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Greetings. You’re reading Tuesday’s edition of Today in Slovakia — where even birthdays come with legal perks.
Hlas, the junior coalition partner helmed by Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok, called a press conference on Tuesday grandly titled “An important statement on the future of Slovakia and the EU.” The message? Europe, in their view, must “return to common sense,” focus on competitiveness, and steer clear of war talk. The minister warned the EU was becoming a “military project” before meandering into familiar peace rhetoric. Plenty of catchy lines, not much substance.
And yes – Hlas wants the government to restart Czech–Slovak intergovernmental meetings, frozen since Prague cut them off over Bratislava’s stance on Ukraine. With Andrej Babiš back in charge — and far less Kyiv-friendly than his predecessors — Hlas smells an opening. Day-to-day cooperation between the neighbours runs fine; it’s the politics that froze. Moreover, some in Bratislava — and beyond — hope Czechia, Slovakia and Hungary could steer the EU onto a new path. Dream on?
Then came the “less important” bits, prompted by reporters’ questions. First up: the Interior Ministry will finally issue a brochure on what people in Slovakia should do in the event of an earthquake or war — something some other countries have managed months ago. Šutaj Eštok plans to unveil it in eastern Slovakia next week — naturally, with a touch of political theatre. He could just as well do it from Bratislava, but where’s the photo op in that?
Next, he addressed the Foreigners’ Police debacle. Their workload has soared 300 percent since the war in Ukraine, the minister claimed, and Slovakia’s greying workforce has left the system wheezing. Everyone’s known for years that migrant labour would be needed, but as Slovaks like to say, the ministry “fell asleep on its laurels.” The fix? A belated patch to the online booking system — “We’re fixing every crack,” said Šutaj Eštok — and the rollout of a reform package parliament approved months ago to cut red tape.
No miracles promised, though. Only as many appointments as officers can physically handle. He’s asking the Finance Ministry to fund 100 extra temporary staff by year’s end and dreams of bringing AI into the mix — someday. But given Slovakia’s track record with digitalisation, that might take more than a software update.
And those shady “brokers” reselling appointment slots? The interior minister admits they’re real — and insists the ministry is “working on it.” Trouble is, they’ve been working on it for a year now, with nothing tangible to show.
Speaking of Hlas — its former leader and Slovakia’s current president, Peter Pellegrini, made headlines again, and not for the right reasons. Thanks to the general prosecutor.
Immunity watch: Pellegrini’s €10,000 fine may be returned
Timing is everything. A day after celebrating his 50th birthday, President Peter Pellegrini got an unexpected gift: General Prosecutor Maroš Žilinka declared that the head of state is untouchable — and might even get back the €10,000 fine he paid for breaching campaign finance rules.
Žilinka wrote on Facebook that, under the constitution, a sitting president cannot be sanctioned for administrative offences. He went further, suggesting that Pellegrini may indeed have spent more than the legal €500,000 limit during his presidential campaign — but said investigators’ hands are tied because of presidential immunity.
Adding spice to the mix: Žilinka accused the Interior Ministry, led by Hlas chief Matúš Šutaj Eštok, of acting illegally when it fined the president in the first place. It’s not their first clash — the prosecutor’s office has already taken the ministry to court on other matters.
One fine day: Pellegrini’s only penalty so far stemmed from a €250,000 transfer he sent from Hlas’ party account to his campaign’s transparent account after the election — something the law forbids. The ministry fined him €10,000, which he quietly paid. Žilinka now argues the entire proceeding was unlawful and the decision should be scrapped.
Pellegrini’s reply: The president said he fully respected the Interior Ministry’s decision, paid the €10,000 “promptly,” and considered the matter closed. Through his office, he added a carefully neutral line on Žilinka’s intervention:
“The president has always respected and will continue to respect the constitution and the law. He will not enter into a dispute between two state institutions over the interpretation of the law and will respect the final verdict of the competent authorities.”
Žilinka, for his part, did not claim Pellegrini was innocent of the violation — only that he shouldn’t have been fined at all while in office, since presidential immunity shields him from such proceedings.
Half a million or half-truths? Transparency watchdogs Transparency International Slovakia, MEMO 98 and Stop Corruption Foundation have long argued Pellegrini’s campaign spending exceeded the legal ceiling. Billboard space alone, they say, likely cost €417,000. Pellegrini insists his accounts were clean.
