Good evening. Here is the Wednesday, June 26 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.
Controversial street name breaks law
The controversial street in the village of Varín near Žilina, northern Slovakia. (source: SME - Jozef Jakubčo)
Jozef Tiso is responsible for tens of thousands of Slovak Jews being sent to their deaths during WWII. In 1993, a street bearing his name was approved in the village of Varín near Žilina, northern Slovakia.
Previously, the street bore the name of a Slovak National Uprising hero. Nobody in the village knows why the street name was changed, nor who made such a decision.
In May 2022, General Prosecutor Maroš Žilinka proposed removing Tiso's name, arguing that the name goes against the law. The Varín municipal council did not succumb to the protest and voted to keep the wartime president and convicted war criminal in the name of the street, with one councillor against it. Because the council did not comply, Žilinka filed a lawsuit in the Regional Court in Žilina in September of that year.
Now, the Banská Bystrica Administrative Court has sided with Žilinka. The Varín council will have six months to change the name.
Varín Mayor Michal Cvacho says that he will wait for the delivery of the court decision and that the councillors will then decide whether they want to appeal.
Lenka Ticháková is the only councillor who has campaigned to change the name for a long time as she herself lives there. In her own words, she is ashamed of it. She welcomed the court's decision.
Related: There are many streets in Slovakia named after controversial figures from its history. One man uses magnets to turn a square celebrating killers into a square commemorating their victims.
MORE STORIES FROM THE SLOVAK SPECTATOR WEBSITE
MILITARY: Arms factory worth millions is heading eastwards.
BUSINESS: A unique bio-fertilizer discovery turns a Košice-based firm's business on its head.
FREE TIME ACTIVITY: Braving ridicule and mockery, children form a community around riding plush horse heads.
TRAVEL: Don't hold your pee. Slovakia's second-highest lookout tower offers new service.
SLOVAK ROOTS: Remembering the past, looking into the future.
BRATISLAVA: Changes to the capital's public transport apply from July 1.
If you like what we are doing and want to support good journalism, buy our online subscription with no ads and a print copy of The Slovak Spectator sent to your home in Slovakia. Thank you.
FEATURE STORY FOR WEDNESDAY
Visiting a museum of emigration
Kasigarda, a museum of emigration from Slovakia to North America. (source: Matúš Beňo)
It is estimated that before World War I, about 650,000 Slovaks had emigrated to America.
"One-third of the nation emigrated without any reflection in Slovak society," explains historian Martin Javor who founded Kasigarda, a museum of emigration from Slovakia to North America. The aim is to preserve their cultural heritage. The Slovak Spectator visited the museum located in a village in eastern Slovakia, with Javor giving us a guided tour.
EVENT FOR THE WEEKEND
Meet foreigners
Banská Štiavnica (source: SME)
The [fjúžn] na Cestách (on the road) event offers a unique opportunity to get to know foreigners living in Slovakia, their culture and much more outside of Bratislava. This year's edition will take place from June 28 to 30 in Art Cafe in Banská Štiavnica, central Slovakia. Visitors can expect musical performances, a quiz, an unconventional walk through the town, discussion and more, meaning young and old will find something to their liking. Learn more here.
IN OTHER NEWS
Slovakia drew 1-1 with Romania in their Group E match at Euro 2024 on Wednesday evening, securing their place in the round of 16. In the round of 16, they will face England. The match will take place at 18:00 on June 30 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.
The Hlas party will neither give up nor trade the post of Speaker of Parliament, says Investment Minister and the party's candidate for the post, Richard Raši, adding that they want voting in Parliament to be held once an agreement in the coalition is reached. "We insist that this post belongs to us and there is no other alternative," states Raši. He also notes that this is in line with the coalition agreement, which was drafted based on the results of the general election. (TASR)
On Tuesday, Czech PM Petr Fiala said that any thoughts in regards to resuming intergovernmental consultations with Slovakia would be premature at this point. In early March, the Czech Republic decided to suspend consultations over Slovakia's stance on the war in Ukraine, stating that the government disapproves of some steps taken by its Slovak counterpart in the foreign-political sphere, including refusing to support Ukraine militarily, or the meeting of Slovak MFA Juraj Blanár with the Russian MFA Sergey Lavrov.
In response, the Slovak Government Office on Wednesday said it did not view Fiala's statement, made one day before Slovak President Peter Pellegrini's official visit, as respectful and conducive to good neighbourly relations. (TASR)
Czech President Petr Pavel (centre left) received Slovak President Peter Pellegrini (centre right) on Wednesday during the latter's first trip abroad after inauguration. (source: TASR)
Smer lambasted the Czech police's approach to public comments approving the May assassination attempt on party chair and PM Robert Fico, citing certain media reports claiming that the Czech police have refused to prosecute the authors of posts endorsing the attack. Taking to social media, the Czech police claimed that its decisions are substantiated and that it is bound by Czech criminal code law. At the moment they are investigating several reports. (TASR)
President Peter Pellegrini signed an amendment to the law on the Slovak Arts Council (FPU). In line with new rules, the provision of €30 million from FPU will be decided by the fund's council, which will be controlled by the Culture Ministry through its nominees. The nationalist Slovak National Party is responsible for the ministry. (TASR)
The government approved Maroš Šefčovič's candidacy for the post of a European Commission member between 2024 to 2029. He has served as one since 2009 and was responsible for the European Green Deal, Brexit, negotiations with Switzerland, joint gas purchases and the European Battery Alliance. (TASR)
WEATHER FOR THURSDAY: Cloudy to overcast skies, with daily temperatures between 24 °C to 29 °C. Showers, rain and storms expected in many places. Level 1 storm warning issued for western and central Slovakia at night. See map here. (SHMÚ)
JUNE 27 NAME'S DAY IN SLOVAKIA: Ladislav, Ladislava
Thank you for subscribing and reading. It means a lot to us.
P.S. If you have suggestions on how our news overview can be improved, you can reach us at editorial@spectator.sk.
Follow The Slovak Spectator on Facebookand Instagram(@slovakspectator).
