MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Monday, 1 June 2026 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Sunday, 31 May): BRATISLAVA - House Speaker and vice-chair of Voice-SD Richard Rasi calls on opposition's Progressive Slovakia (PS) to support a constitutional amendment that would allow people to decide through a valid referendum on calling an early election, according to Parliament's Office press department. "Do you want to give people the opportunity, enshrined directly in the Constitution, to decide in a referendum on an early election, or do you not? Say clearly whether the people should have the right not only to give power to politicians, but also to take it away. And if you sincerely believe that the people are the sole holders of power in Slovakia, then give them the constitutional right to request an early election," Rasi declared. In the coming days, Parliament will discuss a proposed constitutional amendment with which Voice-SD will seek to enshrine the possibility of shortening an electoral term through a valid referendum. BRATISLAVA - Speaking on STVR's discussion programme 'O 5 minut 12' (Five Minutes to Twelve) on Sunday, Defence Minister Robert Kalinak (Smer-SD) declared that he's prepared to face opposition scrutiny over the construction of a hospital in Presov. Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) vice-chair Viliam Karas, also on the show, criticised the minister, saying he was approaching the project with carte blanche and disregarding any rules. The defence minister confirmed that the hospital will cost hundreds of millions of euros, although its final price would only be determined through further tenders. "We're ready to go into detail even before the parliamentary committee overseeing Military Intelligence activities, where MPs will receive information from the classified section," Kalinak said. "I accept your oversight powers, so be active and ask us for information," he told Karas, while urging the opposition to assess the project through the lens of market prices. Karas responded that the opposition was not interested in criticism for the sake of criticism. "It is our duty as the opposition to criticise where you make mistakes. Without pressure, you'd basically do whatever you want. It is entirely legitimate for us to hold up a mirror to you, because this is not your money but the money of all Slovaks," he pointed out. Karas also commented on possible cooperation among opposition parties ahead of the parliamentary election. "KDH is the strongest conservative party, it has a conservative programme and is a conservative-democratic party. The programme is so clearly defined that it would be absurd for us to politically join forces with someone who has a different progressive or liberal programme," he said. PRAGUE/BRATISLAVA - Czech President Petr Pavel and former Slovak president Zuzana Caputova (2019-2024) attended the 'Mezi ploty' music festival in Prague on Sunday, where they received the Decent Person Among Us award, the Novinky.cz news website reported on the same day. The award was established as a civic initiative recognising individuals who bring into the public sphere an emphasis on decency, humanity, courage, respect for democracy and the cultivation of public debate. "The award is not a recognition of political office. It is an expression of gratitude for efforts to protect values that help keep society together even in times of tension and uncertainty," the organisers said. The award was designed by artist Josef Cuban. Previous recipients include nuclear physicist Dana Drabova, Colonel Otakar Foltyn and actor Ondrej Vetchy. BRATISLAVA - Speaking on TA3's discussion programme 'V politike' (In Politics) on Sunday, Slovak National Party (SNS) leader Andrej Danko stated that he sees no reason to open a House session on the ouster of Environment Minister Tomas Taraba (an SNS nominee), slated for Monday (1 June). His opposite number, Progressive Slovakia (PS) leader Michal Simecka, insisted that Taraba should not remain in office. "Politically, I do not see a reason to open the session tomorrow, because it's always important, within the coalition agreement, to sit down properly with the prime minister. The prime minister has the strongest authority, also under the Constitution," Danko remarked. Simecka, by contrast, maintained that Taraba should be removed. "He should not be environment minister. Not because of any disputes with Mr. Danko, but because he's endangering Slovak nature and hundreds of millions of euros from the Recovery Plan," he warned. Danko also acknowledged that one possible replacement for Taraba could be current Deputy Environment Minister Filip Kuffa. "Yes, one of the names being mentioned is Mr. Kuffa, and that will happen on 30 September," the SNS leader said. Danko underlined that any government reshuffle was in the hands of Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD), and conceded that he would replace several ministers, if he had the power to do so. Simecka said he did not care whether the government was reshuffled, as, in his view, the entire cabinet needs to go. Among other issues, he criticised circumstances surrounding the construction of a new hospital in Presov. jrg