Welcome to Today in Slovakia. Whether you are starting your day, on the move, or just catching up, here is what mattered on Thursday, 19 June.
Welcome to Slovakia’s saintly show
Prime Minister Robert Fico delivering a speech during the nationwide celebrations marking the 1,161st anniversary of the arrival of Saints Cyril and Methodius on the territory of present-day Slovakia. The event, titled The Message of Cyril and Methodius, took place at Devín Castle on 5 July 2024. (source: Sme - Marko Erd)
The government’s annual celebration of Saints Cyril and Methodius is raising eyebrows again – and not just because ministers are taking pride of place in front of the cameras.
After last year’s €450,000 festivities at Devín Castle in Bratislava sparked public backlash – and left citizens quite literally behind the fence – the Defence Ministry has decided that this year’s commemorations deserve even more flair, with a price tag of €750,000.
What is included for the extra cash: Expect mediaeval cuisine, historical re-enactments, artisan showcases and a grand evening programme broadcast live by the state broadcaster, STVR. Defence Minister Robert Kaliňák (Smer) insists the cost is not excessive for a full-day event.
Professional soldiers will also be deployed to support logistics. According to the ministry, the funding covers venue rental, police and emergency services, waste management, performers’ fees and production.
The opposition is not convinced: Progressive Slovakia leader Michal Šimečka called the budget “a mockery”, slamming the half-a-million-plus sum as “a party for the powerful”. “Three-quarters of a million for one day? They are having a laugh,” he told reporters, warning that the government is splurging during a period of fiscal consolidation. Šimečka also questioned why the Defence Ministry – rather than the Culture Ministry – is overseeing a civilian event, and warned of a broader pattern of military overreach: “Minister Kaliňák is gradually claiming more power at the expense of other ministries. The defence budget is now building hospitals and organising national holidays.”
SaS chair Branislav Gröhling called it pure self-promotion, saying, “While people struggle with soaring prices, medicine shortages and collapsing infrastructure, the government is throwing a party for itself.”
The celebrations marking the 1,150th anniversary of the arrival of Saints Cyril and Methodius on the territory of present-day Slovakia took place on Sunday, 7 July 2013, at Devín Castle in Bratislava. Pictured: Prime Minister Robert Fico delivering a ceremonial address. (source: TASR - Štefan Puškáš)
Culture insiders are baffled too: One events promoter told TV Markíza that the same money could book Bryan Adams or Sting. Former National Theatre director Matej Drlička said he had “never done a corporate event for €750,000”, noting that Anna Netrebko’s concert cost €230,000. “That budget would be a dream for a major German opera house – I am curious to see the programme,” he added. The entire 39-day Christmas market in Bratislava’s Old Town allegedly cost just €400,000.
Still no transparency: Despite multiple media requests, the Defence Ministry has not published the programme, a breakdown of costs, or the guest list – with just 16 days to go.
Why all the fuss about 5 July: Slovakia marks 5 July as a public holiday honouring Saints Cyril and Methodius, two 9th-century Byzantine missionaries credited with spreading Christianity – and literacy – across Slavic lands. Sent by the Byzantine emperor to Great Moravia (roughly present-day Slovakia and the Czech Republic) in 863, the brothers are celebrated for creating the Glagolitic script, the first alphabet used to write Old Church Slavonic. This later formed the basis of Cyrillic, still used in languages such as Russian, Ukrainian and Bulgarian. They are revered not only as religious figures but also as cultural pioneers. Cyril and Methodius are patron saints of Slovakia and co-patrons of Europe – though this year’s 1162nd anniversary is not exactly a milestone.
The government insists the scale of the celebrations is justified by the symbolic weight of the saints’ legacy. Critics say it is yet another example of wasteful spending dressed in patriotic robes.
Context check: In 2024, Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer) used the event to declare his now-infamous “dam against progressivism”. With rumours of early elections swirling and populist rhetoric gaining ground, the 2025 edition looks set to follow suit.
We shall be watching.
MORE STORIES FROM THE SLOVAK SPECTATOR
CHINA CHANNEL: Slovakia is opening the door to up to 1,000 skilled Chinese workers annually under a new visa scheme tied to strategic employers and strict vetting rules.
FENCE DEAL: Bratislava’s city council has controversially extended the US Embassy’s land lease until 2035, keeping its unpopular fence in the city centre – unless the embassy relocates.
DUAL DEPORTATIONS: A Slovak tourist was expelled from Vietnam for altering his e‑visa to overstay, while US ICE arrested another Slovak in New York for visa violations.
