News digest: Slovakia's political system ripe for change, says PM Fico

Iggy Pop to headline Pohoda 2025, what to see at this year's Photography Month, and how to make pastries from the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage.

By: sme.sk

Nov 11 2024
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News digest: Slovakia's politi

Good evening. Here is the Monday, November 11 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.

Changing Slovakia's political system?

Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer). (Source: SME - Marko Erd)

Speaking on the Sobotné Dialógy political show, Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer) claimed that the political system in Slovakia should be changed in order to limit the number of political parties in parliament.

"This political system with 100 parties is really ripe for a change," Fico declared, adding that the minimum threshold required for a party to enter the parliament should increase from the current five to seven percent or, alternately, an increase of the election deposit to half a million euros.

"I'm talking about the future now, I'm not discussing changes for this election cycle," he said, as quoted by the TASR newswire.

Currently, the Interior Ministry registers 272 movements and parties, out of which 57 are active, 110 are in liquidation and 105 no longer existing.

If the threshold to enter the parliament were to increase, following the recent polls (here and here), out of the current seven parties only three would have guaranteed seats - the coalition Smer, Hlas and opposition Progressive Slovakia. The opposition parties KDH and SaS generally hover above or below 7 percent, while the Slovensko (formerly OĽaNO) movement is at around 5 percent. The SNS coalition has been below 5 percent for quite some time. Out of non-parliamentary parties, only the extremist Republika would appear to have a chance as it too hovers around 7 percent in polls.

In response, President Peter Pellegrini would recommend the PM focusing his attention on problems faced by Slovakia, calling the latter's suggestion a red herring to divert attention from more urgent matters. Among other things, Slovakia is facing a mass resignation of doctors, something which the PM claims is not his concern.

The head of state voiced hope that this will not become the subject of political debates in the following weeks or months. Pellegrini is of the opinion that moving the threshold is not right, and any such changes should be the outcome of a consensus across the political spectrum. However, he does agree that there are too many parties, but prefers to see changes in the criteria a party must meet in order to remain registered instead.

Veronika Remišová, chair of the Za Ľudí party from the Slovensko movement, was much more critical. "[Robert Fico's] words about the need to intervene regarding the political system and increase the threshold for political parties are dangerous and destructive for the future of our country. Fico is openly stating that he wants to dismantle the political competition, restrict freedom and create conditions to enable autocrats like him to control Slovakia without allowing any criticism or political competition," she said.

Preserving baking traditions

Závodské osúšky are puff-pastry buns in the shape of stars with various sweet fillings. (Source: TASR)

The scent of freshly baked pastries – warm and flaky, filled with sweet jam, creamy cottage cheese, or a hint of cinnamon – instantly evokes the comforts of home.

Sisters Helena Matkovičová and Anna Eglová did not think that one day their pastries, known as Závodské osúšky, would be added to UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage. Puff-pastry buns in the shape of stars with various sweet fillings are a traditional treat at weddings in the village of Závod, in the Záhorie region of western Slovakia.

EVENT FOR THIS WEEK

A night in theatres

Illustrative image. (Source: TASR)

This Saturday, about 60 theatres, cultural centres and art schools will participate in the countrywide Noc Divadiel (Theatre Night) event, offering about 350 individual performances, guided tours, live recordings and more. The event is part of a European one-day event simultaneously held in several countries and dedicated to performance art. The theme of this year's edition is touch and emphasizing the importance of closeness and contact. Find out more about the programme, participating towns and tickets here.

IN OTHER NEWS

Investment Minister Richard Raši (Hlas) is his party's first choice for the post of Speaker of Parliament, according to Labour Minister Erik Tomáš (Hlas). Speaking on the O 5 minút 12 political show on Sunday, he added that Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok might be considered as well. However, PM Robert Fico (Smer) said on Saturday that the election of the new Speaker of Parliament is not a priority as the parliament is functional. The post has remained vacant since the 2024 presidential election in April, when former house chair, Peter Pellegrini, was elected the Slovak President. The opposition KDH lambasted the PM for this, urging both the PM and the governing coalition to start carrying out their constitutional duties. (TASR)
After 19 years, American singer Iggy Pop will return to Slovakia. Next year, he will be one of the headliners of the Pohoda music festival, which will take place on July 10-12 at Trenčín airport. He will join artists such as Fontaines D.C, JPEGMafia and Blondshell, which have already been announced. (SME)
An undisclosed restaurant in the north of Slovakia serves a meals made from the meat of shot bears, reported My Sme Les (We are the Forest) initiative. According to the findings of the initiative, bear goulash and bear spread are served in the restaurant, supposedly obtaining the meat thanks to contacts from the Tatra National Park (TANAP) administration, which objected to the claims. The Slovak Environmental Inspectorate has accepted a motion. The initiative has also filed a criminal complaint for bear shooting carried out under the supervision of the State Nature Conservancy. In recent months, incidents involving bears and humans have been reported and several dozen animals have already been shot. (SITA)

Loading of the dismantled former government special Tupolev TU-154M onto trucks that will transport the aircraft from Bratislava airport to an amusement park in Liptovský Mikuláš, northern Slovakia. (Source: TASR)

According to expert organisations, cameras in schools proposed by Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok in the wake of two waves of threatening e-mails will not stop them. Moreover, the measure, equipped with AI recognition, may be a breach of privacy and create a security gap in the system. The €63 million system, intended for 2,967 primary and secondary schools, is to monitor school campuses, while artificial intelligence will analyse the faces of pupils, students, teachers and others to identify suspicious individuals in real time. (SME)
Neither Interim Speaker of Parliament Peter Žiga (Hlas), nor Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, are concerned about the forthcoming amendment to the State Language Act in any way reducing the quality of life of the Hungarian national minority living in Slovakia. (TASR)
On Monday morning, Slovak native Marian Výborný was detained in Rome. He deliberately caused a head-on collision between two cars that led to the death of his ex-girlfriend in 2022, with property disputes as the alleged motive. The Slovak Supreme Court found Výborný guilty on November 6, 2024 and sentenced him to 25 years in prison. The search for him was announced day later, and the European Arrest Warrant was issued the following day. (TASR)

Hikers at the top of Malý Rozsutec peak in the Malá Fatra mountain range, northern Slovakia, on November 1. (Source: TASR)

WEATHER FOR TUESDAY: Cloudy to overcast skies, with light showers occasionally throughout the day. Daily temperatures between 0 °C to 7 °C. Level 1 ground ice warning issued for select south-central and south-eastern districts, while level 1 fog warning issued for the entire territory. (SHMÚ)

NOVEMBER 12 NAME DAY IN SLOVAKIA: Svätopluk

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