MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Friday, 8 May 2026 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Thursday, 7 May): BRATISLAVA - The presidents of Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Austria will address current issues in foreign policy, regional energy security, and the future of artificial intelligence (AI) in education at the Austerlitz Format (S3) summit, which is due to take place in Bratislava on Tuesday (12 May), TASR was told by the President's Office on Thursday. "The current geopolitical situation and the challenges facing the international community necessitate a coordinated approach. Slovak President Peter Pellegrini, Czech head of state Petr Pavel, and their Austrian counterpart Alexander Van der Bellen recognise that mutual cooperation among Central European countries is an important signal of their readiness to respond dynamically to emerging foreign policy situations," stated the office. The office noted that energy security in Central European countries has become one of the most significant political and economic challenges since the start of the conflict in Ukraine, as well as due to the ongoing instability in the Middle East. The presidents will discuss increasing the region's resilience to crisis situations, opportunities to strengthen cross-border cooperation, and infrastructure development. "For Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Austria, it is essential to deepen cooperation so that the countries can effectively respond to extraordinary circumstances," it added. KOSICE - Collective bargaining at U.S. Steel Kosice was concluded on Thursday with social partners signing a collective agreement, TASR has learnt from Juraj Varga, the head of the OZ KOVO trade union at U.S Steel Kosice. The collective agreement for 2026-2030 includes, among other things, an increase in the basic monthly salary by €80 on average. Salaries will go up as of 1 May by no less than €50 per month. Concerning the 13th and 14th salaries, they will be equal to 50 percent of the monthly salary paid at the end of the previous year. In addition, the steelworks will pay one-off bonuses amounting to €200 to all employees. The agreement also includes social benefits, such as a non-cash contribution of €120 for employees' regeneration and relaxation, as well as a contribution for a specific form of medical rehabilitation. BRATISLAVA - Parliament could be dissolved before the end of the electoral term not only through a parliamentary resolution, but also by means of a referendum, according to a draft amendment to the Slovak Constitution submitted for inter-departmental review by the Justice Ministry. In a referendum, citizens would decide whether Parliament should be dissolved during its current term of office before its constitutionally prescribed regular expiry. "This is an exceptional intervention in the duration of the parliamentary mandate and is therefore bound to the fulfilment of strict conditions," reasoned the ministry. The measure is intended to provide a compliant solution to situations where the law-making body suffers a fundamental loss of public confidence. A referendum would be declared by the president if requested to do so through a petition signed by at least 350,000 citizens eligible to vote in a general election. "The number of signatures set in this way represents a high level of public support and ensures that a proposal to dissolve Parliament reflects a serious and widespread demand of society," explained the ministry. BRATISLAVA - Former justice minister, MP and ombudswoman Jana Dubovcova has died at the age of 73, incumbent Justice Minister Boris Susko (Smer-SD) posted on a social network on Thursday. "I extend my sincere condolences to her family and loved ones, as well as to everyone who knew her. Honour to her memory," the minister wrote in his message. Dubovcova served as justice minister in 2023 as a member of Ludovit Odor's caretaker cabinet; she held the post of ombudswoman between 2012-2017, and served as an MP from 2010 to 2012. MUNICH - Bavaria is an important trading partner for Slovakia; in fact, we export more to this German state than to France, Italy, the Netherlands, or even the United States, said Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) on Thursday in a speech at the Slovak-Bavarian Business and Expert Conference, TASR learnt from its special correspondent on the same day. The prime minister spoke at the conference following a meeting with Minister-President of Bavaria Markus Soder. According to him, it was an exceptionally open and detailed conversation. Fico said he discussed with him areas important to both Bavaria and Slovakia, such as the automotive industry. According to the premier, the Slovak government rejects the "ideological goal" of ending the production of internal combustion engines by 2035–2036. "And looking at what is happening in China, we must focus primarily on those areas where we cannot only compete but be better, and those are certainly hybrids and compression ignition engines," he stated. BRATISLAVA - Foreign and European Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar (Smer-SD) reaffirmed Smer-SD's consistent and unchanged position regarding Ukraine's accession to the European Union, reiterating that the senior coalition party supports Ukraine's bid provided that Kiev fully meets all the necessary rules for candidate countries first. Blanar said this on Thursday in response to criticism from chairman of the junior coalition's Slovak National Party (SNS) Andrej Danko. "And that (accession must take place) without any exemptions or shortcuts. We also stress that the war in Ukraine must end (first)," Blanar underlined. According to the foreign minister, the path for Ukraine is to fulfill all obligations within the integration process by implementing reforms it has failed to carry out since gaining independence. "It is an opportunity for us to have a stable, secure, democratic and prosperous neighbour thanks to this process," Blanar added. The minister also pointed out that Ukraine is only at the very beginning of the accession process itself, meaning that discussion on its joining and any potential ratification of an accession treaty is unrealistic within the next several years. MUNICH - During Thursday's meeting in Munich, Bavarian Minister-President Markus Soder strongly urged Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) to ensure that Slovakia maintains its pro-European course, TASR has learnt from DPA news agency, citing a spokesperson for the Bavarian government and the Slovak Government Office. The Bavarian government also views Fico's recently announced plan to visit Ukraine as a positive signal. The Slovak premier described the meeting as open, constructive, and pragmatic, with both sides confirming their interest in strengthening mutual cooperation. "Despite our different political environments, we very quickly found common ground and established our relations on a rational and pragmatic level," stated Fico. A spokesperson for the Bavarian government stated that "the meeting was purely working in nature and took place at the request of the Slovak side". According to him, the meeting was held in close coordination with the German federal government. Fico and Soder discussed primarily economic issues. The Slovak premier also delivered a speech at the Slovak-Bavarian Business and Expert Conference, where he noted that a large portion of Slovak exports goes to Bavaria and that approximately 100 investors from Bavaria operate in Slovakia. jrg