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A coalition MP’s rebellion
Hlas MP Samuel Migaľ. (source: TASR – Jaroslav Novák)
Robert Fico’s ruling coalition, comprising 76 legislators — the smallest majority possible — continues to face challenges in the debating chamber. On Thursday, it managed to pass a number of bills, including those on construction and cybersecurity law. However, the vote on amendments to two other key laws — the Act on Sport and the Act on the Sport Fund, both high priorities for the far-right Slovak National Party (SNS) — was postponed until December 5.
The delay was caused by Samuel Migaľ, a coalition MP from the Hlas party, who refused to back these amendments on Wednesday evening. Migaľ chose not to present himself via the device tracking legislators’ presence in the chamber, and nor did any independent or opposition MPs, reducing the number of legislators present to fewer than the required 76, effectively paralysing the session momentarily. Migaľ’s rebellion stemmed from the SNS’s refusal to allow him to co-write the amendments related to sport.
SNS leader Andrej Danko described Migaľ’s actions as “brave,” claiming he had violated the coalition agreement by refusing to support the government’s bills. He added that he saw no issues with the submitted sport-related amendments, instead accusing Migaľ of attempting to push through changes that would benefit individuals close to him, including his daughter, who reportedly competes in hobby horsing.
“I won’t respond to Mr Danko’s nonsense,” Migaľ retorted on Thursday. He also remarked, “If Mr Danko didn’t notice a traffic light pole,” — a reference to Danko’s bizarre accident with a traffic light in January — “it’s no surprise he failed to notice my reservations about these amendments.”
Both Migaľ and Danko, along with Tourism and Sport Minister Dušan Keketi (SNS nominee), have expressed a willingness to negotiate ahead of next week’s vote. However, the SNS reportedly plans to reject Migaľ’s proposals. Meanwhile, the Hlas party is working to persuade Migaľ to reconsider his stance.
Deputy Speaker of Parliament and SNS leader Andrej Danko in parliament on November 26, 2024. (source: TASR – Martin Baumann)
A ticking bomb in Hlas: Samuel Migaľ is one of the few Hlas legislators who occasionally votes differently from the rest of the coalition. Alongside him are Hlas MPs Radomír Šalitroš and Roman Malatinec, who have both criticised the SNS – which also controls the Culture Ministry – for making major grant schemes dysfunctional or delayed. The trio refused to support the September vote on the removal of opposition leader Michal Šimečka (PS) from his post as one of the deputy speakers of parliament, a move that led SNS leader Andrej Danko to criticise them.
Another ticking bomb in Hlas: Ján Ferenčák, who chairs the European Affairs Parliamentary Committee, has recently expressed opposition to a proposal by coalition MP Richard Glück of Smer, the man who believes raped women should report the crime immediately. Glück suggested that Prime Minister and Smer leader Robert Fico should not be obliged to attend committee sessions before leaving for his European Council meetings in Brussels. According to Denník N, Ferenčák is not the only coalition MP who disagrees with Glück’s proposal, which he insists is his own and not Fico’s initiative. These sessions are among the last opportunities for the opposition to hold Fico to account, as he often avoids direct discussions with them.
Fight: One key issue that remains unresolved is the disagreement between Hlas and the SNS over who should be the speaker of parliament. Hlas wants to settle this before the current parliamentary session ends in mid-December, but Danko appears to have a different view. As a result, Hlas has refused to vote on other positions, including members of the state broadcaster’s (STVR) board. Additionally, the coalition remains divided over the controversial bill concerning non-governmental organisations.
Prime Minister Fico has declined to comment on the coalition’s internal struggles, only acknowledging that his government holds a slim majority. Danko insists that having just 76 legislators is not a problem, but some members of the coalition disagree. “76 is a very narrow majority. A single traffic accident on the motorway could cause a problem,” said Deputy Speaker Tibor Gašpar of Smer earlier this week. When Migaľ was asked if he could see the coalition functioning this way in the next three years, he was not optimistic.
“Hardly,” he said on Thursday.
New rules: Earlier this week, coalition legislators approved new rules for the ongoing session. In an unusual move, they will also debate on Mondays, December 2 and 9, from 9:00 to 20:00. Additionally, their lunch break will be reduced from two hours to one. Voting will take place twice a day, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and once a day on Wednesday.
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HISTORY TALKS
What’s the story behind this postcard?
House No 18, as seen in the middle of this card, was a typical viticulturists’ building. (source: Courtesy of Branislav Chovan)
In 1914, as the world plunged into war, Bratislava welcomed Karl Hugo Frech, a South German painter captivated by its charm. His works, which document the city’s lost beauty and winemaking traditions, offer a glimpse into a bygone era when even “broken arms” lured visitors to wine cellars.
FESTIVAL
Lights, camera, Italia!
