Good evening. Here is the Wednesday, June 11 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in a few minutes.
Controversy erupts over rainbow flag removal at Volkswagen Slovakia
Volkswagen Slovakia. (source: SME - Marko Erd)
Smer MEPs Ľuboš Blaha and Erik Kaliňák have criticised the Slovak branch of Volkswagen for dismissing a worker who had removed a rainbow flag from outside one of its plants, Denník N reports.
The incident occurred in May at Volkswagen’s facility in Martin, northern Slovakia. Peter Janek, a long-time employee, took down the flag during his break, saying he opposed what he called “LGBT ideology”. Security staff intervened after cameras captured the act. Janek then threw the flag into a tree to prevent them from retrieving it.
A report was written about the incident, which Janek refused to sign, claiming it wrongly accused him of stealing the flag. He was dismissed shortly afterwards.
According to the daily, this was not the first time Janek had removed a rainbow flag. He had done the same thing the previous year, but that case was resolved through a discussion with the company.
Later, Janek shared his story at a public event organised by Blaha and Kaliňák in the nearby town of Turčianske Teplice. The MEPs posted a video of the meeting on social media.
“A foreign capitalist company tells a Slovak worker what he can and cannot think. For me, that’s unimaginable,” Blaha says in the video. He calls Janek a hero and claims the company wants to “destroy his livelihood for expressing his opinion”. According to Denník N, Janek said he removed the flag because it symbolised “sexual deviations in children”. He added that he has nothing against LGBT+ people, saying he knows some personally and is friends with them.
Blaha warned that Volkswagen’s actions must have consequences and asked “what will come next.”
Volkswagen Slovakia declined to give further details, saying: “In cases of breaches of binding legal regulations, internal rules or codes of conduct — which are clearly communicated to all staff — appropriate disciplinary action is taken, especially in repeated cases.”
LGBT+ organisation Inakosť highlighted a controversial statement made by MEP Erik Kaliňák in the video, where he claimed that “paedophiles may hide behind the rainbow flag”. Inakosť director Martin Macko said such claims are a harmful and long-standing form of homophobia, now reappearing in far-right rhetoric.
In Slovakia, top politicians often refer to the LGBT+ community as “perverse”, blaming it for the decline of Europe, among other things. Billboards attacking the community have also appeared, funding for LGBT+ groups has been cut, and the government is now proposing a constitutional amendment that activists say would further harm LGBT+ rights, not to mention human rights in general.
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FEATURE STORY
No water, no business
The low water level at the Domaša water reservoir in eastern Slovakia at the end of May 2025. (source: TASR)
When travelling through the Vranov nad Topľou district in eastern Slovakia, it is hard to miss the ruins of Čičava Castle. The castle stands prominently above the main road that runs alongside the Ondava River towards the large Domaša reservoir. This reservoir is the region’s main draw for summer tourism in northeastern Slovakia, writes Jozef Ryník in his report on everyday life in the district. However, ambitious plans for the reservoir might be in trouble.
EVENT FOR THE WEEKEND
Give it up for vintage trains
A still from the last year's edition of Rendez. (source: TASR)
On June 14–15, the so-called Old Depot, also known as the Rendez site, in Bratislava’s Rača district will host the 25th edition of the historic railway engine reunion. Visitors can view historic trains, including steam locomotives displayed on the turntable, and take a ride on selected engines around Bratislava. The event will feature swing and orchestra performances, model railways, and souvenirs. More details on the programme and train departure times are available here.
IN OTHER NEWS
PM Robert Fico (Smer) may be just short of the 90 MPs needed to pass a constitutional amendment. According to the daily Sme, 89 MPs are currently ready to support the change, though even more may be reconsidering. František Mikloško from opposition party KDH has now been joined by another MP from his party in opposing the amendment. Ján Ferenčák of coalition party Hlas also said he will not support it in its current form. The vote may be postponed until the first parliamentary session after the summer break. (SME)
The opposition SaS party has criticised Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer) for saying Slovakia will not support a new EU sanctions package against Russia. SaS called the statement irresponsible and damaging to Slovakia’s credibility in the EU and NATO. MP Juraj Krúpa said Fico is holding the EU hostage and accused him of failing to secure alternative energy sources during his previous terms. Fico said Slovakia would only support the sanctions if the European Commission offers a solution when supplies of gas, oil or nuclear fuel are cut off. (TASR)
The government is starting the €220 million reconstruction of eight regional railway lines. The project will be funded through the recovery plan, said Transport Minister Jozef Ráž (Smer nominee). The funding will also cover the replacement of power cables, as well as the renovation of bridges and platforms. (TASR)
On Wednesday, Slovak President Peter Pellegrini (right) and Spain’s King Felipe VI (second from right) visited the Lešť military training centre in the Banská Bystrica Region. They observed the NATO Multinational Battle Group, now under Spanish command. (source: TASR)
Work has begun to remove toxic polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from the former Chemko Strážske site, one of the most polluted locations in eastern Slovakia. A total of 150 tonnes of PCB waste will be removed by 35 lorries over the next three months and incinerated in Vienna. Once believed to be harmless, PCBs are now known to cause cancer, heart disease, thyroid problems and other serious health issues. (Korzár)
Controversial lawyer and YouTuber Zoroslav Kollár has called for the dissolution of the Zastavme Korupciu (Let’s Stop Corruption) foundation. He claims the group has repeatedly violated foundation laws by engaging in political marketing instead of promoting transparency and objectivity, calling it “undemocratic”. In response, the foundation noted that Kollár has admitted in court to bribery and involvement in covering up illegal cigarette production. (SITA, FB Zastavme Korupciu)
Progressive Slovakia remains the most popular party, topping the latest NMS Market Research poll with 23 percent support, up 0.2 percentage points from May. The ruling Smer party followed with 19.8 percent, down 0.8 points. The non-parliamentary far-right party Republika took third place with 9.4 percent, overtaking coalition partner Hlas, which dropped to 9 percent. Slovensko (7.1 percent), KDH (6.4 percent), and SaS (5.7 percent) would also make it into parliament. Demokrati narrowly missed the threshold with 4.9 percent. Coalition party SNS received 2.5 percent. The poll was conducted in early June with a sample of 1,003 people. (SME)
Spain footballers celebrate their 3-2 victory over Slovakia in what UEFA described as a thrilling game. In the background is Jakub Jakubko from team Slovakia. (source: TASR)
WEATHER FOR THURSDAY: Partly to mostly cloudy skies are expected, with daytime temperatures ranging between 23°C and 28°C, or up to 21°C in the northern areas. (SHMÚ)
JUNE 12 NAME DAY IN SLOVAKIA: Zlatko
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