MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Tuesday, 9 September 2025 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Monday, 8 September): BRATISLAVA/TRENCIN - Veronika Remisova remains the chairwoman of the opposition party 'For the people', with Jan Magusin and Peter Huba elected as new vice-chairs at the party's congress held in Trencin on Sunday (7 September). "At the congress, the delegates re-elected incumbent chairwoman Veronika Remisova for a four-year mandate, whereas the party's justice expert Jan Magusin and Kosice municipal official Peter Huba became the new vice-chairs," informed the party's press department. At the same time, the delegates rejected cooperation with the political parties Smer-SD, Voice-SD, the Slovak National Party (SNS), Republika, and Kotlebovci-People's Party Our Slovakia. They also called for joining forces across the opposition political spectrum. BRATISLAVA - Coalition party Voice-Social Democracy was fined €5,000 on Monday for its delayed disclosure of a loan agreement with a company called Element Business, Eduard Burda, who chairs the State Commission for Elections and Supervision of Political Party Financing, announced after a commission session on the same day. The loan was used to fund the 2024 presidential campaign of current head of state Peter Pellegrini. "The State Commission today imposed a fine on the Voice political party during administrative proceedings for the delayed publication of a loan agreement with Element Business. The decision was unanimous, with all members of the commission present voting in favour," stated Burda. BRATISLAVA - Opposition's MP Zuzana Stevulova (Progressive Slovakia) announced on Monday an upcoming MP probe at the immigration police in Bratislava, having initiated the inspection through the Human Rights and National Minorities Committee. The move comes in response to numerous reports concerning the state of immigration police departments. „Foreign children face difficulties enrolling in schools, and people are unable to handle routine matters at post offices and other public offices. This situation is creating legal uncertainty, also affecting companies employing foreigners. Critical remarks have also been voiced by the Union of Slovak Towns and President Pellegrini,” said Stevulova. According to the MP, the Interior Ministry has failed to fully resolve the problem even a year after they first emerged. BRATISLAVA - Former head of state Zuzana Caputova (2019-24) does not plan to return to politics or engage in it in any other form, according to her social media post on Monday. Caputova underlined that she is trying to be useful to society in a different way. "I've heard rumours that I might be considering a return to politics or some other form of involvement in elections. I appreciate the trust shown by those who would welcome that. I'm also aware of the concerns of those who would not," wrote the former president. She reiterated that she's left politics for good and doesn't plan to return or become politically active again. "I'm trying to be useful to society in another way – working to strengthen social cohesion in Slovakia. A stronger, more resilient and less divided society is the best foundation for it to function properly," she added. DRIENOVEC - One person died in a collision between a bus and a lorry near the village of Drienovec in the Kosice-okolie district, with twenty-eight people injured, the Fire and Rescue Corps (HaZZ) posted on a social network on Monday. At the time of the collision, there were 33 people on the bus, including the driver. "Firefighters cut a trapped person out of the wrecked bus, and provided the injured with first aid based on the severity of their injuries. They also assisted the paramedics in carrying the injured into ambulances, and several people with minor injuries were transported to the hospital by an evacuation bus," informed HaZZ. BRATISLAVA - Several streets of the Bratislava Old Town Centre will undergo evacuation on Tuesday morning (9 September) from 06:00 due to the discovery of unexploded ordnance during excavation works, Bratislava police announced on social media on Monday. The evacuation will affect nearby buildings within the perimeter of Mlynske Nivy, Kosicka, Landererova, Pribinova, Dostojevskeho rad, and Karadzicova streets. "A police patrol was immediately dispatched to secure the area. A bomb disposal expert, along with specialists from the criminal and forensic institute in Bratislava, also arrived at the scene. They confirmed the object is a 500-pound aerial bomb from the Second World War," the police stated. ko