MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Wednesday, 9 September 2026 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Tuesday, 8 September): BRATISLAVA - The results of 15-year-old Slovak students in the international PISA 2025 testing in reading and scientific literacy are below the average for OECD countries, while in mathematical literacy they ranked among countries above the OECD average. The results are being presented on Tuesday in Bratislava. This is the first-ever regional presentation of PISA results for countries in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia. In scientific literacy, a statistically significant increase in the score of Slovak students was recorded compared to the last two PISA cycles (2022, 2018). However, it is still lower than in the PISA 2006 cycle, when scientific literacy was the main domain of measurement for the first time. The difference in performance compared to the PISA 2006 cycle is 14 points, according to the International Report of the PISA 2025 Study and the first results of the testing from the viewpoint of Slovakia, which were published by the National Institute of Education and Youth on its website. Despite the fact that the percentage of students in the at-risk group decreased in PISA testing 2025 compared to the previous cycle (scientific literacy), or remained unchanged (reading and mathematical literacy), a significant proportion of students in the at-risk group is still visible. The percentage of Slovak students who, based on their performance in PISA testing 2025, were ranked into the top-performing group increased significantly in mathematical literacy compared to PISA 2022. In the other two basic domains, it remained comparable to 2022. BRATISLAVA - Slovakia has no reason to be ashamed when it comes to its results of PISA 2025 testing, OECD Deputy Secretary-General Frantisek Ruzicka told a news conference in Bratislava on Tuesday. Ruzicka highlighted that Slovakia is above the OECD average in mathematical literacy and recorded an improvement in scientific literacy. However, Slovak students need to read more, he said. Education Minister Tomas Drucker (Voice-SD) views the findings as a reflection and an encouragement. The average reading literacy performance across OECD countries was 461 points, while Slovak 15-year-old students achieved 448 points. In this context, Ruzicka stressed the need to improve parental engagement from an early stage. "The state cannot solve all the problems that exist. Unless parents become more engaged and continue to take shortcuts when it comes to their children's so-called education by teaching them to move their thumbs from left to right and from top to bottom, the reading results won't improve. Reading is the gateway to all other areas," he stressed. In connection with the results of PISA 2025 testing, Ruzicka drew attention to the fact that Slovakia, despite being a country with the greatest disparities in terms of the socio-economic composition of society, has achieved above-OECD-average results in mathematics at the highest level of proficiency. "We know how to teach mathematics, we just need to make it more inclusive across all schools. And the same essentially applies to science. The same applies to reading," he added. BRATISLAVA - Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) has called on Prosecutor-General Maros Zilinka to resign from his post, and wants to create pressure through evidence and arguments that would force Zilinka to consider whether it is appropriate for him to remain at the head of the prosecution service. Speaking at a press conference, Fico claimed that developments within the prosecution service are influenced by the fact that Zilinka is a nominee of the current opposition. The Smer-SD party considers Zilinka an obstacle to restoring public trust in the rule of law. "Zilinka should resign from his post because of failures and his inability to fulfil the duties of prosecutor-general. By remaining in office, he will create the conditions for the preparation and approval of a comprehensive reform of the prosecution service," Fico said, adding that Smer is aware that the law does not allow it to initiate Zilinka's removal. Fico said that during Zilinka's tenure as prosecutor-general in the period of 2020 to 2023, when, according to Fico, human rights were being trampled on and criminal law was being misused against representatives of Smer and people close to the party [who faced criminal prosecutions over corruption-ed.note], Zilinka neither condemned nor commented on the failures of the then-governing coalition and law enforcement authorities. By comparison, Fico noted that Zilinka currently publishes critical positions on "two traffic cameras in trial operation". "Quite simply, we in Smer believe that the prosecutor-general's entire tenure since taking office has been markedly opposition-oriented," the prime minister stated. According to Fico, his "patience has run out" in the case of former Slovak Intelligence Service director Vladimir Pcolinsky. "Zilinka tolerates prosecutors such as Mr. (Peter) Kysel and (Daniel) Lipsic at the Office of the Prosecutor-General who not only failed in the Pcolinsky case, but knowingly violated every law that existed," he said. BRATISLAVA - Representatives of the opposition's Progressive Slovakia (PS) party criticise Prime Minister Robert Fico's (Smer-SD) call for Prosecutor-General Maros Zilinka to resign, saying that Fico is seeking to influence criminal proceedings involving Smer-SD representatives and people close to them by putting pressure on Zilinka. Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, PS leader Michal Simecka claimed that the prime minister is frustrated that the Prosecutor-General's Office is not "doing Smer's bidding". "It does not confirm the myth that Robert Fico has built up over the years and peddles constantly, namely the myth that political persecutions targeting Smer representatives took place in Slovakia between 2020 and 2023," Simecka said. He noted that Zilinka has criticised criminal policy and legislation being passed by Parliament. "The prosecutor-general criticises the fact that following the adoption of the amendment to the Criminal Code, corruption has effectively stopped being prosecuted, tax evasion is increasing and these matters are simply not being prosecuted. And it is his duty to draw attention to this. And this is clearly troubling Smer and obviously does not sit well with them," Simecka claimed. He expressed confidence that Smer won't prevail in this "power struggle" and that independent institutions protecting the rule of law will withstand the pressure. BRATISLAVA - Prosecutor-General Maros Zilinka intends to remain in his position until the end of his term. Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) is mistaken, Zilinka said at a press conference on Tuesday, in claiming that Zilinka is an obstacle to restoring trust in the rule of law. The chief prosecutor added that he has faced a long-standing effort to seize control of the Prosecutor General's Office and its bodies. "Today we witnessed completely shameless pressure and a call for the prosecutor-general to resign from those who have a vested interest in how certain criminal cases are handled, and who have a particular idea how justice should be administered, an idea with which I will never identify," Zilinka said. Zilinka said he has not attacked the prime minister, any politician or the current coalition, but has always responded to their attacks with facts and statistical data. "I have always tried, and have always approached the exercise of my office, in an apolitical and impartial manner, in accordance with the Constitution and the law. I have never allowed myself to be influenced by politicians' interests," the head of the prosecution service said. BRATISLAVA - Former head of opposition Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party Richard Sulik and chair of the non-parliamentary We Are Family party Boris Kollar will run for Parliament in 2027 on a joint slate, Kollar announced at a press conference on Tuesday. Kollar added that Sulik's team was offered every second place on the list and that the party is going to be officially renamed into 'We Are Family and Sulik Team'. Kollar underlined that neither Sulik nor the team around him will formally join the party. "They are not joining us and will not become our members. We proposed to him and offered him every second place on the candidate list for his economic team. We offered to change the party's name to We Are Family and Sulik Team so that the distinction is clear. We also offered to work together on the programme, and, of course, he'll lead the economic team, while we'll be responsible for the empathy within the party, which is very important [a reference to claims that Richard Sulik is an economic expert who thinks in Excel charts while showing low levels of empathy-ed.note]," Kollar said. Sulik said he will comment on potential candidates at a later stage. He noted that dozens of people have already expressed interest and were on a preliminary list of candidates. He also spoke of agreement on values and policy. "The SaS party, which I founded in 2009 and led for 15 years, is now significantly more progressive. Of course, that is their right, but I have to say that today, and also following Milan Krajniak's departure from We Are Family, I am closer to We Are Family and Team Sulik in terms of values and policy than I am to today's SaS. And I have long been consistent in my views," Sulik stated. jrg