SUMMARY - Friday, 21 August 2026 - 9 p.m.

Bratislava, 21 August (TASR) - The opposition Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) and Progressive Slovakia (PS) parties have concurred that the coalition is drawing up the 2027 budget in an incorrect manner: it shouldn't be filled with election promises, but should support economic growth and halt the country's rising debt, while the state shouldn't increase taxes, but cut its own spending instead. https://etasr.sk/article/23630900 Brussels/Bratislava, 21 August (TASR) - Czech MEP Tomas Zdechovsky has asked the European Commission (EC) to review the funding of a children's playground in the village of Havranec (Presov region) where, according to media reports, an EU-funded subsidy worth almost €50,000 was provided by the Agricultural Payment Agency (PPA), despite the village having a population of around 15, the Czech MEP told TASR on Friday. https://etasr.sk/article/23631023 Bratislava, 21 August (TASR) - The European family protects Slovakia from any further occupation and forced 'fraternal' assistance, stated head of the EC Representation in Slovakia Peter Stano on the 58th anniversary of the occupation of Czechoslovakia by Warsaw Pact forces, highlighting values such as respect, freedom, solidarity and justice, which are the fundamental pillars of the EU, TASR learnt from the EC Representation's press department on Friday. https://etasr.sk/article/23631075 Trebisov, 21 August (TASR) - The District Office in Trebisov (Kosice region) has declared quarantine in part of the district due to the occurrence of a new pest, the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis), a beetle that infests trees of the ash genus and has been confirmed in 26 municipalities, TASR reported on Friday. https://etasr.sk/article/23631109 Bratislava, 21 August (TASR) - Average earners hand over nearly two thirds (63.59 percent) of their income to the state, thus needing 232 days of the year to pay for all mandatory payments, the M.R. Stefanik Conservative Institute (KI) informed at a press conference on Friday, noting that the symbolic Tax Burden Relief Day therefore falls on 23 August this year, i.e. one day later compared to last year. https://etasr.sk/article/23631344 NOTICE: If you click on the link or copy it into the search window, the browser will display the full text of the message in the new e-TASR client zone. If you have any questions, please contact obchod@tasr.sk. jrg