MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Tuesday, 26 August 2025 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Monday, 25 August): BRATISLAVA - The Klub 500 business association says it is both correct and important that the key social partners have jointly presented, for the first time in history, the specific and rational measures that could bring nearly €2 billion annually into the state budget, TASR reported on the basis of the association's statement on Monday. Klub 500, which represents businesses with more than 500 employees, is joining the Trade Union Confederation (KOZ) and the Republic Union of Employers (RUZ) in their stance regarding public finance consolidation. "What we're witnessing is that the government is repeating past mistakes - making the decisions on consolidation measures behind closed doors, without real dialogue with those who will pay for the consolidation in the end: employers and employees. This approach is unacceptable and undermines trust in the entire process," according to Klub 500. BRATISLAVA - Government Proxy for Investigating the Management of the COVID-19 Pandemic Peter Kotlar ruled out stepping down from his post for now, he told a press conference on Monday, adding that he does not consider the Slovak Academy of Sciences' (SAV) analysis of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines to be authoritative because the SAV is not a certified workplace. Kotlar promised to stay in office till the end or until the government removes him. "The diploma will be torn up to pieces only when the result of the entire investigation process is that I'm not right and then I have no reason to stay in the institutionalised dogmatic health-care system," said Kotlar, noting that the SAV analysis doesn't disturb him. He added that the only thing he will ask for from the SAV is a list of names of scientists with signatures under the conclusion of the analysis. The government proxy also stressed that he hadn't commissioned the SAV analysis. "I didn't spend €350,000, I didn't even spend a cent from the state treasury on my own original analysis," he added, noting that his "role" in the process of providing evidence ended with the filing of a criminal complaint and the submission of the forensic report to the Prosecutor-General's Office. "All other actions, evidence and hearings in the case are handled and provided by the law enforcement authority in its power," he added. BRATISLAVA - The findings of the Public Procurement Authority (UVO) regarding an alleged violation of the law by Agel Hospital in Levice in connection with the reconstruction contracts funded from the Recovery and Resilience Plan should be thoroughly investigated, MP and former health minister (2020-21) Marek Krajci ('Slovakia'-For the People-KU) told a press conference on Monday. He called on Health Minister Kamil Sasko (Voice-SD) to act in line with the law and report the findings to the National Implementation and Coordination Authority which is then required to notify the European Commission and the European Anti-Fraud Office. "I believe that minister Sasko, as well as Vice-premier [for EU Funds and the Recovery Plan] Peter Kmec (Voice-SD) will act in accordance with the law and that all these matters will not only be investigated in a standard manner, but also addressed at the EU level," Krajci said. BRATISLAVA - The Foreign and European Affairs Ministry on Monday opened a public exhibition of photographs on the occasion of the upcoming 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations (UN), TASR was told by the ministry's communications department on Monday. The exhibition in Bratislava presents a historical cross-section of the development of one of the oldest and most important international organisations uniting almost all the countries of the world, together with the milestones and legacy of Slovak diplomacy at the UN. "Slovak diplomats representing the then Czechoslovakia were among the founding members of the UN eight decades ago and left lasting marks on the UN - examples include Jan Papanek, Vladimir Hurban and Ivan Krno. Even today, Slovak diplomats and experts hold high positions in the United Nations, the Slovak Republic is an active and respected member, and together we're contributing to strengthening the peaceful and multilateral mission of the UN, which is so important today," said Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar (Smer-SD), pointing to the need to return to respect for and adherence to international law and the UN Charter, together with its fundamental values on which it was built eight decades ago. BRATISLAVA - The Health Ministry will provide the operators of four emergency medical stations, whose licences are expiring at the end of August, with commissioning to operate them on a temporary basis, Health Minister Kamil Sasko (Voice-SD) stated on Monday. The ministry wants to address the situation after the scrapping of the ambulance service tender and until a definitive form of operation of the ambulance stations is found. "I therefore want to assure the people in Slovakia that this temporary solution is ready today. It is ready, fully implemented and will ensure the full functionality of the emergency medical service, exactly as it has been functioning until now," he said. BRATISLAVA - The coalition is trying to find a consensus on the last consolidation measures for next year, Finance Minister Ladislav Kamenicky (Smer-SD) said on Monday following a meeting of the coalition council, adding that the measures are divided into spending and revenue parts, with the third area being austerity on the side of the state. "We have the simpler things behind us, so we're trying to find a consensus perhaps on the last contours of what we're going to do, and then I think we've reached a state where we're going to talk about how much and what amount is going to be saved on the ministries themselves, and that will probably be the subject of what we're going to talk about at the next coalition council meeting," said Kamenicky. The minister stated that the next coalition council session will be held on Thursday (28 August) morning, while by the end of the week the government could reach the end of the consolidation measures, which should be presented at the cabinet meeting on 3 September at the latest. jrg