SUMMARY - Wednesday, December 15, 2021 - 9 p.m.

BRATISLAVA - Technological sovereignty is one of the EU's current economic policy priorities, Foreign and European Affairs Ministry state secretary Ingrid Brockova stated during a discussion between Slovak and US companies held by AmCham on Wednesday. BRATISLAVA - Defence ministers of the Central European Defence Cooperation (CEDC) and western Balkan countries discussed defence and security challenges during the pandemic via a video conference on Wednesday, TASR learnt from the Defence Ministry press department on the same day. BRATISLAVA - Dissatisfaction and desperation of businesses in tourism is growing; the Government still hasn't responded to repeated proposals to mitigate the negative effects on tourism and restaurants, the Hotels and Restaurants Association (AHRS) said on Wednesday, adding that the aid for establishments is insufficient and the measures are confusing. BRATISLAVA - Head of the Doctors Trade Union Association (LOZ) Peter Visolajsky has sent an open letter to President Zuzana Caputova in which he’s asking her to receive him over the Parliament-approved reform of the hospital network as he’s of the opinion that Caputova shouldn’t sign the reform and should return it to the House due to what he sees as shortcomings of the measure. BRATISLAVA - The National Cultural and Congress Centre (NKKC) could be set up at Trnavske Myto in Bratislava as the working group of the civic association NKKC also leaned towards this locality, which in the finals out of three assessed development projects identified the New Istropolis project from Immocap as the most suitable for creating such a centre. BRATISLAVA - Developer J&T Real Estate (JTRE) considers the entire selection process of the site and partner for the construction of the National Cultural and Congress Centre (NKKC) in Bratislava to be non-transparent, untrustworthy and prepared in advance for the benefit of one of the developers, JTRE executive director Pavel Pelikan told TASR. BRATISLAVA - It's undignified not to ensure quality care for people in hospitals in 2021, thinks independent MP Tomas Valasek (associated with non-parliamentary Progressive Slovakia). BRATISLAVA - The Supreme Court extended custody for tycoon and lawyer Zoroslav K. [name abbreviated due to legal reasons] until February 20, 2022 in the case of illegal production and distribution of illicit cigarettes, TASR learnt from court spokesperson Alexandra Vazanova on Wednesday. BRATISLAVA - Total illegal migration in Slovakia in January to November 2021 reached a level 46.2 percent higher than in the same period a year ago, with the number of foreigners increasing from 1,085 to 1,586, TASR learnt from the Interior Ministry's press department Michaela Paulenova on Wednesday in connection with the online meeting of interior ministers of the Salzburg Forum countries held on Tuesday (December 14). KOSICE - The Constitutional Court on Wednesday suspended the effect of a provision of the Labour Code that would allow employers to lay off those employees who’ve reached 65 years of age or have become eligible to receive pension as of next year. BRATISLAVA - President Zuzana Caputova acted correctly when she refused to appoint Jozef Hudak to the post of Slovak central bank (NBS) vice-governor in 2019, as the Constitutional Court has dismissed his appeal, in which he argued that Caputova breached his right to equal access to a public post, TASR learnt on Wednesday from the president’s spokesman Martin Strizinec. BRATISLAVA - The intervention of police officers against protesting health rescuers in front of Parliament on Tuesday (December 14) doesn't mean that the Police Corps is against health professionals, but the law must apply to everyone, Interior Minister Roman Mikulec (OLaNO) said on Wednesday, praising the rescuers' handling of the situation "without unnecessary drama" and that they didn't allow the incident to become a political issue. am