The Sokolská Residence apartment complex in Bratislava, where Prime Minister Robert Fico resides, is surrounded by security personnel. (source: TASR - Jakub Kotian)
Good evening. Here is theThursday, May 30 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.
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PM Fico discharged from hospital
The Sokolská Residence apartment complex in Bratislava, where Prime Minister Robert Fico resides, is surrounded by security personnel. (source: TASR - Jakub Kotian)
Prime Minister and Smer leader Robert Fico is already at home.
Several media outlets have reported that he was transported from the hospital in Banská Bystrica, central Slovakia, to his Sokolská Residence flat in Bratislava's Old Town on Thursday evening.
Fico has been recovering from serious gunshot wounds in the hospital after a pensioner attacked him in Handlová, western Slovakia, on May 15. On Thursday, the hospital’s director Miriam Lapuníková said that Fico might be released from the hospital soon.
On Wednesday, Defence Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Robert Kaliňák (Smer) said that the most serious injuries concerned the digestive tract, and part of the locomotor system. According to him, both Fico’s arm and his other leg were already “all good”. Early on, Smer MP and Fico’s chief adviser Erik Kaliňák said that Fico’s small intestine had been shot through five times.
According to the Sme daily, the prime minister will be taken care of at the St. Michal Hospital in Bratislava, which falls under the Interior Ministry. Additionally, a doctor should visit the prime minister at his home. While the premier rests at home, the attacker remains in a psychiatric ward at a military hospital in Trenčín, western Slovakia.
Fico’s return to his duties is expected to take several months.
Related: Michal Šimečka (PS), deputy speaker of parliament and opposition leader, has called on Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok (Hlas) to address several serious questions, two weeks after the attack on PM Fico. These questions pertain to the possible misconduct of the security forces, the leak of the premier’s medical report and the recording of an interview with the attacker,and the question of who will bear responsibility. At the same time, the Progresívne Slovensko party rejects the ruling coalition’s attempt to blame the opposition and the media for the attack.
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FEATURE STORY
Devín Castle recalls sad history of Iron Curtain
The Irin Curtain under the Devín Castle (source: ÚPN archive)
Devín Castle, near Bratislava, hosts the display Attention, Border! Devín as part of the Iron Curtain in 1948-1989. It does not shy away from controversial topics. The Bratislava City Museum opened it to mark this year’s 35th anniversary of the fall of the communist regime in Czechoslovakia.
3 FREE BRATISLAVA EVENTS
Discussion with publishers
Bratislava City Gallery, Mirbach Palace (source: https://www.gmb.sk/en/detail/mirbach-palace)
The Slovak Literary Centre has invited three publishers from abroad, who are interested in original Slovak literature, to visit the country and talk about how they manage to promote books from a small country on large book markets.
IN OTHER NEWS
A portion of TV Markíza’s employees have gone on strike alert as of Thursday, explaining that TV Markíza’s management has not met their request to make a pledge in writing that the 'Na telo' political programme will be allowed to continue with the same host and free editorial structuring. Last Sunday, Na telo host Michal Kovačič delivered an unauthorised soliloquy, in which he told the viewers about an alleged ongoing effort by the management to censor both the news reporting and political programmes. Subsequently, the programme was cancelled and the presenter was told that there was no job for him. (TASR)
The Migration Office has initiated the process of cancelling the temporary refuge for Ukrainian Artem Marchevsky, who was included on the EU’s sanctions list on Monday, May 27. (SITA)
The government at its session on Wednesday approved the re-establishment of Slovak embassies in both Australia (Canberra) and Belgium (Brussels). Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár (Smer) emphasised the economic dimension of diplomacy and the potential of the developed Australian economy in the field of cooperation. He also pointed to efforts to ensure proper care for the large Slovak expatriate community and assistance for Slovak nationals in Australia. Similar reasons apply to the embassy in Brussels, he added. (TASR)
A body of a Slovak student in the fifth year of the STU’s Mechanical Engineering Faculty was found lifeless in his room in the Mladá Garda dormitory in Bratislava. (Aktuality)
A fire broke out on Zátišie Street in Bratislava-Ružinov on Thursday. A bus that had been converted into housing was on fire. (JOJ)
The Judicial Council voiced its disapproval of the criminal prosecution of retired judge Jarmila Urbancová and judge Otília Doláková for bending the law, new Judicial Council chair Marcela Kosová announced on Thursday. As Kosová pointed out, according to the amended Penal Code, it is not possible to continue the prosecution of any judge over the crime of bending the law when the Judicial Council disagrees with it. Urbancová remains to be charged with corruption. (TASR, Sme)
A fish pass on the Turiec river in Martin, central Slovakia. (source: TASR)
WEATHER FOR FRIDAY: A cloudy day. Rain, showers and thunderstorms are expected during the afternoon. The daytime temperatures will be between 20°C and 26°C. A thunderstorm warning has been issued for Friday and Saturday. (SHMÚ)
MAY 31 NAME DAY IN SLOVAKIA: Petrana, Petronela.
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