MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Wednesday, 22 July 2026 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Tuesday, 21 July): BRATISLAVA - Prosecutor-General Maros Zilinka has issued two prosecutor's warnings to the Interior Ministry due to its inaction regarding applications from a same-sex couple seeking to register their marriage concluded in Austria with the Special Registry Office, as the ministry failed to process their applications within the statutory deadline, Zilinka reported on a social network on Tuesday. "The Interior Ministry, as the competent administrative authority, is required to decide on the applications without undue delay and to notify the applicants whether registration with the Special Registry Office has been carried out or rejected," stated Zilinka. BRATISLAVA - The opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS) party, MP Veronika Remisova ('Slovakia' party, For the People) and the extra-parliamentary Democrats have called on Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) to convene the Security Council over Russia's cyber activities in Slovakia. According to PS, the attack targeted critical infrastructure, the arms industry, the energy sector and the automotive industry. "And this is not the first such attack," said PS security expert Peter Bator. The party, together with Remisova, have also called on Foreign Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar (Smer-SD) to summon the Russian ambassador and demand an explanation. "At the same time, the process of accepting a Russian military attaché must be halted immediately," added PS. "Are we really going to hire a person who is in charge of these activities in a situation when the Russians are attacking the state's critical infrastructure? Is this what sovereign Slovak diplomacy looks like?" asked Bator. "The premier is silent following the confirmed hacker attacks. We're calling on Fico to cut short his holiday and immediately convene the Security Council. It is clear that if Russia decides to do so, it could disrupt our health-care system, transport networks or energy infrastructure. People deserve to know what measures the government has taken to prevent this from happening," said MP Jan Hargas (PS). According to PS vice-chair Ivan Korcok, the idleness of state authorities in this situation is a threat to Slovakia's security. KOSARISKA - General Milan Rastislav Stefanik was an incredible combination of a politician, diplomat, scientist, a broad-minded person and a European with Slovakia always at the forefront of his mind, House Chair Richard Rasi (Voice-SD) said in front of Stefanik's birthplace in the village of Kosariska (Trencin region) to mark the 146th anniversary of his birth. "He was one of the key figures behind the creation of today's Slovakia, because together with Edvard Benes and Tomas Garrigue Masaryk, he was one of those who literally managed to diplomatically push through the establishment of Czechoslovakia," emphasised Rasi. He said that today we are facing attempts by many to rewrite history, with figures who are crucial to the Slovak nation being relegated to the background. "The primary goal for each and every one of us, regardless of what we do or where we currently are, should be to stand up for Slovakia, for Slovak men, for Slovak women, for our nation and our homeland - and not to fight against our own country," added Rasi. BRATISLAVA - Sugar beet growers will receive support worth €12.48 million in 2026, which represents an increase from last year's €565 per hectare to the current €632.80, Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Richard Takac (Smer-SD) told a press conference on Tuesday, with Slovak Agricultural and Food Chamber (SPPK) chair Jozef Sumichrast, managing director of Slovenske cukrovary sugar refinery Adrian Sedivy and Sugar Beet Growers Association chair Robert Kovacs also attending. "As part of the 2026 campaign, there's a coupled payment for support for sugar beet growers at almost €12.5 million. This year, the direct coupled payment per hectare is set at the highest possible rate permitted by the European Commission under the strategic plan, that is €632.80," said Takac. "Looking at previous years, support per hectare reached €477.80 per hectare in 2023 and 2024. In 2025, we increased it to €565. This year, we're going to have the maximum possible level of €632.80 per hectare because we want to maintain and support sugar beet production, and, secondly, the production of sugar in Slovakia as well," specified Takac. BRATISLAVA - The opposition Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) has warned of the risks in connection with the merger of private health-insurers Union and Dovera, drawing the European Commission's (EC) attention to an unprecedented vertical concentration in Slovakia's health care, with a single business group managing mandatory public health-insurance levies while at the same time owning a large proportion of hospitals, outpatient clinics, pharmacies and medicine distribution, the party's MP Peter Stachura told a press conference on Tuesday. KDH has also called on the Health-care Supervisory Office (UDZS) not to decide on an ownership change before the EC becomes familiar with the submission. "We're not just pointing to the acquisition of Union, we're pointing to the system. Today, Penta [investment group] doesn't only control a health-insurance company, it controls an ever-larger share of the entire health-care chain, from the management of mandatory health-insurance levies through operating its own hospitals and outpatient clinics all the way to pharmacies and the distribution of medicines," said Stachura. BRATISLAVA - Travel agency Solvex announced on its website on Monday that it's become insolvent and is no longer able to meet its financial obligations or fulfil its commitments to its business partners and clients, news website tnlive.sk was the first to report. Solvex is insured against bankruptcy with Colonnade Insurance S.A. "We took this decision only after exhausting every available option to keep the company operating. Despite the management's utmost efforts, huge financial investment and intensive negotiations with our business partners, we failed to reverse the adverse course of events," said the company, which has been operating on the travel market for 26 years. All clients affected by the situation will be able to exercise their claims in line with the terms of the bankruptcy insurance policy. The travel agency will provide the insurance company with maximum cooperation in handling all insurance claims to ensure that legitimate customer claims are resolved as soon as possible and in compliance with applicable legislation. ko