Welcome to Today in Slovakia – your Tuesday briefing with the top news in one place.
Culture lovers, take note: from 3 to 7 May, Bratislava will host ISTROPOLITANA PROJECT ‘25, an international student theatre festival bringing together eight art schools from five countries. With Revolt as its theme, expect bold performances, fresh voices and fearless creativity.
Pro-Putin biker gang to cross Slovakia in Victory Ride
The itinerary published by the local branch of the Russian motorcycle gang. (source: Sme daily)
The pro-Kremlin biker gang Night Wolves will ride through Slovakia this week as part of their so-called “Victory Ride” marking the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.
The Slovak branch of the gang announced it will travel for two days, starting on Friday 2 May, Sme daily reports. The itinerary includes memorials in Svidník, Dukla, Liptovský Mikuláš and Strečno, with a stop at Bratislava’s Slavín war memorial on Saturday.
The group’s presence has raised concerns, as some members – including local leader Jozef Hambálek – were previously on EU sanctions lists. Hambálek was removed following pressure from the current government. A planned headquarters in Dolná Krupá, in western Slovakia, was halted by authorities, while Czech courts dissolved the gang’s local branch earlier this year.
It remains unclear whether Russian or Belarusian members, currently under sanctions, will join the ride. Slovak police confirmed they are aware of the event and will implement traffic and security measures, but declined to say whether the bikers will receive a police escort.
The gang departed Moscow last weekend and aims to reach Berlin by 9 May.
Related: The Slovensko movement has called on opposition leaders to travel together to Kyiv on 9 May to show solidarity with victims of the war. Its leader, Igor Matovič, said the visit should coincide with Prime Minister Robert Fico’s planned trip to Moscow, which he described as a national embarrassment. “We should show that Slovakia is not just Fico – there are also people here who stand with the victims of Putin’s war,” said Matovič. He urged the opposition to demonstrate that Slovakia stands not only with Fico but also with those suffering from Putin’s aggression.
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SPONSORED STORY: Discover Tatra City Residence in the heart of Liptovský Mikuláš – where iconic architecture meets contemporary living, offering elegant flats with stunning views of the Tatras. Ideal for modern lifestyles or smart investment.
Tatra City Residence (source: Tatra City Residence)
Tesla lands: Elon Musk’s electric car giant quietly registers in Slovakia as the country sees record growth in EV ownership, still largely fuelled by used imports.
Hospital coincidence: As ministers unveiled the location of Bratislava’s future mega-hospital, a crumbling hospital in Trnava made headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Far-right star’s new address: Slovakia’s top court sends far-right agitator Daniel Bombic to custody after he flouts a ban on spewing hate online.
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WHO’S ON TOP
Who’s building Slovakia’s future? These 10 developers lead the pack.
A view of Bratislava (source: TASR - Pavel Neubauer)
After a rocky 2023, Slovakia’s residential real estate sector is roaring back to life. Developers are once again breaking ground and closing deals as buyer confidence returns. The Slovak Spectator’s new ranking reveals who’s on top, who’s climbing, and which regional players are muscling in on the capital. From glass towers to suburban sprawl, the race for market dominance is on.
SIDELINED FROM MOSCOW TRIP
Pro-Kremlin minister told to stay home as Fico plans his solo trip to Russia
The Chair of the Slovak Ice Hockey Federation, Miroslav Šatan (left), and the Minister of Tourism and Sport, Rudolf Huliak (right) (source: Facebook - Tourism and Sport Ministry)
Slovakia’s pro-Russian Minister for Sport and Tourism, Rudolf Huliak, has expressed frustration over being excluded from Prime Minister Robert Fico’s upcoming visit to Moscow for the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
Huliak, who heads the far-right, extra-parliamentary National Coalition and was at the centre of the coalition’s first major crisis earlier this year, claimed he was informally told by Fico’s office that no other ministers or MPs would be joining the trip – only the prime minister himself.
