MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Saturday, 29 August 2026 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Friday, 28 August): BRATISLAVA - Had the election to Parliament been held in August, Progressive Slovakia (PS) would have won with 21 percent of the vote, according to a poll conducted by AKO for Joj 24 television. Smer-SD would have finished second with the support of 17.7 percent of voters, followed by Republic with 9.8 percent. SaS and Voice-SD would have also entered Parliament, with both parties receiving 8.8 percent of the vote, followed by KDH on 7.8 percent and 'Slovakia' party on 7.7 percent. SNS (4.7 percent), Democrats (4.3 percent), Hungarian Alliance and Right to Truth (both 2.9 percent), We Are Family (2.7 percent), Conservatives-Christian Union (0.3 percent), as well as Pirate Party-Slovakia, LSNS and Rural Party (0.2 percent each) would have failed to cross the parliamentary threshold. Based on the poll results, PS would have 39 MPs in Parliament, Smer-SD 33 and Republic 18. SaS and Voice-SD would each garner 16 MPs, while KDH and the 'Slovakia' party would have 14 each. The poll was conducted from 6 to 14 August on a sample of 1,000 respondents. ZIAR NAD HRONOM/BRATISLAVA - The gradual restart of production at the Slovalco aluminium plant in Ziar nad Hronom (Banska Bystrica region) is good news for Slovakia and Europe alike, Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) declared at a press conference held at Slovalco following the ceremonial restart of its furnaces. Fico added that when it's operating at full capacity, the plant will produce 17 percent of all primary aluminium in Europe. "As of today, Slovakia can be a positive example of how to correct mistakes made both at the European level and at the domestic, Slovak level. For this reason, I believe that this is also a great day for Europe," said the prime minister, who also emphasised that primary aluminium is a strategic raw material without which "we cannot function within the European Union and cannot be competitive". Fico highlighted that government representatives, together with the Slovak and Norwegian owners of the plant, have agreed on a course of action leading to the resumption of production, a model that has also gained acceptance at European Union level. According to Fico, this involved a major reform of the state aid mechanism as well as a long-term electricity supply contract. The owners also played their part, committing themselves to investing €100 million in restoring production. Environment Minister Tomas Taraba (an SNS nominee) said in this context that by restoring primary aluminium production, Slovakia is becoming a producer of approximately one-fifth of this critical material, which the European Union currently has to import to a large extent from countries where emissions standards do not apply. He also noted that once the plant reaches full capacity, it will directly employ 500 people and support a further 5,000 jobs. Taraba added that in the case of Slovalco, a solution has been found that doesn't constitute state aid. According to him, the assistance is based on the requirement that production must first be restarted. "Compensation can then follow, and they are entitled to this under the compensation programme in place within the European Union. Slovakia has introduced new compensation for industry, which was approved without objection in Brussels," he said. Slovalco CEO Milan Vesely stated that in the first phase the company will restart 100 of its 226 furnaces by February of next year. "We'll then look for further solutions so that we can reach full capacity," said Vesely. The company currently employs approximately 250 people, 80 percent of whom are employees who returned to the plant after being made redundant. The aluminium plant in Ziar nad Hronom originally operated more than 220 electrolytic furnaces. Production of primary aluminium was scaled back in the summer of 2022, with the final furnaces shut down at the beginning of 2023. Slovalco explained the decision at the time by citing high energy prices and insufficient state compensation for energy-intensive industry. In February of this year the Slovak government and Slovalco signed a memorandum of cooperation aimed at creating conditions for resuming aluminium production at the Ziar plant. In July, government representatives and Slovalco officials signed two agreements under which the state committed itself to providing compensation for emissions and relief from contributions to the nuclear fund and electricity supplies for the next ten years in exchange for the company restarting production and maintaining employment at the aluminium plant. BRATISLAVA - The Economy Ministry maintains that Lubos Michel (Voice-SD) has met all legal requirements and passed the selection process for a seat on the board of partially state-owned company Energetika Slovensko, but the opposition 'Slovakia' party