MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Monday, December 23, 2024 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Sunday, December 22): MOSCOW - Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) arrived on Sunday for a working visit to Moscow, where he is currently holding talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russian news agency TASS reported on Sunday, citing Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. According to Peskov, the visit was planned several days in advance. The Kremlin spokesman added that Fico and Putin should discuss the international agenda as well as the transit of Russian gas, noting, however, that the details won't be known until after their talks, adds Russia's RIA Novosti news agency. BRATISLAVA - If a parliamentary election had been held in mid-December, it would have been won by the opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS) on 22.8 percent of votes, followed by the governing Smer-SD (20.3 percent) and Voice-SD (13.9 percent) parties, according to a recent poll carried out by AKO agency on behalf of Joj 24 television channel. Ending up fourth would have been the opposition Christian Democrats (KDH - 7.3 percent), followed by Freedom and Solidarity (SaS - 6.6 percent), the coalition of the 'Slovakia' party, Christian Union (KU) and 'For the People' (6.2 percent), and extra-parliamentary Republic (5.4 percent). BRATISLAVA - Slovakia's long-term problem, which hinders its development more than the lack of resources, is the discontinuity in the implementation of long-term strategic plans, President Peter Pellegrini stated in an interview on TASR TV. Each government, the head of state said, tends to scrap the projects of the previous one. "We haven't been able to agree in key areas on a programme that goes beyond one-two-three electoral terms and where governments respect the priorities of this programme regardless of their political spectrum," pointed out Pellegrini. According to the president, if each minister cancels the projects of their predecessor and starts implementing their own idea during the term of office, the result is that nothing will be completed. "We're running the country from election to election and that is why other countries that can take ambitious decisions are ahead of us," he stated. VYSOKE TATRY - Scouts haven't been able to carry the Light of Bethlehem to Lomnicky Peak (2,634 m) in the High Tatra mountains due to strong winds, Veronika Hamrakova, the coordinator of the Light of Bethlehem for the Tatra mountains area, told TASR on Sunday, adding that the candle from Bethlehem was delivered to lower-positioned Hrebienok (1,285 m). The cable car they use to get to Lomnicky Peak was out of operation on Sunday due to bad weather. According to Hamrakova, they will try it once again on Monday (December 23). "We want to carry the flame as high as possible. We hope to succeed, but if that doesn't work, we'll at least hand over the light to the cable car workers," she added. ko