MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Saturday, 9 August 2025 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Friday, 8 August): BRATISLAVA - Prosecutor-General (PG) Maros Zilinka has ordered an examination of media reports concerning the €2-billion ambulance service tender due to the suspicion of the crime of violating obligations in the administration of someone else's property, Zilinka himself has posted on a social network. The ambulance service tender is being criticised by the opposition, the coalition Slovak National Party (SNS) and the Doctors' Trade Union Association (LOZ). Several opposition parties are calling for Sasko's ouster, criticising the tender for being non-transparent and having the winners agreed upon in advance. President Peter Pellegrini has asked Sasko to adhere to the law in the tender. Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) has said that if Sasko fails to dispel doubts surrounding the ambulance service tender, he will insist on cancelling it and restarting the competition. The Public Procurement Office (UVO) has pointed out that the Health Ministry prepared the ambulance service tender in contravention of EU regulations. The Health Ministry in reaction to the opposition's criticism said that the tender is being conducted in a standard manner and fully in accordance with current legislation. Voice-SD leader Matus Sutaj Estok stated that the health minister enjoys his full trust. Sasko promised to take up a clear position on the tender at a news conference on Friday. The tender concerns the operation of 344 ground ambulance stations and seven air ambulance units. BRATISLAVA - The Penta Hospitals network has decided to withdraw from the selection procedure for operating emergency medical service (EMS) ambulances, citing the non-transparency of the tender as the reason, TASR was informed by Penta Hospitals network spokesperson Tomas Kral on Friday. The decision was made before the evaluation of the tender and before any decisions received from the Health Ministry, he added. "We're doing this because of the non-transparent process of the selection procedure, which has raised many serious and unanswered questions. According to the most recent stance of the Public Procurement Office of the Slovak Republic, it was prepared in contravention of EU regulations," said Radoslav Cuha, general director of Penta Hospitals Slovakia. The company originally applied for a licence to operate 29 ambulance stations, with all the locations in western Slovakia near the network's hospitals, i.e., at Bory Hospital in Bratislava and at hospitals in Galanta, Dunajska Streda and Topolcany, Kral explained. Penta Hospitals stated that, in the future, it will continue to support genuine competition as part of regular public procurement procedures. "We are convinced that there is room in Slovakia for price competition and for operating ambulance services at lower prices than those that have been set. As a consolidation of public finances is currently underway, it would be appropriate for bidders to be able to compete at prices for which they would be willing and able to operate the stations and ambulances, thus saving public funds, while, of course, adhering to strict and predefined quality parameters," said Cuha. The selection procedure concerns the operation of 344 ground ambulance stations and seven helicopter emergency medical service bases. BRATISLAVA - Opposition parties are filing a proposal for a no-confidence motion in Health Minister Kamil Sasko (Voice-SD) in Parliament, MP Oskar Dvorak (Progressive Slovakia/PS) told a news conference on Friday. The reason given is the non-transparent ambulance service tender amounting to €2 billion. The parties criticise the tender for being non-transparent, claiming that its winners have been agreed upon in advance. "We're making use of all tools and options available to us as the opposition. We've done everything we could. ... I think that now is the right time for us to come forward as a united opposition, put our signatures on the table and say that if he doesn't leave today on his own and the premier doesn't dismiss him, he'll face an ouster in Parliament within seven days," said MP Michal Sipos ('Slovakia' party, For the People, the Christian Union/KU). MP Frantisek Majersky (Christian Democrats/KDH) stated that the coalition Voice-SD party "messed up" the entire tender even more than former health minister Pavol Paska. It has never happened in the past that a company that has no experience with emergency medical services has won this kind of tender, stated Majersky, adding that he'll file a criminal complaint in connection with the tender later on Friday. The ambulance service tender is being criticised by the opposition, the coalition Slovak National Party (SNS) and the Doctors' Trade Union Association (LOZ). President Peter Pellegrini has asked Sasko to adhere to the law in the tender. Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) has said that if Sasko fails to dispel doubts surrounding the ambulance service tender, he will insist on cancelling it and restarting the competition. The Public Procurement Office has pointed out that the Health Ministry prepared the ambulance service tender in contravention of EU regulations. Prosecutor-General (PG) Maros Zilinka has ordered an examination of the tender due to the suspicion of the crime of violating obligations in the administration of someone else's property The Health Ministry in reaction to the opposition's criticism said that the tender is being conducted in a standard manner and fully in accordance with current legislation. Sasko promised to take up a clear position on the tender at a news conference on Friday. The tender concerns the operation of 344 ground ambulance stations and seven air ambulance units. BRATISLAVA - Junior coalition Slovak National Party (SNS) leader Andrej Danko expects Health Minister Kamil Sasko (Voice-SD) to announce that the ambulance service tender will be scrapped at a news conference; if not, he is calling on him to resign. "Minister, I strongly urge you to throw in the towel, as if you don't scrap this tender, it's inexplicable, there's no other solution," the SNS chairman has posted on a social network. He pointed to, for example, the statement made by the Public Procurement Office (UVO) that the tender contradicts EU regulations and to the withdrawal of the Penta Hospitals network from the tender earlier on Friday. Danko blames the minister for the high cost of the tender, claiming that ambulance service operators can thus earn profits amounting to hundreds of thousands of euros annually. He also said that not even €10 billion is enough for Sasko to manage the sector. He pointed out that, for example, €4 billion went to the health-care sector in 2018. "Are there better hospitals here? Are there better ambulances here? This is what we expected from you, minister, when you replaced [Zuzana] Dolinkova, that you would be a different kind of minister, one who doesn't serve the interests of oligarchs," stated Danko. Opposition parties earlier in the day filed a proposal for a no-confidence motion in Sasko in Parliament. The parties criticise the tender for being non-transparent, claiming that its winners have been agreed upon in advance. The Health Ministry has declared that the tender is being conducted in a standard manner and fully in accordance with current legislation. Sasko promised to take up a clear position on the tender at a news conference on Friday. Voice-SD leader Matus Sutaj Estok stated that the health minister enjoys his full trust. Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) has said that if Sasko fails to dispel doubts surrounding the ambulance service tender, he will insist on cancelling it and restarting the competition. The tender concerns the operation of 344 ground ambulance stations and seven air ambulance units. BRATISLAVA – Health Minister Kamil Sasko (Voice–SD) will announce the next steps regarding the controversial ambulance tender on Monday, 11 August. Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Sasko stated that he is aware of concerns raised in the public sphere, which he personally finds troubling. As a response, he has asked his expert team and the leadership of the Slovak Emergency Medical Service Operation Centre (OS ZZS) to examine all options, including the potential cancellation of the tender. He stressed that his actions will be based on their findings. „I am not turning a blind eye to the information circulating publicly. If you think it doesn’t disturb me, of course it does,” said the minister. „I will not allow any scandal or shady deals to take place. That is a red line for me.” Sasko emphasised he will not sign off on any licence that could be deemed unlawful. He instructed his legal team to review all possible legal avenues by Sunday, 10 August. Likewise, he asked the emergency service's leadership to submit a set of specific solutions by then, aimed at dispelling any doubts surrounding the procurement process. „The public will be informed about the next steps on Monday,” he added. The tender in question, worth €2 billion, concerns the operation of 344 ground ambulance stations and seven helicopter emergency medical service units. It has drawn criticism from the governing Slovak National Party (SNS), opposition parties, and several professional associations. On Friday, opposition lawmakers submitted a motion in Parliament to express no confidence in Minister Sasko, claiming the tender is non-transparent and its winners predetermined. Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) has called on the minister to publicly address the questions causing concern. The Public Procurement Authority has also warned that the tender violates European regulations. BRATISLAVA - The ambulance service tender must be cancelled, due to lingering doubts surrounding it, Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) stated in his social media post on Friday. Fico added that if Health Minister Kamil Sasko (Voice-SD) takes all the necessary steps on Monday (11 August) to scrap the tender, there's "no need for him to be held politically accountable for communication mistakes". The current situation regarding the tender emerged due to amateurish communication from the Health Ministry and its subordinate bodies, said Fico. „Instead of Voice-Social Democracy and the entire governing coalition being on the political offensive against the opposition, especially over the British scandal, this coalition party is now facing serious attacks from the opposition and the media, along with proposals to dismiss the minister," Fico explained. Earlier this week, Fico called on minister Sasko to publicly answer questions that have raised doubts about the tender. On Friday, Sasko announced he will announce the next steps regarding the tender on Monday (11 August), stating that he is aware of the information circulating in the public space and that it is troubling even to him. mf