MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Wednesday, 10 June 2026 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Tuesday, 9 June): BRATISLAVA - There is no crisis in the coalition, but seeking compromises is part of coalition politics, and what matters is the government manifesto, on which there is consensus, head of the Smer-SD parliamentary caucus Jan Richter told a press conference on Tuesday, adding that it's primarily the opposition that is talking about a crisis. Smer-SD MP also pointed to the relationships between the opposition parties, and he responded to efforts to unite smaller parties into a so-called 'ark', as previously discussed by Progressive Slovakia (PS) leader Michal Simecka. "No crises, just normal coalition life, in which every single member of the governing coalition has a perfectly natural interest in asserting itself, but at the same time respecting the agreement set forth in the government manifesto, which is fully respected and unchangeable," stated Richter, noting that the Slovak National Party (SNS) and Voice-SD parliamentary caucuses have faced issues with lawmakers leaving, but this was resolved in a way that ensured a parliamentary majority. BRATISLAVA - The conviction handed down by a first-instance court against Jan Slota, former leader of the Slovak National Party (SNS) and former Zilina mayor, has been overturned, and criminal proceedings in the indirect corruption case have been dropped due to the statute of limitations, the Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday. However, Slota may insist on a hearing of the case. The ex-SNS leader didn't appear in court to hear the verdict. "No appeal is admissible against this ruling; but criminal proceedings will continue if the defendant declares within three days of being notified of the ruling to discontinue criminal proceedings that he insists on the case being heard," stated the presiding judge of a Supreme Court chamber. According to the indictment, Slota allegedly arranged a more lenient sentence at Zilina Regional Court by bribing convicted ex-judge Pavol Polka in favour of a man who had received an unconditional sentence from a first-instance court. Slota called the indictment unfounded and based on unlawfully obtained evidence. The Specialised Criminal Court (STS) in Banska Bystrica in 2024 found Slota guilty of indirect corruption, giving him a two-year suspended sentence with a four-year probation period. Both his lawyer and the prosecutor immediately appealed against this in court. BRATISLAVA - MPs on Tuesday afternoon didn't begin deliberations at a special session on the removal of House Vice-chair Tibor Gaspar (Smer-SD) from office, as they rejected the session's agenda, so Parliamentary Chair Richard Rasi (Voice-SD) adjourned the session. The no-confidence motion in Gaspar was filed by female MPs from the opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS) party, with the reason being that he's a defendant in the Purgatory case. The PS lawmakers view Gaspar's public appearances and political activities to date in his capacity as House vice-chairman as an attempt "to use his post in Parliament to promote measures that may be directly or indirectly related to his own criminal case or to criminal proceedings against individuals within his inner circle". According to them, this raises legitimate suspicions as to whether the office of parliamentary vice-chair is being abused to advance personal interests. "It's essential to ensure that Parliament's representatives should perform their duties in a manner that doesn't raise doubts about their integrity and respect for the principles of the rule of law," emphasised the PS MPs when stating the reasons for their proposal. BRATISLAVA - The government should present measures to support economic growth without delay, otherwise salaries won't grow, either, the National Union of Employers (RUZ), which represents companies employing over 380,000 people, stated on Tuesday. According to RUZ, the upcoming state budget should be based on legislative changes only after they are adopted, while the state should cover shortfalls in public finances by cutting back on its own expenditures. "Companies are struggling and are afraid to take out loans and invest. This has been caused by uncertainty triggered by the consolidation of public finances, higher taxes and levies, and an unfavourable trend in revenues. Companies in Slovakia have long been burdened by high energy prices, making it impossible for them to compete on foreign markets in many cases," said RUZ president Miroslav Kiralvarga. To reverse this situation, RUZ proposes reintroducing a flat tax rate for both businesses and individuals, scrapping the transaction tax, and simplifying VAT by abolishing the three different rates. At the same time, RUZ demands that red-tape should be curtailed significantly, while labour law should be made less strict. DOLNA KRUPA - Slovakia's agriculture is facing two major challenges, namely severe drought and a dairy crisis, said Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) in a speech at the opening of the 15th annual National Field Days in the village of Dolna Krupa (Trnava region) on Tuesday. The premier said that the Agriculture Ministry must take all necessary measures to mitigate the impact of drought. He stressed the need for the ministry to make all possible legal concessions to farmers in the areas of subsidies and support in the wake of the current drought. "The legislative framework allows for this," he noted. He also pointed to the possibility of increasing the allocation of money to calls related to irrigation systems. "It is right that the government has turned to the European Union regarding the use of the EU reserve fund," added the premier. Fico also spoke about an ambition for agricultural policy to become a separate chapter within the upcoming EU budget. "We're definitely against capping direct payments themselves, we reject this and, in particular, we'd like to remind the European Union and the European Commission of the fact that Slovakia is built on larger farms and larger units," he said. He plans to appeal to the Visegrad Four countries (V4 - Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland) to take up a joint position on agricultural policy. NAIROBI/BRATISLAVA - Slovak companies are interested in participating in major infrastructure investments in Kenya and in opportunities linked to development cooperation, Foreign and European Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar (Smer-SD) declared on Tuesday at the opening of the Slovak-Kenyan Business and Development Forum in Nairobi. The event is being attended by the largest Slovak business mission ever to visit sub-Saharan Africa. The business delegation accompanying the Slovak foreign minister on his current working visit to the region is made up of 35 Slovak companies and institutions operating in the fields of energy, digitisation, health care, information technology, agriculture, water management, the defence industry, modern solutions and innovation. Representatives of the Slovak Investment and Trade Development Agency (SARIO) and the Slovak Export-Import Bank (Eximbanka) also form part of the mission, said the Foreign and European Affairs Ministry. "We regard Kenya as an important partner in East Africa, both politically and economically. This visit marks the beginning of a more dynamic and systematic process of deepening trade and investment relations between our countries. That's why I've brought with me a strong delegation of Slovak companies interested in contributing to Kenya's development while at the same time supporting our domestic economy," said Blanar. jrg