The minister had hoped to meet his Russian counterpart in Moscow. Instead, he will attend a celebration hosted by the Russian embassy in Bratislava, to which he has received an invitation.
In a video published online, Huliak also called on Slovak Ice Hockey Federation Chair Miroslav Šatan to select as many Slovak players from Russia’s KHL as possible for the upcoming World Championship.
IN OTHER NEWS
Slovakia’s opposition movement Slovensko accused Prime Minister Robert Fico’s government of racking up €12 billion in debt in just 18 months – the same amount amassed by previous administrations during the pandemic and energy crises. “The theatre is over,” said Slovensko leader and former prime minister Igor Matovič, arguing that Fico borrowed at crisis levels despite peacetime conditions. (TASR)
President Peter Pellegrini announced plans for a new rail corridor connecting the Italian port of Trieste with Bratislava and extending to Čierna nad Tisou, near the Ukrainian border. Speaking after the plenary session of the Three Seas Initiative summit in Warsaw, Pellegrini said the project, developed with Italy, could help Slovakia position itself as a key player in linking Ukraine to Mediterranean ports. (TASR)
Constitutional Court President Ivan Fiačan has again urged lawmakers to appoint a 13th judge, a seat that has remained empty for over 19 months. Calling it a matter of “the highest national interest,” Fiačan said he may formally address parliament, as he did in 2019, to press MPs to act. (TASR)
Slovakia’s Education Ministry wants to make kindergarten mandatory from the age of three – but a chronic shortage of teachers and classroom space threatens to derail the plan before it begins. (TASR)
Producer prices for Slovakia’s domestic market rose by 2.6 percent year-on-year in March, with 12 of 16 industrial sectors posting gains. Electricity and water supply costs continued their upward trend, while prices surged in rubber, plastics and transport equipment. Sharp drops in petroleum and metal prices softened the overall rise. For the first quarter of 2025, industrial prices were up 0.8 percent. (source: Statistics Office)
A farmer in eastern Slovakia faces up to six years in prison after the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) filed charges over fraudulent direct payment claims. The unnamed suspect allegedly sought EU subsidies for over 100 hectares of land he neither farmed nor had rental agreements for, causing potential losses of €53,000. The fraud reportedly took place between 2020 and 2022 and was uncovered by Slovakia’s Agricultural Payments Agency. A fine of up to €330,000 is also on the table, with the case now headed to the Specialised Criminal Court. Meanwhile, A Slovak mayor has been also indicted by the EU’s anti-fraud office for allegedly inflating costs on an EU-funded cycle route.
Demokrati deputy chair Juraj Šeliga has been charged with incitement over remarks made on the anniversary of journalist Ján Kuciak’s murder. Šeliga had warned President Peter Pellegrini not to consider granting amnesty to Marian Kočner, the alleged mastermind of the murder, saying such a move could provoke public anger to the point of “bringing down the Presidential Palace”. Šeliga learned of the charges from media reports and suggests the case may be part of a broader government campaign to discredit the opposition following last year’s assassination attempt on PM Robert Fico. “We expect that on the anniversary of the vile shooting of the prime minister, which we condemn, a so-called big story will emerge,” claimed Šeliga.
Zoos in Košice and Spišská Nová Ves have reopened following a partial easing of foot-and-mouth restrictions, while those in Bratislava and Bojnice remain shut due to their proximity to outbreak zones.
WEDNESDAY WEATHER BRIEFING: A mix of clear and partly cloudy skies will dominate the day, with only isolated showers expected. Daytime highs soar to a summer-like 20°C–27°C. Winds remain calm or light – perfect conditions for late-April sunseekers. (SHMÚ)
On the right, Mount Jelenec with its former military transmitter (925 metres above sea level) and blooming orchards on the hillsides below Veľká Javorina in the White Carpathians, as seen on Sunday, 20 April 2025. (source: TASR - Martin Medňanský)
HAPPY NAME DAY: April 30 is a special day for Anastázia, so if you know one, don’t forget to send your warmest wishes. Všetko najlepšie!
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