Good evening. Here is the Monday, December 30 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.
Don't forget to do your shopping for tomorrow in advance. Although December 31 is a working day, opening hours are generally shorter.
Reflections on life in Slovakia
First snow in the High Tatras. (source: TASR/Adriána Hudecová)
The Slovak Spectator's copy editors were invited to share their experience and reflections on life in Slovakia over the past year.
James Thomson has surely commented several times on the dismal state of public life in Slovakia, from Deputy Speaker of Parliament Andrej Danko's 'slapstick' attempts at driving, disturbing signs of official disregard for free speech, to the economy stuttering. But amidst all this gloom, he opines, it does not hurt to count our blessings once in a while – and in Slovakia we have many.
When Mark Taylor is not visiting a restaurant to write a review, he rides a bike in the Little Carpathians or walks his dogs. Not long ago during one such ride he saw more birds of prey than other vehicles, and regularly sees deer or mouflon scattering through the woods. And in his opinion this is one of Slovakia's best assets that need protecting.
Francisco Mejia first arrived in Slovakia more than 20 years ago, when the concrete paneláky in Bratislava's Petržalka were still gray and bleak, and eventually made a life for himself here. In his opinion, Slovakia is the rose that peers from the landfill mountain, thriving in the miasma. Find out what led him to this comparison.
Slovakia is a hard country to live in, says Oscar Brophy. He dreams that one day it will be easier. What is the problem, you may ask? Just like anywhere else, it's the bureaucracy. "Imagine if Slovakia was a nightclub. The Foreigners' Police are the bouncers. Have an ID? Check. Coming from inside the EU? Check. Do you have written permission from the owner of the club that you can be here? Huh?" he writes.
MORE STORIES FROM THE SLOVAK SPECTATOR WEBSITE
CULTURE: The purpose of a national anthem is to unite, but in Slovakia efforts to amend the national song are stirring deep divisions.
SLOVAK SCIENCE: Tackling humanity's problems is at the centre of Slovak scientists' research. Here is a selection of several achievements they have recently made in this regard.
PYROTECHNICS: Zoos, shelters brace for night full of firecrackers, call on people to not use them.
FREE TIME: Mark these Slovak holidays in your 2025 calendars. Also, there will be six long weekends next year.
HISTORY TALKS: The castle with a mysterious name never fulfilled its potential.
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FEATURE STORY
Crafting a wholesome beer-drinking experience
At Nilio, the goal is to pass on the message that there is an alternative to alcoholic beer, says Matúš Kozina. (source: Nilio)
When does a brewer know its non-alcoholic beer is a success?
When it’s served to customers and they complain they’ve been given an alcoholic beer by mistake. Matúš Kozina, head of sales and operations at the Nilio craft brewery in Liptovský Mikuláš, says this is not unusual when people first drink his company’s craft beers.
EVENT FOR TOMORROW
Celebrate the end of the year
Celebrations on Hviezdoslavovo Námestie square. (source: TASR)
Are you wondering how to spend and celebrate New Year's Eve? The streets of Bratislava will provide several opportunities for a lively atmosphere. In addition to the usual hub at Hviezdoslavovo Námestie square, music events will also be held at nearby the Františkánske Námestie and Rybné Námestie squares. The Christmas markets at Hlavné Námestie square will have extended opening hours until 1:00. But that is not the end of it, many clubs will hold parties and music concerts. Here are some tips on how to celebrate the end of 2024.
IN OTHER NEWS
According to Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer), he offered Slovakia as a suitable country for hosting peace talks related to the war in Ukraine and received a positive response from Russian President Vladimir Putin during his December Moscow trip. (TASR)
PM Fico warned that should Ukraine halt the transit of Russian gas, Slovakia may consider retaliatory measures, including the potential stopping of electricity supplies to the former. Fico claims that stopping the gas will be an extremely costly move for the entire EU, including Slovakia, and blamed the US for profiting the most from the EU reducing its dependency on Russian gas. In response, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky blamed the Slovak PM for planning to open up a second energy front against Ukraine at the behest by the Russian president. (TASR)
Slovakia's gas reserves are 76 percent full. The energy supplier SPP says that it has already concluded diversification contracts on gas with several companies, has access to gas from Azerbaijan, and also diversified transit routes. (SITA)
The coalition party SNS will support a Hlas candidate for the post of House chair at the next parliamentary session, with SNS chair Andrej Danko renouncing any claim to the post. The party wants the issue to be settled so that national interests and any problems arising within the coalition can be addressed. In response, Hlas appreciated the position of SNS, saying that the election of a new Speaker will be a step towards a more stable coalition. Over the past months, SNS wanted the post for itself since the election of former Hlas chair and House chair Peter Pellegrini as president. Hlas, however, opposed the idea and said that based on the coalition agreement, the post belonged to them. Both parties would repeatedly clash over the issue. (TASR)
Hikers near a spot known as Šikľavá Skala between the villages of Chrasť nad Hornádom and Matejovce nad Hornádom in eastern Slovakia. In winter, a stunning 10-metre long frozen waterfall usually formes here due to freezing temperatures. However, only 1-metre long icicles have formed so far due to mild temperatures. (source: TASR)
WEATHER FOR TUESDAY: Cloudy to overcast skies, foggy, with level 1 warning for the latter issued across the entire country, while level 1 ground ice warning issued for most districts, see the map here. Daily temperatures will rise to between -4 °C to 2 °C. (SHMÚ)
DECEMBER 31 NAME DAY IN SLOVAKIA: Silvester
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