MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Thursday, 25 June 2026 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Wednesday, 24 June): BUDAPEST - At the official summit of the heads of government of the Visegrad Four (V4) countries (the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia) in the Hungarian town of Godollo on Tuesday evening, Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) presented the priorities of the programme of Slovakia's upcoming one-year presidency of the group, which Slovakia will take over from Hungary on 1 July, TASR's special correspondent in Budapest reported on Wednesday. The event was hosted by Hungary's new Premier Peter Magyar; and in addition to Fico, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis and Polish Premier Donald Tusk also attended the meeting. "The four countries must aspire to be strong; we have 65 million citizens. We don't want to be merely the subject of decisions made by others; we want to be co-creators of these decisions and as active as possible," said the Slovak premier at a joint press conference. Fico outlined the four key priorities of the Slovak Presidency, with the first being the boosting of the European Union's competitiveness and establishing a common position on the new EU budget, which will take effect in 2028. "We must make effective use of cohesion funds to support the Union's competitiveness," he said, adding that the EU must also reduce electricity prices - an issue he'll strongly advocate for during the Slovak V4 presidency. PANAMA CITY - At the 56th General Assembly of the Organisation of American States (OAS) in Panama, Slovak Foreign Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar (Smer-SD) held talks with representatives of the countries from the region in order to secure support for Slovakia's candidacy for a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2028–2029 term, Foreign Affairs ministry's communications department informed TASR on Wednesday. "Slovak diplomacy is a very strong supporter of multilateralism and compliance with international law, since we believe that it is through joint diplomatic dialogue that problems can be addressed. It is just necessary to have respect for each other. That's why I came to Panama for the OAS General Assembly, and I am very pleased that I was able to present our positions and values," said Blanar. During a personal meeting, he expressed his support for OAS Secretary General Albert Ramdin and interest in participating in projects in which Slovakia can provide its expert assistance. MALCOV - At its away-from-home session in the village of Malcov (Presov region), the government allocated more than €3.3 million for municipalities and entities operating in north-eastern Slovakia. More than €2.4 million of this sum is intended for specific projects of local authorities and organisations operating in the districts of Bardejov, Levoca, Snina and Poprad. The government also approved 35 tasks for individual ministries aimed at improving social and economic conditions in the area. In addition to dozens of smaller items, the government also approved larger allocations. It approved €250,000 for the Stara Lubovna Hospital to help fund a CT scanner, and the town of Medzilaborce will receive €150,000 to provide medical equipment for the outpatient clinics of the Integrated Social and Health Care Centre. BRATISLAVA - The junior-coalition Slovak National Party (SNS) has announced its first two candidates for regional governors, with Monika Leskova set to run for the post of Presov region head, and Adam Lucansky for Zilina region governor, SNS leader Andrej Danko announced at a press conference on Wednesday. "Our candidates for regional governors are well-prepared individuals. They are people who have experience in public office," stated Danko, noting that he's unaware of any potential candidates from Smer-SD or Voice-SD in these regions. He is therefore asking for support for the candidates presented. Leskova explained that her priorities will be modern education, improving health and social care, and supporting sports clubs. She also sees potential in tourism. "I'm running because I believe that real-life experience has a place in politics. I'm not here to divide; I'm here to unite," she said. BRATISLAVA - Train drivers have described the Transport Ministry's handling of issues affecting their profession as inappropriate, warning that it sends the wrong message to the public at a time when train services are being cancelled due to an acute shortage of drivers. Matej Motycka, who chairs the train drivers' petition committee, said on Wednesday that Transport Minister Jozef Raz had openly acknowledged that some older drivers could leave the profession because of their opposition to in-cab camera monitoring. According to Motycka, older drivers form the backbone of training for new recruits. He noted that practical driver training lasts almost five months, with experienced colleagues playing a direct role in preparing candidates for the profession. "People with decades of experience in any field should be treated with respect. The attitude that anyone who does not like something can simply leave is not a way to build a stable and safe railway. If the railway loses these workers, we must ask whether the measures being introduced ultimately strengthen safety or create new operational risks," Motycka warned. BRATISLAVA - The public discussion on a strategic document called 'Acceleration zones for wind energy in Slovakia' has been cancelled, with the event moderator making the announcement after participants chanted for more than an hour, preventing the attending ministry officials from giving their presentation. Those present were upset that the hall at a Bratislava hotel couldn't accommodate everyone interested in the public hearing. The discussion should have been held as part of the strategic environmental assessment (SEA) process. It was organised by the Economy Ministry in cooperation with the Environment Ministry, and representatives from the Vice-Premier's Office for the Recovery Plan and a Knowledge-based Economy also participated. ko