MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Monday, March 24, 2025 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Sunday, March 23): BRATISLAVA - The unrest within the coalition was put to an end by virtue of the new deal and the governing coalition now commands the votes of 79 legislators again, Voice-SD vice-chair Richard Rasi declared on STVR's discussion programme 'Five Minutes to Twelve' on Sunday, whereas SaS head Branislav Groehling, also on the show, doesn't believe that the Government and the parliamentary majority will be stable for long. In Groehling's view, Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) made a mistake, which will ultimately cost him his Government. "I'm confident that the crisis has been resolved. We can say that the governing coalition has 79 legislators at its disposal again," said Rasi, adding that the first test will come in the form of next week's parliamentary session. In this context, Rasi sees no reason not to hold the election of the new House chair straight away. Rasi conceded that both Voice-SD and SNS suffered political losses, yet the upshot is that the alternative of early election and the forming of a new anti-social government by opposition parties has been averted. BRATISLAVA - Speaking on STVR's political talk show 'Saturday Dialogues', leader of the junior coalition Slovak National Party (SNS) Andrej Danko claimed that he's not happy with the way the coalition crisis has been resolved and who took over the Ministry of Sports and Tourism that his party established. "The Prime Minister has given them everything. All it takes today is to have two angry lawmakers and they can get a ministry with a budget worth billions," stated Danko, who noted that the Government has no leverage over dissatisfied legislators after this. In Danko's view, Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) saved himself with his solution as well, but Smer-SD must learn to treat its coalition partners with respect. Danko also voiced concerns over how sessions of the coalition council will be run in its new extended format. BRATISLAVA - The Government won't leave farmers, due to lose their animals to the contagion of the foot-and-mouth disease, high and dry, as compensations for them are being sought at both domestic and European levels, Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) declared after a session of the crisis team at the Agriculture Ministry on Sunday. Agriculture Minister Richard Takac (Smer-SD) added that compensations will be extended also to small-scale breeders. "I'm announcing this publicly, in an official capacity. The Slovak Government, despite the difficult financial situation this country finds itself in, won't leave farmers high and dry," stated Fico, who declared his willingness to hold talks with top representatives of the European Commission in this context. In the meantime, Takac plans to travel to Brussels for talks on Monday (March 24). BRATISLAVA - Aside from the aid from the Czech Republic and Hungary, Slovakia will receive help in combatting the contagion of foot-and-mouth disease also from Austria, with about 70 Austrian experts and disinfection equipment being sent to Slovakia by its western neighbour, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Richard Takac (Smer-SD) announced on TA3 TV on Sunday. "I can say that this is a high-level foreign aid and cooperation," said Takac, adding that on Monday (March 24) a team of experts from the European Commission will come to Slovakia and help has been offered also by the Netherlands. ko