MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Thursday, March 13, 2025 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Wednesday, March 12): BRATISLAVA - The opposition Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party has convened a roundtable meeting of opposition parties on the issue of Europe's defence capabilities for March 19, MP Jan Krupa (SaS) told a news conference on Wednesday. SaS would also like to discuss the issue of an increase in defence spending with its opposition peers at the meeting. "We view this issue as crucial and important not only from the economic viewpoint, though we naturally have to talk about what impacts it will have, but also from the security, international security and defence perspectives. We find it important to discuss this issue with all the opposition parties and seek a common stance so that we can declare to our partners abroad that Slovakia is interested in this issue," said Krupa. A debate on the coalition's proposals on the European defence issue should be also on the agenda of the meeting, he added. BRATISLAVA - The Economy Ministry should have access to socio-economic data on individuals and households upon request, based on which it will assess the need for energy cost compensation, according to a bill on the provision of data for the purpose of targeted energy aid approved by the government with comments on Wednesday. At the same time, the government asked Parliament to deal with the bill via a fast-track legislative procedure. In line with the law, the Economy Ministry will be authorised to demand certain data, for example, from real-estate registry offices, Financial Administration (the tax office), social-insurance provider Socialna poistovna and energy distribution companies. Based on analyses of these data, the ministry will be able to create a system for providing targeted energy aid. KOSICE - The Constitutional Court has suspended the effect of the part of the law on free access to information that allows fees to be charged for information after an amendment to the Information Act, which came into force on March 1, was challenged before the Constitutional Court by a group of opposition MPs as well as ombudsman Robert Dobrovodsky. The Constitutional Court on Wednesday accepted their motions to assess whether the amendment is constitutional in further proceedings. It didn't suspend the entire amendment, although this was requested by the group of MPs. In its submission to the Constitutional Court, the opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS) party stated that the regulation could seriously interfere with people's fundamental rights and freedoms, pointing out that the amendment introduced a new institution into the Information Act, the so-called extraordinary broad search, along with fees for this service, which, however, it didn't specify. BRATISLAVA - The Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAV) could be one of the recipients of increased defence spending, which would go on research and development, President Peter Pellegrini declared at a press conference after his visit to SAV on Wednesday. The head of state reiterated that he plans to convene a roundtable discussion for all chairs of the parliamentary political parties with a view to forging a united stance across the entire political spectrum on Slovakia's foreign policy. "If we speak in Europe now about the need to bolster spending on our defence and security, then I for one think that if Slovakia gradually increases its defence and security spending, a proportion of that money should be used for research and development, maybe at SAV," stated the president, pointing out that SAV could help in the fields of encrypted communications, research into new materials, AI systems and digital control of various devices. In Pellegrini's view, SAV would be of benefit to the Slovak armed forces and a good research partner for Slovak arms producers. BRATISLAVA - I support all peace plans and proposals for a truce in Ukraine, Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) posted on a social network on Wednesday. "Every day of the war in Ukraine is connected with the mutual killing of Slavs, which I've rejected from the very beginning of the conflict. I'm the premier of a country that loves peace and that consistently implements a sovereign Slovak foreign affairs policy oriented in all four cardinal directions," added Fico. After talks with US representatives in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday (March 11), Ukraine voiced its support for the United States' proposal of a 30-day truce with Russia. At the same time, the United States immediately lifted all restrictions on military aid for and exchanges of intel with Ukraine. BRATISLAVA - The Council of the Art Support Fund (FPU) on Wednesday approved a change to its statutes, spokeswoman for the fund Eva Turanska told TASR on the same day, adding that members of the council also elected a new chairman, namely current vice-chairman Matus Olha. "The approved form of the statute is based on the amended version agreed at the previous council meeting. It's taken the comments into account while omitting the most radical changes originally proposed," said Turanska. At the meeting on Wednesday, council members also approved a new chairman. After March 28, when the mandate of the current head of the council, Dusan Buran, is due to end, current vice-chairman Matus Olha will take over. "Eight members of the council voted for him," noted Turanska. ko