SUMMARY-Wednesday-July 17, 2019 - 10 p.m.

BRATISLAVA - Only time will tell whether world leaders take next President of European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, elected on Tuesday (July 16), seriously as political partner, think members of Slovak National Party (SNS). BRATISLAVA - Thirty metres is the top height permitted by technicians and construction engineers for the flagpole that I want to build in front of the Parliament building, Parliamentary Chair Andrej Danko (Slovak National Party/SNS) told media at a press briefing on Wednesday. BRATISLAVA - The Health Ministry won't let itself be dragged into political games over the hospital stratification project, ministry spokesperson Zuzana Eliasova claimed on Wednesday regarding the call by the opposition SaS party. BRATISLAVA - The coalition's ethnic-reconciliation Most-Hid party would welcome it if liberal parties found a model for co-operation and contested the upcoming 2020 general election together on a single slate, Most-Hid spokesperson Klara Debnar told TASR on Wednesday. BRATISLAVA - The fact that only politicians from Western Europe were selected for top EU posts is unfortunate and signals that Central Europe is supposed only to obey and follow, not participate in any decision-making, believes House European Affairs Committee chair Lubos Blaha (Smer-SD). BRATISLAVA - Parliamentary Chairman Andrej Danko (Slovak National Party/SNS) hopes that Ursula von der Leyen will become a useful addition to the European Commission, Danko's spokesman Tomas Kostelnik told TASR on Wednesday. BRATISLAVA - Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini (Smer-SD) welcomes the election of Ursula von der Leyen as the President of the new European Commission and voiced hope that Maros Sefcovic will acquire a strong portfolio in the new Commission, TASR was told by Government Office press department on Wednesday. BRATISLAVA - Parliamentary Chairman Andrej Danko (Slovak National Party/SNS) would give up presidential benefits if he were in former president Andrej Kiska's shoes and wanted to join politics. BRATISLAVA - I certainly don't want to receive two state salaries and if such a situation arises, I will give away the money to families in need, the same way I gave away my entire presidential salary, former President Andrej Kiska posted on a social network on Wednesday. BRATISLAVA - Leader of the opposition Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) Richard Sulik considers the sovereignty of Slovakia to be of cardinal importance and hence he sees reasons to commemorate the passing of the Declaration of Sovereignty of the Slovak Republic, TASR learnt on Wednesday. BRATISLAVA - Parliamentary Chair Andrej Danko (Slovak National Party/SNS) wants a 30-metre tall flagpole to be erected in front of Parliament and, according to Parliament spokesperson Tomas Kostelnik, Danko requested that the flagpole be 3 metres taller than that they have in Budapest. BRATISLAVA - Neither President Zuzana Caputova nor Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini (Smer-SD) will take part in the Proud of the Family March or the LGBTI Rainbow Pride, which will take place simultaneously in Bratislava on Saturday, July 20. mf