MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Saturday, 7 November 2026 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Friday, 6 November): BRATISLAVA - The junior coalition Slovak National Party (SNS) is proposing to lower the age of criminal liability from 14 to 13, or in certain individual cases even to 12 years, SNS leader Andrej Danko announced on Friday, noting that the proposal has been in preparation for some time. The party has already drawn up an amending proposal but wants to discuss it first with Smer-SD, Voice-SD and the Justice Ministry. In this context, Danko condemned the incident that took place in Velka Lomnica (Presov region) last week. "I think that it's high time to lower the age of criminal liability, either across the board to 13 years for all criminal offences, or, in specific cases, to as low as 12 years. I've also taken note of an initiative by the Prosecutor-General (PG), which I was previously unaware of," Danko told the media. He said that SNS originally intended to submit the amending proposal on Friday, but it decided to take a different approach in light of the recent events in Velka Lomnica. BRATISLAVA - Slovakia is not paying and won't pay for rejected migrants redistributed from other countries, and the EU should support the country in the area of security and the protection of its external borders rather than demand payments for not taking in migrants, said Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok (Voice-SD) in response to Friday's report stating that Slovakia won't be exempt from the solidarity mechanism. As TASR learnt from Interior Ministry spokesman Matej Neumann, the ministry is actively addressing the issue of migration solidarity and defending Slovakia's interests. As a direct neighbour of war-torn Ukraine, Slovakia bears both costs and responsibilities associated with protecting migrants, with tens of thousands of people who fled the war living on its territory. "If the European Commission (EC) doesn't consider the scope of this aid to be sufficient for an exemption from further solidarity contributions, it should re-evaluate how it assesses solidarity. Under these circumstances, Slovakia expects support in strengthening its security, rather than pressure for further direct payments," stated Neumann. BRUSSELS - Education Minister Tomas Drucker (Voice-SD) on Friday stated that consultations with the European Commission's (EC) Director-General for Environment on amendments to Slovak legislation aimed at protecting the capercaillie species and endangered habitats in connection with the national Recovery Plan were constructive, with both sides agreeing on further technical steps, TASR learnt from its correspondent in Brussels on the same day. Drucker, who also holds the post of acting Deputy Prime Minister for the Recovery Plan and a Knowledge-based Economy, added that the Slovak delegation in Brussels was joined by Agriculture Minister Richard Takac (Smer-SD) and Environment Ministry State Secretary Filip Kuffa, who is currently tasked with leading the ministry. According to Drucker, this was the first meeting with the EC concerning the legal action which the EC has been pursuing against Slovakia since 2022. "It's in our interest to build on the successful Recovery Plan, under which we managed to introduce the zoning of national parks for the first time and resolve the disagreements between Slovakia and the European Commission," explained Drucker. He described the talks with the EC representatives as "very constructive" and added that they appreciated the "strong line-up" for consulting the possible steps aimed at addressing all outstanding disagreements, both for the sake of nature conservation and the reasonable use of natural resources. BRATISLAVA - Slovakia has once again failed to secure an exemption from the EU's migration solidarity mechanism, opposition Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) representatives stated on Friday, describing the result as further evidence of the weak position of Prime Minister Robert Fico's (Smer-SD) government within the EU. As TASR learnt from Mario Marcinek from KDH's communications department, the party also criticises Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok (Voice-SD) for claiming that Slovakia isn't going to pay for rejected migrants, rather than explaining the diplomatic failure. According to KDH MEP and member of the European Parliament's Bureau Miriam Lexmann, the government's incompetence is exposing Slovak people to financial consequences. "KDH has repeatedly called on the Slovak government to negotiate an exemption for Slovakia as well. The fact that the government has failed in this merely shows what position it holds in Brussels and how it is perceived. Except for Slovakia, all countries that applied for an exemption have received one," said Lexmann. BRUSSELS - The European Commission (EC) is expected to pay Slovakia the eighth and ninth payments under the Recovery and Resilience Plan by the end of November, but there are still some reservations, said Education Minister and acting Deputy Prime Minister for the Recovery Plan and a Knowledge-based Economy Tomas Drucker (Voice-SD) in Brussels on Friday, admitting that even if the payments are received, some money will probably be withheld, TASR has learnt from its correspondent in Brussels. Along with Agriculture Minister Richard Takac (Smer-SD) and Environment Ministry State Secretary Filip Kuffa, Drucker held talks in Brussels on amendments to Slovak legislation aimed at protecting the capercaillie species in connection with the national Recovery Plan. Later on, he also held talks on payments. According to him, an agreement has been reached with the EC that both payments should be disbursed by the end of November. "Of course, there are still some disagreements. We're aware that the EC has some questions, so even if the payments are made, some money may be withheld. We'll continue the discussions," added Drucker. BRATISLAVA - Opposition representatives held talks with experts on the issues of drought, the restoration of irrigation systems and water management, Christian Democrats (KDH) Vice-chair Marian Caucik told a press briefing in Parliament on Friday, adding that they do not agree with the government's actions in this area. Caucik referred to a planned major PPP project worth €500 million for irrigation involving a potential foreign investor. The opposition has also called on the government to say what exactly it will do in 2027, as the measures announced so far are merely plans that could remain on paper without getting anything done. "The government has announced a call for proposals worth €35 million, but when we discussed it with farmers from the participating associations, they said that they had no chance of accessing it because the criteria are set in such a way that only those who have dealt with hydrotechnical melioration systems in the past can go for it," said Caucik. According to him, the rental price that is set to rise from €3-5 to €42 per hectare is another problem, potentially putting many farmers out of business. jrg