MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Sunday, 14 June 2026 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Saturday, 13 June): SEBECHLEBY - The opposition Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party announced a new project called 'Anti-theft Radar' in the village of Sebechleby (Banska Bystrica region) on Saturday, Michal Goffa from the SaS communications department told TASR on the same day, adding that through this initiative, the party plans to regularly draw attention to suspicious handling of public funds and other cases of misuse of taxpayers' money. "Every Saturday, we'll publish new cases of suspicious handling of public funds," said party chairman Branislav Groehling. SaS also organised on Saturday the second annual of a run called "Thieves' Seven" to the Fafokan complex in Sebechleby [the Fafokan case was a scandal involving a private luxury villa disguised as a boarding house that was financed from EU funds]. According to SaS, this very location has become a symbol of the embezzlement of EU funds and public resources in Slovakia. MP for SaS Alojz Hlina pointed out that a similar scandal would have sparked massive public outrage in many countries. He also noted that, despite all the findings regarding the hacienda, the allocation of further public funds to the same groups continued. "This shows that the problem is not a thing of the past but continues to this day. That's precisely why we'll be publishing further cases as part of the Anti-theft Radar and showing the public how the system of people connected to power works," he added. BRATISLAVA - EU funds earmarked for Slovak farmers are not at risk, and recipients will receive them, MEP Monika Benova (Smer-SD) stated on STVR's politics programme 'Sobotne dialogy' (Saturday Dialogues) in connection with reports that the European Commission (EC) is investigating the Agricultural Payments Agency (PPA). MEP Miriam Lexmann (Christian Democrats/KDH) also believes that Slovak farmers won't lose their money, but she emphasized the importance of addressing the European Commission's concerns regarding insufficient protection of the European Union's (EU) financial interests. "The letter the Commission sent to Slovakia clearly identifies concerns and issues regarding potential lack of transparency or conflicts of interest," noted Lexmann, adding that she also sees the relevance of the Commission's concerns regarding changes to Slovakia's criminal laws in the context of conditions for drawing EU funds. Benova noted that opposition representatives are constantly scaring the Slovak public by claiming that EU funds will be taken away from the country. She considers the proceedings related to the PPA case to be one of many standard processes that the EC is conducting against several countries. "We're aware of this; the relevant ministry is communicating with the Commission and seeking a way to resolve the matter," pointed out Benova, adding that she trusts the statements made by Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Richard Takac (Smer-SD) that funds for Slovak farmers are not at risk. "I also have information that they are not at risk," she noted. BRATISLAVA - Slovakia's top 80 family-owned companies generated combined revenue of €9.9 billion and nearly €290 million in profit in their latest financial year. Compared with the previous year, revenue increased by around €200 million, while aggregate profit fell by more than €50 million, reflecting developments in both the domestic and global economies. The figures were published by business magazine Forbes Slovakia, which compiled its ranking of the country's leading family-owned companies based on revenue and profit. Packaging group Grafobal Group, owned by entrepreneur Ivan Kmotrik, retained its position as the overall leader in the 2026 Top 80 Family Firms of Slovakia ranking for the second consecutive year. Based on 2024 results, the latest available at the time the ranking was compiled, the group reported revenue of €2.2 billion and pre-tax profit of €13.3 million. In terms of profitability, the most successful company was family-owned betting operator Niké, now led by Roman Berger following the death of his father, Otto Berger. In 2025, Niké posted a record profit of €54.3 million on revenue of €265.4 million. BRATISLAVA - The National Institute of Children's Diseases (NUDCH) has performed Slovakia's first family kidney transplant between a mother and child at a single medical facility, TASR learnt at a press conference held by NUDCH representatives this week. This is the first time that the donor and recipient underwent operations at the same hospital, and it was also the first paediatric transplant in Slovakia in which the donor kidney was removed using the da Vinci robotic system. NUDCH director Peter Barton explained that the surgical procedure was planned well in advance. The mother and daughter remained together throughout the time spent in hospital, and the recipient was discharged nine days after the operation without complications. He also considers the successful transplant to be proof that cutting-edge medical care can be provided thanks to close collaboration among specialists across departments and hospitals. "Professionally speaking, I'm very pleased that we were able to perform this series of surgeries in a manner befitting the 21st century - that is, using state-of-the-art technology. It's also a great benefit for me personally that we have a robotic system at our disposal. When we finished harvesting the kidney from the mother, I completed the job in an almost relaxed state and then proceeded to the second operating room for the transplant," said head of the NUDCH Paediatric Urology ward Jan Breza. am