MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Monday, January 20, 2025 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Sunday, January 19): BRATISLAVA - Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre Office (UGKK) chairman Juraj Celler announced on Sunday that he will resign from his position on Monday, January 20, confirming the news to TASR, while also denying any communication with hackers who attacked the home ownership registry. "I never communicated with them, that's absolute nonsense," he stated. "I'll find out how this information about me talking to them even came up," he added. Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) has called for his resignation in connection with the hacker attack on the home ownership registry. PEZINOK - The Specialised Criminal Court (STS) in Pezinok (Bratislava region) has sent the student, charged in the case of the knife attack at the secondary school in Spisska Stara Ves (Presov region), into custody, TASR has learnt from STS spokeswoman Katarina Kudjakova. The judge's decision isn't yet final, and the accused has reserved the right to appeal. "The reason for the custody is the concern that the accused may flee or continue criminal activity, so it is both the flight-prevention and preventive custody," the spokeswoman explained, adding that the judge rejected the defendant's request for supervision by probation and mediation officers. The prosecutor in the case waived their right to appeal to the custody decision, she added. BRATISLAVA - The coalition Voice-SD party, along with the opposition Christian Democrats (KDH), Progressive Slovakia (PS), Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) parties and President Peter Pellegrini, have strongly disagreed with House Vice-chair Tibor Gaspar's (Smer-SD) statement, made on Friday (January 17), in which he suggested the possibility of Slovakia leaving the European Union (EU) and NATO. "The Voice-SD party advocates for a sovereign foreign policy, where Slovak interests must come first. However, we reject any discussion of Slovakia potentially leaving the EU or NATO," said party spokeswoman Michaela Eliasova. According to PS, it has been fully confirmed that Fico's government is capable of attempting to cover up its own failures by endangering the fundamental pillars of Slovakia's stability, security, and prosperity. "Entire generations in Slovakia fought for a clear European orientation of Slovakia, and we won't allow Fico's coalition to endanger Slovakia's future," the party emphasised. BRATISLAVA - The European Union (EU) and NATO are vital for Slovakia, but no one should be prevented from expressing criticism about their functioning or direction, Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) has stated in a video on social media, defending his party colleague, House Vice-chair Tibor Gaspar. "He [Gaspar] accurately described the situation in the European Union, emphasising that Slovakia must be prepared for various development scenarios," said he. He also stated that it could lead to the disintegration of the Union. "Just as the Warsaw Pact collapsed within a year, global events could send the EU and NATO into history books, and cries from Slovakia won't help," Fico remarked. Fico also commented on the visit of the opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS) party to Kiev and their meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He's convinced that Zelenskyy, despite PS's claims about the willingness to negotiate gas transit through Ukraine to Slovakia, doesn't consider such a possibility, pointing to Zelensky's reluctance to meet at the upcoming World Economic Forum in Davos. ko