Good to have you on board! Here’s your latest Today in Slovakia – Tuesday’s top news, all in one place.
Foreigners’ Police booking system in disarray, cities say
Foreigners’ Police Department on Regrútska Street in Bratislava (source: Peter Dlhopolec for The Slovak Spectator)
Slovakia’s system for registering foreigners is in a state of collapse, leaving vulnerable families unable to access basic services and at risk of exploitation, the Union of Slovak Cities (Únia miest Slovenska, ÚMS) has warned.
Despite repeated appeals to the Interior Ministry, including a formal request made as far back as October last year, the online reservation system used by foreigners to book appointments for residency applications remains largely non-functional. According to the union, partial fixes have failed to improve the situation.
“Desperate people are turning to municipal staff for help—especially in cases involving children or access to healthcare—but we are powerless,” said Richard Rybníček, the president of ÚMS. “The situation at the Foreigners’ Police is intolerable. Mothers with children come to our integration centres looking for immediate solutions, and we simply have none to offer.”
Rybníček also warned of rising cases in which “suspicious groups” exploit the desperation of foreigners, sometimes teetering on the edge of extortion.
The chaos is now affecting school enrolment. Towns and cities are currently registering children for nurseries and primary schools, but without valid residency documents, foreign children are being turned away. “This leads to wider problems—children falling through the cracks, deteriorating mental health, and even petty crime,” the union said. “We’ve tried everything, from local awareness campaigns to individual outreach, but if the state doesn’t fix the system, our hands are tied.”
The Interior Ministry insists it is taking the matter seriously, telling the SITA news agency that planned reforms include more staff, digitised processes and legal changes to speed up applications. Some measures have already been enacted through a December 2024 amendment to the Foreigners’ Residence Act, allowing certain applications to be filed electronically.
Officials say further digital improvements, including automation of biometric data collection, are on the horizon. “We are actively working on all fronts,” the ministry said, adding that legislative proposals will soon enter interdepartmental consultations and that talks with ÚMS are scheduled for next week.
But for many on the ground, change cannot come soon enough.
Note: The Slovak Spectator has repeatedly requested an interview with the head of the Foreigners’ Police, but the office declined to comment on the malfunctioning online booking system or other issues affecting the foreign nationals’ agenda.
MORE STORIES FROM THE SLOVAK SPECTATOR
Welcoming spaces: Bratislava and Žilina have opened new community hubs offering vital support and a sense of belonging to people with migrant backgrounds.
Toxic tensions: Plans for a waste incinerator near Slovakia’s famed mineral springs have ignited outrage from locals and suspicions of political manoeuvring.
Cost crunch: Slovakia’s soaring labour costs signal the end of its cheap workforce era — and a new headache for investors.
Data dilemma: Slovakia backs targeted energy aid but lets households opt out of sweeping data collection after privacy backlash.
Pension pivot: Slovakia’s government takes a bold step by letting pension funds back domestic projects, but critics warn of hidden risks.
Lost in translation: Watching films in central Europe can be a linguistic minefield—but when “A Minecraft Movie” finally landed with English screenings in Slovakia, one dad and his son jumped on the Chicken Jockey bandwagon and never looked back.
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TRAVEL
Záhorie uncovered: Slovakia’s quiet corner full of surprises
Rudava, a lake and popular recreational area in western Slovakia, is located near the village of Malé Leváre in the Malacky district. This well-known summer spot offers three beaches for visitors to enjoy. (source: TASR)
Most people speed past Malacky on their way to elsewhere, catching only a glimpse of its factories and industrial sprawl. But as writer Jozef Ryník reveals, Slovakia’s Záhorie region hides Moorish synagogues, noble mansions, and peaceful parks worth lingering in. From the charming mills of Lozorno to Stupava’s Baroque secrets, this quiet corner offers a surprisingly rich detour from the Bratislava–Vienna rush.
AN ODD CHOICE
Fico’s rental housing czar was twice convicted of fraud — but her record is now clean
Prime Minister Robert Fico and Eva Lisová, head of the State-Supported Rental Housing Agency. (source: TASR)
Prime Minister Robert Fico rolled out Slovakia’s first state-backed rental flats last month with patriotic fanfare and a ribbon-cutting ceremony, flanked by Eva Lisová, the newly appointed director of the agency running the project. What the government did not mention: Lisová was twice convicted of financial crimes tied to shady property dealings, including a 2022 conviction for creditor fraud. Though she received a suspended sentence and a five-year probation ban from managing companies, a court ruled last year she had “rehabilitated” and wiped her criminal record clean.
The Transport Ministry, which oversees the agency, insists all legal conditions for her appointment were met, yet dodged questions about whether it knew of her past. Lisová herself sees no issue: “There is no legal or other reason why I should not hold this position,” she told the Sme daily, which first reported the story.
The prime minister has remained silent on the matter. On the day the Sme article was published, Robert Fico was scheduled to attend a state housing forum in Nitra, followed by a press briefing. But Fico never showed up — and the press conference, where questions about Lisová were bound to arise, was scrapped. His office offered no explanation for the change of plans. The timing has only fuelled speculation.
