MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Tuesday, May 6, 2025 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Monday, May 5): BRATISLAVA - A special session of the Slovak government focused on the challenges facing the automotive industry is likely to take place at the beginning of July this year, Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) announced on social media following Monday’s meeting with representatives of the automotive sector. Fico also indicated that Parliament could discuss the introduction of a Kurzarbeit scheme — a state-subsidized short-time work — during its May session. “At the Government Office today, we hosted important guests — representatives of the automotive industry, which plays a key role in the Slovak economy. We are jointly concerned about high energy prices, for which the European Union offers no practical solutions. On the contrary, the EU’s politically motivated pressure to stop energy supplies from the East is creating conditions for further increases in gas prices, which also affect electricity prices,” Fico stated. BRATISLAVA - Prime Minister Robert Fico's (Smer-SD) proposal to cancel televised political debates on Sundays is a sign of the incompetence and cowardice of the current governing coalition, chairman of Progressive Slovakia's (PS) parliamentary caucus Martin Dubeci declared on Monday. "They can't handle critical questions from the media and are increasingly trying to avoid confrontation with the opposition. For instance, Robert Fico hasn't had the courage to face the PS leader in a debate for months," Dubeci told TASR in reaction to the prime minister's comments. Dubeci believes that the only reason for Fico's proposal is a desperate attempt to divert attention away from the mounting problems of his government. "Hospitals are literally falling apart, the fiscal consolidation is a mess, the transaction tax is stupid, and Fico's price hikes have affected every single household in Slovakia," added Dubeci. BRATISLAVA - The 'Slovakia' party has again called on opposition parties Progressive Slovakia, SaS, KDH, and the non-parliamentary Democrats to travel together to Kiev on May 9, as this, in their view, would show the people of Slovakia that they have pride. The appeal has been made in response to the planned trip by Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) to Moscow for the WWII Victory Day celebrations there. Party leader Igor Matovic called the prime minister's decision treason and shameful for Slovakia. “Today, it is almost certain that May 9, 2025, will be etched in big letters in the modern history of the Slovak Republic as the day of the betrayal in Moscow. The participation of the prime minister in a propaganda event organised by mass murderer Vladimir Putin, at a time of mass slaughter of the Ukrainian people and in the company of various dictators and tyrants from around the world, will forever remain a great international shame on the reputation of Slovakia," said Matovic during a press conference on Monday. BRATISLAVA - On Monday afternoon, representatives of the non-parliamentary Slovak Revival Movement (SHO) submitted a citizens’ petition to the President's Office, calling for a referendum on the issue of lifting sanctions against the Russian Federation. SHO claims to have collected nearly 400,000 signatures. The petition calls on President Peter Pellegrini to announce a referendum with the following question: “Do you agree that the Slovak Republic should not apply sanctions against the Russian Federation that harm Slovak citizens, sole traders, and businesses?” SHO leader Robert Svec argued that the petition became necessary because, in his view, the Slovak government says one thing to the people at home but votes differently in Brussels. If the referendum is valid, he believes it would provide the Slovak government with a strong mandate to negotiate in Brussels against sanctions. Although a referendum cannot dictate specific actions to the prime minister, Svec said the government would have to respect the will of the people. He argued that EU sanctions on Russia have caused Slovakia significant economic damage, referencing estimates of losses in the billions of euros. BRATISLAVA - African swine fever has been confirmed on a farm in Dolne Semerovce (Nitra region), with the Regional Veterinary and Food Administration (RVPS) in Levice implementing measures in the outbreak area as well as in three- and ten-kilometre restricted zones, Agriculture Ministry spokeswoman Veronika Danicova told TASR on Monday. The disease poses no risk to humans. "On May 2, 2025, the National Reference Laboratory in Zvolen (Banska Bystrica region) confirmed the first outbreak of African swine fever in domestic pigs in Slovakia in 2025. The positive sample came from a pig on a farm in Dolne Semerovce municipality, Levice district, which exhibited signs of the disease. The farm houses approximately 18,458 pigs [for meat production]. The necessary depopulation will begin on May 5, 2025," the ministry stated, adding that the cause of the infection is under investigation. The carcasses will be processed at a facility in accordance with legislation. BRATISLAVA - Opposition's MP Rastislav Kratky ('Slovakia'-For the People-KU alliance), a member of the House Committee on Agriculture and the Environment, has called on Environment Minister Tomas Taraba (SNS nominee) to fully disclose all documents related to the environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the planned battery production facility in the town of Surany (Nitra region). "Mr. Taraba, give the order to have all the documents on the battery plant assessment properly published — just as has always been the case for such projects," Kratky stated. Kratky noted that Taraba himself has previously admitted the submitted documentation is of low quality. Despite that, further documents have not been published — allegedly because the ministry didn’t return them to the investor for full revision but merely requested additional details. Kratky argues that this approach is non-transparent and may harm the public interest. He emphasized that while the assessment process has been suspended by the ministry, the available materials could and should be made accessible to the public via the relevant official website. ko