Good evening. Here is the Friday, May 31 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.
Martina Šimkovičová is bothered by depictions of the human body, LGBT+ flags in books
The books criticised by Minister Šimkovičová. (source: InTYMYta publisher/hovormesrespektom.sk/TSS)
Martina Šimkovičová does not approve of some of the titles that have been awarded as the Most Beautiful Books of Slovakia. The culture minister, in a video flimed at the Bibiana International House of Art for Children, the institution that oversees the competition, focused on a book about respectful communication with LGBT+ people titled "Let's Talk About Ourselves with Respect" (Hovorme o sebe s rešpektom), and on an educational publication about intimacy for parents and young people called "Me at Your Age...!" (Ja v tvojom veku...!)
She criticised their design, stating they do not meet the criteria for children's perception due to their illustrations of human anatomy and explanations of various types of rainbow flags.
"By their design, they absolutely do not meet the criteria that should probably be met for a child's eye, for that child's sensitivity," said the minister as she flipped through the pages of the books, where there are simple illustrations of the human body including sexual organs, and explanations of the meanings of various types of rainbow flags. She compared them unfavourably to the well-known novel "Gulliver's Travels" (which is not actually a children's book) and questioned their suitability for children.
Petra Flach, a neighbour of Šimkovičová's who was entrusted with leading Bibiana after the minister fired the previous director in March, announced during the evaluation of the competition that she would "thoroughly evaluate" a recent reform of the awards. She found it "interesting" that the new status resulted in the two books being among the ten awarded books. "Whether this should be part of education, I certainly don't think so here in Bibiana," Flach said.
MORE STORIES FROM THE SLOVAK SPECTATOR WEBSITE
Business: German manufacturer Evonik has opened a new plant to make biosurfactants in Slovakia. It marks a groundbreaking leap in sustainable chemistry that the firm says will revolutionise household and industrial products.
Travel: Summer season in the High Tatras is about to start, but before you set out on a hike it might be worth checking the park's new rules and restrictions.
Health: Bratislava's long-awaited national hospital project sparks debate, after new government plans generated diverse opinions.
Good news: This week's selection of feel-good stories reports on Hollywood actor Ryan Reynolds donning Slovak sneakers, the 17-year-old Slovak who's won an international scientific competition, and a new record for tree planting!
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FEATURE STORY FOR THE WEEKEND
The Slovak Spectator editor who survived a close encounter with bears, and even improved his Slovak
Do not be nepozorný while hiking alone. (source: Pexels)
As summer season in High Tatras opens, tourist will flock to the mountains and forests, just as bears wake up from their winter hibernation.
A former editor of The Slovak Spectator once ran into a bear family. Learn some useful Slovak vocabulary, while reading his amusing Goldilocks and the Three Bears-style story – and find out what the Slovak word nepozorný (in the photo description above) means.
EVENT FOR THE WEEKEND
Never mind the time machine: Devín is re-enacting the past!
The kind of welcome that awaits visitors this weekend at Devín Castle. (source: Pexels)
Diversify your weekend by going back in time to the era of Roman soldiers, Turkish archers and knights! Devín Castle, near Bratislava, will host an event where visitors can witness re-enactments of battles, mediaeval tournaments, period dances and songs.
IN OTHER NEWS
Two weeks after the attack on Prime Minister Robert Fico, another security threat emerged involving President-elect and Hlas party leader Peter Pellegrini. A video was published by the tabloid daily Plus 1 Deň that showed a child wearing a balacklava with a toy gun outside the Bratislava residence where Pellegrini lives on May 30, prompting a security scare. The father of the child, who was driving a car containing the child, claimed it was just a game – but the authorities are treating it as a serious incident. It is not known who sent the video to the editors. The Penta financial conglomerate, which owns the tabloid, has been distributing a free version of the newspaper, Plus 1 Deň Špeciál, to a million households in Slovakia since October 2022. The paper has heavily criticised the OĽaNO (since renamed 'Slovakia') party, which was the largest party in the 2020-2023 governing coalition, while promoting the Pellegrini's Hlas party and its leaders, in particular Pellegrini himself.
A child with a toy gun outside the residence where future Slovak president Peter Pellegrini lives. The house belongs to Pellegrini's close friend and Hlas MP Peter Náhlik. (source: TASR)
The government has decided to terminate its €500,000 contract with Gerulata Technologies, a disinformation detection company owned by Michal Trnka. The move has been described as part of a public finance consolidation. The contract, signed before last year's elections, faced criticism from Smer representatives due to Trnka's family connections. Trnka's father, Miroslav, is one of the founders of the Eset company, which Smer had falsely accused of trying to manipulate last year's elections. Michal Trnka stated that Gerulata initiated the termination because the contract would not be fulfilled, and would have tied up its resources.
General Prosecutor Maroš Žilinka met with Chinese Ambassador Cai Ge. Žilinka expressed pleasure at China's interest in developing cooperation between their prosecutorial authorities, emphasising that active communication and correct relations with foreign partners are key to effective collaboration, especially in areas like anti-corruption and transnational organized crime.
Amnesty International Slovakia is urging the Slovak government to advocate for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza. Director Rado Sloboda called for a halt to arms exports to Israel and for transparency regarding such exports. Despite the International Court of Justice ordering Israel to halt its military offensive in Rafah, the Israeli Army has continued its attacks on the southern Gazan city, prompting Amnesty to appeal for urgent action to alleviate civilian suffering and enforce the court's measures.
Customs officers at Vienna Airport seized 52kg of truffles, worth around €6,500, which were being taken from Kosovo to Slovakia. Citing unsafe storage conditions, they said the edible fungi would have to be destroyed. The truffles, which were detected by their strong odour, were not registered in the EU food shipment system and failed to meet import control standards.
A total of 21 firefighters respond to the fire of simple dwellings on the street Za jarkom in Stropkov, eastern Slovakia, on Friday, May 31, 2024. (source: TASR)
WEATHER FOR THE WEEKEND
General cloud cover with scattered showers, rain and locally intense storms are possible in some areas. Patchy fog may also occur in the morning, so take extra care when driving. Expect daytime temperatures ranging from 18°C to 26°C. A level one storm warning has also been issued for Saturday. (SHMÚ)
NAME DAY IN SLOVAKIA: Saturday - Žaneta, Sunday - Xénia, Oxana, Monday - Karolína.
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