MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Wednesday, 16 July 2025 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Tuesday, 15 July): BRATISLAVA – Arguing over the phone and tough negotiations with EU officials are nearing their end, and written draft guarantees concerning the planned cut-off of Russian gas supplies to the EU, which the European Commission (EC) is offering to Slovakia in return for voting for the 18th package of anti-Russian sanctions, is on the table, Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) posted on a social network on Monday (14 July) evening. Fico said that he's sending the draft to the chairmen of all relevant political parties and is awaiting their stances on it, although he didn't elaborate any details regarding the guarantees. The premier stressed that Slovakia won't vote on the sanctions package, "unless the Commission gives us at least minimal guarantees as to how to handle the impacts of its demagogical and harmful proposal to halt Russian gas supplies as of January 1, 2028". A qualified majority of votes is sufficient to enforce it, and Slovakia could therefore be outvoted. BRATISLAVA/BRUSSELS – The European Commission and Slovakia have developed an “ambitious and comprehensive” joint action plan to support the gradual phase-out of Russian natural gas imports, acknowledging Slovakia’s specific national challenges. The plan includes the creation of a dedicated task force to assist Slovakia, monitor progress, and facilitate cooperation with other EU member states, grid operators, and alternative suppliers. In a letter to Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD), Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed the Commission’s commitment to helping implement the plan and address Slovakia’s unique needs through bilateral and regional coordination. The plan outlines short- and medium-term measures focused on gas infrastructure, transit capacities, regulatory issues such as transport fees, and a regionally tailored demand aggregation mechanism. BRUSSELS/BRATISLAVA – The European Parliament’s Monitoring Group on Democracy, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights (DRFMG) has expressed serious concerns about the independence of the judiciary in Slovakia and the restriction of freedom in the public space. According to the group, there are threats to pluralism and civil society in Slovakia, while journalists are being subjected to lawsuits. Group chair Sophie Wilmes made the statement on Tuesday during a meeting of the EP Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE). Slovakia, she warned, is on a path to becoming the next Hungary. Wilmes led the first DRFMG mission to Slovakia in 1-3 June alongside LIBE chair Javier Zarzalejos. The delegation included representatives from four EP political groups – the European People's Party (EPP), Renew Europe (RE), the Greens, and Identity and Democracy (ID). BRATISLAVA – A mixture of water and formaldehyde has been found in a rinsing container used for colonoscopy examinations, Bratislava-based St. Michael's Hospital director Ladislav Kuzela told a news conference held on Tuesday with Police Corps director Jana Maskarova in attendance, adding that two patients affected by this remain in hospital and that their condition is stable. Kuzela declared that the hospital is safe for patients and that it has already filed a criminal complaint in connection with the incident. At the same time, Kuzela denied claims that the hospital staff had made an error. "It is natural that we're all asking the same questions: how is it possible that such unusual complications occurred during routine colonoscopy examinations?; who unlawfully tampered with medical materials and added formaldehyde to the rinsing pump? I'm unable to answer these questions at the moment. We must wait for the official results of the investigation," said the director. He also denied the notion that the hospital is engaging in a cover-up, saying that the facts needed to be verified before the public is informed. According to Kuzela, the hospital began taking action as early as on 25 June, when the first two problematic cases following examinations appeared. It had to suspend its endoscopy programme within the gastroenterology centre as a precaution after seven patients who underwent colonoscopy examinations exhibited non-standard reactions. BRATISLAVA – In the case of the incident in which a 17-year-old youth was stabbed in the centre of Bratislava at the weekend, an investigator has pressed charges against 18-year-old Ukrainian national Artem T. [name abbreviated due to legal reasons] for the crime of bodily harm combined with the offence of disorderly conduct, TASR learnt from Bratislava regional police spokesman Michal Szeiff on Tuesday. The charged man has been placed in a police detention cell, and a motion to prosecute him while in custody has been filed. "The results of the investigation so far have shown that following a verbal conflict, the charged man stabbed the 17-year-old youth three times in the back at a pedestrian crossing on Spitalska Street in the direction of the Marianska tram stop," said Szeiff, adding that he subsequently fled the scene. BRATISLAVA – Inflation in Slovakia reached 4.3 percent in June, the highest figure seen since December 2023, the Statistics Office reported on Tuesday. Consumer prices of goods and services rose by 0.2 percent on a monthly basis. "The overall increase in inflation continued to be driven mainly by higher prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages, while cheaper fuels, motor vehicles or telephone equipment had a damping effect on inflation. Cheaper housing and seasonal food contributed to the deceleration of monthly inflation," said the office. Prices rose across all 12 monitored sectors, with the growth ranging from 2.4 percent in health care to 10 percent in education. ko