Good evening. Here is the Wednesday, April 30 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.
Don't forget, tomorrow is International Workers' Day, which means a national holiday and thus almost all shops are closed. Also, the news digest will return on Friday.
Slovakia at the centre of rearmament
155 mm calibre artillery ammunition. (source: SITA/AP)
During the celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Bratislava, Prime Minister Robert Fico criticised Slovakia's NATO allies for increasing defence spending and questioned why the EU should allocate €800 billion for rearmament. He also hinted at a possible referendum in this regard.
What he failed to mention, though, is that Slovakia is one of the largest exporters of ammunition to Ukraine; that companies send supplies to other countries where they are redirected to Ukraine with the consent of the state; and that in 2024 Slovakia exported the most weapons and ammunition in its history worth €1.15 billion, with heavy artillery ammunition intended for Ukraine making up 83 percent.
And that pales in comparison to what can be expected in the coming years, reports the Sme daily.
Slovakia will find itself in the centre of the massive European rearmament effort worth €800 billion, one that the PM criticised, but the country nevertheless supported.
By 2027, two European arms companies - German Rheinmetall and Czech Czechoslovakia Group - will be able to boast that they can produce 155-milimitre ammunition without the help of third-party companies. Both Almost the entire production chain of both will be in Slovakia.
In early October last year, arms company ZVS Holding opened a new line to produce large-calibre ammunition in Snina, eastern Slovakia. The state owns one half of the company via DMD Holding, the other half is owned by company MSM Group, itself owned by Michal Strnad's Czechoslovakia Group. Strnad has ties with Defence Minister Robert Kaliňák (Smer).
In addition, at the same time, MSM Group started to renovate the former premises of the Chemko Strážske plant so that parts of the ammunition can be produced there. This will allow the Czechoslovakia Group to increase the production from 120,000 pieces in 2025 to 330,000 pieces in 2027.
European companies are trying to make use of existing production capacities in various countries that already have the necessary permits to avoid bureaucracy.
Slovakia will thus become a key country for European security. Exports are to be directed not only to Ukraine, but also to European NATO members.
This is in stark contrast to the rhetoric of the current Slovak government. The daily says that the government may not cross a certain line when it comes to worsening relations with its allies in NATO as it would threaten the interests of its defence industry. In addition, it may be assumed that due to the ties of Kaliňák and Strnad, the government will not place any obstacles in front of the companies.
MORE STORIES FROM THE SLOVAK SPECTATOR WEBSITE
BUSINESS: The steel crisis in Europe is weighing heavily on a key company in the Revúca district, a region with high unemployment rate.
RESEARCH: Recently, the innovative research of the scientists from the Slovak Academy of Science won award for advancing animal-free testing methods.
VOCABULARY: You say potato, I say grule...or švápka? Around Košice, asking for a pipka will get you a pipe but elsewhere might get you a smack.
WHAT TO DO IN BRATISLAVA: Spend your day with actors, run through the forest or learn European history.
TRAVEL: Spend a night in the treetops for a handful of euros in northern Slovakia. The house is as basic as it gets and that's the point.
ADVERTORIAL: Interesting projects in Bratislava continue to emerge, offering modern office spaces. Here's what you can expect from the Zwirn Office project.
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
Closing the loop
Gregory Stein at the Jewish graveyard in Huncovce. (source: Archive of G. S.)
American Gregory Stein's ancestors emigrated from Slovakia at the beginning of the 20th century. After World War II, all contact with family and relatives in Europe was lost and it was assumed that they had perished in the Holocaust, and with them the connection to this part of the world. He only had an old postcard and a Hebrew Bible.
In early 2020, he got a call from a man in San Francisco that set him on a path to discover not only several dozen living relatives scattered across the world, but also to trace his family origin back to early 19th century Slovakia.
EVENT FOR SATURDAY
More than football
United Colours of Football. (source: Matúš Beňo)
The beginning of May is traditionally associated with United Colours of Football, an anti-racist football festival and amateur tournament, bringing live DJs, lectures, discussions, workshops, great food and drink and overall chill atmosphere to the front. As the organisers say, 'It's a friendly event based on DIY principles and the emancipatory politics.' If this sounds like something up your alley, make sure not to miss it. The event takes place on Saturday at the Mudroňova primary school. Click here to learn more.
IN OTHER NEWS
From May 3 to 7, Bratislava will host ISTROPOLITANA PROJECT ‘25, an international student theatre festival bringing together eight art schools from five countries. With Revolt as its theme, expect bold performances, fresh voices and fearless creativity.
Health Minister Kamil Šaško (Hlas) announced that on Tuesday, April 28, he asked the Slovak Academy of Sciences to test samples of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19. "It will be all samples, as I've already said. There are some technicalities, so they will have to approach the State Institute for Drug Control from a procedural viewpoint," said Šaško, adding that he intends to visit the SAV in person as well. Last week, the government asked him to do so based on the unpublished report of MP and investigator into Slovakia's Covid response Peter Kotlár, who is a known conspiracy theorist. (TASR)
St. George's mushrooms above the village of Lubina in the Nové Mesto nad Váhom district, western Slovakia. (source: TASR)
An unknown person has made threats to the opposition non-parliamentary party Demokrati. Taking to social media, the party vice chair Juraj Šeliga published an e-mail, in which someone claimed that they would "empty an AK47 magazine" into one of its vice chairs on Wednesday. In addition, they claimed they will visit the party's seat and throw grenades in. (Facebook)
The celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII in Slovakia will cost the more than €705,000, according to draft approved by the government at its away-from-home session on Wednesday. In addition to police officers, soldiers will oversee security of the celebrations as well. A major part of the event, a wreath-laying ceremony and presentation of the Slovak Army and military clubs, will take place in the town of Piešťany, Trnava Region). (TASR)
Environment Minister Tomáš Tarba (SNS nominee) said that he will not submit the proposal for the construction of a hydroelectric power plant in the village of Látky, if the local government does not want it. The minister made the proposal in early February without prior consultations not only with the municipalities, but ordinary people and experts as well. The proposal was quickly met with concerns and resistance in the form of a petition. (TASR)
Slovak professional skateboarder Richard Tury during the opening of the skatepark next to the Kuchajda lake in Bratislava. He represented Slovakia at the last year's Summer Olympics in Paris, placing 5th. (source: Pavel Neubauer)
WEATHER FOR THURSDAY: Light cloud cover, on rare occasions showers. Daily temperatures will rise to between 19 °C to 27 °C.
MAY 1 NAME DAY IN SLOVAKIA: Something called labour celebrates, so please enjoy a day off on its behalf.
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 Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram(@slovakspectator).
