Environment Minister Loses Support Over National Park Zoning Changes

Slovakia's Environment Minister Richard Taraba has lost backing from the Slovak National Party (SNS) and scientists from the Slovak Academy of Sciences over proposed zoning changes to the Tatra National Park (TANAP). The SNS, a member of the ruling coalition alongside Taraba's party, has warned against oligarch interests influencing the park's management. The zoning proposal appears to have created a significant rift within the government coalition, with scientists also opposing the changes to one of Slovakia's most important protected areas. The Tatra National Park, established in 1949, covers Slovakia's portion of the High Tatras mountain range and is the country's oldest national park.