MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Thursday, 7 August 2025 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Wednesday, 6 August): BRATISLAVA - The Agriculture Ministry made another dubious deal when it hired a private consulting firm to analyse and assess the current state of drawing EU funds, opposition MPs Veronika Remisova and Rastislav Kratky (both 'Slovakia' party, For the People and the Christian Union/KU) told a news conference on Wednesday, adding that the ministry paid over €168,560 for this service. "The company itself on its website says that its core business is strategic documents for developing transport at the national level. So now this company, which specialises in railways and was receiving orders from rail companies, will advise Agriculture Minister Richard Takac (Smer-SD) on what to do in order to use up hundreds of millions of euros from EU funds that the ministry is supposed to draw within four months," said Remisova. According to Remisova, another discrepancy is that the analysis should have originally been prepared by 1 June, but the ministry eventually extended the deadline until 1 August. "Such an analysis makes no sense, as Takac doesn't have much time left to draw the EU funds, only until the end of the year. According to data from the European Commission, the Agriculture Ministry still has 25 percent of the allocation to draw. If it fails to do so, Slovakia will lose this money for farmers," stated Remisova, calling on Takac to publish the analysis of the consulting firm and its results. BRATISLAVA - Opposition party Progressive Slovakia (PS) called on Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) and Health Minister Kamil Sasko (Voice-SD) on Wednesday to cancel the current ambulance service tender and launch a new one. Speaking at a press conference, PS leader Michal Simecka claimed that the terms of the competition are non-transparent and also criticised the secrecy surrounding key documents. According to PS, this makes it clear that the winners have already been predetermined. Simecka criticised the fact that both Sasko and Fico are on holiday amid a wave of criticism surrounding the tender, instead of addressing the concerns. KOSICE - Investments, Regional Development and Informatisation Minister Samuel Migal (Independent) was discharged to home care from the Eastern Slovak Institute of Heart and Vascular Diseases (VUSCH) in Kosice on Wednesday, journalists were told by Migal at a briefing held on the same day. Migal underwent successful cardiac surgery on July 22. He expects to return to work and fully take up his duties in the fall. The ministry's state secretary Radomir Salitros will continue to be in charge of the ministry on a full-scale basis until the end of August. "I believe that, with the rehabilitation program I have already started, I will be able to devote myself 100 percent to my duties sometime in late September or mid-October, sometime in the fall really," Migal said. BRATISLAVA – The Justice Ministry has rejected statements by the Let's Stop Corruption Foundation regarding the alleged negative impact of the amendment to the Criminal Code. The ministry argues that the analysis cited by the foundation contains false information and claims the foundation is biased in favour of the opposition. This was stated in the ministry’s official position sent to TASR on Wednesday. „The alleged analysis by the foundation, from the ministry’s point of view, contains false and misleading information, presented in a purpose-built way, thereby misleading the public and creating a false image of the impact of the Criminal Code amendment," the ministry stated. BRATISLAVA – The European Commission has raised no objections to the agreement between Slovakia and the United States on cooperation in the field of nuclear energy, Slovak Economy Minister Denisa Sakova (Voice–SD) announced on social media on Wednesday. „The European Commission confirmed that it has no objections to the conclusion of the Intergovernmental Agreement on Cooperation in Nuclear Energy between the Slovak Republic and the United States of America. The process was fully in line with the treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM)," the minister stated. The aim of the upcoming agreement is to create a stable framework for expert cooperation between the two countries in areas such as research, enhancing nuclear safety, sharing experience, and advanced technologies. BRATISLAVA – The Agel company rejects any suspicions regarding the recent ambulance service tender and claims that it purchased ambulances from its own funds before terms of the tender were announced and without knowing the outcome, PR and public relations director Nancy Zavodska told TASR on Wednesday. Agel also denies any links to members of the selection committee and warns that media reports and statements by some opposition politicians are damaging its reputation. If attacks continue, the company will consider legal action. „We understand the public’s right to information about the tender (...). However, many of the published reports and public statements by opposition politicians are in sharp contradiction to the facts. They often contain twisted disinformation and inaccuracies – even outright lies – which harm our company’s good name," Zavodska said. jrg/ko