MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Sunday, 22 March 2026 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Saturday, 21 March): CASTA-PAPIERNICKA - Approximately three-quarters of young people aged 16 and 17 are considering leaving Slovakia, while 42.3 percent of those wanting to leave don't plan to return in the future, according to a recent survey presented by Children's Ombudsman Jozef Miklosko at a session of the Parliament of Children and Youth held at Parliament's Casta-Papiernicka accommodation facility earlier this week. The survey, which involved 10,200 young respondents, was conducted in cooperation with Trnava University. "Every year, based on communication with young people, the Children's Ombudsman's Office picks a topic that they are most concerned about. Last year we focused on better relationships because they were most worried about mental health. This year, again based on communication, we've figured out that the issue of young people leaving to go abroad, whether on a long-term basis or for studies, has resonated the most," Miklosko told TASR. According to the survey, 38.3 percent of young people definitely want to move abroad after completing secondary school or later, while a further 37.1 percent are considering this idea or are positively inclined towards it. The most frequent reasons cited include higher salaries abroad, better working conditions, a higher standard of living, as well as better conditions for starting a family. Nearly 62 percent of respondents do not believe that conditions for young people in Slovakia will improve. Miklosko pointed to relationship issues highlighted by the research, namely poor relations in society (89.6 percent), in the family (89.2 percent), in school (87.5 percent), and in politics (71.8 percent). He also said that young people are troubled by loneliness and negativism. Conversely, among the biggest advantages of staying in Slovakia are family (93 percent), friends (92.9 percent), nature (82.8 percent) and community (79.5 percent). Young people are least satisfied with salaries (75.7 percent), the way in which the state and authorities function (70.5 percent), and the availability of housing (69.3 percent), while nearly a third of young people are dissatisfied with access to psychological support. Conversely, the survey revealed that 62.8 percent are proud to be Slovak and 80.4 percent consider Slovakia to be their home. BRATISLAVA - Slovak technology company DiusAi has signed a strategic partnership with Chinese company WeRide, a global leader in autonomous driving technologies, thanks to which autonomous vehicles will begin to be tested in Slovakia via the Elevate Slovakia initiative, DiusAi PR manager Miriam Dinkova announced earlier this week. According to Dinkova, the partnership paves the way for the testing and gradual deployment of autonomous vehicles in Slovakia. The main ambition is to strengthen Slovakia's competitiveness, support the development of its innovation ecosystem and create new opportunities in research, technology and smart mobility. The project is being implemented as part of the Elevate Slovakia initiative, which brings together the public sector, academia and private companies with the aim of creating a safe and regulatory sustainable environment for autonomous transport. The first autonomous vehicles should arrive in Slovakia this spring, with pilot testing planned for the first half of 2026. This will take place in a controlled environment and in line with EU legislation. The pilot stage of the project will begin in Bratislava, later expanding to Kosice and the High Tatra mountains. The long-term objective is to enable fully autonomous driverless vehicles to operate commercially once all legislative and safety requirements have been met. WeRide will deploy its portfolio of autonomous vehicles in Slovakia, including robotaxis, buses, vans and cleaning vehicles, which have the potential to support public transport, parcel logistics and municipal services. The Slovak Transport Ministry, the city of Bratislava, the Slovak Academy of Sciences and the Slovak Post Office will participate in the project as well. The Transport Ministry will ensure that the tests are professionally supervised and carried out in a safe and transparent manner and in line with Slovak and EU rules. "I view the signing of the contract as the beginning of a process that will allow Slovakia to test autonomous transport technologies in a responsible and controlled manner. It will enable us to verify the technologies transparently, with state involvement and with an emphasis on the public interest," said Transport Minister Jozef Raz (a Smer-SD nominee). DiusAi will provide financing for the initial pilot projects. It will also act as a technology and implementation partner, responsible for system integration and local operational support. Slovakia is Chinese company WeRide's fourth market in Europe after those of France, Belgium and Switzerland. BRATISLAVA - Lubomir Geci also plans to run for mayor of Bratislava in this autumn's election, TASR has learnt from his social media post, where he cites the current state of the capital as the reason for his decision. Geci says that Bratislava is capable of more. He intends to run as an independent. "I've decided to run because I can no longer stand to see the state in which our city is in. It isn't functioning as it should. Bratislava doesn't need a new facade. It needs to fix the system that governs it," stated Geci. According to him, Bratislava has enormous economic power, but it doesn't currently come across as a confident metropolis. He pointed to neglected infrastructure, a growing investment debt and a city that is very often governed by emotions rather than efficiency, expertise and data. As part of his vision for a functional city, he proposes "streamlining" the city administration to 600 employees and providing efficient management. He promises rapid transportation solutions, high-quality roads, footpaths and public spaces, safe cycle paths, more affordable housing and a reduction in billboards, as well as zero tolerance for graffiti and the systematic and rapid removal of vandalism within 48 hours. He wants to turn Bratislava into a confident metropolis, a city that can realistically compete with Prague, Brno and Vienna. Bratislava's incumbent mayor Matus Vallo (Team Bratislava, PS, SaS, and Democrats) intends to defend his post. Bratislava city and regional councillor Martin Winkler (Dunaj Party) and long-time mayor of Bratislava's borough of Karlova Ves Dana Cahojova (Independent) have also announced their candidacies. The name of Transport Minister Jozef Raz (a Smer-SD nominee) is also being mentioned, although he has neither confirmed nor denied that he is running. Pirate Party Chairwoman Zuzana Subova is also considering running for city mayor. mf