Greetings! This is Today in Slovakia – Thursday, 7 August edition.
Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer) seems to have swapped the corridors of power for the Adriatic coast. In recent weeks he has been ping-ponging between Slovakia and Croatia, and this week he was spotted enjoying himself in what is alleged to be his Croatian villa – a claim he denies. Slovak news site Aktuality caught him, without his security detail (despite surviving a near-fatal shooting last year), swimming in the sea. And true to form, he did not miss the chance for a brusque put-down, telling journalists: “Don’t bother me on holiday.”
BUT WHO IS BOTHERING WHOM? – This, from the man who has kept the political pot boiling all summer – even as Slovaks try to tune out – by tossing in baseless claims that the UK interfered in the 2023 parliamentary elections.
SUNNING WHILE SPINNING – While a pro-Russian disinformation site rushed to Fico’s defence and scolded Aktuality for not hounding opposition leader Michal Šimečka with equal zeal, the prime minister was still soaking up the Croatian sun. (Šimečka and the rest of the opposition are currently going after the government over a controversial ambulance procurement tender.) Meanwhile, two of Fico’s more combustible Smer politicians, Erik Kaliňák and Richard Glück – self-styled Andrew Tate fanboys – are still trying to talk away their “pure coincidence” encounter with the misogyny-poster-boys during a long weekend in Bucharest. Kaliňák’s explanation? The Tates are “fans of Fico”.
‘NO NEED TO RAPE’ – Glück went further, using pro-Russian channel Infovojna to defend both the meeting and the brothers, saying they share common ground on “teaching young boys to act like men”, among other things. His take on the multiple rape allegations facing the Tates? “They really, in my view, have no need to rape anyone… I’ve never seen more attention towards a person in my life. I believe they have no trouble getting sex without rape.” He stressed he does not agree with “excessive misogyny” but does not regret the encounter.
FOR THE RECORD – The Tate brothers have been charged with 21 offences, including rape, human trafficking and sexual exploitation. Kaliňák has publicly cast doubt on those charges, claiming he has yet to see “a single piece of evidence” to the contrary.
UNANSWERED QUESTIONS – And back home? Fico’s government is unable to explain how a man linked to an alleged coup attempt in Slovakia managed to enter the country – despite the administration insisting earlier this year that such a return would not happen.
Coup fiction
Mamuka Mamulashvili in Bratislava, late July 2025 (source: Facebook - Tomáš Forró)
In January, Slovakia’s top officials – Prime Minister Robert Fico, Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok, intelligence chief Pavol Gašpar and President Peter Pellegrini – warned of an alleged coup plot. At the centre of their claims: Mamuka Mamulashvili, commander of the Georgian Legion fighting in Ukraine. They accused him of working with Ukrainians, Georgians, Slovak civil society and the opposition to overthrow the constitutional order, and insisted he was banned from entering the Schengen Area.
FAST-FORWARD TO JULY – Several Slovak media outlets report that Mamulashvili was in Bratislava in late July, sitting on a bench barely 150 metres from the Government Office, filming an interview with Slovak journalist Tomáš Forró. No arrests, no police intervention – just a relaxed summer chat. Forró says the Georgian entered Slovakia legally, and official police correspondence he obtained confirms Mamulashvili is not listed in the Schengen database of barred individuals.
TWO OPTIONS, SAYS FORRÓ – Speaking to Sme, Forró said: “Either they knowingly spread disinformation and fear, or they have failed in their duty to protect the people of Slovakia.” Mamulashvili, who has friends in the country, told STVR the coup accusations were “lies” and “defamation”, and denied any contact with Slovak politicians or plans to destabilise the state.
FROM ‘SERIOUS THREAT’ TO SUMMER STROLL – In January, Fico described Mamulashvili as a “typical civic activist” aligned with the opposition, capable of provoking violent clashes. Šutaj Eštok claimed he had been barred from Schengen. Gašpar promised expulsions. Pellegrini warned: “The situation is serious.” Now? Fico’s office told journalists to “ask the Interior Ministry”. The ministry accused “activist journalists” of spreading conspiracies – but offered no explanation for how the man they once branded a coup ringleader wandered freely through the capital.
OPPOSITION CRIES FOUL – Opposition MPs said the January coup story was a political smokescreen to block a no-confidence vote. Branislav Vančo (Progressive Slovakia) said the government had failed to stop Mamulashvili entering as promised. Ondrej Dostál (SaS) called the claims “transparent, ridiculous and unbelievable”. KDH’s František Mikloško said Fico “makes things up” and does not care when confronted: “Maybe he doesn’t even know the Georgian was here.”
GOVERNMENT HOLDS THE LINE – Justice Minister Boris Susko (Smer) said the intelligence in January was serious and denied that Fico had lied, while Šutaj Eštok said the security services may have monitored Mamulashvili but refused to provide details. The Slovak Information Service declined to discuss tactics, but dismissed much of the reporting and political commentary as “speculation”.
THE QUESTION THAT REMAINS – As Forró said: If Mamulashvili really was a coup mastermind, his undisturbed summer visit signals a massive security lapse. If he was not, Slovakia’s highest officials have some explaining to do about one of the most sensational – and, it seems, baseless – political scares in recent memory.
MORE STORIES FROM THE SLOVAK SPECTATOR
Shifting gears: Volkswagen Slovakia’s Martin plant, once devoted solely to combustion-engine parts, now produces a unique laser-welded differential for the group’s premium electric cars.
