MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Wednesday, 24 December 2025 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Tuesday, 23 December): VELKE KAPUSANY – A roof collapse at the premises of a company in Velke Kapusany (Kosice region) has left three people dead and one injured, police announced on social media on Tuesday. "One person was found conscious in the debris and was taken to hospital by an emergency medical crew. According to a preliminary medical report, the injuries will require more than 42 days of treatment and sick leave. Unfortunately, three people were found in the rubble without any signs of life. We remain at the scene of this pre-Christmas tragedy and are documenting the circumstances," police stated. The Kosice Regional Directorate of the Firefighter and Rescue Corps said professional firefighters from the Velke Kapusany, Michalovce and Kosice stations, the Humenne Rescue Brigade, and volunteer fire brigades from the villages of Malcice and Lekarovce were deployed. Firefighters received the report of the roof collapse at a building on P. O. Hviezdoslav Street in Velke Kapusany on Tuesday after 2 p.m. According to police, reconstruction work was under way at the site at the time. "Two emergency medical service crews responded to the scene. One patient with multiple injuries was transported to hospital in Michalovce. Three men aged 23, 31 and 41, unfortunately, sustained injuries incompatible with life," spokesperson for the Slovak Emergency Medical Service Operations Centre Petra Klimesova told TASR. BRATISLAVA - By signing the amendment to the Criminal Code into law on Tuesday, President Peter Pellegrini failed, opposition's Progressive Slovakia (PS) party declared on the same day. The president had the option to stand on the side of the people, the general public and experts, but instead chose the side of the mafia, PS claimed. "He signed the destruction of cooperating witnesses and the criminalisation of the opposition. We must win the fight for democracy without him. We are filing a motion with the Constitutional Court, where we also seek a suspension of the effectiveness of this scandalous amendment. We will defend a free, democratic Slovakia together with the people and our partners in the opposition," the party wrote. President Peter Pellegrini signed the amendment to the Penal Code. He claims that full responsibility for the wording of the amendment and for this decision lies with the government that agreed to such a proposal and with the parliamentary majority that approved it. BRATISLAVA - Krisztian Forro on Tuesday submitted his resignation to President Peter Pellegrini from the post of presidential adviser for national communities over Pellegrini's decision to sign an amendment to the Criminal Code on Tuesday. "After today's decision, I could not have acted otherwise. Today I submitted my resignation to the president from the post of adviser for national communities. For me, public service is acceptable only if it is under all circumstances in line with my principles - legal certainty, respect and the dignity of our community," Forro wrote. He added that he is not ending his work and will continue to stand openly and consistently by Hungarians living in Slovakia as well as by all national communities. Earlier in the day, President Peter Pellegrini signed an amendment to the Criminal Code. In the past, Forro said he had asked the president not to sign the amendment, due to changes concerning the Benes Decrees. BRATISLAVA - Prosecutor-General Maros Zilinka regrets that expert opinion has gone unheeded and that the amendment to the Criminal Code was signed regardless, TASR learnt on Tuesday. "As Prosecutor-General, I regret that going unheeded was the expert opinion of the prosecution service, based on the daily application practice of prosecutors exercising supervision over legality in pre-trial criminal proceedings and representing the state in court proceedings in cases of the most serious forms of criminal activity posing the greatest threat to society, and that the approved criminal amendment was signed regardless," the Prosecutor-General said. President Peter Pellegrini signed the amendment to the Criminal Code. He claims that full responsibility for the wording of the amendment and for this decision lies with the government, which agreed to such a proposal, and with the parliamentary majority that approved it. BRATISLAVA - President Peter Pellegrini signed the amendment to the Penal Code, claiming that the responsibility for its wording and for this decision lies fully with the government, which agreed to the proposal, and with the majority in Parliament, which approved it, he said in a video published on a social network on Tuesday. "I've decided that I will not return this proposal to Parliament in its entirety for reconsideration and I will refrain from exercising my right of veto, and that I'll sign the proposal in the wording as approved by Parliament," said Pellegrini, recalling that his signature does not prevent anyone from filing a motion with the Constitutional Court or from using other remedies. According to Pellegrini, the original proposal for the Penal Code amendment was based on the need to address an increased crime rate. Pellegrini fully supports a return to the so-called 'Horalky clause' [a 'three strikes and you're out' principle - ed.note], saying it's completely legitimate for the government to fix or improve at any time the problems in society that are not entirely addressed by law. He added that during the legislative process, additional amending proposals made their way into the law, thus sparking extensive debate in society and among experts. Pellegrini said one of them is the issue of cooperative defendants. "In a country governed by the rule of law, we cannot accept a situation where a person is convicted solely based on the testimony of someone who clearly committed a crime or even lied in many other testimonies," said Pellegrini, adding that the government has every right to decide which offences will be considered crimes. The criminal offence of denying or questioning post-war documents on the arrangement of conditions after WW2 in Slovakia, such as the Benes decrees, is another widely discussed issue. "This is a serious topic, opened quite clumsily by an opposition political party, and it has stirred strong emotions among Slovaks and Hungarians living in our territory,” said Pellegrini. According to him, this provision must not affect the right of anyone to defend themselves in court against the confiscation of property. The head of state also agrees that any elections in Slovakia should always be free and democratic, reflecting the free will of Slovaks, while other countries or organisations financed by foreign capital shouldn't be able to interfere in any way. "I agree that obstructing or rigging the elections through third countries or other powers and with money from abroad should also be considered a criminal offence," said Pellegrini. On 11 December, Parliament passed an amendment to the Penal Code via a fast-tracked legislative procedure. It reintroduces the three-strikes rule for petty theft, with repeat offenders becoming criminally liable in the case of repeated thefts. The definition of the criminal offence of obstructing an election campaign is to be extended to include cooperation with a "foreign power", and criminal liability is also being introduced "for denying or questioning post-war documents on the arrangement of conditions after WW2 in Slovakia". It also addresses the issue of cooperating defendants. mf