Greetings. You’re reading the Wednesday, 9 July edition of Today in Slovakia. We’re eternally grateful to have you with us. Welcome!
Wednesday brought further developments in the ongoing Fico shooting trial – more on that in a heartbeat. Meanwhile, in eastern Slovakia, residents in several towns are still recovering from a severe storm earlier this week. Now, some communities are also facing warnings of potential flooding.
And yet, as Denník N notes, Interior Minister and self-declared social democrat Matúš Šutaj Eštok has not visited the affected region. (His ministry’s teams and units are on the ground, to be fair.) This absence comes despite his past criticism of political opponents who failed to visit eastern Slovakia following the 2023 earthquake. In all fairness, though, neither the prime minister (busy building the dam against progressivism), nor the president (busy posing with a football jersey and footballers), nor any other cabinet minister has made the trip this week. Holiday season, anyone?
Another headline – albeit not an entirely surprising one: the hip-hop festival Rubicon has been officially cancelled. After a series of controversies in a remarkably short span, what was meant to be a colossal cultural event in Bratislava has turned into a colossal failure.
But back to the main story of the day…
What we learned on Day Two of the Cintula trial
The second day of the trial of Juraj Cintula, accused of attempting to assassinate Prime Minister Robert Fico, brought new information – including Fico’s direct testimony and clarification on the deletion of Cintula’s Facebook profile.
“I didn’t know I was being shot at”
The court played a ten-minute video of Prime Minister Robert Fico’s testimony, recorded last summer at the Government Office. Speaking slowly and with long pauses, Fico described how he approached a small group of people after a cabinet session in Handlová on 15 May 2024, drawn in by an elderly woman waving at him.
“I heard sounds I didn’t recognise as gunfire, but felt a sharp impact in my abdomen,” Fico said. “I turned towards the ground. I remember four or five sounds.” He added: “I didn’t see anyone with a weapon. I remained conscious until the surgery in Banská Bystrica.”
Fico also confirmed he was standing about half a metre from the barrier when he was shot. Fico was not wearing a bulletproof vest. He did not see the attacker and has never reviewed video footage of the incident.
In response to questions about his health, Fico said that approximately ten weeks after the attack, he stopped using a walking aid. However, mobility in his left leg remains restricted, and a hip replacement is likely. He also continues to suffer from digestive problems, requiring a special diet. These issues were still affecting his schedule as recently as spring 2025.
Gunfire mistaken for firecrackers: Several witnesses, including bodyguards and police, initially mistook the shots for firecrackers. Cintula used this to criticise the security team, saying professionals should know the difference.
Meta, the Palace, and the deleted Facebook profile
The trial also addressed the removal of Cintula’s Facebook profile, which had become a subject of political speculation.
On Wednesday, prosecutor Katarína Habčáková read a letter from Meta addressed to the Presidential Palace, explaining that the profile had been deleted under Meta’s standard policy to remove accounts of perpetrators of violent attacks in order to prevent glorification.
This followed earlier public remarks by Fico’s legal representative Dávid Lindtner, who pointed to email communication between Meta and Metod Špaček, head of the president’s office under President Zuzana Čaputová, implying possible coordination.
Špaček later clarified that Meta had contacted the Palace after the attack, to inform them of the deletion – not to request permission or coordination. The information was forwarded to investigators. Other state institutions received similar notifications, as Defence Minister Robert Kaliňák confirmed last year.
Terrorism? The prosecution maintains that the act constitutes terrorism, arguing that Cintula attacked the government as an institution. Lindtner echoed this view in court, stating that the charge is justified. The defence, however, continues to argue that the act was a targeted personal attack, not one motivated by political or ideological intent.
Fico’s lawyer accuses media of glorifying Cintula: The prime minister’s lawyer claimed Cintula is being “glorified to some extent” and suggested the media are partly to blame.
Motivated by anger, not hatred: Juraj Cintula reiterated on Wednesday that he felt anger, not hatred, towards PM Robert Fico – citing Fico’s past remark calling the cultural community “spiritual vagrants”. In earlier testimony, he criticised the government’s pro-Russian stance, labelling it “Judas-like” towards the EU, and said he wanted Fico physically incapacitated so he could no longer serve as prime minister. (TASR)
No apology from Cintula – yet: Although Juraj Cintula previously claimed he regretted the attack and intended to apologise to PM Robert Fico, no such apology – written or verbal – has been made. Fico’s lawyer Dávid Lindtner and Cintula’s own defence both confirmed no message has been delivered. (TASR)
What’s next: The trial continues on 5 August, with further hearings scheduled for 19 and 26 September, and 2, 8, and 21 October. Prosecution witnesses – including members of Fico’s security team and a camera operator – are expected to testify next.
MORE STORIES FROM THE SLOVAK SPECTATOR
Von der Leyen targeted: The European Parliament will vote on a no-confidence motion against Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, led by far-right MEPs and backed by 79 signatories, including several Slovaks.
