MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Monday, May 12, 2025 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Sunday, May 11): BRATISLAVA - No concrete proposals for the adjustment of the transaction tax have been submitted by junior coalition partners yet and if there are technical shortcomings then those can be addressed, but if coalition partners have ideas for changing the tax, they must also explain how to compensate for possible revenue losses, Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) stated at his press conference on Sunday. Fico underlined that he is not the type of person with a kneejerk response to reject everything immediately. "I am ready to negotiate, I am ready to see the proposals. If these proposals can be compensated and we can find a solution somewhere, then we can proceed," Fico claimed. BRATISLAVA - Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) is not concerned about a potential deterioration in relations with partners in the European Union (EU) and NATO with respect to his recent trip to Moscow for the celebrations marking the end of WW2. Speaking at a press conference held on Sunday, Fico instead criticized the Baltic states' refusal to allow his aircraft to fly through their airspace to Moscow, which forced him to change his route. "Such things are inappropriate between partners," said the Prime Minister, who believes the flight ban was intended to sabotage his trip. "It couldn’t stop me — I had several route options," Fico underlined. Fico again lambasted remarks made by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas. "She’s not my superior; she has no right to tell me what I should or shouldn’t do," Fico declared. He emphasized that during his bilateral talks in Moscow, he obtained important information that European diplomacy could already be working with — whether it concerns the initiative to organize direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul, or the development of trade relations between the U.S. and China. BRATISLAVA - As of Monday (May 12), the import of live animals susceptible to foot-and-mouth disease from abroad into farms in the Trencin, Zilina, Banska Bystrica, Presov, and Kosice regions is permitted, but the changes in measures against the spread of foot-and-mouth disease do not yet apply to the Bratislava, Trnava, and Nitra regions, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development announced on social media on Sunday. BRATISLAVA - The two biggest economic challenges currently facing the Slovak government are the trade wars waged by the United States against other countries, including the European Union (EU), and the looming threat of a complete halt in energy supplies from Russia, with changes to the so-called "kurzarbeit" (short-time work) system expected to be approved soon through a fast-tracked legislative process in response to these issues, Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) stated at his Sunday press conference. Fico emphasized that the U.S. trade war could have a major impact on Slovakia due to Slovakia's heavy reliance on car manufacturing. The United States have already imposed a 25% tariff on car imports. "I can repeat and confirm that the Slovak government is ready to make the necessary amendments to the short-time work law. This law was adopted in response to COVID, but we are lacking a necessary provision in it, since no one anticipated that production could also be limited due to tariffs," Fico explained. BRATISLAVA - Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposal to prioritize direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul — rather than a ceasefire proposed by the so-called “coalition of the willing” — may stem from Russia’s concern over continued arms supplies to Ukraine, coalition legislators declared on the Sunday political talk show 'O 5 minút 12' on Slovak public broadcaster STVR. Jan Ferencak (Voice-SD), chair of the House Committee on European Affairs, cited both the 30-day ceasefire proposal and Putin’s call for direct talks. “Putin expressed concern that a ceasefire could give Ukraine time to rearm. That may be why he rejected the ceasefire and proposed direct negotiations instead. Still, what’s important is that Ukraine and Russia must sit down at the same table — only they can agree on a truce,” he stated. MP Marian Kery (Smer-SD), chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, viewed Putin’s proposal for direct talks positively, especially given Putin’s prior refusal to recognize Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s legitimacy. BRATISLAVA - The chair of the coalition's Slovak National Party (SNS) Andrej Danko stated on TA3's discussion programme 'V politike' (In Politics) on Sunday that he will not back down from his proposal to abolish the transaction tax for sole traders and small businesses, but also won't allow the government to be toppled over the issue. If Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) ties the vote on the tax proposal to a vote of confidence in the government, Danko will seek alternative ways to push through the tax reduction and its eventual abolition. “We will find a way again to reduce and abolish the transaction tax in such a way so that this government doesn’t collapse. We cannot afford to wreck the government, because then people like Mr. Simecka and Mr. Groehling would come in,” said Danko. BRATISLAVA - Prime Minister Robert Fico’s (Smer-SD) visit to Moscow for the anniversary of the end of WW2 was more of a personal initiative of Fico than an official state visit, leader of junior coalition Voice-SD party Matus Sutaj Estok stated on Sunday. Sutaj Estok told TASR that while the trip was largely individual in nature, the Voice party respects the Prime Minister’s decision as a coalition partner. “I agree with what Vice-Chair (Tomas) Drucker and (Health) Minister Kamil Sasko said — it was more of a personal visit. But we don’t see it as a major issue,” Sutaj Estok claimed. lin