Hello. Here is theThursday, August 22edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.
Fico calls for dialogue, foreign policy tops agenda
Smer leader and PM Robert Fico (r) and Smer member and Government Commissioner for Social Dialogue Vladimír Faič (l) sign the Declaration on the Development of Social Dialogue in the Slovak Republic at the Government Office in Bratislava on August 22, 2024. (source: TASR - Martin Baumann)
Prime Minister Robert Fico, leader of Slovakia’s dominant ruling party Smer, declared on Thursday that the country is grappling with an exceptionally tense situation that complicates reaching consensus on fundamental state and societal issues.
“Even on matters that once enjoyed absolute consensus, such as Slovakia’s foreign policy orientation, we are now witnessing divisions,” Fico said, highlighting how this fragmentation hampers the government’s ability to make long-term decisions.
Fico underscored the necessity for dialogue with key stakeholders across various sectors, given the “seriousness of the current political and international landscape”. On Thursday, he and these stakeholders signed a declaration aimed at promoting social dialogue. Fico also proposed regular informal meetings with diverse groups, including universities, churches, and employers, potentially starting in late September. The first meeting should focus on Slovakia’s foreign policy.
“Are you in favour of a new Iron Curtain between the West and the East?” Fico asked on Thursday.
The prime minister, whose “sovereign” foreign policy has strained Slovakia’s relations with its allies while keeping the country anchored in the EU and NATO, used the anniversary of the 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia on August 21 to draw a parallel between the anti-Putin stance of the West and the invasion of Czechoslovakia. He suggested that the West’s criticism of his pro-Russia stance mirrors the Soviet efforts to suppress democratic reforms in Czechoslovakia 56 years ago.
Fico remarked, “The anniversary of the August 1968 events should serve as a reminder today, as the policy of enforcing a single ‘correct’ political opinion is once again taking hold, and those who assert sovereignty and courage in their views on crucial foreign policy issues face relentless pressure from advanced democracies and the threat of isolation.”
The initiative Fico announced on Thursday is not entirely new. He launched a similar project, a council of solidarity and development, in 2012. Political analysts at the time described it as a “PR activity” of Fico’s party, noting that decisions would be made by Fico and his government, and suggesting that it would be aimed against the parliament.
Related: Prime Minister Robert Fico will embark on trips in the coming months with the goal of strengthening or establishing economic cooperation. On September 29, he is set to travel to South Korea to discuss a potential supply of a nuclear unit for the Jaslovské Bohunice power plant. In October, the governments of Ukraine and Slovakia are scheduled to meet in Mukachevo, western Ukraine. Fico will also visit Serbia and is set to travel to China on November 1. In December, his agenda includes Brazil and Chile, with Vietnam scheduled for February 2025.
MORE STORIES FROM THE SLOVAK SPECTATOR WEBSITE
Politics: Prime Minister Fico dismissed his political adviser, Eduard Chmelár, on Wednesday. Chmelár attributes the decision to his criticism of ultra-conservative figures within Fico’s government.
Business: Despite stiff penalties for driving without mandatory car insurance in Slovakia, roughly 9 percent of the country’s vehicles—about 320,000—still roam the roads uninsured.
Bratislava: A Slovak artist transformed old hot air balloons into a magical “Temple of Bubbles”. Experience this installation before it disappears next week. Also, check out our event overviews: “3 free things to do in Bratislava” and “Top 10 events in Bratislava.”
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SLOVAK MATTERS
Brzda, spojka, plyn a ideš!
The first Trabant car rolled off the production line on November 7, 1957. (source: TASR - František Iván)
There’s no equivalent for the North American ‘boat’, the 1971 Lincoln that you could pitch a tent in. In other driving matters, however, Slovak is every bit as rich as English, writes Tom Nicholson.
EVENT
Pride Košice is around the corner
Pride Košice event. (source: PRIDE Košice)
This Saturday, August 24, Košice will host Pride Košice, the second-largest LGBT+ rights festival in Slovakia. The main event at Kasárne Kulturpark will open to the public at 10:30, with festivities starting at 11:00 and the rainbow parade kicking off at 13:30.
IN OTHER NEWS
The trade union organisation Technologies Unions Slovakia announced that they have signed their first collective agreement at Dell. After nearly three years of challenging negotiations, mediated in recent months, the agreement brings key benefits to Dell employees, including severance pay of up to seven months’ salary. (SITA)
The risk of contracting mpox is currently very low in Slovakia. However, people directly present in affected areas of Central Africa should be cautious, said Boris Klempa from the Virology Institute at the Biomedical Centre of the Slovak Academy of Sciences. Last week, the World Health Organization declared a public health emergency of international concern due to the spread of two strains of mpox in African countries. (TASR)
The far-right Slovak National Party, led by Andrej Danko, has announced plans for the Lex Šimečka bill, which would ban politicians and their family members from owning media outlets. The proposal targets Michal Šimečka, leader of Progressive Slovakia, whose father, Martin M. Šimečka, holds a minority stake in the publisher of the daily Denník N. (Sme)
The Education Ministry has published a guide for morning circles intended for primary schools. It contains 101 proven activities that help build better relationships in the classroom, improve respect, and create a positive atmosphere. The guide is available on the ministry’s website and is planned to be released in Hungarian and Ukrainian this September.
Slovakia and Hungary will continue receiving Russian oil from Lukoil despite Ukrainian sanctions, but at a higher cost, Trinity Bank’s chief economist Lukáš Kovanda said. He added that the contract between Hungary’s MOL and Russia’s Lukoil is expected to take effect this autumn. (TASR)
Former Sýkorovci mafia boss Róbert Lališ is back in court for murders committed 25 years ago, for which he was originally sentenced to life imprisonment. In March, the Supreme Court overturned the verdict following Lališ’s appeal. The trial is set to continue until November. (Sme)
Harvesting medicinal herbs at the Botka organic farm in the Kravany nad Dunajom area, southern Slovakia, on August 22, 2024. (source: TASR - Milan Drozd)
WEATHER FOR FRIDAY: Clear to partly cloudy skies are expected throughout the region. Daytime temperatures will range from 28 to 33°C, with cooler conditions around 26°C in the northern areas.
The meteorological institute has issued heat warnings for Saturday and Sunday for districts in western and southern Slovakia. (SHMÚ)
AUGUST 23 NAME DAY IN SLOVAKIA: Filip.
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