Shifting roles: HR professionals are moving from admin to advisory roles, focusing on communication and coaching.
Market town history: Rimavská Sobota, once a key trading hub in central-eastern Slovakia, has a storied past marked by Ottoman invasions, religious conflict, and imperial visits.
Caravan rally coming: Slovakia will host the 98th International F.I.C.C. Rally in 2026, expected to draw thousands of caravanners and spotlight the country as a travel destination.
Tax trouble ahead: Slovakia’s worsening tax and social security burden is discouraging investment, despite strong trade ties with Germany.
LABOUR WATCH – WHAT WORKERS WANT IN 2025: Flexibility, purpose, and digital skills top the list, according to ManpowerGroup’s new report on global work trends. Slovakia’s labour market is shifting fast – and employers will need to keep up.
TRAVEL
Behind the steam: stories from Žitný ostrov’s thermal tourism pioneers
Southern Slovakia’s Žitný ostrov (Rye Island) is bubbling with potential – from caravan-packed thermal resorts in Dunajská Streda and Veľký Meder to tranquil guesthouses shaded by plane trees. But despite rising visitor numbers and a growing appetite for wellness and agritourism, local pioneers say Hungary still outpaces Slovakia in marketing, infrastructure, and state support. Turning hot springs into lasting prosperity will take more than steam – it will take strategy, writes our one-and-only adventurer Jozef Ryník.
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IN OTHER NEWS
Slovakia has once again blocked the EU’s 18th sanctions package against Russia at the level of permanent representatives, Euronews reports.
Justice Minister Boris Susko (Smer) claims the rise in retail crime should not be attributed to the amended Criminal Code but rather to economic hardship and declining living standards. He was responding to concerns from retailers, who began reporting a surge in theft roughly a year ago – soon after a new law, pushed through by the Smer-Hlas-SNS coalition, raised the threshold for prosecuting theft as a criminal offence from €266 to €700. Susko has instead proposed changes to the misdemeanour law, including mandatory community service for minor offences. (TASR)
Only around 25 percent of Slovak employees are covered by collective agreements – far below the near-universal coverage seen in Austria, Italy, and Nordic countries, union leader Monika Uhlerová warned on Wednesday.
Slovakia’s Social Insurance Agency (Sociálna poisťovňa) will notify self-employed workers of their social contribution obligations by 21 July, covering any changes to their insurance status or payment amounts effective from 1 July 2025. The notifications will be sent automatically.
Slovakia has completed a landmark phase in the decommissioning of its V1 nuclear power plant at Jaslovské Bohunice – the first project of its kind and scale globally. More than 15,000 tonnes of equipment were dismantled, 98 percent of materials decontaminated, and radioactive waste safely stored, largely funded by EU partners. (SITA)
The European Parliament on Wednesday approved the release of over €280 million from the EU Solidarity Fund to help countries hit by severe floods last autumn. Slovakia will receive €2.1 million to address the damage caused by extreme weather. (TASR)
Slovakia has secured over €141 million from the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility – one of its largest-ever transport grants – to modernise key railway infrastructure. The bulk of the funding will go towards upgrading the Vydrník–Spišská Nová Ves line, a strategic route between Poprad and Košice. Planned improvements include boosting speeds to 160 km/h, cutting travel times, and electrifying the line. (SITA)
Slovakia recorded a foreign trade surplus of €560.8 million in May 2025 – the highest since June 2024 – as exports rose 3.1 percent year-on-year to €9.4 billion, while imports fell 1.9 percent to €8.8 billion. (Statistics Office)
Slovakia’s Foreign Ministry, in cooperation with Comenius University’s Faculty of Law, is launching a new training programme to prepare experts for Slovakia’s potential non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council in 2028–2029. (TASR)
Slovakia is engaged in what the Environment Ministry calls a “factual discussion” with Hungary over the Gabčíkovo hydropower plant ruling – but denies that any agreement has been reached. The ministry hit back at criticism from opposition party Progressive Slovakia (PS), accusing it of political fabrication and “ignorance of international law”, after PS claimed Minister Tomáš Taraba is undermining Slovakia’s interests in the talks.
THURSDAY WEATHER BRIEFING: Mostly cloudy to overcast with occasional rain or showers, especially in the north and east. Daytime highs: 19°C to 24°C, around 17°C in northern regions. (SHMÚ)

THURSDAY EVENING IN BRATISLAVA: On 10 July at 19:00, come to Rómerov dom in Bratislava for an evening with Chinese author Yan Geling. Yan, born in Shanghai, served as a dancer in a PLA entertainment troupe from age 12 during the Cultural Revolution and left the army a decade later with the rank of lieutenant colonel. Today, she is the author of acclaimed novels, novellas, screenplays and essays.
ON THE NAME DAY RADAR: It is Amália’s turn in the spotlight on Thursday. Got one in your contacts? Time for a cheerful všetko najlepšie!
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