MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Wednesday, April 17, 2024 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Tuesday, April 16): BRATISLAVA - Members of the Judicial Council ousted Jan Mazak from the post of chairman on Tuesday, although he will remain a member. Ten members of the Judicial Council voted for Mazak's dismissal, two abstained and four didn't vote, with no one against. At least ten votes were needed to oust him from the post. Supporting Mazak's ouster were members Marcela Kosova, Peter Samko, Aysa Pruzinec Eren, Dana Jelinkova Dudzikova, Marian Fecik, Ludmila Joanidisova and Martin Bezak. In their view, Mazak flagrantly misused his post to collect unlawful information on judges. Mazak originally wanted to include the proposal in the agenda of the council's May session, arguing that he has the right to defend himself within a reasonable period of time. Because of this, he didn't participate in the debate and the vote of no-confidence. Mazak claims that he is being blamed for something that is actually fully within his powers and signalled that he will turn to the Constitutional Court. PEZINOK - The Specialised Criminal Court (STS) in Pezinok (Bratislava region) found former Smer-SD MP Lubica R. [name abbreviated due to legal reasons] guilty in the case involving farm subsidy fraud, giving her a three-year suspended sentence with a five-year probation period. The defendant is supposed to pay almost €152,000 in compensation for damage to the Agricultural Payment Agency (PPA). The verdict isn't yet final, as parties to the action can still appeal against it. BRATISLAVA - The Environment Ministry has agreed with the opposition Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) on a change to a bill allowing the shooting of problematic bears without administrative proceedings, Environment Minister Tomas Taraba (an SNS nominee) reported on Tuesday. "It's proof that the hand I extended to the opposition was accepted," remarked Taraba in this vein. The original bill proposed by the ministry allowed towns and villages to set up 500-metre perimeter zones in which it would be possible to kill bears without administrative proceedings if there is a clear risk of an encounter between people and the animals. The new, amended bill allows the authorities to shoot bears if they pose threat to life, health and economic interests, while the area where this will be allowed will be determined by individual town halls. The government is expected to deal with the bill on Wednesday. BRATISLAVA - The House Agriculture and Environment Committee decided not to pass any resolution on the helicopter flyover of Environment Ministry state secretary Filip Kuffa above the Mala Fatra National Park, TASR learnt on Tuesday. Kuffa claimed that his was a working flight with respect to the zoning and maintained that he has violated no law. This view doesn't sit well with Committee vice-chair Tamara Stohlova (PS), however, who sees the flight as a breach of the law and called on Environment Minister Tomas Taraba (SNS nominee) to oust Kuffa from his post. WARSAW - Slovakia and Poland share a common history that teaches both countries to remember principles and values and the need to protect them, Slovak President Zuzana Caputova said during her farewell meeting with her Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda in Warsaw on Tuesday, adding that if the two countries fail to do so, they may jeopardise their future. Poland is a key partner for Slovakia for several reasons, Caputová stressed. She thanked Warsaw in particular for protecting Slovak airspace together with other allies in a difficult period. The Slovak president said that relations between Slovakia and Poland have held up very well despite challenging times and crises in recent years. She noted that this year Warsaw and Bratislava commemorate several round anniversaries, including their respective accession to NATO and the EU as well as the Warsaw and Slovak National Uprisings. BRATISLAVA - The most trustworthy politician is Voice-SD leader and president-elect Peter Pellegrini, according to a recent survey carried out by Focus agency on behalf of television channel Markiza. In the survey, 49 percent of the respondents claimed that they trust Pellegrini, while 50 percent expressed their distrust in him. The president-elect was followed by outgoing President Zuzana Caputova, who was seen as trustworthy by 45 percent of the respondents and untrustworthy by 54 percent. Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) was placed third, trusted by 36 percent and distrusted by 64 percent. am