MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Monday, 7 September 2026 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Sunday, 6 September): BRATISLAVA - Due to the ongoing dispute with Environment Minister Tomas Taraba (a Slovak National Party/SNS nominee), the coalition SNS party may not support the opening of the next parliamentary session, which is due to begin on 15 September, SNS leader Andrej Danko stated on TA3's discussion programme 'V politike' (In Politics) on Sunday, which was also attended by leader of the opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS) party Michal Simecka. However, he still doesn't wish to see the government fall. "Mr Taraba is a thing of the past for SNS. A nationalist politician doesn't let the Italians clean the Danube. I can use one lever: we won't open the House session. Until then, all I can do is to stamp my feet, because according to the coalition agreement, the premier [Robert Fico (Smer-SD)] decides on ministerial nominations individually," said Danko. Danko continues to insist that Taraba should step down from his post as minister by 15 September and be replaced by Environment Ministry State Secretary Filip Kuffa. "I told the prime minister that I don't wish to resort to the strongest political measures, but if he forces us to, then we must use what politics allows us to do, namely not to open the session," said the SNS chairman. He once again criticised the contracts for the removal of sediment from the Danube, the reconstruction and replacement of turbines at the Gabcikovo hydro-electric power plant, and the government's original resolution on the zoning of national parks. BRATISLAVA - Two employees of the Interior Ministry (MoI) who were handling the case concerning the purchase of traffic speed cameras are no longer in their posts, Interior Minister and Voice-SD leader Matus Sutaj Estok said on JOJ 24's discussion programme 'Politika 24' (Politics 24) on Sunday, adding that holding them personally accountable was a natural course of action. "They are no longer working in their posts," said the minister, referring to the director of the applications department and the project manager who was in charge of the camera project. "I don't believe these people failed in any procedural sense, because in terms of their processes and the duties they were required to fulfil, as well as in terms of their employment contract, they did their job; however, I also expect my colleagues to go beyond the scope of their duties in carrying out their work. And in this case, that wasn't the case. That's why I believe that holding them personally accountable was entirely natural," he stated. Sutaj Estok emphasised that the aim of the project's milestone was to automate the camera process. "Today, that milestone has been achieved; the system is automated and several primarily laser-based speed cameras are now in operation. The system has been tested, and more and more cameras will gradually be deployed," he said. BRATISLAVA - The opposition 'Slovakia' party intends to make a fresh attempt to dismiss Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok (Voice-SD) in Parliament, chair of the 'Slovakia'-'For the People' parliamentary caucus Michal Sipos told a press conference on Sunday, adding that the party has been promised signatures from other opposition parties for a motion to convene an extraordinary session. "This is a man who absolutely deserves to be dismissed, and that's precisely why the 'Slovakia' party will proceed with another dismissal motion," said Sipos, noting that the party has collected 12 signatures from all members of its parliamentary caucus. "And next week we've been promised further signatures from other opposition parties, so it is only a matter of time before we move to no-confidence motion in Sutaj Estok," he added. A motion to initiate a session on a vote of no confidence in a member of the government must be signed by at least 30 MPs. Sipos criticised the interior minister over the purchase of traffic speed cameras, as well as his inability to explain how Marcela Martonova came to be appointed chair of the supervisory board of partly state-owned Energetika Slovensko, a position from which she has since resigned as both chair and board member. In addition to the case concerning the purchase of flight tickets for Sutaj Estok and his wife to Abu Dhabi, Sipos also highlighted the announced renovation and modernisation of the Interior Ministry's headquarters. NITRA - Despite their political differences, the opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS), Christian Democrats (KDH), and Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) parties want to work together to find solutions to the problems facing Slovak agriculture, Alojz Hlina (SaS) and Marian Caucik (KDH) stated on Sunday at a press conference held to mark the conclusion of the Agrokomplex agricultural fair in Nitra. They are drawing attention to the situation in the sector, which is being exacerbated by the ongoing drought. They also intend to address the issue at the parliamentary session in September. "The agricultural sector is facing severe challenges, which makes it all the more important that we seek out what unites us. There is already enough that divides us," said SaS MP Alojz Hlina, noting that it's necessary to send a signal that the centre-right opposition parties are capable of cooperating. In their statement, the opposition parties said that they regard agriculture and rural development as an area in which they wish to actively seek joint solutions leading to the stabilisation and further development of the sector. They also stated that they are prepared to cooperate wherever they can find common ground for the benefit of Slovak agriculture and rural areas. ko