Good evening. Here is the Friday, June 23 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.
Slovak National Gallery unveils new exhibitions
The Slovak National Gallery is opening two new exhibitions.
The Slovak National Gallery (SNG) in Bratislava has been open for several months now, following a seven-year reconstruction. Initially, the focus was on showcasing the building's renovated spaces and architectural beauty.
However, a new chapter begins this week as the gallery unveils two long-term exhibitions, complemented by an artwork from the Monumentálky project.
One exhibition, The Modern, presents artworks from the first half of the 20th century, while Sacred Art focuses on the Gothic and Baroque periods of European art. Future plans include four more long-term exhibitions and the establishment of the largest art library in Slovakia.
Bratislava: The largest fountain in the capital will put into operation, after 16 years out of action, on Saturday June 24.
More stories from The Slovak Spectator website
Restaurant: Petržalka's Galéria Kontajner, a multifunctional complex, is being auctioned off following financial problems.
Politics: On Saturday, June 17, YouTube, the video platform owned by Google, removed several channels associated with the extremist Republika party, citing policy and content violations.
Fees: Two large banks in Slovakia, Slovenská Sporiteľňa and VÚB Banka, will increase several of their fees starting from July.
Weekend: The international festival of folklore, Cassovia Folkfest, will take place in Košice, Slovakia, from June 23 to June 25, showcasing the rich cultural traditions of Slovakia, Italy, Turkey, Ukraine and Israel. Here's how you can spend your weekend.
Labour market: Most employers in Slovakia require job applicants to speak English as a foreign language. This request appeared in more than 43 percent of job ads published on Profesia.sk between the beginning of 2023 and mid March of the same year.
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FEATURE STORY FORFRIDAY
Time to bake pagáče
Pagáče. (source: Naomi Hužovičová)
Pagáče are a classic Slovak food but without an English equivalent. Biscuit? Scone? Neither, writes Canadian Naomi Hužovičová. Learn how to prepare them.
EVENTS FOR THE WEEKEND
Beer, plants, and a Czech singer
Summer Beer Salon takes place in Bratislava-Ružinov at the weekend. (source: SME)
Read our selection of 10 events that will take place in Bratislava in the coming days.
In other news:
The number of foreigners working in Slovakia continues to grow. In May 2023, almost 95,600 foreigners worked in Slovakia, up 1,800 m-o-m and 16,800 y-o-y, the Central Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family said. Ukrainian workers make up the biggest group. (SITA)
Slovakia's Council for Budget Responsibility has revised its economic growth forecast for Slovakia, projecting a growth rate of just 1.3 percent for this year. The domestic and foreign components of aggregate demand are developing less favourably, it reported, leading to a downward adjustment. However, the council expects a slight uptick in economic growth to 1.5 percent next year, followed by further acceleration to nearly 3 percent in subsequent years.
Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová emphasised the crucial challenge of rebuilding trust in society, including trust and understanding between the scientific community and the general public. Speaking on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAV), she acknowledged SAV's role as a leading scientific institution and highlighted the rapid advancement of knowledge in various fields, influenced by technological progress. However, she also addressed the concerning trend of questioning scientific opinion, disregarding expert authorities, and spreading misinformation, urging scientists to actively engage in public discourse.
Yesterday's huge fire in Rovinka, near Bratislava, has already been put out.
Speaker Boris Kollár is going to file a criminal complaint against his ex-partner Barbora Richterová. She has recently done the same thing. Richterová, whom Kollár slapped several times in 2012, thinks that Kollár is now using the Slovak Information Service to monitor her. Kollár and the secret service have denied it. Kollár has described Richterová's efforts and claims as a smear campaign. Meanwhile, some MPs are trying to remove Kollár from the high political post.
The Zemplín Veteran Rallye event takes place in Michalovce, eastern Slovakia, until Sunday. Cars made before 1980 are on display. (source: TASR)
WEATHER FOR THE WEEKEND:
Partly cloudy on Saturday. Showers and local storms in some places. The highest daytime temperature will rise to 28°C. You can expect a very similar weather on Sunday, but the highest daytime temperature will reach 30°C.
The first-level storm warnings will be in place on Saturday in eastern and parts of central Slovakia. (SHMÚ)
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