MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Tuesday, 5 May 2026 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Monday, 4 May): BRATISLAVA - Prosecutor-General Maros Zilinka is all right and recovering, Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok (Voice-SD) stated at a press conference on Monday in response to a reporter's question. "I sent the prosecutor-general a text message yesterday wishing him a speedy recovery. I received a reply saying that he's okay and is getting back on his feet. So, I'd also like to take this opportunity to wish the prosecutor-general a speedy recovery so that he can return to his post as soon as possible and, above all, so that his health will remain good. That's absolutely essential. Everything else is irrelevant," stressed Sutaj Estok. Whether a new prosecutor-general will be elected before the end of Zilinka's term, which is set to last until the end of 2027, is, according to the interior minister, a matter for debate within the coalition. However, he doesn't believe that this will happen. On Sunday (3 May), sources within the prosecutor's office confirmed for TASR that Zilinka had been admitted into hospital. According to media reports, the reason was a suspected heart attack, and he's reportedly already undergone surgery at a medical facility. YEREVAN - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Monday that he met Slovak Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) on the sidelines of the European Political Community summit in Yerevan, Armenia, stating that Ukraine is open to constructive dialogue with Slovakia and is interested in strong bilateral relations. "We discussed cooperation in various areas and the organisation of a meeting of our two governments in the near future in the format of an intergovernmental commission," the Ukrainian president posted on X. Fico announced the planned meeting with Zelenskyy following their joint phone call on Saturday (2 May). During the conversation, the Slovak prime minister confirmed, among other things, that Slovakia supports Ukraine's ambitions to join the EU, as it wants neighbouring Ukraine to be a stable and democratic country. The two leaders also extended invitations to each other to visit Kiev and Bratislava. In Yerevan, the Slovak premier and the Ukrainian head of state agreed that their teams will draw up a schedule for the aforementioned visits to the capitals. "We also discussed the issue of Ukraine's EU membership. It's important to note that Slovakia supports Ukraine's accession to the European Union and is ready to assist us on this path. I'm grateful for that," added Zelenskyy. BRATISLAVA - The junior governing Slovak National Party (SNS) will demand assurances from Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) that he'll never vote in favour of Ukraine's EU accession during the remainder of his term in office until the next election, SNS leader Andrej Danko has posted on social media, adding that the party is expressing its absolute disagreement with the Slovak premier's talks with the president of Ukraine. At the same time, SNS doesn't support Ukraine's accession to the EU. "SNS is positive that the Slovak premier has no mandate to state on behalf of Slovakia that Ukraine will be supported in its accession to the EU," stated Danko. The party stressed that in its position within the government it's ready to go to the edge of political responsibility if Fico fails to guarantee that he'll never vote in favour of Ukraine being admitted to the EU in any form during the term of the government of which they are jointly a part. YEREVAN/BRATISLAVA - Slovak Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin during his upcoming visit to Moscow, Fico himself announced during his trip to Yerevan, Armenia on Monday, TASR has learnt from its special correspondent. Fico will pay a visit to Russia on Saturday (9 May) to mark Victory over Fascism Day. He'll lay flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Red Army Soldier. "I'll lay flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Red Army Soldier to express gratitude for liberation on behalf of Slovak women and men, and I should have a brief meeting with President Putin. That's all. I'm not going to attend any military parade. It will be the same format as before," said Fico. He stated that the war between Russia and Ukraine began some time ago and had a certain historical context. "I won't let myself be pushed into a position in which I should have any remorse," he added. No other leader reportedly asked Fico about his trip to Russia at the meeting of the European Political Community. According to him, everyone knows that he has "arguments that cannot be refuted". He stressed that dialogue is necessary. COPENHAGEN - House Chair Richard Rasi attended the Conference of Speakers of European Union (EU) Parliaments in Copenhagen, Denmark on Monday, stressing that Slovakia must have a strong voice in Europe, TASR reported based on Rasi's announcement on a social network on the same day. At the conference, the heads of EU member states' legislative bodies discussed the issues of security, the EU's enlargement and the resilience of democracy. Rasi described the event as a key forum that brings together the speakers of national parliaments and the European Parliament. "In a time of hybrid threats, it's essential that national parliaments act as guarantors of public trust. My presence at this summit of speakers in Copenhagen confirms our commitment to being a constructive yet principled partner that protects, first and foremost, Slovak interests within the broader European context," stated Rasi. BRATISLAVA - Claims that the current government's consolidation efforts aren't helping public finances aren't true, as the deficit has improved by more than 2 percent of GDP when compared to the condition in which the government took it over from its predecessors, Finance Minister Ladislav Kamenicky (Smer-SD) told a news conference on Monday, adding that the indicator for the long-term sustainability of public finances would also be higher today if the government were not implementing recovery measures. Kamenicky responded in this way to a report presented by the Budgetary Responsibility Council (RRZ) last week. According to it, the long-term sustainability of Slovakia's public finances slightly deteriorated last year and remains in the high-risk band. The indicator rose from a revised level of 5.3 percent of GDP in 2024 to 5.5 percent of GDP, or €7.9 billion, last year. This figure reflects the scale of consolidation measures needed to stabilise the public debt over the long term. "If we hadn't been consolidating after the villains who caused a breakdown in public finances, our long-term sustainability would be at 6.5 percent today. That's the result, that's the bill left by the previous government," stated Kamenicky. He also criticised RRZ for previously pointing to the impact of the pandemic and the energy crisis when long-term sustainability was worsening, while at the present time not sufficiently highlighting the war in Ukraine, US tariffs and the current crisis linked to the conflict in the Middle East. ko