MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Thursday, 23 October 2025 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Wednesday, 22 October): BRATISLAVA – The most reasonable course of action would be for the EU to support a summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest, Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) told the House committee for European affairs on Wednesday, adding that he plans to bring up this issue at the upcoming meeting of the European Council. "At the Council, I will raise the question as to whether it is right to go down the path of packages and harsh statements when we want a summit in Budapest to take place," said Fico. In his opinion, the EU doesn't even know whether it wants a summit. Fico claimed that leaders should not draw conclusions regarding Ukraine, but merely state that they support the summit. He added that, at the Council, he would speak in the spirit of absolute support for this summit, as the EU's goal cannot be to lock Putin up, but to get everyone around one table and negotiate. "Peace without ceding part of the territories currently in Ukraine is not possible. Or do you have a different idea? That is the reality," added Fico. On Wednesday evening, Fico is scheduled to meet German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to seek common ground on the issue of energy and car prices. According to the prime minister, a paragraph stating that the European Commission must "react swiftly and harshly to energy prices" was included in the draft conclusions of the meeting. He said that Slovakia will also want to see automotive industry among the conclusions, adding that it will be necessary to revise the ban on combustion engines as of 2035 in order to reach a compromise. BANSKA BYSTRICA – Businessman Michal S.(name abbreviated due to legal reasons) was found guilty and sentenced to a fine of €500,000 by the Specialised Criminal Court in Banska Bystrica on Wednesday. Relating to the Toll Collector corruption case, he was charged with the criminal offence of manipulation in public procurement and public auctions, as well as a breach of obligations in the management of someone else's property and money-laundering. He was acquitted of the final count of his indictment. The verdict is not yet final, as it can be appealed against. The Toll Collector case involves suspicions of overpriced IT tenders at Financial Administration (the tax and customs office), allegedly benefiting the defendant's company Allexis. During the trial, which commenced in May, Michal S. claimed that the criminal prosecution against him was completely groundless, insisting that he'd never engaged in any manipulation of a public procurement. He argued that Allexis supplied IT systems to Financial Administration in line with the law and at fair prices, adding that the IT systems have generated more than €7 billion for the state. In their closing statements, both the defence and Michal S. himself demanded acquittal, arguing that the charges hadn't been proven. The prosecutor didn't suggest a specific sentence, leaving the decision to the court. STS initially ordered Michal S. to pay a fine of €900,000, but after he lodged an appeal, the court held the main trial. BRATISLAVA – Tourism and Sport Minister Rudolf Huliak (Independent) has decided to break the Constitution and parliamentary rules by attempting to quickly push through an amendment to the Gambling Act via a fast-tracked procedure, said opposition MPs from the 'Slovakia'–For the People caucus in Parliament on Wednesday, adding that the amendment would only benefit casinos and slot-machine halls whose licences are soon to expire. According to caucus chairman Michal Sipos, "Minister Huliak is reducing taxes on gaming machines and lending a helping hand to casinos and slot-machine halls whose licences are running out." According to Sipos, these businesses destroy families and lead people into addiction, with many of them going broke. Sipos pointed out that, for example, the last casino in Bratislava, which makes around €1.4 million a month, was due to close, and he asked Huliak why he is defending such a business. Leader of the 'For the People' party Veronika Remisova said that the government's actions are destroying the entire business environment except for one sector – gambling. She stressed that fast-track legislative procedures should only be used in cases in which significant economic damage is imminent. "Rudolf Huliak argues that this will bring some money into the budget, but it will take far more out of it because the treatment of a single person addicted to gambling costs the state many times more than it gains in tax revenues," said Remisova. BRATISLAVA – The defence lawyers of Marian Kocner and Pavol Rusko, who are currently serving 19-year prison sentences in the case of the counterfeiting of Markiza TV promissory notes, filed a motion with the Supreme Court on Wednesday to suspend their sentences, their lawyer Marek Para confirmed for TASR. Para this week defended his intention to file the motion on the grounds that both convicts have served the maximum length of sentence possible in their case following an amendment to the Penal Code. The defence relied on the judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union in BAJI Trans. Kocner and Rusko appealed against their convictions last year. The grounds of the appeal include, for example, interference with the rights of the defence and illegally gathered evidence, among which the defence includes communications via a mobile app. The Supreme Court has already set up a panel to deal with the appeal. Kocner and Rusko were sentenced by the Specialised Criminal Court in Pezinok (Bratislava region) in 2020 in the case of counterfeiting Markiza TV promissory notes to 19-year prison sentences without probation. A year later, the Supreme Court confirmed their sentences. BRATISLAVA – The European Commission (EC) has approved a revision of Slovakia's Recovery and Resilience Plan, with the reason being the EC's initiative according to which all member states should simplify the implementation of and reporting on the reaching of milestones, the Office of the Vice-premier for the Recovery Plan and a Knowledge-based Economy has told TASR, adding that Slovakia also used this technical revision to revise the content of certain measures. "I'm very pleased that we've been able to carry out this challenging process in such a short time with such a positive evaluation. The result of our intensive negotiations with the EC is the preparation of measures that will help Slovakia to meet the overall objectives of the recovery plan," said Vice-premier for the Recovery Plan and a Knowledge-based Economy Peter Kmec. According to the Office of the Vice-premier, these steps were necessary to ensure that the projects could be implemented by the end of August 2026. Slovakia has thus transferred almost €197 million through the revision. The revision concerned changes to some measures that cannot be implemented due to the shortness of time. After the submission of the revision, intensive negotiations with the EC continued, also following internal comments on the submitted revision at EC level. The whole process is thus the result of difficult negotiations with the European Commission in coordination with the implementers of the recovery plan. BRATISLAVA – The Interior Ministry plans to purchase 50 luxury vehicles worth over €5.1 million, with the new fleet expected to include 30 SUVs and 20 limousines, MP Martina Bajo Holeckova (Freedom and Solidarity/SaS) reported at a press conference on Wednesday, criticising the purchase as overpriced. "Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok (Voice-SD) is set to acquire 30 luxury SUVs for the ministry's needs at a cost of €2.7 million. That comes to €90,000 per vehicle. Based on the procurement description, it appears they are planning to buy 30 fully equipped BMW X5s," said Bajo Holeckova. She questioned whether such vehicles are necessary for the state at this time. The MP highlighted that the purchase is taking place during a period of fiscal consolidation, when the government is urging people to save money. MP Juraj Krupa (SaS) added that the 20 limousines are estimated to cost around two million euros. Ten of the cars are to be diesel-powered and ten petrol-powered. According to Krupa, the limousines are intended for 'VIPs'. "It's supposedly for the Office for the Protection of Constitutional Officials. But those guys with the badges won't be the ones riding in them – it will probably be someone else," remarked Krupa . He also called for Sutaj Estok to explain the ministry's purchases before a parliamentary committee. jrg