Good evening. Here is theTuesday, October 10 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.
Another Smer era is nearing
Smer leader Robert Fico (l) shakes hands with Hlas chair Peter Pellegrini. PS chair Michal Šimečka stands in between them after a pre-election TV debate on September 27, 2023. (source: SME - Marko Erd)
The Hlas party, chaired by former premier and former Smer member Peter Pellegrini, announced on Tuesday afternoon that the party would only focus on formal talks with the Slovak National Party (SNS) and Smer.
Pellegrini believes that the Smer-Hlas-SNS coalition will bring stability to Slovakia, help people, and will not change Slovakia's foreign policy. The potential government with liberal parties and the Christian Democrats (KDH) would not last, the Hlas chair also opined during his press briefing.
“Slovakia cannot afford another government circus,” Pellegrini said.
Progresívne Slovensko, SaS and KDH - three parties that have tried to stop Smer from taking power - slammed Pellegrini's decision. He chose the past, they said.
Opinion: Pellegrini's decision is his great failure and a waste of his last great chance to serve democratic institutions and the rule of law, writes editor-in-chief of the Sme daily Beata Balogová.
Negotiations: The first week of post-election talks gave some people hopes that Hlas would not choose Smer. It also suggested the potential end of Hlas.
Police: In the event that Smer forms a new government, police chief Štefan Hamran wants to leave his post on October 31. Several other police officials want to leave by the end of this year, Hamran said. (TV Markíza)
More stories from The Slovak Spectator website
Bratislava: The capital declares an emergency situation due to illegal migrants.
News: On Monday evening, an earthquake was felt in eastern Slovakia.
Travel: Have you observed the winter night sky? A Slovak national park will give its visitors this opportunity.
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FEATURE STORY FOR TUESDAY
What are the biggest challenges US investors face in Slovakia?
Martina Slabejová (source: Courtesy of AmCham )
Although Slovakia is falling in international rankings for innovation and competitiveness, Martina Slabejová, the new executive director of AmCham in Slovakia, says in an interview with The Slovak Spectator that the country has a lot of positives to highlight.
"Slovakia is a country full of talented people, so let's not beat ourselves up so much. Let's take a look at what's good instead," she says, adding that Slovakia, especially its eastern regions, should be more self-confident and assertive.
EVENT FOR FRIDAY
Celebrating International Coming Out Day
Teplý Venček, an event that took place for the first time last year, will take place at Nová Cvernovka on Friday evening. The event will be a celebration of love and LGBT+ community through dancing.
Venček is a traditional prom in primary (and secondary) schools when children show off their dancing skills to their parents and friends after weeks of trainings.
The queer version of Venček will take place a day after the country marks the first anniversary of the killings of two queer people outside Tepláreň in Bratislava.
Vojtík, a Slovak queer artist, will perform together with the Ukrainian-Russian-Belarusian quintet, at this party alongside other DJs and artists.
Date and hour: October 13 at 20:00
Ticket (s): available here or at Nová Cvernovka (€7 to €69)
In other news
Austria will have a new ambassador to Slovakia, Johannes Wimmer.
Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová appeals to Slovaks in Israel who are not on the list of passengers on the first repatriation flight to stay in touch with the embassy. She declared that the government plane was ready to come after them repeatedly.
The incidence of mental disorders has been increasing for a long time. It is necessary to think about how to improve the conditions of mental health care at the national level, said the Health Ministry on the occasion of Tuesday's World Mental Health Day.
Checks at the border between Slovakia and Hungary should be extended until November 3, according to a proposal that the Interior Ministry submitted to the interim government. The ministers will deal with it at Wednesday's session.
Škoda Auto Slovensko delivered 13,407 vehicles to customers in the first nine months of this year, achieving a market share of 19.8 percent. In September itself, Slovaks bought 1,380 vehicles of this brand, up 56.8 percent y-o-y. The best-selling vehicle was the Octavia. The Czech brand was also successful in electric car
deliveries in Slovakia. It took the lead when selling 314 fully electric Enyaq and Enyaq Coupe models. (SITA)Industrial production increased by 4.6 percent y-o-y in August. It was the highest growth since the beginning of the year, the Statistics Office announced.
WEATHER FOR WEDNESDAY: Overcast skies, light precipitation in some places, fog in the morning. The highest daytime temperature will rise to 25°C. (SHMÚ)
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