MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Wednesday, 3 June 2026 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Tuesday, 2 June): BRATISLAVA - If a general election had been held in May, it would have been won by the opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS) party on 19.7 percent of the votes, followed by the senior governing Smer-SD (18.9 percent) and the far-right Republic party (9.1 percent), according to a recent poll carried out by AKO agency on behalf of Joj 24 television channel. In fourth place would have come the junior coalition Voice-SD party (8.9 percent), followed by Freedom and Solidarity (SaS - 8.6 percent), the 'Slovakia' party (8.2 percent), the Christian Democrats (KDH - 7.9 percent) and the extra-parliamentary Democrats (5.8 percent). The parties failing to make it past the 5-percent election threshold required to win seats in parliament would have included the junior governing Slovak National Party (SNS - 4.8 percent), the Hungarian Alliance (4 percent), 'We Are Family' (2.2 percent), 'Right to Truth' (2.1 percent), Rural Party (0.3 percent) and the Communist Party (0.2 percent). BRATISLAVA - The House foreign affairs committee hasn't approved a resolution concerning the nomination of MP Peter Kmec (Voice-SD) for the post of ambassador to Italy, as the opposition outvoted the coalition politicians, TASR reported after the committee hearing on Tuesday. Due to a lack of time, however, the committee members also failed to hear another MP, former judge Miroslav Radacovsky (Independent), who is set to become head of the embassy in Cyprus, announcing that they would do so later. Some opposition parties have already called on President Peter Pellegrini not to appoint Kmec and Radacovsky. After his hearing, Kmec said that his nomination as ambassador means that he's returning to diplomacy and leaving politics, claiming that he doesn't have the stomach for the latter. BRATISLAVA - The Economy Ministry has published a package of measures to support economic growth in Slovakia, which will be discussed by the Economic and Social Council (tripartite) later on Tuesday. The measures concern, for example, electricity prices, the use of the modernisation fund, reducing red-tape and increasing funding for energy-intensive companies from revenues generated by the sale of emission allowances. All the measures form part of a single bill. "The bill contains an initial set of measures aimed at reducing costs for the business sector, including a reduction in excise tax on electricity, as well as the simplification or scrapping of some bureaucratic reporting and administrative obligations of business entities," said the Economy Ministry in its commentary on the new legislation. According to the Economy Ministry, the measures should reduce energy and administrative costs for businesses, increase investment activities and support for innovation, and improve the business environment by cutting red tape. They should also make labour more available, including qualified workers from abroad, strengthen regional development, and make the use of public and EU funds more efficient. BRATISLAVA - Exempting low-income self-employed people from the new micro-levy will help some 30,000 people, Labour, Social Affairs and the Family Minister Erik Tomas (Voice-SD) told a press conference on Tuesday in response to the approved legislative change. He highlighted the fact that the amendment to the Social Insurance Act, as drawn up by a group of MPs from the junior coalition Slovak National Party (SNS) and Voice-SD, was supported by a constitutional majority in the final vote in Parliament. According to the amendment, as of 1 July of this year self-employed people with an annual income not exceeding 10.5-times the subsistence minimum, i.e. currently making less than €2,900 a year, will not have to pay the micro-levy of €131 per month. Tomas said the change will have a positive impact on some groups of pensioners, individuals with disabilities and parents on parental leave, as well as on professions such as expert assessors, interpreters and authors. It also removes the problem for the self-employed people and tradesmen who are registered but don't carry out any activities, "simply having zero income", explained Tomas. BRUSSELS/LUXEMBOURG - The European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) on Tuesday published a statement regarding legislative changes on the provision of support and subsidies in agriculture and rural development in Slovakia, warning the European Commission (EC) of their negative impacts on the overall level of protection of the EU's financial interests, TASR's special correspondent reported on the same day. According to the report, European Chief Prosecutor Laura Kovesi on Monday (1 June) addressed a letter to the EC in line with Recitals 9, 16 and 17 of Regulation (EU) 2020/2092 of 16 December 2020 on the general regime of conditionality for protecting the budget of the European Union (the Conditionality Regulation), as well as Article 14 of the Agreement establishing the Modalities of Cooperation between the EC and EPPO. In the document, Kovesi pointed to recent legislative changes in the provision of support and subsidies in agriculture and rural development in Slovakia. Having thoroughly analysed the new legislation, Kovesi concluded that it "contains several elements which substantially reduce the effective protection of the EU's financial interests, as well as the national financial interest". BRATISLAVA - A stable and prosperous Western Balkans, anchored in Europe, must be a strategic interest of the whole EU, which is why Slovakia supports the European prospects of North Macedonia, President Peter Pellegrini declared after Tuesday's visit by North Macedonian head of state Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova to the Presidential Palace in Bratislava. "Slovakia supports North Macedonia's European bid. We do it as a friend, partner but also as an ally. At the same time, though, we're saying equally clearly that the enlargement process must be fair, predictable and based on the same rules for everyone striving for EU membership," stated Pellegrini. According to Siljanovska-Davkova, the integration of the Western Balkans into the EU is important, as these countries can contribute toward the preservation of the global order. The two presidents also touched on the current security situation, including the Russian aggression in Ukraine. Pellegrini pointed out that he'll attend the NATO summit in Ankara, slated for July, as will the North Macedonian president. In this context, he added that they both have an interest in Europe becoming a stronger and more reliable shield of security and defence in NATO. ko