MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Thursday, August 15, 2024 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Wednesday, August 14): BRATISLAVA - Representatives of the opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS) told a news conference on Wednesday that they want to propose the establishment of a commission to investigate the assassination attempt on Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) at the next parliamentary session. PS representatives criticised the fact that although almost three months have passed since the assassination attempt, the public knows nothing about its investigation. MP Martin Dubeci (PS) explained that the commission's task should be to hear all relevant persons involved, follow the best foreign practice in this area, including hearing foreign experts, and a potential parliamentary survey. He admitted that the commission might operate in a secret mode. Parliamentary parties should be proportionally represented in it. The commission should submit a report on what happened within a few months. BRATISLAVA - The law enforcement authorities are doing everything necessary to investigate the assassination attempt on Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD), Prosecutor-General Maros Zilinka posted on a social network on Wednesday, adding that the length of the preparatory proceedings is mainly conditioned by the performance of numerous procedural acts through international judicial cooperation. "In view of the non-public nature of the preparatory criminal proceedings, and also in view of the nature and seriousness of the offence (a particularly serious crime of terrorist attack), the provision of partial (selective) information would not only be unfair, but especially harmful from the point of view of achieving the purpose of the criminal proceedings," stressed the prosecutor-general. BRATISLAVA - Parties of the governing coalition, Smer-SD, Voice-SD and the Slovak National Party (SNS) condemn what they view as "gross personal" attacks on ministers coming from the so-called opposition activists, politicians and media, according to their joint statement provided to TASR by Smer-SD's press department. The coalition claims that the ministers are only performing their constitutional duties stemming from the law and fulfilling the government manifesto. The coalition does respect citizens' rights to assembly and freedom of speech. However, it doesn't consider spreading hatred without arguments to be a different political opinion. BRATISLAVA - I see no reason to dismiss Culture Minister Martina Simkovicova (a Slovak National Party/SNS nominee) and Justice Minister Boris Susko (Smer-SD), Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) said in a video posted on a social network on Wednesday, adding that in his opinion, both have acted and are acting in accordance with the law. "There's no reason for me, as prime minister, to even consider tabling a motion to dismiss the ministers who are now targets of the opposition. Anyone who looks objectively at the actions of the culture minister and the justice minister must agree that they have acted and are acting lawfully and that they are also taking ordinary managerial decisions in accordance with the law," stated the premier, adding that the same view will be held by the entire coalition in the event that the opposition tabled a no-confidence motion in these ministers in Parliament. BRATISLAVA - Slovakia's GDP in fixed prices grew by 1.9 percent year-on-year in the second quarter of 2024, the Statistics Office has reported in a preliminary estimate of GDP and employment according to ESA 2010 methodology. Adjusted for seasonal effects, GDP in the second quarter increased by 2.1 percent year-on-year and by 0.4 percent quarter-on-quarter. During the second quarter of 2024, GDP in current prices amounted to €32.4 billion, a yearly increase of €2 billion. When converted into fixed prices, GDP reached €24 billion, bringing the year-on-year growth in fixed prices to €449 million. ko