MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Sunday, 28 September 2025 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Saturday, 27 September): BRATISLAVA – Speaking on STVR's politics programme 'Sobotne dialogy' (Saturday Dialogues), President Peter Pellegrini said that he will want to meet with Premier Robert Fico and Finance Minister Ladislav Kamenicky (both Smer-SD) before he signs the consolidation package. The president said he will ask them how they see the country's economic and financial situation in the future. "This is such a complex amendment that has come to the palace. This time, I would welcome and will request meeting with the premier and the finance minister before its signing," said Pellegrini, adding that he will want from them a more comprehensive explanation of why they chose just this mix of measures. According to the president, no consolidation is nice, it is difficult and painful for everyone affected by it. However, it's up to the government what mix of measures it prepares to achieve the goal, he said. If the economy grows at a slower [than expected] pace or even stagnates, an even bigger consolidation package will be needed over time, stated Pellegrini, adding that he's unable to imagine that. BRATISLAVA – Speaking on STVR's politics programme 'Sobotne dialogy' (Saturday Dialogues), President Peter Pellegrini said that he won't turn to the Constitutional Court over an amendment to the Constitution, but will sign it once it is delivered to him, although he wouldn't have to, as it was backed by 90 MPs. At the same time, the president claims that that the majority of MPs don't view the constitutional amendment as a threat to the rule of law. This was confirmed by the wide range of support in Parliament, he said, adding that he doesn't perceive it as a threat, either. According to Pellegrini, the Slovak government must answer the question as to whether or not it has defended the sections regarding the superiority of Slovak legislation over the EU one in certain value-based issues before international organisations that might sanction Slovakia. However, the president believes that the government will manage to defend its position in this regard. BRATISLAVA - It's not easy for Slovakia to stop buying Russian oil, either technologically, or in terms of capacity, President Peter Pellegrini said during his meeting with US President Donald Trump in the USA last week, the President Office's press department has informed TASR. The president reacted in this way to Trump's warning that Slovakia should address the issue of Russian oil purchase. According to Pellegrini, Slovakia is trying to diversify these sources, but it cannot be done overnight and without help from the technical and logistic viewpoints. He also doesn't view it as prudent and tactical for Slovakia to switch from dependence on one supplier to dependence on another. "If something is going to happen in the coming years, it's called diversification, meaning that Slovakia must have three, four, five different sources of gas and energy supplies, and not be dependent on Russia and then on the United States," stressed Pellegrini. BRATISLAVA - Slovakia is one of the European countries in which energy expenditures account for the largest shares of total incomes, the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAV) reported earlier this week. The situation has been worsening over time, with the proportion of the population in energy poverty growing to 18 percent, meaning that 330,000 households are affected by this problem. The share of the population unable to heat their homes sufficiently has also increased. Over the past ten years it's risen from 18 to 30 percent in the poorest households and from 6 to 8 percent in the population as a whole. Dusana Dokupilova of the SAV Prognostics Institute has prepared a study in which she urges the state to define energy poverty and subsequently launch targeted aid for the most vulnerable households. ko