MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Monday, April 28, 2025 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Sunday, April 27): BRATISLAVA - The transaction tax is irrevocable, as it brings in such a volume of money that consolidation would be impossible without it, Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) told a news conference on Sunday, adding that he wasn't talking about its scrapping, but correction of technical problems in the past couple of days. According to Fico, the former government is to blame for the introduction of the transaction tax, since it disrupted public finances. He called on the opposition to realise it. "I said that something in the tax should be adjusted, but I didn't say that it should be cancelled. The transaction tax is irrevocable at the moment, since it brings in such a volume of money we can't imagine consolidation without," said Fico, adding that the tax should bring in €700-800 million. BRATISLAVA - The bill on so-called COVID amnesties has "huge logic", it is just, and it needs to be re-approved, Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) told a news conference on Sunday, adding that he will mobilise MPs to break President Peter Pellegrini's veto, therefore. Fico stressed that between 2020 and 2023, people were unjustifiably isolated, "had to pay board-money, and were given fines that were not justified." It should only be possible to claim compensations by August, he said. BRATISLAVA - The coalition Slovak National Party (SNS) won't back down from the issue of the transaction tax adjustment, said its leader Andrej Danko on STVR's discussion programme 'O 5 minut 12' (Five Minutes to Twelve) on Sunday. Danko said that the ultimate goal is complete scrapping of the transaction tax, but now he wants to push at least for its abolition for self-employed and entrepreneurs with an annual turnover up to €100,000. The respective proposal has already been submitted to Parliament. SNS first wants to discuss it within the coalition, but it cannot prevent the opposition from backing it, either. BRATISLAVA - Speaking on JOJ 24's discussion programme 'Politika 24' (Politics 24) on Sunday, House Chair Richard Rasi (Voice-SD) called on Government Proxy for Investigating COVID-19 Pandemic Management Peter Kotlar to publish his analysis on mRNA vaccines against the coronavirus. "If we want to dispel the doubts that are being raised, we cannot just talk about the conclusions of some study that no one has seen," stated Rasi, adding that he hasn't seen Kotlar's study and it isn't available to the Government Office, either. Professional and scientific authorities in Slovakia should see the study, which allegedly came from a certified foreign laboratory, claims Rasi, adding that they should say whether or not these findings are relevant. BRATISLAVA - We should discuss problems and not send messages to each other through the media, Interior Minister and Voice-SD leader Matus Sutaj Estok said on TA3's discussion programme 'V politike' (In Politics) on Sunday in connection with the debate on the transaction tax. Sutaj Estok has called on Slovak National Party (SNS) leader Andrej Danko, as well as Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) in this context. He admitted technical changes to the transaction tax. "I think that we'll discuss it soon. I am therefore calling on coalition representatives not to hold press conferences where we are sending messages to each other, not to issue press releases, but to discuss it behind closed doors," said Sutaj Estok. According to him, there's need to discuss adjustments to the transaction tax, if it concerns workers, such as bricklayers or plumbers. The adjustment of the 'coefficient' can also be considered a technical change in the transaction tax that the premier spoke about. "The technical change is also that you burden a self-employed, a bricklayer, with a lower coefficient than a bank," he explained. BRATISLAVA - President Peter Pellegrini has not yet allowed any Slovak to serve in the Ukrainian army, the President's Office has confirmed for TASR. "Since the beginning of his term of office, the president has received a total of four requests from Slovak citizens for permission to perform military service in the Ukrainian army. He didn't authorise any of them," the office said. In line with the Conscription Act, service in foreign armed forces must be authorised by the president. Shortly after the outbreak of war in Ukraine in February 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on "all those who want to join the defence of Ukraine, Europe and the world" to come to fight beside Ukrainians. BRATISLAVA - President Peter Pellegrini, by vetoing some laws, and Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD), by his recent public appearances, have kicked off the election campaign and are getting ready for a snap election, 'Slovakia', For the People and the Cristian Union (KU) caucus head Michal Sipos told a news conference on Sunday. The opposition MP stated that discord within the coalition is escalating, with the coalition council meeting only rarely. "The fact that Robert Fico held a press conference at 10 a.m. today is not just an accident, but we are convinced that he accepted the game of Pellegrini, who launched the election campaign for a snap election. Pellegrini decided to return some Fico's laws to Parliament and Fico responded by deciding to hold regular press conferences on Sundays and lash out at his coalition partners," said Sipos. lin