Fever pitch: Slovakia has reported its first Q fever outbreak in 30 years, with 11 people in Prievidza district hospitalised.
Steering away: German auto supplier ZF Friedrichshafen will shut its Detva plant by mid-2026.
Legal lifeline: An EU court ruling on applying softer laws could aid Marian Kočner’s appeal against his 19-year fraud sentence, though prosecutors deem it “inconceivable”.
August amplified: From Depeche Mode tributes and glowing fountain concerts to death metal, Cuban jazz, Champions League football and freedom festivals, Bratislava’s mid-month calendar packs ten days of unmissable culture, sport and spectacle.
Wine and fines: A tiny Slovak village has emerged in the “Cattle Breeder” bribery probe, with EU farm subsidies for local wineries linked to indicted fixers, yet no charges filed against recipients.
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SPORT
Heritage and heart lift Slovak lacrosse to record finish
Slovakia versus France (source: Courtesy of World Lacrosse)
Slovakia’s men’s lacrosse team has achieved its best-ever European Championship result, finishing 11th in Wroclaw, Poland, to qualify for the 2027 Division 2 World Championship. The youthful squad, boosted by players with Slovak heritage from North America and across Europe, overcame the “group of death” and posted five wins from eight matches. Coaches say the achievement marks a major step forward for the sport’s two-decade journey in Slovakia, though greater investment is needed to build on the momentum.
RED STAR ROW
Lawyer challenges bid to trademark communist symbol
KSS application for trademark registration. (source: Slovakia's Industrial Property Office)
The Communist Party of Slovakia (KSS) has applied to register a new trademark: a red five-pointed star with a gold hammer and sickle at its centre, set above the Slovak tricolour and the party’s initials. Intellectual property lawyer Tomáš Klinka – also the author of a petition opposing the move – says the symbol breaches public order and good morals because it contains extremist imagery linked to regimes that suppressed fundamental rights and freedoms.
Klinka warns its use could constitute a criminal offence under Slovak law, including the production and possession of extremist material. He argues it would be “absurd” for symbols banned from monuments and memorials to be granted trademark protection. The petition urges the Industrial Property Office to reject the application and to annul two earlier KSS trademarks featuring similar communist iconography.
IN OTHER NEWS
Slovakia’s €2-billion ambulance station tender has been dominated by healthcare group Agel and newly formed Emergency Medical Solutions, while sector giant Penta fared poorly, Sme reports. Opposition parties and experts call the process opaque and potentially tailored for Agel, raising concerns the two winning bidders may be linked and could together exceed the legal 25 percent market cap – a claim both deny. Prime Minister Robert Fico has demanded an explanation from Health Minister Kamil Šaško, while the Public Procurement Office says the tender breaches EU rules.
Slovakia’s Defence Ministry plans to buy 1,000 condoms with custom graphic prints for use at its recruitment and promotional events, prompting criticism from opposition MP Veronika Remišová (Za ľudí). She called the move a “foolish and inappropriate” gimmick that disrespects the honour and service of soldiers, and said Defence Minister Robert Kaliňák (Smer) should not be “motivating” young men to join the army by handing out condoms. (SITA)
Remišová has also accused Slovakia’s governing coalition of hypocrisy after senior Smer politicians Erik Kaliňák and Richard Glück were pictured with Andrew and Tristan Tate, who face charges of rape and human trafficking. She said the Tate brothers were among the influences that radicalised an 18-year-old student who murdered a teacher and classmate in Spišská Stará Ves in January, and that police and Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok are well aware of this. Remišová argued it was absurd for ministers to fund anti-radicalisation programmes in schools while their colleagues promote figures whose online content incites violence against women. (SITA)
Slovak public broadcaster STVR has hired former Nitra hospital spokesperson Tatiana Kubinecová, who was endorsed by the Hlas party in local elections, to present on its news channel :24. After questions from Sme about her appointment and potential conflicts of interest, STVR said it would terminate her contract.
Vacation home prices in Slovakia hit almost €1,200 per square metre in Q1 2025 – the highest in a year and close to summer 2023’s record, data from Nehnutelnosti.sk and the Slovak Academy of Sciences show. The Bratislava Region remains the most expensive at €2,172, while Banská Bystrica, Nitra and Trenčín are the cheapest; prices typically rise around 4 percent in the summer months. (SITA)
Slovakia has nearly doubled its number of economic diplomats in under two years, Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár (Smer) announced. While only 17 such specialists represented the country abroad in 2023, there are now 33.
After more than seven years, Slovak goalkeeper Martin Dúbravka is leaving English club Newcastle United. The 36-year-old Žilina native has signed a one-year deal with Premier League side Burnley, where he will serve as the team’s first-choice keeper.
FRIDAY WEATHER BRIEFING: Mostly clear skies, daytime highs between 25°C and 32°C. (SHMÚ)
ŠUTAJ STAY OR ŠUTAJ GO? – A meme making the rounds pokes fun at Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok by pairing him with The Clash’s classic “Should I Stay or Should I Go”. Hats off to the Slovak who spotted that “Šutaj” sounds uncannily like the song’s title. But it is not just about the name – discontent with his work is growing, even if he does not seem to notice.
Oskars own Friday – and celebrate: It is Oskar’s name day, and our newsroom’s own Oscar is in on the fun. All the best – and do not forget the cake.
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