MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Wednesday, 6 May 2026 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Tuesday, 5 May): BRATISLAVA - Both junior coalition parties Voice-SD and the Slovak National Party (SNS) have comments regarding the proposal to amend postal voting from abroad as drawn up by their coalition partner Smer-SD, with Voice-SD caucus chair Robert Puci considering it a priority to ensure that voters abroad won't be limited to casting their ballots at diplomatic missions only, while SNS leader Andrej Danko has again spoken about the need to adjust preferential voting. "We're still communicating with the Interior Ministry and the Foreign Affairs Ministry, and we'd like to prepare an amending proposal - if so allowed by either our own or foreign legislation in the respective member states — aimed at increasing the number of polling locations as and where such stations can be set up," said Puci after the amending proposal passed to its second reading in Parliament earlier on Tuesday. He added that comments also arose from the plenary debate during which "quite a few questions were raised about whether there will be only one place in a given country for voters to cast their ballots". BRATISLAVA - Funds from the Recovery and Resilience Plan earmarked for constructing a military hospital in Presov are not in peril, Health Minister Kamil Sasko (Voice-SD) told journalists in Parliament on Tuesday in response to claims that Slovakia could lose nearly €200 million due to the suspended construction of the hospital, insisting that the recovery plan milestones will be met. "The milestone refers to certain 'shell & core' beds and 'full fit out' beds, nothing more. These milestones will be met. So, if someone claims that €195 million is at risk, they either don't understand what's going on or are just intentionally lying and once again spreading the kind of atmosphere that we, as society, are all tired of. There's no €195 million in peril," stated Sasko. He admitted that the specific details regarding the hospital's construction aren't available to him, as the project is under restricted status. However, he believes that any questions will be answered by Defence Minister Robert Kalinak (Smer-SD). "The only thing I know is that, yes, there were some errors. The defence minister will definitely deal with it, and what I'm saying is that a delay of roughly a few months is the only thing that can happen, nothing more, nothing less," said Sasko, noting that Kalinak isn't responsible for the specific steps carried out by the contractor. BRATISLAVA - MPs on Tuesday afternoon failed to approve the agenda of a special House session on the situation at the Agricultural Payment Agency (PPA) initiated by the opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS) party. Although 141 MPs presented themselves for the vote, they didn't approve the agenda of the session with the single item proposed. Only 63 MPs voted in favour of it and 78 MPs against. House Chair Richard Rasi (Voice-SD) subsequently concluded the special session and MPs continued the ongoing regular one. PS proposed that MPs at a special session should adopt a resolution on the serious situation at PPA, stating that Parliament is deeply concerned about the situation at the agency and the failure to comply with accreditation criteria in combating conflicts of interest and fraud. It should also have expressed the opinion that suspending accreditation would seriously endanger Slovak farmers. BRATISLAVA - Slovakia received money from the sixth and seventh payments of the Recovery and Resilience Plan totalling €1.243 billion on Tuesday, TASR has learnt from the Office of the Vice-premier for the Recovery Plan and a Knowledge-based Economy. The sixth payment accounts for over €590 million and the seventh one for more than €652 million. Slovakia has thus obtained more than €5.2 billion from the total allocation amounting to €6.4 billion. "This is the result of the diligent and persistent work of hundreds of people, and at the same time proof that Slovakia is capable of meeting its commitments for the benefit of its citizens. This €1.2 billion means more modern hospitals, better-equipped schools and more accessible services for people. We're doing this for people so that they can feel a real improvement in their quality of life," said Education Minister Tomas Drucker (Voice-SD), who is in charge of the Office for the Recovery Plan and a Knowledge-based Economy. BRUSSELS - Czech MEP Tomas Zdechovsky of the European People's Party (EPP) faction has contacted the European Commission (EC) regarding European subsidies in Slovakia, asking the EC to explain why European funds may have been allocated to entities allegedly linked to individuals connected to the Stock Farmer corruption scandal, TASR learnt from his website on Tuesday. In a written inquiry to the EC, he highlighted the risk of persistent influence networks within Slovakia's payment agency. Zdechovsky noted that the European Parliament's Committee on Budgetary Control (CONT) has long been addressing shortcomings in the management and control of European agricultural funds in Slovakia. According to him, the Stock Farmer case exposed a systemic corruption scheme in which bribes of 20-25 percent of the funds provided were allegedly demanded during the allocation of subsidies. The Czech MEP noted that the affair also involves businessman Norbert Bodor, who has already been charged in connection with the scandal. YEREVAN - Slovak Premier Robert Fico has met Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya on the sidelines of the European Political Community (EPC) summit in Yerevan, Armenia, TASR has reported based on a post made by Tsikhanouskaya on the Telegram social network on Monday (4 May). According to the post, Fico and Tsikhanouskaya discussed the importance of joint European support for Belarus and Ukraine, as well as the possibilities for further cooperation between Slovakia and democratic forces. They also spoke about Belarus in the context of Ukraine, with Tsikhanouskaya planning to visit Kiev as well. "Joint European support for Belarus and Ukraine is particularly important today. It is in the common European interest to maintain unity, strengthen support, and develop cooperation. A democratic Belarus is ready to be a reliable partner and ally in these matters," wrote Tsikhanouskaya. ko