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Domestic Politics

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Domestic Politics

Coalition Tensions Rise as SNS Leader Calls for Minister's Dismissal

A public dispute has erupted within Slovakia's ruling coalition after Andrej Danko, leader of the Slovak National Party (SNS), requested Prime Minister Robert Fico dismiss a minister, only to be publicly rebuffed. Opposition lawmaker Alojz Hlina of the liberal Freedom and Solidarity party (SaS) criticized the exchange, saying Fico had "shamefully humiliated" the SNS leader. Hlina warned that the Prime Minister's call for restoring mutual trust within the coalition could instead become a period of "cleaning up business deals" and costly political horse-trading. The tensions highlight growing strains within Slovakia's governing coalition, which includes Fico's social-democratic Smer-SD party, the SNS, and the populist Hlas party.

Aktuality
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Domestic Politics

Parliament Speaker Ejects Opposition MP Over Anti-Government Banner

Parliamentary Speaker Peter Pellegrini ejected opposition MP Tomáš Taraba from the session hall after he displayed a banner reading "Smer Mafia We Don't Want." The incident marked the first time Speaker Gašpar used disciplinary powers he had previously established to control parliamentary proceedings. Smer-SD is Slovakia's ruling social-democratic party led by former Prime Minister Robert Fico. The ejection highlights growing tensions between the government coalition and opposition parties in Slovakia's National Council, the country's parliament.

SME
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Domestic Politics

Slovakia's Constitutional Officials Support Local Government Financing Reforms

Slovakia's constitutional officials have endorsed reforms to address persistent funding problems facing local governments across the country. President Peter Pellegrini is pushing to allocate a portion of European Union funds toward modernizing and decentralizing local administration. The financing challenges have been an ongoing issue for Slovak municipalities and regional governments, which have struggled with inadequate resources to meet their responsibilities. The proposed reforms represent an attempt to strengthen local governance by improving financial sustainability and expanding administrative autonomy through EU funding mechanisms.

SME
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Domestic Politics

Slovak Interior Ministry Conceals Government Aircraft Flights Citing Security Reasons

Slovakia's Interior Ministry has been blocking public tracking of government aircraft flights on major flight monitoring platforms, citing security concerns. While Prime Minister Robert Fico's recent trip to Moscow for a meeting with Vladimir Putin could be tracked through FlightAware as the aircraft flew over the Czech Republic, Germany and the Baltic Sea, the flight was blocked from the more popular Flightradar24 platform for undisclosed reasons. The ministry's practice of concealing government flight information has raised questions about transparency, particularly regarding high-profile diplomatic visits. Fico, who leads the ruling Smer-SD party, has maintained closer ties with Russia than many EU leaders, making his Moscow meetings subject to heightened public scrutiny.

Dennik N
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Domestic Politics

Slovak Public TV Changes Rules After Presenter's Kiss with Prime Minister Sparks Controversy

Slovak Television (STVR) is revising its employment rules and contracts following controversy over a presenter's participation in a political party celebration. The incident involved well-known STVR presenter Majtánová, who attended a party event where she was photographed kissing Prime Minister Robert Fico. The broadcaster subsequently removed her from on-air duties, prompting the STVR Council to address questions about the participation of public television personalities in partisan political activities. The case has highlighted the need for clearer guidelines governing the conduct of public television employees and their involvement in political events, as STVR seeks to maintain its editorial independence and neutrality as a public service broadcaster.

Aktuality
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Domestic Politics

Opposition politician challenges legality of contracts for new Prešov hospital

An opposition politician has formally challenged the legality of contracts for a new hospital in Prešov, raising multiple legal concerns about the project. Szalay, who filed the complaint, claims the hospital construction could become the country's largest illegal building project. The challenge targets the contractual framework governing the major healthcare infrastructure development in eastern Slovakia's regional capital. Prešov, home to approximately 90,000 residents, serves as a key medical center for the broader eastern Slovak region, making the hospital project significant for regional healthcare capacity.

Korzár
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Domestic Politics

SNS Deputy Refuses to Sign Motion to Remove Environment Minister Taraba

A deputy from the Slovak National Party (SNS) has refused to sign a motion calling for the removal of Environment Minister Tomáš Taraba, creating internal discord within the nationalist party's parliamentary group. The development highlights growing tensions between Taraba, who heads the environment ministry, and SNS party leadership. SNS is a junior partner in Slovakia's ruling coalition government alongside the dominant Smer-SD party and Hlas-SD. The refusal by one of the party's own deputies to support the motion against Taraba suggests deepening fractures within the nationalist party over the minister's position and performance.

