MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Thursday, 10 July 2025 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Wednesday, 9 July): BANSKA BYSTRICA – The trial of Juraj C. [name abbreviated due to legal reasons], who shot Prime Minister Robert Fico in Handlova (Trencin region) on 15 May 2024, entered its second day at the Specialised Criminal Court in Banska Bystrica on Wednesday. The shooter is charged with the aggravated crime of a terrorist attack against a protected public official. During the session, the court reviewed a video recording of Fico's testimony from July 2024. In it, the prime minister described how, after a government session in Handlova, he approached a group of 15 to 20 people standing behind barriers. Noticing an older woman waving, he decided to greet them. He didn't notice anyone resembling the defendant. As the prime minister approached the group, he heard four or five noises, which he did not immediately recognise as gunfire. He didn't see who was shooting or where the shots came from. He recalled feeling a blow to the abdomen and falling to the ground. Security personnel rushed to him, hurried him into a vehicle, and transported him away. He remained conscious throughout. Fico stated that a bullet shattered his hip joint, and further treatment may require a replacement. He also suffers from persistent digestive issues caused by the abdominal injury and requires a special diet. BANSKA BYSTRICA - The expert reports presented showed what defendant Juraj C. (name abbreviated due to legal reasons) claims - that he didn't want to kill Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) but to injure him, defence lawyer Namir Alyasry stated during the trial, which continued at the Specialised Criminal Court in Banska Bystrica on Wednesday. The lawyer stated that expert reports that speak about, for example, the angles of the shots, are significant. "The firing channel was conducted at a 30-degree angle in a downward direction, which confirms the defendant's assertion that he didn't intend to shoot in areas that would be immediately fatal, such as the head or chest. In addition, there's the distance between the muzzle of the weapon and the body of the victim, which was measured at exactly 1.2 metres. This also proves that he didn't intend to kill him. If he had wanted to shoot him dead from a distance of 1.2 metres, he would have certainly killed him," stressed Alyasry. BANSKA BYSTRICA - The trial of Juraj C. (name abbreviated due to legal reasons), a pensioner who shot at Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) in Handlova (Trencin region) on 15 May of last year, will continue at the Specialised Criminal Court (STS) in Banska Bystrica in August, TASR has learnt on Wednesday. BRATISLAVA - Slovakia will reject any proposals to suspend the EU-Israel dialogue, said Foreign Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar (Smer-SD) following a meeting with his Israeli counterpart Gideon Saar, whom he received at the Foreign and European Affairs Ministry in Bratislava on Wednesday. "I have assured Minister Saar that Slovakia will reject any proposals to interrupt the EU-Israel dialogue. We firmly believe that it is vital to maintain open channels of communication at all times, especially in these critical times that the dynamic Middle East region is currently facing," Blanar told a joint press briefing, pointing out that discussions are taking place between Brussels and Israel on the release of aid. Saar stated that Israel is interested in reaching an agreement on the release of the hostages and on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. "War per se is not the goal. We always prefer to achieve our goals through diplomatic tools, but it must be clear that Hamas is not only responsible for initiating this war of 7 October 2023, it's also responsible for its continuation," he said, adding that pressure must continue to be applied on Hamas. "Israel is committed to enabling humanitarian assistance within individual capabilities, and we've been doing so since the beginning of the war. The problem we face is that Hamas is attacking the aid itself and using this aid as a financial tool to wage its war, and this is how this war can be waged indefinitely," said the Israeli minister. BRATISLAVA - Only around 25 percent of employees in Slovakia are covered by collective agreements, which is very low when compared to other EU countries, president of the Trade Union Confederation (KOZ) Monika Uhlerova told a press conference on Wednesday, adding that Austria, Italy and the Scandinavian countries have almost 100 percent coverage. Uhlerova attended the conference along with KOZ vice-president Frantisek Gajdos, chairwoman of the Trade Union Confederation KOVO Monika Benedekova and representatives of other trade unions in Slovakia. "Collective bargaining is one of the basic tools that employees have to negotiate and improve their working conditions, salaries and other social benefits and to improve the overall atmosphere and working conditions at their workplaces," said Uhlerova. According to her, the problem isn't only the low proportion of employees covered by collective agreements, but also the failure of social dialogue between employers and workers. Due to the lack of agreement, employees often go on strike in order to obtain better pay and working conditions. According to Gajdos, a strike is never the primary goal of a trade union, but the last resort that employees use to find a common compromise if no agreement is reached during negotiations with their employers. Trade unions present their demands and proposals to companies, but the latter often try to avoid social dialogue or dismiss trade union officials unlawfully. BRUSSELS - Slovakia has again blocked the 18th package of sanctions against Russia at the level of permanent ambassadors to the EU, TASR learnt from Euronews website. Its diplomatic sources say they remain hopeful that a compromise with the European Commission can be reached in the coming days. The government under the leadership of Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) has repeatedly announced that it won't support the upcoming sanctions package unless it receives sufficient guarantees from the EC in relation to the RePowerEU initiative. This plan envisages a complete cut-off of Russian natural gas supplies to the European Union from 1 January 2028, which, according to Fico, would have a significantly negative economic impact on Slovakia. STRASBOURG – The European Parliament on Wednesday approved the release of over €280 million from the EU Solidarity Fund (EUSF) to support countries hit by devastating floods in September and October 2023. Slovakia will receive €2.1 million to help recover from the damage caused by extreme weather events. The European Commission’s proposal was backed by 643 MEPs, with 13 voting against and 35 abstaining. Other recipients of the aid include Austria (€42.8 million), Poland (€76 million), the Czech Republic (€114 million), Moldova (€195,200) and Bosnia and Herzegovina (€45.7 million). The funds will support a range of recovery measures, including infrastructure repairs, temporary housing, improvements to preventive infrastructure, protection of cultural heritage sites and clean-up operations. BRATISLAVA – Slovakia exported goods worth €9.4 billion in May 2025, according to preliminary data, representing a year-on-year increase of 3.1 percent, whereas imports declined by 1.9 percent to €8.8 billion, which resulted in a trade surplus of €560.8 million - the highest since June last year, the Statistics Office reported on Wednesday. am