level, temperatures will hover around 7°C. Light winds, gradually becoming westerly in places, at 2 to 6 m/s. (SHMÚ)
HAPPY NAME DAY: May 14 is a special day for Bonifác, so if you know one, don’t forget to send your warmest wishes. Všetko najlepšie!
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