Žilinka’s post hints the ministry failed to verify those figures properly, accusing it of ignoring evidence and neglecting to obtain the documents needed to check whether the limit was breached.
Who’s minding the watchdogs? The State Electoral Commission, chaired by Eduard Burda — a Hlas nominee and law dean — reportedly chose not to include the spending concerns on its meeting agenda this week. Burda previously defended Pellegrini when NGOs accused him of using state-linked funds in his campaign.
According to party filings, Hlas transferred the contentious €250,000 to Pellegrini’s account a day before it received a €300,000 loan from his sister — a timeline that watchdogs say violates the law. The commission fined Hlas €5,000, which the party can conveniently pay with state funding. Coalition MPs seem to see no issue; opposition voices call it absurd.
And about those Facebook ads... Over a year later, investigations into pro-Pellegrini campaign posts by Hlas politicians are still unresolved. NGOs claim Interior Ministry officials refused to sanction Interior Minister Šutaj Eštok and colleagues for third-party campaigning — illegal under Slovak law. The General Prosecutor’s Office has now taken the matter to court.
Loose ends everywhere: The ministry is also facing a lawsuit for allegedly withholding information about the passenger list on last year’s government flight to Germany for a football match. And this week, prosecutors dropped several cases involving the elite National Crime Agency unit — cases that Šutaj Eštok had publicly touted as his success.
Birthday humour: And speaking of birthdays — Slovakia’s favourite meme lords at Zomri couldn’t resist sending their own message to President Peter “Pamprezident” Pellegrini. Their tongue-in-cheek greeting wished him “50 boxes of champagne, a birthday cake made from cheaper groceries, and as few sirens as possible on the way to the barber.” They continued: “May the sea in Croatia be warm, and Gery [Pellegrini’s dog] obedient in that cosy 88-square-metre flat under the castle. May the strimmer never run out of petrol and the tractor miss not a single potato. May you never have to break election laws again, and may your toothpicks stay safely in your pocket during press conferences.” Zomri didn’t stop there. “Curtains hung, bags held, uniform perfectly fitted, lip balm in abundance. The rest,” they quipped, “your sister will take care of.” They signed off, with their trademark sting: “With respect — your bitter, bin-bag-headed losers. And above all — peace.”
There’s plenty packed in there — a wink toward Pellegrini’s old scandals, unfulfilled pledges and well-documented fondness for the finer things.
What The Slovak Spectator had on Tuesday:
Parents in Slovakia are facing a shortage of the children’s nasal flu vaccine.
Diwali — the festival of light and unity — writes the Indian ambassador.
First Fico minister in Kyiv
Defence Minister Robert Kaliňák (Smer) became the first member of Slovakia’s pro-Russian government to visit Ukraine on Monday, meeting Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal in Kyiv. The two signed a memorandum on continued Slovak assistance — including Božena demining machines, generators and engineering support, according to Denník N.
Back in Bratislava, Kaliňák insisted Slovakia’s help was “humanitarian, not military”. “Ukraine has enough weapons — the whole world is arming them,” he said on Tuesday, noting critics had mocked Smer for hypocrisy. “When I read some of those comments, I felt like stopping all aid,” he complained, accusing the media of trying to stir conflict.
From drones to howitzers: The minister said Ukraine could help Slovakia counter drones with a locally developed, low-cost detection system — “a few thousand euros instead of millions.” Slovakia may replicate it along its eastern border.
Meanwhile, the government will finish delivery of 16 Zuzana howitzers for Ukraine by year-end, under a deal financed by Denmark, Norway and Germany. Kaliňák, who defends such exports as “support for Slovak industry, not war,” stressed the orders will benefit local firms like state-owned Konštrukta Defence.
Business over ideology: Kaliňák travelled with Slovak arms manufacturers, including Way Industries, maker of the Božena vehicles, to discuss joint ventures. He described the defence sector as vital for diversifying the economy beyond car manufacturing.
Critics note, however, that the biggest winner of the war business remains Czech arms magnate Michal Strnad, a close ally of Kaliňák’s. His companies produce ammunition components in eastern Slovakia — much of it bound, indirectly, for Ukraine.