is seeking the dismissal of ministers Denisa Sakova and Matus Sutaj Estok (both Voice-SD) over several controversial nominations, non-transparent steps in the energy sector and suspected conflicts of interest. "Lubos Michel met all the legally prescribed requirements for holding the position and successfully completed the proper selection process. On this basis, he served on the board of Vychodoslovenska energetika as of September 2024 and, following its merger with ZSE Energia, has continued since July 2025 as a board member of Energetika Slovensko," the Economy Ministry declared in a statement on Friday. The parliamentary Progressive Slovakia (PS) party has joined the efforts to dismiss Minister Sakova. "She's not doing a good job as economy minister and should be held accountable in Parliament for this affair," said the party, whose MPs will also support the dismissal of Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok. "A motion to dismiss Matus Sutaj Estok has already been submitted to Parliament. There are countless reasons for his dismissal. And the nomination of the wife of the investigator handling his case as chair of the supervisory board of Energetika Slovensko is just further evidence that Sutaj Estok has no business remaining in his post," they added. The Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party announced on Thursday (20 August) that it will seek minister Sakova’s dismissal, citing preparations for a new nuclear power facility in Jaslovske Bohunice. According to SaS, the minister has failed to justify the amount that the state is to pay for the stake held by the Czech CEZ group (a conglomerate of companies involved in the generation, distribution, trading and sale of electricity, heat and natural gas), or to guarantee the protection of public finances. The party said at the time that if the minister doesn't resign, her dismissal will be addressed in Parliament. On Thursday (27 August), the Slovakia party said at a news briefing that it was collecting signatures to seek the dismissal of ministers Sakova and Sutaj Estok, citing controversial nominations at Energetika Slovensko. The movement drew attention to the nomination of Voice-SD candidate Lubos Michel, stating that as a former football referee, he didn't meet any professional criteria in the energy sector. BRATISLAVA - I have expressed sincere condolences and regret on behalf of the Slovak government following the death of Norwegian King Harald V and wished his successor, Haakon VIII, success in his future role, stated Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) at a press conference during his visit to the company Slovalco in Ziar nad Hronom (Banska Bystrica region). The prime minister said that he believes in good relations between Slovakia and Norway, and he expressed his hope that the new Norwegian king will be able 'to fulfil in his mission that which is expected of someone in such a position". Norwegian King Harald V died on Friday morning at the age of 89. He was Europe's oldest reigning monarch. The Royal Palace in Oslo had previously announced that he had been admitted into hospital with an extremely serious blood disorder. Following Harald V's death, his son and Crown Prince Haakon Magnus automatically became Norway's new king, taking the name Haakon VIII. BRATISLAVA - Politicians and other public figures gathered on Slovak National Uprising (SNP) Square in Bratislava on Friday to commemorate the 82nd anniversary of the event. They did so a day ahead of the anniversary, which will be commemorated by a large ceremony in Banska Bystrica on Saturday (29 August). Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok (Voice-SD) sees parallels between the SNP and the Velvet Revolution of 1989. He pointed out that the revolution in Bratislava took place mainly on SNP Square. "Today, we are standing here on behalf of the Slovak government with deep respect for both generations. Their legacy is a clear reminder for the present. We live in an era of global uncertainties, new challenges and attempts to divide our society. The role of a modern state, however, is not to deepen the rifts that emerge between us. The only way forward is through open and honest dialogue," said Sutaj Estok. Bratislava region governor Juraj Droba in his speech said that the SNP is also a question that history poses even today. He pointed to the war in Ukraine, which Russia launched against Slovakia's eastern neighbour. He added that fascism didn't begin with concentration camps, but with words. "Slovakia already knows all too well where a society can end up when hatred becomes an acceptable part of public discourse," he said. MP Marian Kery (Smer-SD) praised the fact that communists, democrats, Catholics and Protestants joined the Uprising and were all able to reach agreement on an anti-Nazi coalition. He highlighted the fact that 35 nationalities were among the participants in the Uprising. mf