Good evening. Here is theThursday, October 17 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.
President calls out Slovakia’s visa failures
President Peter Pellegrini (l) shakes hands with Nitra Region Governor Branislav BecĂk of the Hlas party on October 17, 2024. (source: Facebook/Peter Pellegrini)
President Peter Pellegrini, during a visit to Nitra, sharply criticised the malfunctioning online booking system at the Foreigners’ Police, warning that such unnecessary obstacles discourage foreigners from staying in Slovakia. He pointed to Nitra as a prime example of the challenges faced by immigrants trying to register with local authorities.
“This has a real impact on people’s lives. It’s not uncommon for a mother to inform the city that, despite wanting to live here, she must leave for another country because she cannot secure a residency permit within a month or two. As a result, her child is unable to enrol in school,” Pellegrini said, adding that businesses are also reporting issues with employees struggling to renew their permits.
He highlighted that Nitra, with a population of around 75,000, is home to approximately 15,000 foreign residents, many of whom have arrived for work or fled the war in Ukraine.
“That number really surprised me,” the president remarked.
Foreign residents have long complained about a lack of available slots in the online booking system. Recently, Denník N wrote that a group had hacked the system, trading appointment slots. This week, Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok, who took over leadership of the Hlas party from Pellegrini in June, acknowledged the issue.
Pellegrini also took aim at Slovakia’s visa policies, stating, “Nitra’s largest employer, Jaguar Land Rover, owned by an Indian conglomerate, relies on management travelling here to work. The recent deterioration in visa regulations has made their lives significantly harder.”
MORE STORIES FROM THE SLOVAK SPECTATOR WEBSITE
Police: Foreigners at Bratislava’s Wax2 nightclub faced random visa checks in a controversial police raid at the end of September.
International: In Moscow, Slovakia’s Tucker Carlson celebrated a “flourishing” Russia, including its working washing machines.
Winter: Earlier information suggested that from October 1, only tires marked with a mountain symbol would be permitted in Slovakia. It is not true.
Football: AFC Bournemouth, an English football club competing in the Premier League, has two ties to Slovakia.
Business: The Slovak Spectator has examined what the expiration of the gas transit agreement between Russia and Ukraine means for Slovakia, and what kind of winter Slovakia is likely to face.
Culture: The former home of the Sachertorte creator in Slovakia gets a fresh renovation.
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SLOVAK MATTERS
HapÄŤí!
Sick as a dog (source: FreePik)
It seems to happen every year: the weather changes, and my suddenly unreliable breathing apparatus (including sinuses, or dutiny; throat, or hrdlo; and lungs, or pÄľúca) kicks in. The sun disappears, the rain pours down, and my nose gets clogged, writes Canadian Tom Nicholson in the Slovak Matters column, this time teaching fellow foreigners vocabulary centred around being ill.
FREE EVENTS IN BRATISLAVA
Italian artist who composed for Dolce & Gabbana to perform in Slovakia
The Gothic tower of the Klarisky Church in Bratislava. (source: TASR)
Stefano Guzzetti, with over 32 million streams and tours across the US, Europe, and Japan, is a major player in the modern classical scene—and he has worked with Dolce & Gabbana. Now, he is hitting the stage in Slovakia for the very first time as part of the 24th Week of Italian Language and Culture.
IN OTHER NEWS
The interim director of the National Gallery, Miloš Timko, has announced plans to dismiss his predecessor and senior curator, Alexandra Kusá. Timko cited concerns about the gallery’s reputation. “I don’t think Mr. Timko or Mr. Bittner (who replaced Kusá after her removal and is currently the temporary head of the Slovak National Museum) understand what a national gallery is, and from their actions, I conclude that they do not understand the concept of a good reputation either,” Kusá remarked. Kusá was removed from her post by the culture minister in August over alleged managerial failings, which sparked widespread protests. (SME)
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó has voiced concerns over Slovakia’s plans to tighten its language law, although no formal proposal has been made. (TASR)
One of two state-backed wind farms is set to be built in eastern Slovakia, although the exact location remains unclear. Private investors also plan to develop wind farms but face opposition from residents and bureaucratic hurdles. (Denník N)
Slovakia now has more than 943,000 people at risk of poverty, an increase of 55,000 over the past year, according to the Statistics Office. Families with children and single-parent households are particularly vulnerable. The country’s population exceeds 5 million.
The highest rate of poverty and social exclusion risk has long been in the Prešov Region, where approximately one in four residents faced poverty last year, amounting to over 220,000 individuals. High proportions of people at risk of poverty, with values exceeding 20 percent, were also found in the Banská Bystrica and Košice Regions. (source: Statistics Office)
Culture Minister Martina ŠimkoviÄŤová (SNS nominee) has likened the calls for her resignation, read by actors before theatre performances, to “political vomit”. In an interview with a self-proclaimed journalist and assistant to a coalition MP, ŠimkoviÄŤová also criticised the black flags displayed on some Slovak castles that call for her resignation. The homophobic minister also attacked queer opposition MP Lucia Plaváková (PS) during the interview as she pondered whether she could address her as “madam”. (YouTube)
According to Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer), the likelihood of the war in Ukraine ending soon is high. He made this statement on Wednesday during a discussion with Slovak MPs before his trip to Brussels. Fico did not explain the basis for his conclusion. There are suggestions that Ukraine may receive an invitation to NATO, but Fico maintains that his party does not support Ukraine’s accession to NATO. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky conveyed “many things” to Fico during their meeting in Brussels on Thursday, which was their first encounter. “I spoke with him, but it was between us... We talked — and that is good,” said Zelensky. (TASR)
An image from the retrospective exhibition “Blue Roof” by Slovak photographer Milota Havránková, held at the Mirbach Palace of the Bratislava City Gallery. (source: TASR)
WEATHER FOR FRIDAY: Mostly clear skies, with some cloud cover creeping in from the west. Expect highs between 10°C and 17°C. But hold onto your hats—wind warnings are in place for parts of Nitra, TrenÄŤín, Bratislava, Banská Bystrica, and Trnava regions. (SHMÚ)
OCTOBER 18 NAME DAY IN SLOVAKIA: Lukáš.
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