SUMMARY - Thursday, April 18, 2024 - 9 p.m.

Brussels, April 18 (TASR-correspondent) - Prime Minister Robert Fico made no secret of his scepticism towards the proposed plans for a better economic future of the EU following an extraordinary two-day summit of the European Union (EU) in Brussels on Thursday evening. https://etasr.sk/article/20611443 Brussels/Bratislava, April 18 (TASR-correspondent) - The Slovak Government will support the bid of incumbent European Commissioner Maros Sefcovic for a post in the next 2024-29 European Commission, Prime Minister Robert Fico announced after an extraordinary two-day EU summit in Brussels, TASR learnt from its special correspondent in Brussels on Thursday. https://etasr.sk/article/20611506 Brussels, April 18 (TASR) - By approving an amendment to the Social Insurance Act, Parliament has fulfilled a "clear promise" made by the parties of the ruling coalition that pensioners will receive a full-fledged thirteenth pension in the full amount of the average pension in a given category, Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) posted on Thursday on a social network, praising the approval of the amendment by the constitutional majority. https://etasr.sk/article/20611219 Bratislava, April 18 (TASR) - Slovakia managed to sell government bonds worth a total of €635 million on Thursday, the Finance Ministry said on Thursday, adding that Swiss investors showed interest in these bonds and after 10 years Slovakia managed to diversify its portfolio into a currency other than the euro. https://etasr.sk/article/20610805 Bratislava, April 18 (TASR) - The Government-sponsored bill on the bear situation is dangerous and, aside from bears, it deals also with wolves, jackals and endangered lynxes, opposition SaS chair Branislav Groehling declared at a press conference on Thursday. https://etasr.sk/article/20611328 Presov, April 18 (TASR) - The city of Presov is preparing several austerity measures, concerning mainly the operation of the city office and limitation of works, which were planned within the maintenance of the building, Presov mayor Frantisek Olha said on Thursday, adding that bridges won't be repaired either. https://etasr.sk/article/20611001 Bratislava, April 18 (TASR) - Any politicking with the EU Funds as well as the attempt to punish the Slovak people for the election of Robert Fico's (Smer-SD) government by taking away EU funds are unjust and the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) rejects it, KDH European Parliament election slate leader and MEP Miriam Lexmann told TASR TV in an interview on Thursday. https://etasr.sk/article/20610814 Bratislava, April 18 (TASR) - The opposition Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party doesn't consider the new setting of the thirteenth pension to be either social or solidarity-based, the party said on Thursday in response to the amendment to the Social Insurance Act, according to which the 13th pension will no longer be a social benefit and will become a new pension benefit paid out by social insurance company Socialna poistovna. https://etasr.sk/article/20610540 Notice: If you click on the link or copy it into the search window, the browser will display the full text of the message in the new e-TASR client zone. If you have any questions, please contact obchod@tasr.sk. am