MittelCinemaFest brings the best of contemporary Italian cinema to Kino Lumière in Bratislava from November 28 to December 1. This year’s lineup celebrates fearless female heroes.
IN OTHER NEWS
From the start of the new year, gluten-free flour, bread, and baked goods will be added to the list of food items subject to a reduced VAT rate of 5 percent. (Parliament)
On Thursday, a proposal to condemn Prime Minister Fico’s planned trip to Moscow was raised in the European Parliament. The last-minute initiative, led by Dutch MEP Thijs Reuten, was blocked by a group of far-right MEPs, including some from Slovakia.
Several Slovak universities received threatening emails on Thursday, prompting evacuations of their buildings. Affected institutions included the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Comenius University in Bratislava, the University of Trnava, and the University of Pavol Jozef Šafárik in Košice. (Police)
On Sunday, November 24, a man in an intoxicated state was attacked from behind by police officers while walking home from a nightclub in Trenčín, resulting in a torn ear. The Demokrati party claims he was further assaulted at the police station and alleges to have video evidence of another incident in Bánovce nad Bebravou, where police officers beat a man, stripped him, and left him on the street. These are merely the latest examples of police brutality in Slovakia.
The National Motorway Company (NDS) plans to connect another branch of the D1 and D4 highway junction from Trnava to Bratislava’s Rača this weekend. As a result, the D1 highway will be closed in the direction of Bratislava between Senec and Zlaté Piesky from 15:00 on Friday (November 29), with a full closure starting at 17:00 and lasting until 5:00 on Monday (December 2), with diversions in place.
How to bypass the D1 highway closure near Bratislava this weekend: Senec-Veľký Biel-Bernolákovo-Bratislava-Vajnory. (source: Facebook - Bratislava Region Police)
The European Commission will review the hunting quota for the grey wolf and the justification for lifting its year-round protection in Slovakia. The non-parliamentary party, Demokrati, filed a complaint on Thursday, arguing that the decisions made by the Environment Ministry lacked relevant reasoning and violated EU habitat directives, particularly concerning the planned culling of 74 wolves for the 2024/2025 season.
Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer) and Economy Minister Denisa Saková (Hlas) announced on Thursday that a criminal complaint had been filed regarding the preparation of land for the Volvo car factory in eastern Slovakia. They claim that the previous management of the state-owned Valaliky Industrial Park concealed information about high groundwater levels, leading to additional costs of around €50 million, a claim denied by former deputy economy minister Karol Galek (SaS).
On Thursday, lawmakers approved new legislation aimed at enhancing the protection of the European Union’s financial interests in Slovakia, a move requested by the European Commission. The law will establish a specialised unit for serious crime within the General Prosecutor’s Office, following the government’s decision to abolish the Special Prosecutor’s Office in March 2024, and will require prosecutors to undergo specialised training in EU financial protection. (Parliament)
The most transparent public companies of 2024 are Mestské lesy Košice (Municipal Forests of Košice), Všeobecná zdravotná poisťovňa (state-owned health insurance company, ed.), and Železničná spoločnosť Slovensko (state-owned train company, ed.). Over the past five years, state, municipal, regional, and university-owned companies have improved their transparency, with the average score rising from 40 percent in 2019 to 46 percent today, although 46 companies still fail to meet even this average, said Transparency International Slovakia.
Parliament has repealed the law that strictly prohibited the import of radioactive waste for incineration in Slovakia, a law passed by Eduard Heger’s government in 2021. Demokrati, of which Heger is a member, claims the repeal was unlawful, accusing it of being driven by lobbying interests.
A snow groomer (in the background) clears snow ahead of the winter season at the Ski Čertovica resort, located between the districts of Liptovský Mikuláš and Brezno, central Slovakia, on Thursday, November 21, 2024. (source: TASR – Ján Krošlák)
The European Commission has approved Slovakia’s fiscal consolidation plan, which will see the country face the toughest measures in the EU over the next four years due to its high deficit and ageing population. Slovakia aims to reduce its deficit below 3 percent of GDP by 2028, with debt stabilising and gradually decreasing, while also committing to regular reports on deficit-reduction efforts under the Excessive Deficit Procedure. (SITA)
FRIDAY’S WEATHER: Friday’s bringing a blanket of clouds, so don’t expect much sunshine. Up in northern Slovakia, it’s snow time above 600 metres, while those at lower altitudes will have to settle for rain—sorry, no snowman-building just yet! Temperatures will range from 4°C to 9°C, with the north shivering at a frosty 2°C. Oh, and watch your step—central Slovakia’s got an ice warning in place until late morning. (SHMÚ)
PARTY TIME: Happy namesday to all the Vratkos out there! Celebrate in style this Friday, November 29—it’s your special day in Slovakia!
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