Good evening. Here is theMonday, October 30 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in fewer than five minutes.
An early taste of Slovakia's new foreign policy
Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán (left) and Slovak PM Robert Fico. (source: TASR/AP)
Slovak observers were closely watching Prime Minister Robert Fico's steps in Brussels for indications on whether he would live up to the fiery anti-Brussels rhetoric he and his colleagues espoused during three years in the opposition and, especially, during the recent election campaign; or whether he would say one thing to his Slovak audience while doing the opposite at EU summits.
"As long as they say the wrong things and do the right things, I think we are fine," Estonian premier Kaja Kallas, known for her robustly pro-Ukrainian stance, said about Fico.
Fico also made zealous claims in this regard at a session of the parliamentary committee on EU affairs, which he attended before flying to Brussels.
Reports that emerged from Brussels suggested that Fico’s actual position was rather more conciliatory, writes Michaela Terenzani in her latest Last Week in Slovakia overview.
MORE STORIES FROM THE SLOVAK SPECTATOR WEBSITE
POLICE: The new Interior Minister's police purges may result in hefty fines amounting to hundreds of thousands of euros.
TRAVEL: The hiking season is ending in Tatra National Park, allowing nature and animals to rest. Only select marked trails are open.
SPORT: From a small Slovak village to Arizona, US. A Slovak exchange student's height makes him a star on the local football team.
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FEATURE STORY FOR MONDAY
Famous department stores to get a new look
The original steel structure needs to be dismantled. (source: TASR)
The refurbishment of a pair of twin department stores – one a historical building dating from the 1930s, the other a later, 70s design – is currently changing the look of a key part of Bratislava’s city centre.
The work is on schedule and due to be completed in early 2025.
EVENT FOR THE NEXT MONTH
November belongs to photography
The Month of Photography showcases the work of both Slovak and foreign photographers. (source: SME Archive)
The annual Month of Photography festival in Bratislava will open on Wednesday, November 1 and last until November 30. The 33rd edition will focus on the 30th anniversary of the dissolution of Czechoslovakia and how both succeeding countries have fared ever since. There will be a selection of works of foreign photographers as well, with the biggest space given to Canadian singer Bryan Adams.
For more information, the programme and tickets click here (in Slovak - the English version is not working at the time of writing).
IN OTHER NEWS
The Faculty of Informatics and Information Technologies (FIIT) of the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava is planning to open a fully English study programme, becoming the first informatics faculty in Slovakia to offer comprehensive studies in the language. (TASR)
Most paediatricians have withdrawn their resignations from the outpatient emergency services. However, they expect the crisis in paediatric care to be addressed by the new government and demand comprehensive solutions. At the beginning of summer, over 400 paediatricians submitted resignations, citing an excessive workload and insufficient number of doctors, among other things. (TASR)
The National Crime Agency (NAKA) raided the Health Ministry on Monday. The raid concerned the ministry's call for the renovation of hospitals from the national recovery plan. The police confirmed the information, but refused to provide more details. The ministry announced that it was cooperating. (TASR, daily SME)
Due to illegal migration, Slovakia is going deploy police and soldiers to protect the border with Hungary, announced PM Robert Fico and Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok on Monday, adding that the deployment will start later in the evening. (Denník N).
People in Bratislava have already started laying wreaths and lighting candles ahead of All Saints' Day on November 1. (source: TASR)
WEATHER FOR TUESDAY
Overcast, expect rain in most of the country. Daily temperatures between 12 °C to 17 °C. Level 1 wind warning issued for westernmost Slovakia and level 2 wind warning issued for mountains in central and northern Slovakia. (SHMÚ)
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