Good evening. Here is the Monday, November 6 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.
New interior minister's crusades
Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok and PM Robert fico shake hands outside the Interior Ministry in Bratislava on October 30, 2023. (source: TASR)
Matúš Šutaj Eštok, the new interior minister, has made significant personnel changes, including dismissing the Police Corps president and suspending top police investigators who are whistleblowers.
This indicates a swift and determined effort by the government to replace key individuals within criminal prosecution bodies to align with their objectives, writes special contributor Michaela Terenzani in her Last Week in Slovakia opinion.
Additionally, Šutaj Eštok initiated a campaign to strengthen border security, deploying water cannons, drones, and police to deter migrants. Did it work?
"The fact that precisely no one was caught attempting to illegally cross the Slovak-Hungarian border on the night of the operation suggests that the move was either startlingly effective – or that the minister spent, by his own admission, €60,000 in public funds to demonstrate that he could immediately fulfill his promise to his voters," Terenzani points out.
More stories from The Slovak Spectator website:
Science: Slovak scientists have discovered a link between the severity of Covid-19 and the activity of an enzyme in blood, with decreased enzyme activity associated with a negative prognosis. Learn more about Slovak science in our overview.
Architecture: Bratislava might become home to one of the EU's tallest skyscrapers.
Business: Popular dm drugstore chain plans to expand their Aupark store in Bratislava, offering over-the-counter medications in the future.
Christmas: Bratislava's extended Christmas market in the historical centre, featuring 70 stalls, mead, and a cultural program, will run from November 23 to December 31, with added friendly zones.
Bratislava: Garáže, a legendary DIY music venue in Bratislava, faces potential closure as the area is eyed for urban development, but its spirit may live on in a new location.
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FEATURE STORY FOR MONDAY
Recognition for groundbreaking diabetes cure research
From left: Igor Lacík, Nobel Prize laureate Michel Mayor and ESET CEO Richard Marko (source: ESET Science Award/Linda Kisková Bohušová)
Igor Lacík, a polymer chemist, has received the ESET Science Award for his research on diabetes treatment with polymer materials. He's focused on creating water-soluble polymers for pancreatic islet transplantation, aiming to develop a functional cure for diabetes.
His work also involves water purification and applications in products like toothpaste and shampoo.
To find out more about this incredible scientist, read Matúš Beňo's story.
EVENT FOR THIS WEEK
Weekend of Closed Borders
Víkend Zatvorených Hraníc (Weekend of Closed Borders), an event through which Slovak people commemorate the value of freedom. (source: Bratislava Region)
The "Víkend Zatvorených Hraníc" event, organised by Bratislava Region, marks significant moments in Slovakia's modern history, highlighting the value of freedom and paying tribute to those who sacrificed their lives in pursuit of it.
This event takes place on November 11 by the Freedom Bridge in Bratislava-Devínska Nová Ves. People can get there by the special bus 'Iron Curtain', for which they can still register.
People can look forward to a brief military training, a walking tour that will be full of stories about those who tried to flee communist Czechoslovakia, and other interesting events.
In other news:
A 22-year-old Australian tourist was stranded in the Štôlska Dolina valley in the High Tatras on Sunday, November 5. Mountain rescuers came to his aid. He was found exhausted and cold after veering off the trail and stuck in undergrowth. He had not prepared well for the hike.
PM RobertFico (Smer) visited the Culture Ministry and emphasised the importance of preserving and promoting traditions and heritage of the Slovak nation. Fico called the ministry extremely important for Slovakia. The new culture minister, Martina Šimkovičová (SNS nom.), said: "Respect for other cultures does not mean mixing them with the Slovak one. If we want to be recognised as a nation with our own culture, let's put our historical political figures, our traditions, our history in the foreground."
PM Fico asked Defence Minister Robert Kaliňák (Smer) to review Slovak military equipment given military aid sent to Ukraine so far. The PM continues to refuse military aid to Ukraine. However, he does not plan to prevent Slovak arms firms from importing weapons. Kaliňák also wants to review political and commercial contracts. They both agreed to support the Slovak arms industry. Military aid to Ukraine, which is provided on a commercial basis within companies operating in Slovakia and the Czech Republic, has no influence on the position of the Slovak government in this matter and will continue, said Slovak MFA Juraj Blanár (Smer).
The District Court in Prešov ruled on Monday in the case of the segregation of Roma children in the primary school in the village of Terňa. The court found indirect discrimination and ordered the defendants to remove the problem. (TASR)
First snow in the High Tatras on November 5, 2023. (source: TASR)
WEATHER FOR TUESDAY: Tuesday weather will be mostly clear to partly cloudy with occasional increased cloudiness and only isolated showers. In the morning, there may be areas of fog or low clouds, which could persist for a while. The daytime temperature will range from 9°C to 16 °C. (SHMÚ)
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