Good evening. Here is theWednesday, October 18 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.
Slovaks pay more than neighbours for groceries
(source: SME - Marko Erd)
Although Slovaks pay more for groceries than their Visegrad Group (V4) neighbours, they still throw away an average of between €100 and €150 worth of out of date or leftover food every year, according to new research.
A report by analyst Eva Sadovská from WOOD & Company showed the average Slovak household spends almost 20 percent of its monthly expenses on food, compared to the European average of 14 percent.
Slovakia's V4 neighbours - Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland - pay 5 percent, 12 percent and 28 percent less for groceries, respectively, says Sadovská, referring to 2022 Eurostat data.
But she said the pace of food price increases has gradually slowed this year.
While the vast majority of Slovaks have access to food, almost 16 percent of households cannot afford to have a proper lunch every other day. This largely affects elderly people living alone, single-adult households with minors, and two-adult households with more than three children.
There were 83 kilograms of food waste per inhabitant in Slovakia in 2020, according to data from the first pan-European monitoring of food waste, published in late 2022.
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FEATURE STORY FOR WEDNESDAY
No money means debating whether to have traffic lights on at night
St. Martin Cathedral in Bratislava. (source: TASR - Dano Veselský)
"Along with Sofia in Bulgaria, Bratislava remains the poorest capital of the European Union. This shame falls on several Slovak governments, so I will try to convince any government that Bratislava, as a city of Slovaks and foreigners alike, needs more money to flourish," says Bratislava Mayor Matúš Vallo in an interview.
He also talks about the criticism levelled at him for a new cycle path near the Danube river, the tram extension in Petržalka, and the new parking policy in the capital.
UPCOMING EVENT
The Little Prince like you have never seen him before
A special interactive exhibition in the Pistori Palace on Štefánikova Street in Bratislava will allow you to meet the famous Little Prince like you have never seen him before. The exhibition is open until December 20, with admission €4 for children and €6 for adults. For more information, click here (in Slovak).
IN OTHER NEWS
German company Winkelmann Group will receive state investment aid worth approximately €41.25 million. A future plant focused on the production of hot water storage tanks, especially for heat pumps, is expected to create 452 new jobs.
On Wednesday, Slovak MEP Martin Hojsík (Progresívne Slovensko/PS) was elected European Parliament vice-president. He will replace PS chair Michal Šimečka who will serve in the Slovak parliament. Hojsík becomes the second Slovak after Šimečka to serve as EP Vice President. In May, Hojsík was named one of the five most influential MEPs shaping environmental policy.
After more than 12 months, Slovakia has an ambassador in the Czech Republic. On Wednesday, Ingrid Brocková handed her credentials to Czech President Petr Pavel at Prague Castle.
Year-on-year inflation, as measured by the EU's Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices, was 9 percent in September, down from 9.6 percent in August, the Statistics Office reported on Wednesday. (TASR)
In the 39th calendar week of the year coronavirus levels in waste water grew slightly in all regions with the exception of Košice, the Public Health Office (ÚVZ) reported on its website on Tuesday.
WEATHER FOR THURSDAY
Cloudy, with rain expected gradually over the day in many places. Daily temperatures between 8 °C in the north-east and 21 °C in the south-west of the country. For the evening, a level 1 wind warning is in place for several districts in northern Slovakia around the Malá and Veľká Fatra, Low and High Tatras mountain ranges. (SHMÚ)
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