SUMMARY - Friday, 16 January 2026 - 5 p.m.

Banska Bystrica, 16 January (TASR) - The opposition Christian Democratic Movement (KDH), Democrats, the 'Slovakia' party and Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) have signed a memorandum aimed at supporting a single candidate for mayor in Banska Bystrica and a unified list of candidates for this year's municipal elections, TASR was told by the KDH communications department on Friday. https://etasr.sk/article/22846195 Bratislava, 16 January (TASR) - The opposition 'Slovakia' party has again criticised the amendment to the Criminal Code drafted by the coalition Slovak National Party (SNS), rejecting softer penalties for extremism, the party's presidium member Peter Pollak told a press conference on Friday. https://etasr.sk/article/22845940 Bratislava, 16 January (TASR) – The Slovak Prosecutors Council doesn't agree with the draft amendment to the Criminal Code submitted by coalition lawmakers from the Slovak National Party (SNS) that proposes changes to penalty ranges for extremist crimes, TASR was told by Prosecutors Council chair Stanislav Jakubcik on Friday. https://etasr.sk/article/22846310 Bratislava, 16 January (TASR) - The Investment, Regional Development and Informatisation Ministry (MIRRI) plans to award a contract for a new Slovensko.sk digital platform worth more than €130 million to the current supplier without a tender, using a direct negotiated procedure, MP Jan Hargas (Progressive Slovakia/PS) warned on Friday, citing information from within MIRRI. https://etasr.sk/article/22846167 Bratislava, 16 January (TASR) - Health Minister Kamil Sasko (Voice-SD) should insist on the departure of Peter Kotlar from his post as Government Proxy for Investigating COVID-19 Pandemic Management, opposition MP Oskar Dvorak (Progressive Slovakia/PS) has declared in response to media reports by Plus 7 Dni weekly that the police have charged Kotlar with spreading false alarms. https://etasr.sk/article/22846015 Bratislava, 16 January (TASR) – The memorandum on cooperation in nuclear energy between Slovakia and the United States that has prompted Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) and Economy Minister Denisa Sakova (Voice-SD) to travel to Washington is only a non-binding declaration, and it doesn't in any binding way address the construction of a new nuclear power source in Slovakia, said representatives of the opposition Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party at a press conference on Friday. https://etasr.sk/article/22845811 Bratislava, 16 January (TASR) - The Finance Ministry has rejected accusations that it has been irresponsibly handling sensitive documents after an evaluation drawn up by its Value for Money (UHP) department with regard to planned investments by the National Agency for Network and Electronic Services (NASES) into the state's IT systems was leaked to the public, TASR reported on Friday based on information from the Finance Ministry. https://etasr.sk/article/22845834 Bratislava, 16 January (TASR) - Culture Minister Martina Simkovicova (a Slovak National Party/SNS nominee) flew to Finland on Friday for a working visit, during which she's due to attend the ceremony for the European Capital of Culture Oulu 2026, TASR was told by the Culture Ministry on Friday. https://etasr.sk/article/22846137 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