MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Tuesday, 28 April 2026 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Monday, 27 April): BRATISLAVA - In the first three months of this year, social-insurance provider Socialna poistovna (SP) recorded a decrease in the number of sick-leave cases when compared to last year averaging 17,000 fewer per month, and when compared to 2024 - before a legislative change - the figure fell by as much as 24,000 per month, Labour, Social Affairs and the Family Minister Erik Tomas (Voice-SD) stated at a press conference on Monday, adding that the savings on sick-leave payments for the first quarter when compared to 2024 amount to €80 million. Tomas also stated that this is the result of the work of Socialna poistovna and its medical examiners, who now have the authority to revoke fraudulent sick-leave certificates. "When we compare the first quarter of 2026 with the first quarter of 2024 - that is, the periods before and after we implemented our legislative measures - the difference is even greater. You can look at the individual first three months, but the key figure is the overall data: when we compare 2026 and 2024 - specifically the first quarter - we've reduced sick leave cases by an average of 27,000 per month," said Tomas. BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN/BRATISLAVA - Slovakia aims to intensify mutual trade and investment with countries in the Indo-Pacific region, Foreign and European Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar said during a meeting of EU and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) ministers in Brunei. On the sidelines, Blanar also held a series of bilateral talks, including the first-ever ministerial-level meeting with his counterpart from East Timor, TASR was informed by the ministry's press department. "We want to be an active and reliable partner in Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific. We are interested in utilising existing potential for businesses, while also attracting investments from this region, which is experiencing sustained economic growth and generates a significant share of global GDP," Blanar said. He pointed out that ASEAN countries represent one of the most dynamically developing regions in the world, with more than 680 million inhabitants and growing economic potential offering major opportunities for trade, investment and technological exchange. WARSAW/BRATISLAVA - Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski declared at a press conference on Monday that the problem regarding Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico plans to travel to Moscow via Poland for the Victory over Fascism Day celebrations on 9 May no longer exists, TASR learnt from its special correspondent from Warsaw on the same day. "According to my current information, the problem has ceased to exist," stated Sikorski. On Tuesday, 21 April, a Polish news agency reported that Slovakia had asked Warsaw for permission for the Slovak prime minister aircraft to fly over Poland en route to Moscow. Earlier, on Sunday, 19 April, Estonia said that it would not grant Fico overflight permission. The Slovak prime minister said that he wouldn't receive permission from Lithuania and Latvia, either, although a spokesperson for Lithuania's foreign ministry, Kristina Belik, said later that no such request had been submitted by Slovakia. BRATISLAVA - Financial markets generally anticipate the moves of rating agencies, and so Standard & Poor's expected downgrade of Slovakia's rating on Friday (24 April) came as no surprise; nothing fundamental has changed, and Slovak government bonds are trading on the markets under similar conditions as before, Finance Minister Ladislav Kamenicky (Smer-SD) emphasised at a press conference on Monday, once again rejecting the opposition's claim that the current government is pursuing poor fiscal policy. The finance minister noted that S&P had for a long time rated Slovakia two notches higher than other major rating agencies. Therefore, it was expected that its rating would gradually converge with those of the others. According to Kamenicky, in the current negative international economic situation it's unrealistic to expect rating upgrades, and several other European countries have recently seen their ratings downgraded. He noted that financial markets have assessed the situation in a similar manner. "If you look, for example, at the secondary market and how our interest rates - the rates at which we borrow on international markets - are developing, nothing significant has happened; nothing significant has changed. We're proceeding as we have been so far," stressed the minister, pointing out that Slovakia is entering the global bond index for the very first time, which should lead to higher demand for Slovak bonds in the future. BRATISLAVA - Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) lies with respect to the subsidy case of an association linked to Marta Simeckova, the Let's Stop Corruption Foundation declared on Monday, adding that its article highlighted also several findings unfavourable to Simeckova. Foundation's communications specialist Norbert Chomistek stated that Simeckova's association Projekt Forum did not file financial statements or tax returns after 2021. According to the foundation's calculations, it faces suspicions totalling €140,000. A financial transaction took place between the non-profit and Progressive Slovakia (PS) leader Michal Simecka, which was explained as a loan, it added. "Attacks by Robert Fico are therefore understandable. We published information that would have served him better in political messaging ahead of the election," the foundation said. At the same time, it underlined that its investigative work also uncovered suspicions from which the prime minister is trying to divert attention. "And that is that investigators from the Financial Administration acted beyond their powers. When our suspicions are supported by evidence, we always publish them, regardless of whom they concern. We have repeatedly come into conflict in the past with several current opposition politicians over this policy as well," the organisation added. BRATISLAVA - President Peter Pellegrini will return two bills to Parliament on Monday for further deliberation, the President's Office reported on Monday, adding that the bills were approved by lawmakers during the 49th parliamentary session. These are amendments to the laws on product conformity assessment, the placing of designated products on the market, and collective investment. The president rejected them due to legislative amendments that also altered unrelated laws. "At my most recent meeting with the House chair [Richard Rasi (Voice-SD)], I publicly warned both Parliament and the government that, in order to improve the legislative process, I won't accept amendments unrelated to the bill under consideration in the future. Given that the amendments in these bills were in no way related to the subject matter of the bill itself, I've decided to return the two bills for reconsideration with this reservation," said the head of state. BRATISLAVA - It has never happened in Slovakia's history before that a foundation fighting corruption would protect a person who committed a subsidy fraud, Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) said at a press conference on Monday. Fico was responding to findings by the Let's Stop Corruption Foundation regarding the provision of subsidies. Fico said the case of alleged subsidy fraud committed by the mother of Michal Simecka, the leader of opposition's Progressive Slovakia (PS), emerged during audits at ministries. He underlined that the damage is approaching €140,000. "From these audits, information suddenly emerged that there had probably been unauthorised handling of allocated subsidies. So we focused on some that appeared most frequently," Fico said, adding that a cross-check was carried out between the justice and culture ministries. "This cross-check showed us that the mother of the leader of Progressive Slovakia, Ms. Simeckova, repeatedly had the same invoices reimbursed. A massive subsidy fraud," the prime minister said. jrg