MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Wednesday, May 21, 2025 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Tuesday, May 20): BRATISLAVA - Slovakia didn't vote against the pandemic agreement, Health Minister Kamil Sasko (Voice-SD) stated on Tuesday in connection with the outcome of the vote at the World Health Organisation (WHO), adding that the fact that Slovakia abstained in the vote, along with ten other countries, provides an opportunity for further active steps. "Despite yesterday's vote, the agreement will continue to be discussed at the WHO, including with Slovakia's participation at the negotiating table," stressed the minister, pointing out that the Slovak representative acted in accordance with the stance agreed by the majority of the Slovak government during the vote. According to him, the final version, ready for ratification by member states, should be ready within 12-18 months. "Only then, after proper negotiations at the international level are concluded, will we as a country adopt a clear position on it, and the final stance on the pandemic agreement will ultimately be decided by the duly elected representatives of Slovak citizens, namely the government, parliament and the president, and no one else. Nobody will impose anything on us," emphasised Sasko. BRATISLAVA - There were sufficient factual arguments for Slovakia's failure to support the pandemic agreement, Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) told a press conference on Tuesday, adding that in his view, it contains elements that undermine the sovereignty of member states, inappropriately interfere in the sphere of human rights and has addenda about which nothing is known. The premier declared that the Slovak delegation acted exactly according to the instructions of the Slovak government. "A decision was made at a cabinet session that the delegation would have a mandate to call for a vote on the pandemic agreement and not support the pandemic agreement in that vote," said the prime minister. In practice, he said, not supporting the agreement meant voting against it or abstaining from the vote. He claims that this was not a "short-cut decision" by the cabinet, but was made after serious consideration, and the Justice Ministry also gave its opinion. LEOPOLDOV - The hearing on the motion for the conditional release of former mob boss Mikulas Cernak has been postponed indefinitely. Trnava District Court will acquaint itself with the procedural parties' motions to supplement the evidence. The originally scheduled public hearing at Leopoldov (Trnava region) prison on Thursday (22 May) has been cancelled. The court plans to take note of the prosecution's motions to supplement the evidence. Cernak asked at a public session last May that the decision on a motion for dismissal be made on the basis that it is also his personal motion. At that time, he again expressed regret for the acts committed. MICHALOVCE - A teacher was physically and verbally assaulted and threatened on Tuesday morning at a school in Michalovce (Kosice region), and the police have detained two individuals, TASR learnt from Kosice Regional Police Directorate spokeswoman Lenka Ivanova on the same day, with news outlet tvnoviny.sk reporting on the incident first. "The police were immediately dispatched to the scene, detained two individuals and restricted their personal liberty, and are actively pursuing the case," the spokeswoman added, noting that the necessary procedural steps are currently underway. BRATISLAVA - Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok (Voice-SD) at a press conference on Tuesday confirmed that Bratislava region police have carried out a raid against the Valhalla neo-Nazi group, with Trnava region police probably also involved in the operation. "Several weeks ago, various media also reported on a group of neo-Nazis who were primarily harassing residents of Bratislava. These were young people. Certain actions are still being completed at this time. It concerns a neo-Nazi group called Valhalla, which seems to be inclined towards far-right extremism," stated Sutaj Estok. BRATISLAVA - Unemployment in Slovakia fell to its lowest ever level in April, at 3.71 percent, with the unemployment rate calculated from the total number of job-seekers standing at 5.79 percent, said Labour Minister Erik Tomas (Voice-SD) on Tuesday. The number of unemployed in April was also at its lowest level, at around 161,000. "There have never been fewer people out of work in Slovakia than in April 2025. Maybe just for the sake of interest, when was the highest number of job-seekers or the highest unemployment in Slovakia? It was in January 2002, when the number of unemployed people was 563,946," said Tomas, adding that the current number of job vacancies is 103,367. According to him, the state has helped a number of employees, for example, at a company called Eterna in Banovce nad Bebravou (Trencin region) and at Bukoza in Vranov nad Toplou (Presov region), who were reimbursed for lost salaries. ko