As Kaliňák put it last year: “Giving something for free, like fighter jets, is support for war. Selling it is support for business.”
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Škoda hits the brakes on Biennial
Škoda Auto Slovakia has pulled its cars — and its cash — from the Biennial of Illustrations Bratislava (BIB), after an uproar over the event’s inclusion of Russian artists and its ties to the embattled Slovak National Gallery (SNG).
Four arts platforms accused organisers of political meddling and demanded Škoda back “democracy and transparency.” The company said it wanted to “support children’s creativity, not polarise society,” and promptly withdrew its fleet from the SNG courtyard.
Boycott: The Biennial — under the patronage of President Peter Pellegrini and Culture Minister Martina Šimkovičová (SNS) — opened on 3 October amid a boycott by over 100 Slovak illustrators, joined by peers from abroad. Their main grievance: that Russia was allowed to exhibit ten artists even as its war in Ukraine rages.
Apolitical, or blind? Organisers defended the move as “apolitical,” calling exclusion “censorship.” Critics saw moral blindness. Several jurors, including Swiss-Czech publisher Otakar Božejovský, withdrew in protest.
Prize refused: Adding to the embarrassment, Swiss illustrator Nando von Arb — winner of one of the Biennial’s awards — refused to accept his prize, saying: “We cannot be apolitical right now. If my Slovak colleagues are boycotting this event, so am I.” He expressed solidarity with artists resisting “an authoritarian government and its efforts to silence them,” adding wryly: “I hope to return another time — if there is another time.”
Exodus: Škoda’s exit follows Tatra banka and KIA, which both ended cooperation with the SNG earlier this year over concerns about politicisation and management chaos.
IN OTHER NEWS
A cross-party delegation led by Ján Ferenčák (Hlas) visited Kyiv on Tuesday, viewing sites hit by Russian strikes and voicing support for Ukraine’s EU path. Joined by MPs from Smer and Progressive Slovakia, they met Ukrainian lawmakers and laid flowers at a memorial to fallen soldiers — a visit Kyiv hailed as a step toward reviving ties with Bratislava. (TASR)
Far-right politician Milan Mazurek sparked outrage in the European Parliament after telling the plenary that “white people are the most hated group” and insisting white lives matter — remarks MEPs condemned as inflammatory. (Denník N)
Travelling from Bratislava to Košice in under 4.5 hours will be possible — just not before 2032, railway chief Ivan Bednárik tells Denník N. Before that, Slovakia must finish upgrades on the Spiš line to 160 km/h and build a faster bypass around Liptovský Mikuláš.
Jaguar Land Rover’s Nitra plant resumes single-shift production on Wednesday, with a gradual return to full capacity expected next week — more than a month after a major cyberattack on 31 August disrupted operations.
The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights has raised alarm over Slovakia’s constitutional amendment, warning it may breach EU values by restricting adoption to heterosexual couples and narrowing gender definitions. (TASR)
Prime Minister Robert Fico told the ENEF energy conference that Slovakia had “signed and approved” a nuclear cooperation deal with the US — but later clarified the agreement is still only planned. The government confirmed no deal has been signed, though Fico said partnership with an American supplier for a new state-owned reactor in Jaslovské Bohunice remains the most likely scenario. (ČTK)
Wednesday, 8 October — What to watch
Government meeting
Closing arguments resume in the Juraj Cintula trial
Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) stages a march outside SIS (spy agency) at 17:30
Parliamentary Constitutional Affairs Committee
Bratislava Mayor Vallo on city safety
Debate on EU action over media freedom in Slovakia
WEDNESDAY’S FRONT PAGES
Sme: Gašpar and Bödör testified
Denník N: Untouchable
Pravda: Kaliňák: Slovakia to send Boženas and Falcons to Ukraine
Hospodárske noviny: More than 80 trains a day will run between Bratislava and Vienna
A decade of words and worlds — Bratislava hits a literary milestone this autumn as Novotvar turns ten. From 8–11 October, the city lights up with readings, debates, and performances — from V-klub on Námestie SNP to libraries, institutes, and schools across town.
SLOVAKIA WEATHER — Mostly clear, some morning fog. Cloudier in the west by evening. Highs 10°C–19°C, light northerly wind. (SHMÚ)
Name day — 8 October is for Brigita.
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