MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Thursday, 22 January 2026 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Wednesday, 21 January): BRATISLAVA - The Slovensko.sk public administration website is in such a bad condition that it will fail in six months' time if all of its components, which are financed from the Recovery and Resilience Fund, for handling various life situations are connected, said Investment Minister Samuel Migal (Independent) after a session held by Slovakia's Security Council on Wednesday. He stated that information concerning IT tenders aimed at modernising the website for some €130 million had to be classified, as the project involves critical infrastructure, and relevant information could be misused. The need to invest in IT solutions has been confirmed by two expert opinions, said Migal, adding that further details concerning the investment process will be made public "at the right time". Migal wanted to have the issue discussed by the Security Council following the leak of an internal document on a preliminary evaluation of the project, which was prepared by the Finance Ministry's Value for Money department. The Investment, Regional Development and Informatisation Ministry (MIRRI) has objected to the unauthorised disclosure and dissemination of the document. BRATISLAVA - The extra-parliamentary 'Right to Truth' party held a news conference on Wednesday to present the leaders that it elected at its founding congress, along with its programme priorities. The party's chairman is Zoroslav Kollar. The programme priorities include, for example, 'Slovakia must come first', the protection of Slovak families, especially young ones, a dignified life for Slovak pensioners, justice for workers, support for Slovak entrepreneurs and the self-employed, and a sovereign state that makes decisions in the interests of its own citizens. The 'Right to Truth' leader said that all party bodies were elected at the founding congress on 15 January. The delegates also approved the party's programme manifesto and adopted a code of ethics for party members. The members of the party presidium are: Pavol Achberger, Roland Cibrej, Jozef Hascak, Zuzana Krajcovicova, Andrej Matejcik, Kristina Marcekova, Martin Halas and Silvia Benova, who is also the party's general manager. BRATISLAVA - The opposition Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party is submitting a resolution to Parliament via which Parliament would unequivocally support the territorial integrity of Denmark, of which Greenland is a part, and reject any violation of international law, including annexations, party representatives told a news conference on Wednesday. "We'll call on Slovakia to simply point out that any change in international law, annexation, any such fundamental changes are unacceptable and that Slovakia stands unequivocally and fully behind the Kingdom of Denmark and its territorial integrity, as this also concerns us, our security and future," said MP Juraj Krupa (SaS). SaS demands that Slovakia should clearly declare its stance at a time of growing tension in Euro-Atlantic relations and issues of NATO security. Its representatives lambasted Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) and the government for failing to take up clear positions on fundamental foreign-political issues, including developments in Greenland, the functioning of NATO and the security of Europe. BUDAPEST/BRATISLAVA – Hungarian Ombudsman Imre Juhasz in an open letter has urged relevant European officials to introduce measures aimed at causing the repeal of provisions of the Slovak Criminal Code related to the Benes decrees, TASR's correspondent in Budapest reported on Wednesday. Juhasz addressed his letter to OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Christophe Kamp, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights Maria Telalian, President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola, and Slovak Public Ombudsman Robert Dobrovodsky. According to the ombudsman, provisions of the Slovak Criminal Code on the "denial of the post-war peace settlement" run contrary to international conventions and some European Union treaties. Criminal sanctions based on the public denial or questioning of the legal documents listed in this provision may also be imposed on Hungarian citizens, he added. BRATISLAVA/MOSCOW - Diplomat Sergei Andreyev has become the new Russian ambassador to Slovakia, the Russian Embassy has announced on its website. "By Decree No. 887 of the Russian president dated 2 December 2025, Sergei Andreyev has been appointed extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassador of the Russian Federation to Slovakia," reads a post on the embassy's website. The new Russian ambassador hasn't yet presented his credentials to Slovak President Petr Pellegrini. The President's Office hasn't announced a date when this official act could take place. He's been working for his country's diplomatic service since 1980. In the past, he served at embassies in Portugal, Angola, Sao Tome and Principe, Norway, and most recently in Poland. ROME - Parliamentary Speaker Richard Rasi (Voice-SD) discussed bilateral cooperation and issues concerning the European Union with President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies Lorenzo Fontana during their meeting in Rome on Wednesday, TASR's correspondent reported on the same day. "We agreed that at a time in which Europe is losing ground as an economic power when compared with major global players, we must cooperate at the bilateral level as well and seek joint solutions to problems affecting both Italy and Slovakia," stated Rasi at a briefing after the meeting. He invited Fontana to visit Slovakia for talks in the Visegrad Group format (V4 - Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland), as Slovakia will take over the V4 presidency on 1 July. According to him, Fontana is very interested in the V4's activities. "He said that he would come to Slovakia because the V4 and Italy, when taken together, represent 130 million people, and if we share the same common views and solutions to problems, it's going to be quite a force," stated Rasi. ko