MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Tuesday, 2 December 2025 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Monday, 1 December): BRATISLAVA - In view of current events in the coalition and Parliament, chairman of the junior governing Voice-SD party Matus Sutaj Estok has requested that a coalition council meeting should be convened at the level of the chairmen of the coalition parties, the Voice-SD press department told TASR on Monday, adding that the meeting is scheduled to take place on Tuesday (2 December) at 1.30 p.m. in the Parliament building. "The situation in the coalition and in Parliament requires open discussion around one table. It is in the interests of citizens that the coalition acts responsibly, in a coordinated and predictable manner. That's why I've requested that the coalition council should be convened," stated Sutaj Estok. According to Voice-SD, the aim of the meeting is to clarify positions on current issues, improve coordination between coalition partners, and adopt a common approach to further steps in Parliament. BRATISLAVA - The bill on setting up the new Crime Victim and Whistleblower Protection Office does not contain any provision concerning changes in the system for the protection of victims of crimes, and doesn't even strengthen or increase its effectiveness, TASR has learnt from Prosecutor-General Maros Zilinka's social media post published on Monday. He pointed to the objective proposed by the sponsor of the bill, according to which it aims to respond to the "existing model of institutional protection for victims of crimes, which leads to its reduced effectiveness and practical weakening of the guarantees of crime victims' rights due to a lack of sufficiently unified and effective protection in practice". Zilinka noted that the bill only envisages transferring the victims' compensation agenda from the Justice Ministry, rather than providing comprehensive protection to crime victims by the new office. Such protection will continue to be provided by the relevant authorities and entities, as dictated by the nature of this agenda. BRATISLAVA - Health Minister Kamil Sasko (Voice-SD) on Monday presented a draft amendment to the drugs policy, which should streamline the management of new drugs entering the market, make drugs for children and patients with serious illnesses more accessible, and adjust the conditions for reimbursing the cost of drugs on an exceptional basis. The draft amendment also introduces measures to reduce illegal re-exports, to keep drugs within the reimbursement mechanism, and to ensure that critically unavailable drugs are available. The minister is convinced that the proposed changes will significantly improve the system and patients' access to drugs. He also emphasised that he's submitting the proposal for inter-ministerial review and that every comment will be discussed. The minister called on experts and the public to participate in commenting on the proposal. He said that he wants the comments to be evaluated in his presence and transparently, while noting that, in addition to the draft legislation, he's also submitting related decrees to the inter-ministerial review. "The Health Ministry will be completely open for the next 14 or 15 weeks. We'll conduct a completely transparent discussion so that, ideally, such a law will be submitted to Parliament for debate at its April session next spring, and so that this legislation can come into force as early as next autumn," he added. BRATISLAVA - The Investment, Regional Development and Informatisation Ministry (MIRRI) will prepare a new law on the protection of minors in the public and digital space, Investment Minister Samuel Migal (Independent) and State Secretary Radoslav Stefanek told a news conference on Monday, adding that a working group consisting of various experts will be set up for this purpose. The two officials noted that the law will cover several areas. They raised issues such as the minimum age for children to access social networks or the protection of the identity of minors in the online space, including in connection with deepfake videos and the issue of the existence of child influencers. "We'll prepare a new law on the protection of minors in the public and digital space - modern, functional, precisely targeted at today's risks, without ideology, with a strong emphasis on prevention, the responsibility of platforms and a safe digital future for children," said Migal. BRATISLAVA - The ban on the production and sale of cars with combustion engines after 2035 is harmful for Slovakia, Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) told a press conference on Monday, reacting to the European Commission's (EC) plan to ban combustion engines after 2035 as part of its climate protection efforts. "There's a huge number of Slovak companies, suppliers and contractors linked to car manufacturing. This significant concentration is seen across the whole of Slovak industry," stated Fico, adding that the ban could damage Slovakia's economy. For this reason, he welcomes the fact that Germany has called on the EC to reconsider the ban and to allow, after 2035, cars with highly efficient engines, such as hybrid ones, in addition to electric vehicles. "I can't imagine what would happen to Slovakia's economy if our automotive industry collapsed. Needless to say that its concentration is increasing: car production is to be launched near Kosice soon, I'm talking about Volvo, and there are also other and quite real plans among foreign carmakers to build plants in Slovakia for passenger car production," stated Fico. KOSICE - In the three months since the Employment Services Act including the 'Work Instead of Benefits' initiative entered into force, 860 people have been successfully placed on the labour market, while 38 people are taking up duties as Roma assistants for social inclusion and employment at 17 labour offices starting as of Monday, Labour, Social Affairs and the Family Minister Erik Tomas and Government Proxy for Roma Communities Alexander Dasko told a press conference held in Kosice. According to Tomas, approximately 62,000 people of a total of 120,000 recipients of benefits in material need could potentially work. In the first phase focusing on individuals not registered with labour offices, questionnaires on education and experience were sent to some 27,000 people, followed by more than 13,000 invitations for selection procedures and referrals for job vacancies. "In the first weeks in which this whole system started functioning, 860 people have been placed on the labour market in this way," said Tomas, adding that more than 77 individuals refused a suitable job offer. ko