MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Sunday, May 25, 2025 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Saturday, May 24): BRATISLAVA - The junior coalition Slovak National Party (SNS) believes that Slovakia has the right to demand financial compensation from Ukraine. It therefore calls on Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) to initiate the European Union's (EU) proceedings regarding the share in Ukraine's mineral wealth at the next meeting of the European Council, SNS spokesperson Zuzana Skopcova informed TASR on Saturday. "Never ever in the history of any state such a treaty has been signed like the one signed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in relation to the USA. The volume of aid provided by the EU is approaching the one provided by the USA. If Ukraine hands over all its mineral wealth to the United States, there will be nothing left to it to repay aid to European countries," stated Skopcova, adding that the exercise of an exclusive right to minerals by the US is illogical and unethical towards Ukraine. SNS leader Andrej Danko wants to officially raise the request to Finance Minister Ladislav Kamenicky (Smer-SD) on Monday (26 May). He wants him to calculate a total cost of aid to Ukraine and prepare documents for the premier. BRATISLAVA - Slovakia isn't considering withdrawing from the World Health Organization (WHO), Labour Minister Erik Tomas (Voice-SD) said on STVR's politics programme 'Sobotne dialogy' (Saturday Dialogues) in reaction to the statement by US Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who's called on other countries to follow the suit of the USA and withdraw from the WHO. Opposition MP Irena Bihariova (Progressive Slovakia/PS), also on the show, called Slovakia's abstention from voting on the pandemic agreement shameful. "It's not at all about Slovakia losing its sovereignty or free decision-making, it's not about any mandatory vaccinations, mandatory lockdowns or similar nonsense," said Tomas in connection with the pandemic agreement. Bihariova criticised Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) for giving weight to the statements by Government Proxy for Investigating COVID-19 Pandemic Management Peter Kotlar. SUCANY - A she-bear with two cubs attacked a 49-year-old man in the village of Sucany near Martin (Zilina region) on Saturday afternoon. He suffered several injuries and was taken to hospital, Environment Ministry State Secretary Filip Kuffa reported on a social network on the same day. "The incident took place on the premises of a local firm. The attacked man suffered multiple injuries and was transported by ambulance to the Martin University Hospital. The Fatra Response Team arrived at the scene shortly after that and is currently monitoring the area using a drone equipped with thermal imaging," said Kuffa, adding that the team noted signs of a brown bear's presence at the scene. BRATISLAVA - Slovakia moved from 24th to 17th place out of 29 countries evaluated in the latest Nanny State Index 2025, the Institute of Economic and Social Studies (INESS), which participates in compiling the index, has informed TASR, adding that this means a deterioration, as the higher the ranking, the more the lack of freedom. The Nanny State Index ranks European countries according to how much they interfere in people's lifestyle choices - from what they eat and drink to whether they smoke or vape. The index has been published since 2016 by the European Policy Information Center (EPICENTER), which includes 12 think tanks from across Europe. "In less than two years, Slovakia has become one of the countries that uses paternalistic regulations and high taxes to interfere in the daily decisions of its citizens. This means a decrease in personal freedom in the area of ​​lifestyle, especially for consumers of food, alcohol and nicotine," said the institute. ko