(source: SME.sk / Hej,ty)
Good evening. Here is the Thursday, December 28 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.
Nostalgia is justified for some Slovaks
The shopping behaviour is changing. (source: SME archive)
While there are still people in Slovakia who fondly recall life during the communist regime, hard data indicates that Slovaks are now, on average, much better off.
Not only is the range of goods available in shops incomparably vaster than in the 1980s, but people can also afford to buy more on their current wages.
This was not the case from the very beginning of Slovakia’s life as an independent country. It got off to a bumpy start in 1993, with independence preceded by three years of disorientating post-communist economic transformation.
Slovakia turns 30. Read more about the anniversary:
Bratislava as a capital city: Transformed skyline, but iconic buildings lost.
Citizens increasingly doubtful over Slovakia's independence.
The Canadian bookseller who took a chance and found a home in post-Mečiar Bratislava.
More stories on Spectator.sk
ENVIRONMENT: Christmas trees get a second chance in Bratislava.
NEW YEAR'S EVE: Bratislava to welcome the year 2023 in the streets again.
ECONOMY: Energy crisis will force Slovak economy into a recession in 2023.
If you like what we are doing and want to support good journalism, buy our online subscription. Thank you.
Feature story for today
Science in Slovakia has changed a lot in the past 30 years.
After the Czecho-Slovak breakup 30 years ago, the Czech Republic became a benchmark for Slovaks to compare themselves against in every walk of life. Yet, if Slovakia wants to be competitive, it has to compare itself to more developed countries, not only to the Czechs, says Pavol Šajgalík, chairman of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAV), in an interview with the Slovak Spectator.
Picture of the day
The Postal Museum in Banská Bystrica has opened an exhibition of the best works of Slovak engraver František Horniak. The exhibition lasts until January 27, 2023.
The picture depicts a postage stamp named "Umenie: Ladislav Medňanský – Potok za humnami", which won the Grand Prix de ľexposition WIPA in Vienna in 2005. Slovak postage stamps belong among the most beautiful in the world and regularly receive many awards. Find out more in an interview with Martin Vančo, head of POFIS, Slovenská Pošta's philately service.
(source: TASR)
In other news
As a result of warming in the past ten days, there was a significant decrease in snow cover in Slovakia, reports the Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute. The snow cover is mostly in the northern and eastern parts of the country. According to meteorologists, the forecast predicts an atypically warm turning of the years. Furthermore, more widespread snowfall is not in sight.
At the children's emergency department of Poprad hospital, the morbidity rate is the highest in the last ten years. During the Christmas holidays, they treated almost 300 patients. Up to 90 percent of patients have either the flu or similar illnesses. In many cities all over the country, including Bratislava and Banská Bystrica, people had to wait several hours to get into a doctor's room.
The city of Zvolen will once again not have any fireworks on New Year's Eve. According to Mayor Vladimír Maňka, it would cost approximately €5,000. The reason is primarily domestic and wild animals, who suffer greatly from the fnoise and environment as well.
Of all the regions in Slovakia, the Prešov Region has the biggest share of Christians in Slovakia, with more than 670,000 residents (more than 83 percent) belonging to one of the churches. On the other hand, the lowest share is in the Bratislava Region, with only 359,000 people (almost 50 percent) belonging to one of the churches.
On Wednesday, President Zuzana Čaputová signed the law on the state budget for 2023. The budget passed in a last-minute vote, as the voting was uncertain to the very end.
President Zuzana Čaputová considers the past twelve months to have been extremely difficult. In particular, she cites the negative impact of the energy crisis, inflation in the living standard and the atmosphere in society. The way the government has handled these situations, often resulting in drama to the very last moment, is also criticised by the president. However, despite everything Slovakia prepared one of the best recovery plans, and reforms for higher education, judiciary, public procurement and national parks, according to Čaputová. She says that the fight against poverty must be a priority because its consequences are much more expensive than prevention.
This year, the State Nature Conservancy response team killed eight brown bears, four animals killed by poachers.Earlier this year several brown bear encounters spurred fears among the population.
If you have suggestions on how this news overview can be improved, you can reach us at editorial@spectator.sk.
