MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Monday, May 20, 2024 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Sunday, May 19): BANSKA BYSTRICA - Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) is currently out of danger to his life but his condition remains serious, deputy director of the Roosevelt Hospital in Banska Bystrica Milan Urbani and Vice-Premier and Defence Minister Robert Kalinak (Smer-SD) stated on Sunday. "Based on the doctors' morning consultation, we can state that the patient is currently out of life-threatening condition. His condition remains very serious and he needs a long period of time and rest to recover. We firmly believe that everything will go in a good direction," said the deputy director. The vice-premier added that the transfer of the prime minister to another hospital isn't planned or possible in the near future. BRATISLAVA - The investigation team into the assassination attempt on Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) is also looking into the possibility that the perpetrator wasn't a lone wolf, Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok (Voice-SD) said on Sunday, adding that this is also suggested by the fact that the Facebook and communication history of the perpetrator was deleted two hours after the act was committed. "An investigation team has been added to the investigator because there is also a version that the perpetrator was in a certain group of people who may have been encouraging and supporting each other for this crime," said the minister. BRATISLAVA - The State Security Council will be convened on Wednesday (May 22) to discuss the situation following the assassination attempt on Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD), Vice-Premier Robert Kalinak (Smer-SD) stated on Sunday. It is to deal with proposals for measures and possible legislative changes to prevent similar attacks. Next week, the parliamentary defence and security committee is also to be provided a more detailed explanation about the case, its chairman Tibor Gaspar (Smer-SD) said. Kalinak will ask council deputy chair Denisa Sakova (Voice-SD) to convene the Security Council also in the context of new information that the perpetrator of the assassination attempt may not have been a lone wolf. BRATISLAVA - It turns out that the time isn't probably ripe for a round table of political parties, president-elect Peter Pellegrini stated on Sunday, TASR was told by Pellegrini's spokeswoman Patricia Medved Macikova. Pellegrini convened the meeting of parliamentary parties together with incumbent head of state Zuzana Caputova following the assassination attempt on Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD). He appeals to the people not to be taken away by the negative emotions that the upcoming political battle may bring. "If today's political scene isn't ready for mutual reconciliation, let all of us be ready for it. We're one nation, one community, one Slovakia. And each of us can contribute to reconciliation with our own part today. Regardless of whether others will do so, regardless of which political party we support," said Pellegrini. BRATISLAVA - President Zuzana Caputova considers the possibility of a meeting of political leaders still open, TASR learnt from her spokesman Martin Strizinec on Sunday. In her opinion, it's natural that its preparation requires not only time, but also patience. In the current situation, she said it's most important for there to be a shift in calming down the situation. The head of state sees it as less important whether the meeting will take place later or at a different location. BRATISLAVA - Businessman Jozef Majsky has died at the age of 78, TASR was confirmed by his son Jozef Majsky Jr. on Sunday. Majsky's son said that his father died on Sunday afternoon at the National Cancer Institute in Bratislava. Majsky was convicted of embezzlement from non-banking financial companies Horizont Slovakia and BMG Invest. He served his sentence in the Czech Republic. He was paroled in 2022. ko