MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Saturday, January 4, 2025 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Friday, January 3): BRATISLAVA - The entire governing coalition has a problem with the quality of the legislative process, as recent months have seen a number of bills being passed in a fast-tracked legislative procedure, with amendments to bills unrelated to the original legislation also being an issue, TASR has learnt in an interview with President Peter Pellegrini, who stated that he wants to consider the laws more strictly. Pellegrini claimed that his team strictly examines whether or not the approved legislation violates the protection of human rights or the Slovak Constitution. He doesn't view it appropriate for the president to interfere in the powers of the government and go deep into the content of the amendment itself just because he doesn't like it. BRATISLAVA - No major reconstruction of the government will take place in 2025, TASR has learnt in an interview with House Vice-chair Peter Ziga (Voice-SD), who's been tasked with heading Parliament on a temporary basis, adding that he doesn't consider an early general election to be realistic either, as it would require the votes of 90 MPs. "I can't see any major reconstruction of the government on the political spectrum or in the political context of the year. I'm not saying that some ministers can't be replaced if they want to leave or are dismissed by the premier or by the party that nominated them, but I can't see a fundamental reconstruction of the government," stated Ziga. BRATISLAVA - The changes in e-prescribing represent a step backwards, significantly disrupting the functioning of doctors' surgeries, stated opposition Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) member and MP Tomas Szalay and SaS leader Branislav Groehling at a press conference on Friday. "Why can't we [members of Parliament] meet in mid-January and correct this foolish mistake by the government via a fast-tracked legislative procedure?" asked Szalay, a member of the House health affairs committee. Szalay proposed that medicines that aren't covered by public health insurance should be temporarily reimbursed at a rate of one cent per medicine. "As soon as that drug is at least covered to the tune of one cent by public health insurance, it will have to go through ePrescription, and we'll have resolved the problem at least for the contracted doctors who prescribe such medicines," he explained. HNUSTA - Self-governing Regions Association (SK8) head Jozef Viskupic and Banska Bystrica governor Ondrej Lunter held a news conference in the town of Hnusta (Banska Bystrica region) on Friday to point to the alarming condition of bridges on second- and third class roads across Slovakia. According to them, more than 2,000 bridges administered by self-governing regions are in an alarming technical condition. Therefore, regional authorities are asking the government to act quickly and seek a way to restore transport infrastructure that is used by hundreds of thousands of people on a daily basis. The state entrusted the administration of bridges on second- and third-class roads to self-governing regions almost 20 years ago. However, the regional authorities point out that it created no financial mechanism for them to maintain and restore transport infrastructure. At the moment, some 600 bridges have been included in the sixth (worst) category, while an additional 1,400 are fifth (critical) category. The regional authorities stressed that they have no money to reconstruct them as a result of cuts in regional administration budgets and inflation in previous years. BRATISLAVA - The Environment Ministry is still working on a draft amendment to the law on returning disposable beverage packaging, TASR has learnt in an interview with Environment Minister Tomas Taraba (a Slovak National Party/SNS nominee), who claimed the state doesn't have an overview of what is happening in the system for returning PET bottles and cans. Taraba stated the draft amendment should be ready this year. The ministry wants one representative in the management of the system, emphasising that it has no interest in breaking up the system. The Environment Ministry has held multiple meetings with the system's management. "We are discussing the amendment to the law. The aim of these negotiations is to take the positive development of the system into consideration while ensuring fair conditions for all entities operating in this market," said Taraba. BRATISLAVA - Some 4,000 people took part in a protest rally in front of the Government Office in Bratislava on Friday evening, organised by the 'Peace to Ukraine' NGO. They protested against Premier Robert Fico's (Smer-SD) actions related to his trip to Moscow and meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the NGO's Zuzana Izsakova has informed TASR. "Slovakia is a sovereign democratic country. We're members of international economic and military groupings of the EU and NATO. The alliance with the strongest ones forms a safe protective shield for Slovakia, which Robert Fico weakens and destroys. He is dragging us into an imperial Russia, which is waging both hybrid and total war while disrespecting international law and agreements. We reject this path to the sphere of Russian influence," stated Peace to Ukraine in its manifest. The NGO promised to organise further protests in other towns and cities of Slovakia. ko