News digest: Interior minister appears to be untouchable, his smear campaign goes unpunished

Good evening. Here is the Tuesday, November 12 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.

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State bodies see no problem in minister’s attack videos
Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok's video titled "The candidate of war and Matovič's Minister Korčok joins Progressive Slovakia". The minister posted it to social media on November 11, 2024. (Source: YouTube)

Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok appears to be a figure some public institutions are wary of confronting.

Several institutions have declined to address a complaint lodged by an NGO against Šutaj Eštok, now leading the coalition party Hlas. The complaint focuses on disparaging videos he posted during this year’s presidential campaign to bolster former Hlas leader Peter Pellegrini and target his opponent, former diplomat Ivan Korčok.

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While Slovak electoral law prohibits third-party campaigning for or against presidential candidates, Šutaj Eštok posted paid social media videos earlier this year portraying Korčok as the “candidate of war”, claiming he would harm Slovakia’s reputation abroad. Korčok ultimately lost to Pellegrini, who assumed office in June, and has now joined the largest opposition party, Progressive Slovakia.

The State Electoral Commission, tasked with ensuring electoral fairness, recently dismissed the complaint from the Let’s Stop Corruption Foundation, stating it could not overstep its remit into other institutions’ jurisdictions. The commission is chaired by Hlas nominee Eduard Burda, a vocal advocate for dismantling the Special Prosecutor’s Office, Slovakia’s anti-corruption body abolished in March 2024.

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In April, the Let’s Stop Corruption Foundation first appealed to a district office under the Interior Ministry. After months of delay, the office dismissed the complaint, claiming that Šutaj Eštok’s Facebook posts—where he has over 100,000 followers—did not constitute voter influence and broke no laws, sparing him a fine of up to €30,000. The NGO called the decision “absurd”.

“Rules don’t apply equally to everyone in Slovakia,” the organisation said on November 11. “It seems that with the right people in place, even election misconduct is permissible.”

The NGO has also taken its complaint to the General Prosecutor’s Office in a final attempt to pursue the matter.

MORE STORIES FROM THE SLOVAK SPECTATOR WEBSITE

Police: A man who was arrested has died in eastern Slovakia after being reportedly beaten brutally by an on-duty police officer. This incident marks the latest case of police brutality in the country.

Education: The state will take over the funding of kindergartens in Slovakia, but some parents will still pay more for the service.

Automotive: Prime Minister Robert Fico’s refusal to accept the EU’s higher tariffs on Chinese e-car imports might help Slovakia secure a new car model for one of its car plants.

Opinion: As global uncertainties rise and Americans reconsider their future, a remarkable trend has emerged: many with European ancestry are seeking dual citizenship as a ‘Plan B’, writes Global Slovakia founder Zuzana Palovic.

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FEATURE STORY

Expert on unlocking the mystery of the early universe
Nuclear physicist Jürgen Schukraft. (Source: ESET Science Award: Linda Kisková Bohušová )

In an interview with The Slovak Spectator, German nuclear physicist Jürgen Schukraft talks about his work: exploring the forces and particles that make up nature. He also explains why people should be curious.

EVENT

Slovak Queer Film Festival
The official festival poster was created by Slovak artist Andrej Dúbravský. (Source: The Slovak Queer Film Festival)

The international LGBT+ film festival, which will kick off next Wednesday, is set to showcase over 40 feature films and more than 30 short films. The festival will feature works from over 25 countries, highlighting a diverse range of stories and voices within the LGBT+ community. Check out the programme and don’t forget to buy your cinema pass for €20.

IN OTHER NEWS

The gates of the ski resorts in the High and Low Tatras will open soon. The Jasná resort, the largest ski resort in central Europe, will open at the end of November. (SITA)

Police officer Branislav Tlučák, who is the brother-in-law of the head of the police inspectorate, Branislav Zurian, faced a criminal complaint for obstruction of justice. However, the police inspectorate, which investigates police misconduct, dropped the case shortly after Zurian took office in November 2023. Shortly after the inspectorate’s decision not to prosecute him, Tlučák was promoted to deputy head of the criminal police department at the district police headquarters in Banská Bystrica, without a selection procedure. The Interior Ministry, under which the police inspectorate falls, considers the allegations presented by the Let’s Stop Corruption Foundation to be absurd.

Russian President Vladimir Putin awarded the former Slovak prime minister (1991-1992) and dissident Ján Čarnogurský the Russian honour “Order of Honour”. This award is granted for strengthening friendship and cooperation between nations. Čarnogurský is known as a prominent spreader of Kremlin propaganda. (TASR)

Rádio Devín, one of Slovakia’s public radio stations, has unveiled its opera programme for the 2024-25 season. It will feature live broadcasts and exclusive recordings from the world’s most renowned opera houses. The new season will kick off on Saturday, November 16, with “Animal Farm” by Alexander Raskatov, based on George Orwell’s novel, from the Vienna State Opera. Rádio Devín will also cover the festive opening of the season at Milan’s La Scala on December 7, 2024, with Verdi’s “La forza del destino”. Fans of the Metropolitan Opera in New York will be delighted by live broadcasts of productions like “Aida”, “Fidelio”, “The Magic Flute”, and more. (STVR)

A fraudster swindled an elderly woman from Bratislava out of more than €400,000, which she sent to an alleged “oil rig boss” after prolonged communication, the police said.

Civil society will commemorate the events of November 17, 1939 and 1989, in 21 cities. This marks a remembrance of the non-violent resistance against fascism (1939) and communism (1989). Also, the opposition will mark the 35th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution with a rally on November 17 at 17:30 at SNP Square in Bratislava.

Wages increased year-on-year in September, but in half of the sectors monitored, the growth rate was slower than in the summer months. When adjusted for inflation, wages rose in 9 out of 10 sectors, with the highest increase in the sale and repair of motor vehicles. The only sector to see a decline was construction. (Source: ŠÚ SR)

The doctors’ union representatives failed to reach an agreement with the health minister on Tuesday, and talks will resume on Thursday. More than 3,000 doctors have submitted their resignations and are currently within their notice period. The doctors are demanding higher salaries as well as systemic changes in health care. The public is almost evenly divided on the issue of doctors’ resignations, according to a survey conducted by Ipsos for Denník N.

Pro-Russian MEP Ľuboš Blaha (Smer) has filed a criminal complaint with the police in Bratislava. He claims that during his recent visit to Moscow, Russian officials warned him that he was in danger. The Slovak Interior Ministry had already assigned him a security detail. In May of this year, Blaha wrote on Telegram about an incident in which an unknown man allegedly shouted at him while he was walking with his children in Bratislava, which frightened them. Blaha has made several hateful statements in the past. For example, he referred to former president Zuzana Čaputová as an American agent. (Aktuality)

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WEATHER FOR WEDNESDAY: The sky will be mostly cloudy with occasional light snowfall or drizzle, and there is a possibility of icy patches. Fog will be likely in some areas. Daytime temperatures will range from -1°C to 5°C, and a weather warning for fog and icy conditions is in place across Slovakia for the early hours. (SHMÚ)

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NOVEMBER 13 NAME DAY IN SLOVAKIA: Stanislav.

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