MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Friday, 5 December 2025 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Thursday, 4 December): VATICAN - Pope Leo XIV told Slovak President Peter Pellegrini at the Vatican on Thursday that he'd like to visit Slovakia in the near future, Pellegrini himself told a press conference following his private audience with the Holy Father. The president said that he hopes this turns out well and that the Pope will be welcomed in Slovakia within a couple of years, maybe one or two. The Slovak president's private audience with the Pope lasted 45 minutes. According to Pellegrini, the Holy Father sent a message to Slovaks that they should build bridges, not walls between each other. The Pope also stressed the need to support the traditional family so that young people will have children and the family will be an integral part of society. He said that young people shouldn't stop searching for faith and should be active in social events. "The Pope was also interested in the amendment to the Slovak Constitution," said Pellegrini, adding that the Holy Father praised the effort to preserve traditional values. The Slovak president also informed him about legislative changes important from the viewpoint of the Catholic Church, such as a regulation concerning the presence of clergy in hospitals. VYSOKE TATRY - The agenda of the joint meeting of representatives of the agricultural chambers of the V4 (Visegrad Four) countries (the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia) and Austria, which is taking place on Thursday and Friday (5 December) in the High Tatra mountains, is the future of the common agricultural policy after 2027, the Agriculture Ministry's communications department told TASR on Thursday. The representatives, together with Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Richard Takac (Smer-SD) and President of the Austrian Chamber of Agriculture Nikolaus Berlakovich, are also discussing the new European Union (EU) budget and current challenges facing the agricultural sector in the region. In the opening session, participants discussed the current situation in agriculture, this year's harvest, the impact of extreme weather, commodity price developments, and the spread of plant and animal diseases, which significantly affect the stability of the sector. The key topic of the meeting is the proposal for the EU's Multiannual Financial Framework and the shape of the Common Agricultural Policy for 2028-2034. In the discussion, Takac emphasised that agriculture needs a strong and predictable budget that will enable farmers to invest in modernisation, climate resilience, and increasing food self-sufficiency. BRATISLAVA – Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) will not propose that the government grant compensation to the bereaved families following the tragic fires in Maslickovo and Kozarovce. The Prime Minister stated this during Thursday's Question Time in Parliament. He explained that in the Maslickovo tragedy, the mother had left her two children in a shack where they burned to death. He does not believe this provides grounds for financial compensation. According to him, it is appropriate that criminal proceedings have been launched in the case. "Do you really want us to compensate a mother who fled the shack and left two small children inside? That is what happened. So I hope you accept my answer that there will be no compensation," he replied to a question from MP Zuzana Stevulova (Progressive Slovakia). NITRA - A protest march organised by the opposition Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party is taking place in Nitra on Thursday evening, with the site of the accident involving Slovak Intelligence Service (SIS) chief Pavol Gaspar in August as its destination. A 'Monument to the Arrogance of Power' should be symbolically set up at the site. "The government is ignoring scandals, misusing the security forces and pretending that everything is in order. It is not, and it's our duty to draw attention to this," said SaS leader Branislav Groehling. Pavol Gaspar was involved in a traffic accident on Dobsinskeho Street in Nitra on 30 August, when two vehicles collided. A minor suffered light injuries in the crash. Gaspar has rejected criticism of him regarding the accident. He claims that he regrets the accident and that if the investigation shows him to be guilty, he'll pay a fine. ZILINA – A special chemicals unit was deployed to Zilina on Thursday following the leak of an unidentified substance, mayor of Zilina Peter Fiabane announced on the same day. Fiabane noted that initial measurements confirmed the presence of an organic substance that should not be life-threatening, although its exact nature remains unknown. As of early on Thursday morning, people in the centre of Zilina reported an unpleasant smell that led to evacuations and temporary closure of several streets. "After a crisis was declared, all crisis-management units were mobilised – the city and district crisis teams, as well as the national police, firefighters and municipal police," said Fiabane. BRATISLAVA - Following this year's first issue of Bonds for the Public, Slovakia is planning another issue in spring 2026, the Finance Ministry stated on Thursday, adding that the project is currently being prepared by the ministry and the Debt and Liquidity Management Agency (ARDAL). Securities with maturity periods of two and four years should be available again. "The Finance Ministry and ARDAL are currently fine-tuning the technical details of the planned issue, in particular with regard to the volume of bonds offered, the duration of the sale, the terms of subscription, the amount of yields, as well as the points of sale and electronic platforms. The yield will be announced at the end of January, depending on developments in the financial markets, and the Finance Ministry will inform the public of the details well in advance," stated the ministry. ko