MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Thursday, 14 May 2026 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Wednesday, 13 May): STRASBOURG - Local authorities and the state should strengthen coordination in the preparation and implementation of anti-corruption policies, regular analysis of integrity and corruption risks, and in introducing measures to safeguard integrity of political officials, concludes the Council of Europe's Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) in an evaluation report on Slovakia released on Wednesday, Council of Europe spokesperson Jaime Rodriguez has informed TASR. The report analyses the institutional structures and regulatory frameworks in place to combat corruption and promote integrity. GRECO also analysed their practical implementation in Bratislava and in Trencin region, as well as at the national level. The evaluation process included an on-site visit in Slovakia in May 2025. According to the analysis, the Slovak Republic has a well-established anti-corruption and integrity system largely covering the local and regional levels, with examples of good practices in several areas. GRECO notes that some practices in Bratislava and Trencin region go further than the national framework requires, demonstrating their commitment to preventing corruption and promoting integrity. These include areas such as the evaluation of the implementation of anti-corruption policy documents, ISO anti-bribery certification, transparency measures and integrity screening in recruitment procedures for managerial positions, stakeholder involvement in the preparation of codes of ethics, and good practices in public participation and procurement procedures. BRATISLAVA - In order to improve Slovakia's energy self-sufficiency, the state should acquire larger stakes and greater leverage in key energy companies, opposition Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) MP Karol Galek declared on Wednesday. Speaking at a press conference, Galek said that the government will soon have the opportunity to exercise a pre-emption right to acquire a 17-percent stake in power utility Slovenske elektrarne (SE) and that it should begin preparations to do so immediately. He added that the process should be as transparent as possible and governed by a special law that SaS plans to draft and submit to Parliament in September. At present, Slovakia owns a 34 percent stake in SE, while the remainder is controlled by the Czech EPH group. By exercising the pre-emption right, Slovakia could increase its holding to 51 percent and gain a majority stake in the company. Galek noted that the state may exercise the right within six months after the final permit for both new blocks at the Mochovce nuclear power plant are issued. In April, the Nuclear Regulatory Authority published a draft decision for the fourth unit at Mochovce, collected comments on it and is now set to process them and deal with any appeals. BAKU/BRATISLAVA - House Chair Richard Rasi met Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Baku on Wednesday to discuss further development of the strategic partnership between their two countries, TASR learnt from Rasi's Facebook post. "We discussed energy security, support for Slovak investments, and new opportunities for Slovak companies in Azerbaijan," wrote Rasi, adding that the strategic partnership between Slovakia and Azerbaijan is delivering tangible results. The talks also covered the 'smart village' project in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, in which Slovak experts are involved. "I'm pleased that Slovak companies are capable of implementing modern projects even far beyond our country's borders," said Rasi. On Friday, the Slovak House chair is due to visit the region, which was previously controlled by Armenian separatists. He's set to visit the village of Bash Garvand in Agdam district. BUCHAREST - Through investments in the arms industry, Slovakia has become one of the leading ammunition producers within NATO, stated President Peter Pellegrini following a meeting of representatives of the Bucharest Nine (B9) countries, TASR learnt from its special correspondent in Bucharest on Wednesday. In Pellegrini's opinion, the Alliance is and will continue to be united, even though there seems to be tension between member states and the USA. "We, of course, need to strengthen the European pillar within NATO, not to act as a separate entity, but to bolster responsibility for defence and enhance our capabilities to defend ourselves within NATO. This is, naturally, linked to the need for increased defence spending," he stated. Pellegrini informed the representatives of the B9 and Nordic countries that Slovakia "is preparing and will shortly approve a new, adjusted long-term plan for building up the Slovak Armed Forces, which will reflect the need for a gradual increase in spending for both the arms industry and dual-use projects". However, according to him, the fact that "manufacturing capacities are inadequate and cannot deliver everything NATO armies need" is a significant issue, as "today, even if you had vast billions available, even if national budgets allowed for a rapid increase in military spending, it's not realistically possible to use these funds". ZILINA - The police evacuated a shopping centre on the Vlcince housing estate in Zilina on Wednesday afternoon following a reported leak of an unknown substance from a cooling device. Zilina region police reported on social media that there is currently no danger. According to the police, emergency services secured the area shortly after 1:00 p.m. and carried out a preventive evacuation of customers and some of the staff. The police said they are currently carrying out necessary steps to clarify the circumstances of the incident. "It isn't possible to provide further information at this time, but there is currently no danger," they added. Zilina regional firefighter service spokesperson Maria Pohankova Zahatlanova confirmed that the call-out was linked to the malfunction of a cooling device using carbon dioxide. "On arrival, people from the store were located in the car park at the rear of the premises. The area where the leak occurred has already been ventilated," she said. KOSICE - Japan's largest steel producer, Nippon Steel Corporation, announced on Wednesday that it's decided to transfer Kosice-based U.S. Steel into its direct ownership. U.S. Steel Kosice will therefore become a fully owned subsidiary of Nippon Steel. The transfer into direct ownership is scheduled for 1 October, and it will include a change of name to Nippon Steel Slovakia s.r.o. The Kosice-based steelworks will serve as the corporation’s main production hub in Europe as part of its global strategy. "Through the direct ownership of U.S. Steel Kosice, Nippon Steel will establish it as a key centre of its European operations within its global strategy and will be directly involved in increasing profitability and accelerating the growth of its European business," stated Nippon Steel. Since commencing operations in 1965, U.S. Steel Kosice has contributed to the development of European manufacturing industry by supplying high-quality steel products to a wide range of sectors, including the automotive, electrical, packaging, energy and construction ones, primarily in Central and Eastern Europe, stated Nippon Steel. "Based on the strategic location advantage, diverse portfolio of flat steel products, solid customer base, highly skilled workforce, and sound facilities USSK has cultivated over the years, Nippon Steel has been working, since its acquisition of U.S. Steel in 2025, to enhance USSK's competitiveness by further promoting the sharing and collaboration of technology, human resources, and sales and procurement networks," said the company. jrg