SUMMARY - Monday, May 23 - 10.20 p.m.

BRATISLAVA - The SaS party rejects the latest proposal by Finance Minister and OLaNO leader Igor Matovic to use the proceeds from the extraordinary tax on the processing of Russian oil to pay for salaries of nurses, doctors and teachers, SaS chair Richard Sulik announced on Monday. BRATISLAVA - EU rules don't allow any cuts in the VAT tax on motor fuels, which is why the Finance Ministry cannot embrace a proposal put forth by the SaS party to use the income from the extraordinary taxation of Russian oil processing to slash VAT tax on fuels from 20 to 8 percent, Finance Minister Igor Matovic (OLaNO) declared at a press conference on Monday. BRATISLAVA - Defence ministers of the so-called Contact Group held online talks to follow up on results of the April meeting at US Ramstein air base in Germany and discuss the aid for Ukraine not only in the foreseeable future but also in mid- and long-term, Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad reported (OLaNO) on Monday. BRATISLAVA - It is unacceptable to approve and carry out measures of such extensive scope as the anti-inflation aid in a fast-tracked procedure and without any public or expert debate, representatives of both employers and employees declared jointly after a tripartite session [representatives of Government, employers and employees] on Monday. BRATISLAVA - I will continue to promote the proposal to regulate the representation of political parties on political TV talk shows according to their relevancy, with the discussion on the proposal to take place from June until September, Finance Minister and OLaNO leader Igor Matovic announced at a press conference on Monday. BRATISLAVA - Chief of Slovak diplomacy Ivan Korcok met with Slovak MEPs on Monday to discuss the conclusion of the Conference on the Future of Europe (CoFoE), TASR learnt from the ministry press department on the same day. BRATISLAVA - Opposition's Smer-SD party will propose the re-introduction of banking levy as a way to finance the anti-inflation measures because the aid for the people, as proposed by the Government, is inadequate and "ridiculous", Smer-SD chair Robert Fico said at a press briefing on Monday. BRATISLAVA - At a session of the coalition council on Sunday (May 22), the SaS party unveiled proposals to its coalition partners with which it would like to amend measures sponsored by Finance Minister Igor Matovic (OLaNO), SaS caucus chair Anna Zemanova told TASR on Monday. BRATISLAVA - Finance Minister Igor Matovic (OLaNO) allegedly proposed to coalition council on Sunday (May 22) changes to political talk shows, so that the representation of political parties on them should be set according to whether they passed through parliamentary elections, TASR learnt on Monday. mf