(source: TASR)
This is your overview of news from Slovakia on Friday, July 10, 2020, along with some weekend reading tips from Spectator.sk.
Slovaks are aware of what EU citizenship means
A new Eurobarometer survey on EU Citizenship and Democracy released earlier this week by the European Commission shows that 91 percent of Europeans are familiar with the term “citizen of the European Union”. This is the highest level of awareness since 2007 and a steady increase from the 87 percent recorded in 2015.
Respondents in Slovakia mainly recognised their right to file a complaint with EU institutions (90 percent compared to the 89 percent EU average), the right to reside in any EU member state (86 percent), and the right to equal treatment in another member state as the citizens of that state (83 percent), the TASR newswire reported.
As many as 92 percent of those polled within the Eurobarometer survey said that they are aware they can turn to the EU Delegation if they need to seek aid in a state where their country does not have a consular office. The rate was 87 percent in Slovakia.
Matovič government set to put an end to disunity in foreign policy
As Slovakia’s new government marked one hundred days in office in late June, PM Igor Matovič was facing mounting criticism at home over a plagiarism scandal involving his coalition ally, Speaker of Parliament Boris Kollár. But the reactions to his and his government’s performance in foreign policy have been less critical.
Under the previous government, there were question marks over Slovakia’s foreign policy.
“Based on new key personalities in government and parliament and the government’s programme statement, it looks like Slovakia has a very good chance of avoiding dissonance in its foreign policy orientation,” said Pavol Demeš, a leading foreign policy expert who also served as Minister for International Relations in the early 1990s.
In other news:
Coronavirus in Slovakia: Thursday's tests revealed 19 new cases of SARS-CoV-2 infections. Laboratories performed almost 2,200 tests. There are currently 361 active cases of the disease in Slovakia.
Regular flights between Bratislava and Malaga, Spain, resumed on Friday. Low-cost carrier Ryanair will also start flying from the Slovak capital to Alghero on the Italian island of Sardinia on Saturday.
International railway transport between Slovakia and Hungary will resume on Monday, July 13. The renewed line will lead through the Štúrovo - Szob border crossing. The state-run railway carrier will operate eight pairs of EC trains and one pair of EuroNight trains. (TASR)
The parliament has wrapped up the debate about the four legislative proposals to change the rules for abortions in Slovakia. MPs will vote on the proposed abortion laws on Tuesday evening. The law proposed by ruling OLaNO MPs is expected to pass.
Peter Kuba, one of the suspects in the Cattle Breeder case that also recently landed the high-profile businessman Norbert Bodor in custody, remains in pre-trial custody, the Supreme Court ruled. The court was dealing with Kuba's appeal against the custody ordered last Sunday by the Specialised Criminal Court.
Tips for some weekend reading on Spectator.sk:
