Hello, and welcome to your Thursday, 28 August edition of Today in Slovakia.
Over the weekend, Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár picked a fight with the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAV) — not over its research, but because it liked satirical Zomri posts. One of the posts pointed out that SAV’s latest vaccine analysis failed to confirm claims by government envoy (and well-known vaccine sceptic) Peter Kotlár that mRNA Covid jabs are riddled with dangerous levels of DNA.
Kotlár, in his usual style, suggested that high levels of DNA in vaccines could rewrite people’s genetic code — likening it, bizarrely, to tampering with maize crops.
Let’s park for a moment the fact that SAV, for publishing its findings, is now catching flak from members of the ruling coalition who have rushed to defend Kotlár. The academy could have spared itself the circus by refusing to run the analysis in the first place — and by not offering a platform to sceptics like Kotlár or indeed Prime Minister Robert Fico (who, one suspects, has conveniently forgotten the thousands of Slovaks who died of Covid while he was loudly railing against vaccines). And besides, SAV is hardly the natural institution for this kind of testing.
Meanwhile, when Russia pummelled Kyiv between Wednesday night and Thursday, Blanár kept schtum. So did Fico. Unlike other European leaders who condemned the strikes, Slovakia’s top brass opted for silence. The only time Blanár spoke up was to urge Ukrainian leaders not to target the Druzhba oil pipeline — a line more in tune with Moscow’s interests than with Kyiv’s survival. And his ministry limited its condemnation of Russia’s latest Kyiv attacks to X — a platform little used in Slovakia compared with Facebook. The ministry did not post it on Facebook — nor did Blanár on his own profile. A message for the world stage rather than Slovak voters? Perhaps.
The EU’s envoy to Ukraine, Katarína Mathernová — Slovak, by the way — posted stark images of the EU building damaged in the attack. Her message was unambiguous:
“Putin will stop at nothing. He bombs, destroys, murders. This is not a military operation. This is terror.”
Strong words. And a reminder that there are Slovaks in diplomacy — not in Bratislava, but speaking for Brussels in Kyiv — willing to name the aggressor and stand with Ukraine. Which is more than can be said for Fico’s pro-Russian government, which seems to value cheap gas and oil over Ukrainian lives — and disinformation over science and facts.
Would a strike on the Slovak embassy in Kyiv shift the government’s view? Hard to say. But the reaction would be… instructive.
Anyway, enough geopolitics — let’s turn to Friday’s party.
Slovak National Uprising party
The summer opened with a €750,000 Cyril-and-Methodius jamboree at Devín. Now, as holidays draw to a close, Defence Minister Robert Kaliňák’s party ministry is finishing preparations for Friday’s 81st anniversary of the Slovak National Uprising (SNP) in Banská Bystrica.
The bill: The government has signed off more than €636,000 for the commemorations, with the Defence Ministry directly handling €395,000. Performers include Samuel Tomeček (€7,000), Kandráčovci (€10,000), tenor Martin Gyimesi, soprano Eva Hornyáková, Martin Harich, Ivana Regešová and a 35-member choir of teachers, with fees ranging from €2,500 to €13,500, according to Sme.
The extras pile up: €103,600 for police and security, €83,500 for state broadcaster STVR’s live feed, €54,000 for medics, €35,000 for commemorative newspapers, €18,000 for glossy books, €10,000 for “free” souvenirs (think straw hats and torches at Devín). Nearly €62,000 will go on catering and Hotel Lux rentals. Technical and staffing support worth €155,000 went, again, to Kaliňák’s favourite contractor, Lifepark.
Kaliňák insists the events are “completely free” for the public. Taxpayers, of course, foot the bill.
The wider tab:
SNP anniversary (2024): €2.7 million
Cyril & Methodius (2025): €750,000
WWII victory in Piešťany (2025): €705,000
Previous year’s sovereignty and Devín celebrations: €456,000
Next up: Armed Forces Day in Brezová pod Bradlom, complete with a €61,500 PR campaign.
The politics: Smer’s Agriculture Minister Richard Takáč, speaking on behalf of PM Robert Fico on 26 August, declared SNP “a cornerstone of statehood” and proof Slovakia was “on the right side of history”. He warned against extremism and told older generations to remind their children that freedom is never free.
But not everyone is celebrating. Folklore troupe Urpín pulled out of the official programme in Banská Bystrica, saying they refused to be linked with party politics. Shortly afterwards, their planned appearance at the state-run Agrokomplex fair in Nitra was cancelled too — officially for “organisational reasons”, unofficially seen as payback.
