SUMMARY - Thursday, 8 January 2026 - 1 p.m.

Bratislava, 8 January (TASR) - Despite the fact that the Finance Ministry is boasting that last year's state budget has turned out slightly better than planned, it doesn't have the state's finances under control, the opposition Christian Democrats (KDH) told a press conference on Thursday, adding that as a result, there's a need to adopt ever new consolidation packages, which puts burdens on ordinary people and entrepreneurs alike. https://etasr.sk/article/22818706 Bratislava, 8 January (TASR) - House Chair Richard Rasi (Voice-SD) has said in an interview with TASR that he views the current model of the presidential election as correct, not identifying himself with statements that the election should return to Parliament. https://etasr.sk/article/22818391 Bratislava, 8 January (TASR) - Colonel Alexander Schober has become the new commander of the NATO Force Integration Unit (NFIU) in Slovakia, replacing Colonel Marian Kurilla in this post. https://etasr.sk/article/22818750 Bratislava, 8 January (TASR) - Bratislava is among the 50 most popular destinations for British travellers in 2026, national tourism promotion organisation Slovakia Travel reported on Thursday, referring to a list compiled by Travel and Tour World (TTW), an international company engaged in travel, tourism, aviation and hospitality, based on extensive research, data analysis and reader voting. https://etasr.sk/article/22818673 Bratislava, 8 January (TASR) - Alexander Sako has become Slovakia's new consul-general in Istanbul, Turkey, the Foreign Affairs Ministry's communications department has informed TASR, adding that he's entering the diplomatic service with many years of experience in strategic management, economics and public administration. https://etasr.sk/article/22818567 Bratislava, 8 January (TASR) - The opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS) party will hold a congress after two years in March, at which it will elect a new presidium, vice-chairs and chairman, current party leader Michal Simecka has told in an interview with TASR, adding that he plans to defend his mandate and that he isn't aware of anyone else who would like to run for the leader post. https://etasr.sk/article/22818452 Notice: If you click on the link or copy it into the search window, the browser will display the full text of the message in the new e-TASR client zone. If you have any questions, please contact obchod@tasr.sk. am