Good evening. Here is theTuesday, July 23edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.
Minister files complaint over rainbow “Slovak” flag
A rainbow "Slovak" flag is captured during the Rainbow Pride festival in Bratislava on July 20, 2024. (source: Facebok/Duhovy Pride Bratislava)
The rainbow flag featuring the national coat of arms at the Rainbow Pride event last Saturday angered some government politicians. Environment Minister Tomáš Taraba (Slovak National Party nom.) even filed a criminal complaint for desecration of national symbols.
“If this isn’t desecration of the national flag, then nothing probably is,” commented Taraba.
Lawyers say that the criminal offence of desecration of national symbols does not exist in Slovak law. According to them, the rainbow flag with the Slovak emblem could not even be considered a misdemeanour.
According to Martin Macko, who co-organised the Pride event, the flag that displeases the ultra-conservative minister is not new.
“We’ve used it in previous years as well,” he said.
According to ethnologist Katarína Nádaská, Taraba misunderstood the symbolic message of the flag, which was that Slovakia is a country for all people regardless of differences. The nationalist Slovak National Party has announced that it will prepare a change to the law on national symbols. Whether this law will further tighten restrictions and prohibit, for example, local authorities from displaying the rainbow flag on their buildings is unclear.
The Slovak National Party has previously altered the Slovak flag to suit its needs. Other politicians have used it, for example, as a tablecloth. The EU flag was burned by far-right Slovak politicians in 2012, but no one was punished for it.
Related: Last Thursday, the police issued a press release warning of a potential terrorist threat at the Pride event in Bratislava, but provided no further details. The following day, a prosecutor announced that one individual had been detained during a police operation. The person was released without charges. This situation mirrored an incident in January, when the police issued a similar warning a few hours before an anti-government protest, and no bomb attack occurred. (Sme)
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Justice: A German drummer’s stage performance raises questions about evading a Slovak court.
Law: The Constitutional Court finds that the ruling coalition favoured politicians and oligarchs in criminal law amendments.
American football: Slovak team wins Czech Bowl in thrilling overtime victory.
Business: Several firms have begun to tap into the labour potential among Roma and have launched projects to employ people from marginalised communities.
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TRAVEL TIP
Šiatorská Bukovinka and its natural marvel
In Šiatorská Bukovinka, a little-known site called the Stone Room (Kamenná izba) has been opened to the public. (source: Marcela Ballová)
A gorge featuring a 14-metre-high sandstone wall and occasional waterfalls or icefalls, depending on the season, is now open to the public near a village close to the Slovak-Hungarian border.
OPINION FOR TUESDAY
No one stepped up
A Slovak yelled at a Ukrainian child in a shop because of a toy dinosaur. (source: Pixabay)
Beňo, a young Ukrainian boy, proudly showcased his toy dinosaur in a supermarket, performing dramatic scenes for a younger child in a pram. The child enjoyed the performance, but the moment turned grim when the child’s father angrily confronted Beňo, writes writer Peter Juščák.
IN OTHER NEWS
Another carmaker might be heading to Slovakia. According to Hospodárske noviny, SAIC, the state-controlled vehicle manufacturer and the second largest in China, has shown interest in setting up its operations in Europe. If this materialises, it would mark the sixth car manufacturer to establish a presence in Slovakia, joining VW, Stellantis, Kia, JLR, and Volvo. Slovakia will be competing for this investment against other countries, including Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Spain. A final decision could be reached as soon as September. Recently, the Slovak car designer, Jozef Kabaň, who previously worked for VW and BMW, began collaborating with SAIC. Previously, the company BYD was also considering an investment in Slovakia, but the firm ultimately decided to build its first European plant in Hungary.
The coalition-controlled parliament breached procedural regulations by passing an amendment to the Penal Code through an expedited legislative process in February. While the Constitutional Court criticised this move, it did not deem the procedure unconstitutional. The NGO Via Iuris has condemned the court’s decision, arguing that the court effectively endorsed a practice where extended parliamentary debates alone could justify bypassing expert discussions and interdepartmental consultations for all laws under expedited procedures. “This is a very formal and dangerous perspective for democracy when it comes to lawmaking,” the organisation warned. The expedited legislative process should only be used in legally defined situations, the law stipulates.
Petra Flach has been appointed the new director of the International House of Art for Children - Bibiana, a position she had been temporarily overseeing since March. Flach is a friend of Culture Minister Martina Šimkovičová, who is known for her homophobic and anti-migrant views. Both Flach and Šimkovičová reside in Kittsee, Austria. Flach has no experience in cultural management.
President Peter Pellegrini received credentials from new German Ambassador to Slovakia Thomas Kurz on Tuesday morning. (source: TASR)
Seven doctors from the cardiology department at Trenčín University Hospital have submitted their resignations, paralysing the department. Thedecisioncameafterthedirector hadfiredtheheadofthedepartment. “The current situation is the result of managerial errors by the new director of Trenčín University Hospital, who, along with the health minister who appointed him, bears full responsibility for this crisis,” said the Medical Trade Unions Association. A dysfunctional cardiology unit in Trenčín would mean that patients experiencing a heart attack might have to be transported to distant hospitals, primarily in Nitra and Martin, which could delay life-saving treatment by up to two hours. (SITA)
A survey conducted by the AKO agency for JOJ 24 reveals that in July, the party Smer would win the Slovak parliamentary elections with 23.5 percent of the vote. The data collection took place from July 9 to 15, involving a sample of 1,000 respondents. Following Smer, the second place is occupied by Progressive Slovakia with 21.7 percent, and Hlas ended in third place with 15.5 percent. The survey also indicates that the conservative KDH, nationalist SNS, liberal SaS, and far-right Republika would also secure seats in parliament.
The Slovak company Slovenské elektrárne and the French company Framatome have signed a contract for the supply of nuclear fuel for the Bohunice and Mochovce power plants. The first deliveries are expected in 2027. Slovenské elektrárne produces more than 70 percent of all electricity in Slovakia.
Spectators watch a pre-season football match between FC Košice and AS Rome at a sold-out stadium in Košice on July 22, 2024. (source: TASR)
WEATHER FOR WEDNESDAY: On Wednesday, the weather will be cloudy to overcast, with showers, rain, and occasional thunderstorms expected in many areas. In the western half of Slovakia, the cloud cover will gradually decrease throughout the day. Daytime temperatures will range from 19°C to 29°C. (SHMÚ)
JULY 24 NAME DAY IN SLOVAKIA: Vladimír.
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