News digest: Slovakia gets two EU court referrals in a day

Good evening. Here is the Wednesday, April 19 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.

Slovakia in dock over Roma segregation

The Supreme Court has ruled that Roma children attending a primary school in Stará Ľubovňa - Podsadek are segregated. (source: SME - Tibor Somogyi)

The European Commission has referred Slovakia to the EU Court of Justice for not sufficiently addressing discrimination against Roma children at school.

They are often placed in special schools and even those in mainstream education still face segregation.

Find out more about the Roma community in Slovakia:

Supreme Court rules school in eastern Slovakia segregates Roma children.
Healthy relationship with Roma minority a necessity, experts say.
Romani disappearing from Roma communities.
Fearless Roma people boo far-right politician, call him a fascist
EU Commissioner: There are EU funds to help Roma, but why aren't they used in Slovakia?

MORE STORIES FROM THE SLOVAK SPECTATOR WEBSITE

DEFENCE: Slovak company to help produce Swedish combat vehicle, starting next year.
SURVEY: Almost half of Slovaks cannot afford an unexpected €400 outlay. People on the fringes have trouble, making the country fertile ground for populists.
LEISURE: Revitalisation of Pink Park in Trnava coming to an end and it could soon be open to locals and visitors.

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FEATURE STORY FOR WEDNESDAY

Ukrainian student gives Slovak traditional food a try

Dough for šúľance. (source: M. J. for The Slovak Spectator)

Yehor Zhukov is struggling for space in the tiny, dingy university dormitory kitchen where he is trying to make Slovak traditional potato-based noodles šúľance. Zhukov has decided to try and make šúľance more out of necessity than anything else.

“If I could, I’d prepare Ukrainian meals regularly, but they need time, space and care,” he says.

EVENT FOR THURSDAY

Come and discover new Slovak music

The SHARPE music festival and conference starts tomorrow at Nová Cvernovka, Bratislava, showcasing performers from Slovakia, Europe and beyond. Lash&Grey, a soul and jazz duo that has won several Radio_Head Awards, will open Thursday's line-up.

More English information about the event can be found on Facebook or on the official website.

In other news

Slovakia was referred to the EU Court of Justice over public hospitals' excessive payment delays to suppliers. The delays harm the competitiveness and resilience of businesses working in the health sector, especially smaller and medium ones, the European Commission, which made the referral to the court, said.
European Commission Deputy Director-General for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Katarína Mathernová, the highest-ranking Slovak in EU structures, will head the EU diplomatic mission in Ukraine from autumn for at least three years.
Consumer prices in Slovakia rose 14.8 percent year-on-year in March. Harmonized inflation slowed from February's 15.4 percent, the Statistical office reported.
National Bank of Slovakia Governor Peter Kažimír will file an appeal against a ruling by the Specialised Criminal Court which found him guilty of bribery, fining him €100,000 and handing him a suspended sentence of two years. Kažimír claims he is innocent.
The reconstruction of Sliač airbase, Banská Bystrica Region, will not affect the delivery date of F-16 aircraft, interim Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď said on Wednesday. Reconstruction work at the base is forecast to cost €200,000,000.