MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Tuesday, 19 August 2025 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Monday, 18 August): BRATISLAVA - The opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS) party has criticised Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) for his stance on the recent summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling it a betrayal of Slovakia's interests. The remarks were made during a press conference held by PS representatives on Monday. "You saw the reactions of our government, those of the prime minister and of Defence Minister Robert Kalinak (Smer-SD), to the yet publicly unconfirmed agreement and Russian demands in Alaska. Both immediately sided with Russia publicly, saying that Russia should be granted security guarantees and that there's a need to discuss what Putin called the elimination of the root causes of the conflict. In Russian diplomatic language, this means returning to the pre-1997 state of affairs. Slovakia was not in NATO then and had no allied ties," said PS leader and MP Michal Simecka. He argued that government members also agree with Putin’s intention to focus on a comprehensive agreement rather than a ceasefire in Ukraine, referencing Kalinak's comments on Sunday. "Fico said that the most important thing was an immediate end to the fighting and the killing of civilians. Now, when Putin says it is good to pursue a comprehensive agreement – while continuing to bomb Ukrainian cities – Fico and his government have shifted to that position," stated Simecka. BRATISLAVA/KIEV – The Ukrainian military has confirmed it carried out a strike on a pumping station in Russia’s Tambov region, which led to a halt in oil transportation through the Druzhba pipeline, including supplies to Slovakia. According to a statement by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Telegram, Ukrainian forces, including drone units, attacked the Nikolskoye pumping station in the Tambov region overnight Monday. The facility, they stated, contributes to the supply of Russian occupying forces in Ukraine. The strike reportedly triggered a fire at the site, leading to a complete suspension of oil deliveries through the Druzhba pipeline. Slovak Economy Minister Denisa Sakova confirmed that her ministry has recorded a suspension of Russian oil supplies via the Druzhba pipeline and expects the malfunction to be resolved by the Russian side in the coming days. She attributed the issue to damage at a transformer station, noting this is the second such incident affecting Druzhba infrastructure on Russian territory in the past week. BRATISLAVA - No major disputes arose over any of the education legislation discussed during Monday's session of the Slovak Economic and Social Council (HSR), Education Minister Tomas Drucker (Voice-SD) announced at a press conference in the day. According to Drucker, all disagreements were resolved in cooperation with social partners, and many were withdrawn. The proposals have now advanced to the next legislative phase. "A law is not a cure-all, and many things will still need to be implemented. Many of the proposals will not take effect as of 1 January, but in the following years," said the minister, stressing that the transformation of the education system is a long-term process. Drucker described the planned changes to education legislation as a significant step forward. BRATISLAVA - The social partners (representatives of employers and employees) have failed to agree on the level of next year's minimum wage, so it will be determined by a Labour Ministry automaton, resulting in an increase of nearly €100 to a total of €915 per month, said Labour Minister Erik Tomas (Voice-SD) on Monday after a meeting of the Economic and Social Council (HSR). "The law states that if the social partners fail to reach an agreement, the last tripartite meeting before 31 August will decide on the minimum wage. And since the social partners haven't reached an agreement for next year, the automaton has come into play, setting the minimum wage at 60 percent of the average salary," said Tomas. According to estimates, the minister believes that the minimum wage should reach €960 per month in 2027 and exceed €1,000 in 2028, reaching a total of €1,020. Tomas stated that the increase is also positive for people who work non-standard hours, such as on night shifts or at weekends. BRATISLAVA - The public procurement procedures to find contractors for all three sections of the D3 motorway have been completed, with building permits already issued for two of the sections and the third permit expected within a few days, Transport Minister Jozef Raz (a Smer-SD nominee) told a a press conference on Monday, adding that the construction work should begin this year. "In other words, all the prerequisites have been met for us to be able to make a significant step towards relieving traffic in Kysuce (Zilina region) of 20,000 cars per day while significantly improving the lives of the local people in this area," he said. "I believe that this is also essential for all Slovaks, as well as for our neighbours in Poland because this is a very important transport route for both of us," added Raz. BRATISLAVA - The coalition council on Monday adopted further decisions regarding the consolidation of public finances for 2026, with the coalition remaining committed to the principle that consolidation should be equally shared by the state, the business sector, and citizens, Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) stated on social media after the meeting. Talks within the coalition council will continue on Wednesday (20 August). „The coalition council also agreed that conclusions regarding consolidation will only be made public once a complete agreement has been reached," Fico added. Finance Minister Ladislav Kamenicky (Smer-SD) said the governing coalition has agreed on the first two dozen measures, estimating that they are now roughly halfway through the required changes. As a result, Kamenicky will not submit any consolidation-related bills at the next government session. ko