MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Wednesday, 30 July 2025 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Tuesday, 29 July): BRATISLAVA – Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) claims that the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office of Great Britain paid influencers via a media agency to influence the Slovak general election in 2023 to the detriment of Smer-SD and in favour of Progressive Slovakia (PS), referring to a story published on the marker.sk website. Slovakia will therefore summon British Ambassador Nigel Baker, from whom it will demand an explanation of all the details, Fico told a news conference on Tuesday. "There was a targeted deliberate activity by a foreign power, which is our ally in NATO, in cooperation with some Slovak journalists and in cooperation with some Slovak political influencers, to influence the election in 2023," said Fico, adding that Britain's Foreign Office signed a contract with the agency worth almost £10 million. "This agency was supposed to seek influencers, political activists in central and eastern European countries and to influence events in these countries," stated the premier, adding that the spokesman for British Foreign Office hasn't denied anything and has only said that "it will fight for democracy, human rights and the rule of law". BRATISLAVA – The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office rejects claims by Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) that the United Kingdom tried to influence the outcome of the election or to encourage in favour of a particular political party, considering these statements to be false, Monika Holeckova of the Embassy of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Slovakia told TASR, adding that the activity was aimed at encouraging young voters to take part in the election. "Any suggestion that the UK sought to influence the outcome of the election, or to encourage people to vote for or against a particular political party, is completely false. This activity was aimed at encouraging young people to participate in their countries' democratic process by taking part in elections, regardless of their political affiliation or support," the British Foreign Office said in a statement. BRATISLAVA – Since the beginning of this year, the Constitutional Court has been allegedly visited by the ambassadors of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and France, Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) stated on Tuesday, claiming that they discussed at the court an amendment to the law on non-governmental organisations, which was being debated in Parliament at the time, as well as an amendment to the Slovak Constitution. The Constitutional Court objected to Fico's claims, considering them to be false and unsubstantiated. The Constitutional Court referred to them as a gross and inadmissible interference in the impartiality and independence of the judiciary and added that it won't tolerate any discrediting of its activities. "We know that they've been pushing the Constitutional Court that it should declare this law unconstitutional in any case. The Constitutional Court refused to suspend the law, but it is dealing with a submission regarding NGOs, and they have also asked about the issue of the Slovak Constitution," Fico told a press conference on Tuesday, adding that the Constitutional Court cannot judge whether a constitutional amendment is compatible with the Constitution itself. "What is an ambassador of a different country supposed to do at the Constitutional Court?" Fico asked, not believing claims that the discussions were about the court's powers and status. BRATISLAVA – The coalition Slovak National Party (SNS) will ask Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) to approach European Commissioner Maros Sefcovic and ask him to resign, SNS spokeswoman Zuzana Skopcova told TASR on Tuesday, adding that Sefcovic was nominated to the post by the Slovak government. "At the same time, the Slovak National Party asks the prime minister to reconsider the representation of the interests of the Slovak Republic through European Commissioner Maros Sefcovic. Although Sefcovic can't specifically defend the interests of the Slovak Republic, the commissioner is a symbol of the Green Deal, he is a symbol of the European Commission's (EC) work, which has repeatedly failed in major challenges," stated the spokeswoman. BRATISLAVA – The Environment Ministry has reached an agreement with employers associations on a draft amendment to the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Act, Vice-premier and Environment Minister Tomas Taraba (a Slovak National Party/SNS nominee) told a news conference held on Tuesday with the associations' representatives in attendance. According to Taraba, the amendment should mainly improve permit procedures and shorten deadlines to a level comparable to those in neighbouring countries. "I am very happy to announce that we've found agreement on absolutely all key points with the biggest employers in Slovakia, with the business sector that employs people," said the minister. Taraba stated that the agreement gives a guarantee that all procedures in Slovakia can be assessed in a standard fashion, "What we guarantee is, for example, that opinions that arrive after the deadline to express them won't be taken into account. This means that the procedure will be predictable. On the other hand, it increases the pressure on employees who fail to comply with the deadlines set by law," he said. KOSICE - Investments, Regional Development and Informatisation Minister Samuel Migal (Independent), who was admitted to the Eastern Slovak Institute of Heart and Vascular Diseases (VUSCH) in Kosice, has undergone another surgery, TASR has learnt from his post on a social network on Tuesday. The minister will be in the hospital for about a week longer than planned. "The doctors had to operate on me again yesterday because of the increasing amount of fluid near my heart. According to them, this is a fairly common complication with my type of cardiac surgery. Compared to type one, it was a simpler affair. However, it has delayed my return to normal life somewhat," wrote the minister, thanking the doctors and staff of the cardiac institute. ko