News digest: Members of NGO government council dismissed, no reason given

Good evening. Here is the Wednesday, April 17 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.

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Interior Minister dismisses NGO council members
Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok. (Source: TASR)

Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok (Hlas) dismissed five members of the Government Council for Non-Governmental Non-Profit Organizations as of April 10. According to Laural Dittel, who is among the five, the minister gave no reason for the move.

In addition to Dittel, who is the executive director of the Carpathian Foundation, Šutaj Eštok dismissed Peter Medveď from the environmental Ekopolis Foundation, Karolína Miková from the educational civic association PDSC, Juraj Rizman from Post Bellum which collects and archives the memories of people who survived undemocratic regimes, and Boris Strečňanský from the Centre for Philanthropy.

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Laura Dittel stressed that the membership is unpaid, and the post is honourable and professional. The minister is the chair of the board.

It is not known who will replace them.

Four of the five dismissed were appointed under the previous governments of Robert Fico (Smer) and Peter Pellegrini (Hlas). The remaining member was appointed by former interior minister Ivan Šimko who served during the technocratic government of Ľudovít Ódor.

Related: SNS lawmakers want to force NGOs to publish information about donations and donors if the amount they give exceeds that set by law, for example, €5,000 a year. Also, organisations that receive money from abroad in excess of €5,000 in one year should be labelled "organisations with foreign support".


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FEATURE STORY FOR WEDNESDAY

Seeing the High Tatras from Košice
The High Tatras on December 27. (Source: TASR)

The city of Košice is nowhere near the High Tatras; in a direct line, the distance is approximately 100 kilometres. Yet there are several places around the eastern Slovak city where you can get a glimpse of the mountain range, with some giving the impression that Košice lies at the foothills of the Tatras.

If you cannot get enough of the views of the Tatras, this list shows you the right places to visit around the Košice area.

EVENT FOR THE WEEKEND

Dobrý Trh is back
The Dobrý Trh market. (Source: OZ Punkt)

This Saturday sees the April edition of the popular Dobrý Trh (Good Market) event where traders, neighbours, non-profit organizations, artists and many others meet. The theme of the market this time is 'switch to a bicycle'. At several points, visitors will be able to get help with repairs and modifications to their bicycles, among other things. The event will take place on Panenská, Konventná and Lýcejná Streets between 10:00 and 17:00, even in the event of unfavourable weather.

IN OTHER NEWS


Following the liquidation of the Special Prosecutor's Office, the Ján Kuciak murder case will be given to a new prosecutor. Prosecutors Matúš Harkabus and Daniel Mikuláš who supervised the case stepped down when, following the closure of the office, they were transferred to the international and non-criminal department of the Prosecutor General's Office. The new prosecutor will have to get acquainted with thousands of pages related to the case. (Denník N)
According to the Slovak Justice Ministry, although Slovakia is in favour of adopting the EU directive on combating corruption, which includes stiffer penalties, especially for high-ranking officials, it has several reservations. One concerns the provision that courts should stop people convicted from holding public office. The anti-corruption foundation Zastavme Korupciu pointed out that several people who ran on the party's slate are being investigated for corruption, including Deputy Speaker of Parliament Peter Žiga, and Smer MP Tibor Gašpar. (Zastavme Korupciu)
Slovak diplomat Miroslav Lajčák, currently the Special Envoy for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, is expected to become EU Ambassador to Switzerland as part of a major global rotation of EU diplomatic positions. He was nominated by Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union. (EEAS)
According to Investment Minister Richard Raši (Hlas), the party won't trade the post of Speaker of Parliament for another position, adding that the coalition agreement is valid on the basis of the results of the 2023 parliamentary election.Raši is expected to become the new Speaker after Hlas chair Peter Pellegrini was elected president. Raši said that his election to the post will take place after the June European Parliament elections and the inauguration of the president. (TASR)

Outgoing president Zuzana Čaputová is visiting regions of Slovakia as well as other countries to say goodbye. Pictured here at the National Stud in Topoľčianky, Nitra Region. (Source: TASR)

WEATHER FOR THURSDAY: Cloud cover will change throughout the day, with showers, especially in the north, and snow expected above 1,100 metres. Daily temperatures between 9 °C and 14 °C. A level 1 ground frost warning applies for the entire country throughout the night. (SHMÚ)

APRIL 18 NAME DAY IN SLOVAKIA: Valér

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