MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Thursday, October 3, 2024 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Wednesday, October 2): BRATISLAVA - Chairs of coalition parties Smer-SD, Voice-SD and SNS agreed at a session of the coalition council on Wednesday to guarantee the governing majority and capability to pass in Parliament all the important decisions, including the Consolidation Act and the Tax on Financial Transactions Act, TASR learnt from the Government Office's press department on the same day. The coalition leaders also discussed the issue of upcoming no-confidence motions in government members - Health Minister Zuzana Dolinkova (Voice-SD), Culture Minister Martina Simkovicova (SNS nominee) and Justice Minister Boris Susko (Smer-SD). "No reasons exist for the ouster of these ministers and in this spirit the coalition will approach the votes in Parliament too," reads the statement about the opposition-initiated motions. BRATISLAVA - MP and head of non-parliamentary National Coalition Rudolf Huliak (SNS caucus) fails to understand why SNS leader Andrej Danko didn't take him to a session of the coalition council and added that Danko has no power to make decisions on behalf of National Coalition members. Because of this, Huliak will demand a meeting with Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) directly. "It was always up to the chair of a parliamentary caucus who he's going to take with him. Unfortunately, Andrej Danko didn't take me. I don't understand that because following Tuesday's (October 1) press conference, Danko has no power to make decisions on behalf of the National Coalition members," Huliak told journalists. BRATISLAVA - I've already submitted my report on the COVID-19 pandemic management to the government and I recommend stopping of inoculation with mRNA vaccines until it's proven that they're safe as well as rejection of the updated WHO health regulations and pandemic agreement, Gov't Proxy for Investigation into COVID-19 Pandemic Management Peter Kotlar declared at a press conference on Wednesday. Kotlar reiterated that the pandemic was "an act of bioterrorism" and a "fabricated operation codenamed COVID-19 pandemic". According to the Government Proxy, the aim of the operation was to "jeopardise human health" and "test the naivete of the global population to follow orders subliminally". BRATISLAVA - Head of 'Slovakia' party caucus Michal Sipos was expelled out of the parliamentary chamber on Wednesday by security as the first lawmaker ever in history, at the behest of House Vice-chair Tibor Gaspar (Smer-SD), after Sipos refused to put a blazer over his T-shirt. In Gaspar's view, Sipos violated the Rules of Procedure, as Gaspar perceived his T-shirt as a banned visual display. Sipos had: "They Increased Salaries For Themselves, Taxes for People" written on the front of his T-shirt. Gaspar claimed that Sipos could have remedied his inappropriate apparel by putting on his blazer over it, but he refused to do so. A parliamentary gremium held a session after the expulsion of the lawmaker. BRATISLAVA/BEIRUT - The Defence Ministry should deal with the evacuation of Slovaks from Lebanon in light of the security situation in the Middle East region, which is increasingly unpredictable, according to a proposal approved by the government at its session on Wednesday. At the same time, the government okayed sending up to 30 soldiers to Lebanon to help with the evacuation. "Clashes between the Israeli army and the Hezbollah movement and Israel's plans, which include a limited operation in Lebanon, pose an increased risk to the the security of Slovak citizens living in Lebanon," said the ministry, which plans to deploy one C27J Spartan transport aircraft with capacity to carry 45 people. BRATISLAVA - A bomb alert was aimed at the residence of opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS) party leader and MP Michal Simecka on Tuesday (October 1) evening, reads a statement that Simecka has provided to TASR, calling this an example of the radicalisation and hatemongering of society, for which the governing coalition is to blame. "Stop spreading hate and start engaging in normal politics. You have all the power in this country, so deliver some results to people at last, instead of chaos, excuses and attacks on everyone else," said Simecka, addressing coalition representatives. ko