REVERSE MIGRATION: An American woman follows her family’s forgotten past all the way to Bratislava, moving to the city without ever having visited it.
DIGITAL FUTURE: Slovakia’s digital transformation hinges on ethical AI, resilient cybersecurity, and building a skilled workforce through cross-sector collaboration, writes AmCham’s Digital Committee chair.
REFUGEE SOLIDARITY: Drums, stories and a community march will mark World Refugee Day in Bratislava on Friday afternoon.
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INTERVIEW
Slovakia does not want smart foreigners
Milan Kurota (source: Sme - Marko Erd)
Slovakia has all but given up on attracting qualified foreigners, migration advisor Milan Kurota argues. A mix of dysfunctional bureaucracy, arbitrary decisions, and humiliating procedures is driving away talent while welcoming only cheap labour.
CRIME
Slovakia’s post-revolution nightmare dies in prison
In this archive photo from 17 January 1992, Ján Molnár (centre foreground) and his accomplice Ľubor Masár (centre background) appear at the Bratislava City Court, which handed both men exceptional sentences: life imprisonment in the country’s highest-security prison category. (source: TASR - Peter Brenkus)
Ján Molnár, serving a life sentence for a 1990 murder that shocked post-Communist Czechoslovakia, died on 17 June in the prison hospital in Trenčín, according to TV Markíza. He was 83.
WHAT HAPPENED: On 23 August 1990, Molnár and his accomplice Ľubor Masár attacked a young Dutch couple at a motorway rest stop in Austria. Gabriella Widdershoven–Groen, 21, was raped, forced to drink plum brandy, and strangled with a belt. Her husband Rene Widdershoven was bludgeoned with a hammer and axe, doused in petrol – and somehow survived. Molnár and Masár dumped the bodies by the road. The husband later identified them.
CONTEXT: The double attack – carried out just months after the Velvet Revolution – led to one of the first life sentences in post-communist Czechoslovakia. Moreover, the killing came just seven months after Czechoslovak President Václav Havel’s amnesty. “Biggest mistake of the regime,” said former criminalist Matej Snopko.
BACKSTORY: Both men were serial offenders. Molnár had already killed before. Masár had a long rap sheet.
WHAT HAPPENED AFTER: The court handed both men life sentences. Molnár tried – and failed – three times to get out early. Masár also applied for parole; Trenčín’s court rejected him again just weeks ago.
IN OTHER NEWS
Slovak MPs have begun their summer break and will not reconvene until 9 September, when they will face a packed agenda of postponed votes, including a constitutional amendment, controversial Covid amnesties, and ministerial dismissals.
Prime Minister Robert Fico attempted to secure a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz ahead of the upcoming European Council, but was unsuccessful, according to Slovak analyst Milan Nič in an interview with Aktuality.
State-owned heating plants supplied over 2.1 million megawatt hours of heat this season – up 10 percent from last year – before wrapping up a shorter-than-usual heating period that lasted an average of 232 days. The first to start was Žilina on 13 September 2024, and the last to stop was Martin on 2 June 2025. (SITA)
Slovakia is reinstating the right of reply in the media, with publishers now required to publish corrections free of charge if reporting harms a person’s dignity or reputation. Specialised “press senates” at district courts will handle disputes, under a law pushed through by the SNS party. (TASR)
A power outage hit large parts of Liptov and Orava on Thursday morning, cutting electricity to around 120,000 supply points across five districts. According to the distributor, the blackout was caused by a failure at the Liptovská Mara substation and was resolved within an hour. (TASR)
A Smartwings flight from Antalya to Prague made an emergency landing in Bratislava early Wednesday due to a suspected fuel leak. Passengers were unaware of the issue until after landing around 1 a.m. (Markíza)
Beckov Castle and a tower crane on the lower courtyard during restoration works on the west wing of the northern palace in Beckov, Saturday, 14 June 2025. (source: TASR - Martin Medňanský)
FRIDAY WEATHER BRIEFING: Mostly clear skies, with some temporary cloud cover in places. Daytime highs from 21°C to 26°C, around 19°C in the north. (SHMÚ)
ON THE NAME DAY RADAR: It is Valéria’s turn in the spotlight on Friday. Got one in your contacts? Time for a cheerful všetko najlepšie!
You have got me with you this Friday – our colleague Iryna Uias, who usually steers Today in Slovakia on Fridays, is off tackling her final university exams (fingers crossed there is a celebration waiting on the other side).
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