Aktuality
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Domestic Politics

Slovak PM Fico Criticizes Business Leaders Over Tax Evasion, Calls for Government Cooperation

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico criticized business leaders for failing to pay taxes and called for greater cooperation with the government in combating the shadow economy. Fico urged entrepreneurs to work with the government to find solutions rather than engaging in conflicts. The Prime Minister highlighted the scale of Slovakia's grey economy, which he said amounts to 17 billion euros, alongside massive tax evasion. Fico, who leads the ruling social-democratic Smer-SD party, framed the issue as a critical challenge requiring partnership between the public and private sectors to address widespread tax avoidance that undermines state revenues.

Aktuality
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Domestic Politics

Constitutional Court Rules Supreme Court Violated Bombic's Right to Freedom

Slovakia's Constitutional Court ruled that the Supreme Court violated the rights of someone named Bombic, specifically their right to freedom. The Constitutional Court, which serves as the country's highest authority on constitutional matters and reviews whether lower courts have properly applied constitutional principles, found that the Supreme Court had infringed upon fundamental rights guaranteed under Slovakia's constitution. The ruling represents a significant judicial oversight, as it involves the country's two highest courts - the Supreme Court, which is the highest authority for civil and criminal cases, and the Constitutional Court, which has the power to overturn decisions that violate constitutional rights.

Bratislavak
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Domestic Politics

Slovak Parliament Speaker Expects New Rules to Improve Efficiency and Conduct

Gašpar, the Speaker of Slovakia's National Council, announced that new parliamentary procedures will make legislative sessions more efficient. The Speaker of the National Council, Slovakia's parliament, expects the new rules will also lead to improved behavior during parliamentary sessions and changes to the dress code culture in the chamber. The procedural reforms represent an effort to modernize parliamentary operations and establish more professional standards for lawmakers' conduct during official proceedings.

TASR/Teraz
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Domestic Politics

Progressive Slovakia submits motion to remove Gašpar from parliamentary deputy speaker position

The opposition Progressive Slovakia party has submitted a motion to remove Tibor Gašpar from his position as deputy speaker of Slovakia's National Council, the country's parliament. Deputy leader Mesterová stated that reasons for the dismissal are accumulating daily. Progressive Slovakia is a liberal opposition party that frequently challenges the current government coalition. The motion represents the latest development in ongoing political tensions between opposition parties and figures associated with the ruling coalition in the 150-seat parliament.

SME
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Domestic Politics

Slovakia's Interior Ministry Plans Situation Room at Controversial Kukurica Complex

Slovakia's Interior Ministry is planning to add a situation room costing 427,000 euros to its controversial Kukurica office complex in Bratislava. The facility, overseen by Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok of the ruling Hlas party, has drawn criticism for its extensive development plans. The proposed situation room, dubbed a "small Pentagon," would add another layer to what has become a contentious government infrastructure project. The Kukurica complex has been a source of ongoing public debate over government spending and the scale of ministerial facilities being constructed in the Slovak capital.

Bratislavak
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Domestic Politics

Slovak Prime Minister and Defense Minister to Announce Next Steps for Controversial Hospital Construction

Prime Minister Robert Fico and Deputy Prime Minister Robert Kaliňák, who also serves as Defense Minister, will announce the next steps in the closely watched construction of a new hospital. The announcement comes as the project has drawn significant public attention. Meanwhile, Slovakia's parliament, the National Council, will convene for its 52nd session after an extended break, and the city of Banská Bystrica will hold a ceremonial unveiling of a Memorial to Victims of the Holocaust and Racial Violence. The hospital project has become a focal point of public debate, though specific details about the controversy surrounding its development have not been disclosed.

Aktuality
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Domestic Politics

Slovak Parliament to Begin Deliberating First Economic Support Package

Slovakia's parliament is beginning a new session today where lawmakers will consider the government's first package of economic support measures, according to coalition politicians including Prime Minister Robert Fico. The specific legislative text of the proposals has not yet been made public, though officials indicate the measures are unlikely to represent groundbreaking changes. The ruling coalition plans to fast-track approval of the economic package. Some observers have compared this first set of measures to what they term a "Sulík package" - referring to minor policy adjustments rather than major reforms, named after former economy minister Richard Sulík who was known for implementing incremental economic changes during his tenure.

