MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Wednesday, 7 January 2026 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Tuesday, 6 January): BRATISLAVA - Vice-chair of the junior coalition Voice-SD party and House Speaker Richard Rasi, speaking in an interview with TASR, said that he can't imagine Voice-SD running on the same slate in the next general election with its current coalition partners Smer-SD or the Slovak National Party (SNS), as their stances on many value-based issues differ. Rasi had been asked whether Voice-SD has considered joining forces with other parties amidst declining voter support. "I can't imagine sharing a slate with any of the coalition partners. We're not SNS. We're not Smer-SD. On many issues, the views that we present are different. We've never questioned the fact that we're part of the European Union. And many of our stances also differ from those of our coalition partners. We want to be a calming force, acting reasonably and offering rational solutions," he told TASR. BRATISLAVA - A meeting of the Coalition of the Willing is once again taking place in Slovakia's absence, as the country is falling deeper into isolation and - thanks to Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) - the nation has found itself on the sidelines and voiceless, opposition Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party spokesperson Ondrej Sprlak told TASR on Tuesday. "Decisions are being made today about who in Europe will be protected and who will be left at the mercy of the stronger, but Robert Fico has arranged only one thing: for Slovakia not to be there. Fico keeps complaining endlessly about the world undergoing changes, but he himself is doing nothing, except clinging to the old communist era, staying loyal to Putin and insulting our partners," stated SaS leader Branislav Groehling. SaS noted that Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis is also heading to the summit held by the Coalition of the Willing in France. BRATISLAVA - If Government Proxy for Investigating COVID-19 Pandemic Management Peter Kotlar is unable to deliver results under his agenda, it might be necessary to appoint a new proxy to replace him, Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok (Voice-SD) has stated in an interview for TASR. He added that as the police are doing their job, Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) should also exert pressure on Kotlar. "Mr. Kotlar must also realise that his primary role is to investigate the pandemic in terms of how it was managed and why we had 20,000 unnecessary deaths in Slovakia, as the pandemic could have been managed in the way Denmark did so that not so many people would have died. This is the task that Mr Kotlar has been given," said Sutaj Estok. BRATISLAVA - Slovak President Peter Pellegrini has said in an interview with TASR that he hopes 2026 will be marked by peace, calm and prosperity, and that the nation won't succumb to scepticism, frustration or negativity. According to Pellegrini, Slovakia remains among the safest countries in the world and is a member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which brings together the world's most developed nations. Slovakia can also rely on its membership of the European Union and NATO. "I understand people's disappointment about many things not moving faster and more efficiently; I've often criticised this myself, but it shouldn't prevent us from looking at the bright side of things," said Pellegrini. He expressed his hope that the hatred in Slovak society won't intensify and that politicians will be able to find other ways to convey their messages than through negative emotions. ko