MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Saturday, 25 October 2025 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Friday, 24 October): BRATISLAVA - The special emergency session of Parliament on the proposal to dismiss Samuel Migal (independent) from the post of Minister of Investment, Regional Development and Informatization was not opened even on the fourth attempt on Friday. Legislators tried twice on Thursday (23 October) and twice on Friday, but on none of these occasions was the chamber quorate. During the final attempt, only 48 lawmakers were present, while at least 76 are required. The proposal is therefore expected to be included in the agenda of the next regular parliamentary session. The session was initiated by the opposition Progressive Slovakia party, which criticises Migal for poor utilisation of EU funds, their freezing for towns and municipalities, and especially for the public procurement process concerning the delivery of IT solutions for the Slovensko.sk online platform. The Investment Minister insists that he has thoroughly explained all circumstances surrounding the criticised tender. He also stated that he was prepared to defend the agenda related to the public procurement for IT solutions for Slovensko.sk at the special emergency session. BRATISLAVA - President Peter Pellegrini has dismissed a judge of the Regional Court in Bratislava, the President's Office's communications department told TASR on Friday, adding that he decided to do so under his constitutional powers on the basis of disciplinary decisions of the Supreme Administrative Court (NSS). According to information available to TASR, the case concerns Milan Chalupka. "The individual disciplinary decisions received show that the judge has been legally found guilty of committing an act incompatible with the performance of judicial duties," said the communications department. In early July, the Supreme Administrative Court rejected Milan Chalupka's appeal against his dismissal as a judge. The decision is final. His lawyer Rastislav Palovic announced that he would soon be dismissed from his post of judge by President Pellegrini. He also said that they respected the decision, but he expected his client to appeal to the Constitutional Court. Last October, NSS debenched Chalupka over his failure to submit a property declaration in line with the law. The court's senate also found the judge guilty of violating the judicial code of ethics and not explaining the origin of his property in a trustworthy fashion. THE HAGUE/BRATISLAVA - A joint investigation by the Slovak and Hungarian authorities has led to the dismantling of a major organised crime group involved in the smuggling of cocaine, hashish and cannabis worth at least €175 million across Europe since at least 2019, the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation (Eurojust) said on Friday. A total of 22 people, including the alleged leader, were arrested in Slovakia, Hungary, Germany and Spain this week, and searches were carried out at 45 addresses. According to the statement, the crime network distributed drugs imported from outside the EU, including from Panama and the Dominican Republic, where 2,275 kilograms of cocaine were seized last year. It operated mainly in Slovakia, Hungary and Spain and had a well-organised and hierarchical structure. Slovakia and Hungary joined the investigative efforts last year, then set up a joint investigation team this year. According to Eurojust, the group set up a number of trading companies that transported legal goods with drugs hidden among them. It is estimated that the group smuggled drugs worth at least €175 million. Its alleged leader was based in Spain. BRATISLAVA/TRNAVA – Exempting local governments from the parameters of the debt brake could support their economic stability, House chair Richard Rasi (Voice–SD) told TASR on Friday. Rasi added that he discussed this issue with representatives of the Slovak Towns and Villages Association (ZMOS), the Self-Governing Regions of Slovakia Association (SK8) and the Union of Slovak Towns and Cities (UMS) on Monday, 20 October. According to Rasi, the current framework doesn't allow towns and municipalities to fully develop and limits their ability to manage their own financial resources. "Local governments make up only a fraction of the public debt, yet they face strict restrictions that complicate their planning and development. That is why we must find a compromise that supports local governments while remaining responsible towards the state's economy," he added. Chair of the SK8 association and Trnava governor Jozef Viskupic told TASR on Thursday (23 October) that in his view local governments should be exempted from the application of debt-brake rules. He proposes that they should be governed solely by the provisions of the Act on Budgetary Rules of Local Self-Government, and therefore called for an amendment to the Constitutional Act on Budgetary Responsibility. BRATISLAVA - The coalition Slovak National Party (SNS) didn't want the amendment to the Gambling Act sponsored by Tourism and Sport Minister Rudolf Huliak (Independent) to pass in Parliament on Thursday (23 October), Slovak National Party (SNS) chairman Andrej Danko stated at a press conference on Friday, adding that he's convinced that President Peter Pellegrini won't sign the amendment. The coalition agreement didn't allow SNS to vote against it in this case, which is why its MPs abstained. But if the entire opposition had taken part in the vote, the amendment wouldn't have passed, added Danko. "Of course, SNS didn't want the law to pass despite the pressure that was put on us by the premier [Robert Fico (Smer-SD)], after his agreement with Mr Huliak. We clearly addressed our reservation to it," said Danko. Danko stated that he's curious to see how the president will react to the approved amendment. "Because if he signed this law, as I know him, he'd find it very difficult to explain and Peter Pellegrini is not a man who gets his hands dirty. So I'm convinced that he won't sign it, despite the fact that there will be a lot of pressure on him as well," stated Danko. According to him, the current disagreement in the coalition doesn't mean anything serious, only that there are three coalition parties that have their own policies and their own responsibilities. "So in terms of relations, we're certainly not going to make anybody happy that the coalition is now going to fall apart. Today is a new day, the sky hasn't fallen, life goes on," added the SNS leader. BRATISLAVA - The opposition 'Slovakia' party has called on President Peter Pellegrini not to sign and to return to Parliament the amendment to the Gambling Act that was approved by Parliament on Thursday (23 October), as the bill supports gambling in Slovakia and thus all its negative effects on people and families, said 'Slovakia' parliamentary caucus head Michal Sipos at a press conference on Friday. "I believe that Peter Pellegrini can look himself in the mirror and recall what he promised before the elections, and if he has at least a shred of dignity, he won't sign this law that was forcibly pushed through yesterday by Tourism and Sport Minister Rudolf Huliak, government MPs from Smer, Voice and the Slovak National Party (SNS). If he signs it, he'll take full responsibility for the breakdown of families and the financial ruin of those who throw their money into those machines," said Sipos. According to him, by approving the amendment, Rudolf Huliak and the governing coalition have decided to roll out a "red carpet" for gambling and for companies that profit from the misfortune of others. Sipos believes that the move is mainly about saving the last casino in Bratislava, whose licence is set to expire at the end of October. He noted that both the city and its inhabitants have shown repeatedly in the past that they do not want gambling in their city. am