Dennik N
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Domestic Politics

Slovak Finance Minister Proposes 105 Million Euro Anti-Fraud System While Keeping Study Secret

Slovak Finance Minister Samuel Migaľ wants to spend 105 million euros on an anti-fraud system inspired by a Hungarian model that cost only 28 million euros. The minister is keeping the feasibility study that allegedly demonstrates the investment's advantages classified from public scrutiny. The proposed system would be designed to prevent fraud, following Hungary's example, but the Slovak version would cost nearly four times more than its Hungarian counterpart. The secrecy surrounding the study raises questions about transparency in government spending decisions, particularly given the significant cost difference between the two systems.

Aktuality
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Domestic Politics

Slovak Political Scientist Criticizes Politicians for Avoiding Critical Long-term Issues

Political scientist Radoslav Štefančík has criticized Slovak politicians for failing to address urgent long-term challenges that will affect future generations, including pension system stability, demographic crisis, and environmental protection. In a video podcast interview, Štefančík argued that while the country's economy is declining and facing a potential Greek-style crisis, politicians instead focus on creating fear, inventing enemies, and pursuing substitute topics rather than substantial policy issues. He stated that Slovakia lacks politicians capable of professionally handling these critical matters, with some forced to defend past mistakes while others exploit these weaknesses indefinitely. Štefančík called for politicians who only generate fear and discord without being able to govern effectively to leave public office, suggesting the current political discourse prioritizes manufactured conflicts over addressing the country's real problems.

Aktuality
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Domestic Politics

Coalition Crisis Emerges as Danko Challenges Fico's Authority

Slovakia's ruling coalition is experiencing internal tensions as parliamentary speaker Andrej Danko appears to be challenging Prime Minister Robert Fico's leadership authority. The developing crisis highlights growing friction within the government alliance, raising questions about the stability of the current administration. Danko, who leads the Slovak National Party (SNS), one of the junior partners in Fico's coalition government, has been pushing boundaries in what observers see as a test of how much political maneuvering the prime minister will tolerate from his coalition partners.

SME
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Domestic Politics

Former Police Chief Gašpar and Ex-Prosecutor Kováčik Implicated in Organized Crime Trial

Zoltán Andruskó, a key witness in Slovakia's most prominent organized crime trial, has provided testimony implicating former National Police Chief Tibor Gašpar and former Special Prosecutor Dušan Kováčik in criminal activities. The testimony comes as part of ongoing proceedings related to major corruption and organized crime cases that have dominated Slovak politics in recent years. Separately, Deputy Prime Minister Taraba has been given additional time to address territorial zoning issues. The developments highlight continuing fallout from high-level corruption scandals that have reshaped Slovakia's political landscape since the 2018 murder of investigative journalist Ján Kuciak, which exposed extensive ties between organized crime figures and senior officials.

SME
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Domestic Politics

Slovak MP's Viral Video Uses Edited Footage to Create False Confrontation with EU Lawmaker

Milan Mazurek, a member of Slovakia's parliament, manipulated video footage to create a viral social media post that falsely depicted him confronting European Parliament member Lucia Ďuriš Ostrihoňová. The edited video made it appear that Mazurek was directly addressing and criticizing the liberal politician about migration issues, when in fact Ostrihoňová had spoken after Mazurek's remarks, not before or during them. The manipulated footage became one of Mazurek's most successful social media posts this year, demonstrating how edited content can be used to manufacture political confrontations for online engagement.

Dennik N
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Domestic Politics

Police Raid Targets EU Funds Fraud Involving Brother of Government Secretary

Slovak police conducted a raid investigating suspected fraud involving European Union funds, with the operation reportedly connected to the brother of a government secretary named Šalitroš. The suspected fraud involved purchasing machinery but failing to establish the promised production operations. The case highlights ongoing concerns about the misuse of EU development funds, which are designed to support economic development and infrastructure projects across Slovakia. EU funds fraud investigations have become increasingly common as authorities tighten oversight of how these resources are allocated and used by businesses and organizations.

Korzár
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