IN OTHER NEWS
Prime Minister Robert Fico lashed out at law enforcement on Tuesday, accusing investigators of deliberate inaction over alleged crimes committed between 2020 and 2023, despite what he called “ample evidence” against police officers linked to investigator Ján Čurilla. Čurilla, who has led high-profile corruption investigations involving people from previous Fico-led governments, has long been a target of the current coalition’s ire. Speaking alongside former police chief and current deputy speaker Tibor Gašpar, Fico claimed that a prosecutor told him police are reluctant to act because of the looming snap elections. The premier repeatedly denied having any influence over the Interior Ministry or the General Prosecutor’s Office, but publicly challenged Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok and General Prosecutor Maroš Žilinka to take action. Fico described Čurilla’s team as a “bunch of idiots and lunatics”, alleging that the investigator owns five firearms and poses a risk to public officials. In response, Čurilla noted that it is Fico—not himself—who receives open letters from mental health professionals.
Slovak National Party leader Andrej Danko has urged Defence Minister Robert Kaliňák to address the future of Chief of General Staff Daniel Zmeko, questioning whether a figure linked to past military aid to Ukraine under ex-minister Jaroslav Naď should remain in the role. Danko, whose party previously appointed Zmeko in 2018, argued that the armed forces need fresh leadership and signalled his intent to raise the issue within the coalition. With Zmeko’s second term set to end in May 2026, the post has become a new flashpoint in the uneasy power-sharing arrangement between coalition partners.
Slovakia’s former defence minister and Demokrati party leader Jaroslav Naď has published a death threat he received via email, in which the sender claimed to have planted explosives at his and former PM Eduard Heger’s homes, vowing they would “both die on Tuesday”. Naď, who shared the message just minutes after the alleged 9:30 deadline had passed, said such threats had become a near-weekly occurrence and accused the authorities of turning a blind eye. “We don’t even bother going to the police anymore — they’re too busy carrying out politically motivated witch hunts ordered by Fico’s government,” he wrote.
Public backing for Ukraine’s EU membership remains lukewarm in Slovakia, with just 31 percent in favour and a clear majority opposed, a new Ipsos poll for Denník N shows. Among voters of Prime Minister Robert Fico’s ruling Smer party, resistance is overwhelming: 83 percent reject Kyiv’s accession bid, with nearly seven in ten “strongly against” it. While Fico has paid lip service to Ukraine’s EU path, his anti-Ukrainian rhetoric appears to be shaping public sentiment far more than his official stance.
Spectators at the 52nd Spring Prize of Petržalka, the main race of the season’s opening meeting at the Bratislava Racecourse (Závodisko), on Saturday, 5 April 2025. (source: TASR - Pavol Zachar)
Slovakia is eyeing a shopping list of Czech-made military tech, including L-39 Skyfox light combat aircraft, ERA’s target-tracking systems and pilot training at the new virtual simulation centre in Pardubice, Defence Minister Robert Kaliňák (Smer) confirmed during a visit to the Czech Republic on Tuesday. He added that Slovakia’s modernisation plans through 2035 include buying up to a dozen Skyfox jets, while Czech-based training and tech offer proximity and a language advantage. (TASR)
David Lindtner, a close adviser to Prime Minister Robert Fico, has formally resigned from his post as a judge. The charged lawyer, whose judicial mandate had been suspended since autumn 2019, submitted his resignation in a letter delivered to the president’s office on 28 March. Judicial Council chair Marcela Kosová confirmed that the resignation took effect on 31 March. (Denník N)
Environment Minister Tomáš Taraba (SNS nom.) has ordered a sweeping audit of the Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute (SHMÚ), citing a string of failed contracts and unrealised potential. His move follows an open letter from SHMÚ staff warning of a deepening crisis marked by layoffs, budget cuts and a collapse of trust in the institution’s leadership. Acting director Ivana Herkel is expected to hold crisis talks with ministry officials and trade union representatives later this week. (TASR)
Runners at the start of the 20th annual ČSOB Bratislava Marathon in the Slovak capital on Sunday, 6 April 2025. (source: TASR - Pavel Neubauer)
Slovakia’s oldest sporting event, the TIPOS National Run Devín, is set to mark its 77th edition on Sunday, 13 April, with the starting gun going off at 10:00. More than 5,700 runners have already signed up, with online registration open until 9 April, and in-person sign-ups available at Ondrej Nepela Ice Stadium on 11 and 12 April from 10:00 to 20:00.
Slovak state energy firm SPP is renewing its push to build a wind farm near Nové Zámky, Nitra Region, with plans for 15 turbines, including several on municipal land. Local councillors rejected the proposal in March, citing concerns over location, turbine size and the loss of arable land. But Mayor Otokar Klein and some councillors argue the city should reconsider — the 25-year lease could bring in around €4.7 million, plus an additional €100,000 in taxes and local fees. (My Nové Zámky)
Bratislava has completed construction of its first new municipal rental housing project, adding 103 flats to the city’s strained housing stock. Located on Muchovo námestie in Petržalka, the building includes 52 standard rental units and additional flats reserved for restitution claimants, with tenants expected to move in by summer. The city is planning further developments, including over 80 new flats on Terchovská Street in Ružinov, as it grapples with a long-standing shortage of affordable rental housing.
WEDNESDAY WEATHER BRIEFING: Partly to mostly cloudy, with occasional heavier cloud in the north, where isolated light showers are possible. It will feel chilly, with daytime highs between 10°C and 15°C. Winds will remain light throughout the day. (SHMÚ)
A man walks his dog on the Bratislava embankment at sunset on 4 April 2025. (source: TASR - Jaroslav Novák)
HAPPY NAME DAY: April 9 is a special day for Milena, so if you know one, don’t forget to send your warmest wishes. Všetko najlepšie!
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