Elsewhere, the commemorations are not without controversy. On Jankov vŕšok, western Slovakia, a parallel event marking the uprising was meant to be moderated by TV host Richard Vrablec — until he discovered Russian-linked biker gang Night Wolves were also attending. He dropped out, citing the organisers’ failure to disclose their presence.
Programme: Friday kicks off at 10:00 with wreath-laying, followed by speeches, a military oath and cultural performances running until evening. No military parade, but there will be hardware displays, dog-handling demos and an SNP tent. Expect Fico, cabinet ministers, MPs — and international guests.
History keepers: Beyond the party politics, the Golian Military History Club in Banská Bystrica continues its quieter work — staging battle re-enactments, school programmes and film projects to keep alive the memory of the uprising and its fighters. “If we forget, history will repeat itself,” says chairman Martin Gago.
MORE STORIES FROM THE SLOVAK SPECTATOR WEBSITE
Debt spiral: Slovakia faces record borrowing costs as interest payments surge past €1 billion, piling pressure on the government to deliver a new consolidation plan.
Kidnap trial: Three decades after the SIS abducted the president’s son, Slovak courts edge closer to finally hearing the case against Ivan Lexa and allies.
Summer’s last hurrah: Bratislava closes out August with the Uprising festival, philharmonic tunes, historic fairs and a dash of satire from Kremnica to Bardejov.
Cinema country: With no Hollywood-scale studios, Slovakia has turned its castles, villages and landscapes into living film sets that draw both directors and tourists.
First pour: Slovakia’s 2025 burčiak is on the market, with winemakers banking on a stronger harvest after two lean years.
Capital highlights: From DJ sets and philharmonic concerts to an open day at the Presidential Palace, Bratislava offers plenty to fill the final days of summer.
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Stargazing in Slovakia
On the Spectacular Slovakia podcast, astronomy enthusiasts Marián Psár and Matúš Tondriška — hosts of the Slnečná zostava podcast — talk about Slovakia’s rare dark-sky parks and a new community-built observatory in Bratislava, highlighting the irony that Mayor Matúš Vallo scrapped the city’s planetarium project and seems less than star-struck himself.
IN OTHER NEWS
Finance Minister Ladislav Kamenický (Smer) said the government’s consolidation measures will be unveiled next Friday, 5 September.
Deliveries of oil to Slovakia have resumed after last week’s attack on the Druzhba pipeline, Economy Minister Denisa Saková (Hlas) confirmed.
The Council for Budget Responsibility raised its 2025 deficit forecast to €7.1 billion, or 5.2 percent of GDP, slightly higher than July’s projection.
Smer says the coalition could discuss moving local elections, amid speculation that PM Robert Fico wants them merged with the 2027 parliamentary vote.
The trial of Daniel Bombic, charged with multiple extremist crimes and known as a supporter of the current government, is set to open at the Specialised Criminal Court on 4 September.
The Foreign Ministry has received initial information from the UK regarding alleged interference in Slovakia’s 2023 parliamentary elections.
Progressive Slovakia would win a parliamentary election with 21.2 percent support, ahead of Smer on 18.7 percent and Hlas on 10.1 percent, according to a Focus poll for 360tka.
Slovakia’s population fell by 8,471 year-on-year to 5,413,813 as of 30 June, mainly due to fewer live births, according to the Statistics Office.
Slovak midfielder Tomáš Rigo has completed a move from Baník Ostrava, Czechia, to English Championship side Stoke City.
Slovak runner Emma Zapletalová set a new national record of 53.18 seconds in the 400m hurdles to finish second in the Diamond League final in Zurich, Switzerland — the best result ever for a Slovak athlete at the competition.
UEFA has handed Slovan Bratislava captain Vladimír Weiss Jr. a three-match European ban after he lost his temper following the club’s elimination by Kazakh champions Kairat, throwing a shin pad and kicking a member of the opposition’s staff.
Name days in the coming days: Nikola & Nikolaj (29 Aug), Ružena (30 Aug), Nora (31 Aug), Drahoslava (1 Sept).
Long weekend weather: Warm and mostly sunny Friday (27°C–34°C) gives way to a wet and stormy Saturday, with cooler highs around 21°C–29°C. Sunday stays unsettled with rain and local downpours before clearing later in the west (18°C–28°C). By Monday, sunshine returns with only scattered showers and temperatures back up to 23°C–30°C. (SHMÚ)
Friday is a public holiday in Slovakia, which means a long weekend — and no news digest. Enjoy the break, and see you Monday.
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