MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Saturday, January 25, 2025 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Friday, January 24): BRATISLAVA - Another massive cyber-attack is underway against Slovakia, targeting state-owned health insurer VsZP, Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) and Health Minister Kamil Sasko (Voice-SD) told a press briefing on Friday, adding that it was detected on Friday around noon and is still ongoing as well as that it is currently being successfully resisted. "The attack consisted in a huge number of attempts to obtain sensitive information from the VsZP information sources, which concerned all personal data and, most importantly, related to all diagnoses, including already prepared or already performed procedures that the patient had undergone," said the prime minister. If the attack is successful, he said, it will disable health-care provision in Slovakia. Sasko assured that for the time being there is no threat to the provision of any health care or services managed by the VsZP, also informing that both the VsZP and National Health Information Centre (NCZI) are currently in a crisis mode and constantly under control. "In the same way, I've issued instructions to all subordinate institutions and bodies of the Health Ministry, that is, especially to state hospitals," added Sasko. BRATISLAVA - The expulsion of foreign instructors, who are in Slovakia, is being prepared for the next few days, Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) said at a press conference on Friday. The premier described Friday's cyber-attack against state-owned health insurance company VsZP as part of a textbook model example of "how disobedient governments that have a different view on some things are wiped out". According to Fico, this model is being implemented in Slovakia by representatives of the opposition, foreign-funded NGOs, a large part of the Slovak anti-government media, and instructors from abroad who are in Slovakia. At the same time, he announced that the expulsion of these instructors is being prepared. Fico claims that the recent cyber-attack against the information system of the Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre Office was no accident either. The prime minister said this week that there is a group of experts in Slovakia that was involved in "the events in Georgia" as well as in the Ukrainian Maidan. The group, he said, is being closely monitored. After the meeting of the Slovak Security Council on Thursday (January 23), Fico drew attention to the existence of a structure that wants to abuse the rallies to escalate tensions. He spoke of fears of a possible attempt to organise a coup in Slovakia. BRATISLAVA - After a cyber-attack against the systems of state-owned health insurance company VsZP, the data of the insured are safe, there was no leak and the health-care provision is not at risk, TASR was told by the VsZP communications department on Friday. "The VsZP is aware of the importance of processing and storing data on the health status of insured persons, therefore it pays maximum attention to the protection of personal data and takes measures to strengthen cyber-security," said the health insurer. KIEV - Slovak Premier Robert Fico is trying to intimidate the public with claims that a group of experts involved in organising protests on Kiev's Maidan Square in late 2013 and early 2014 are now attempting a coup in Slovakia, said Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi at a press conference on Thursday, Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform reported on the same day. "We consider these statements to be an attempt to intimidate Slovak society and consolidate [the coalition's] own electorate - nothing more, nothing less. The same was done by the leadership in Georgia. It's a standard narrative," said the spokesman. Tykhyi added that Fico should instead reflect on his own actions, which, according to Kiev, are causing tensions in Slovak society. "It seems that the prime minister of Slovakia has pulled something out of the cupboard that went off a long time ago, and it's no longer nice to use it in public," commented Tykhyi on Fico's statements. BRATISLAVA - Protests are going to take place in several Slovak towns on Friday evening to stress that Slovakia belongs to the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, TASR was told by Katarina Cibikova from the 'Peace to Ukraine' initiative. According to her, protests on Friday are set to take place in Bratislava, Banska Bystrica, Nitra, Zilina as well as in some smaller towns, including Nove Zamky (Nitra region), Prievidza (Trencin region) and Humenne (Presov region). Rallies are also organised in some foreign capitals. "Our protests are always peaceful and so it will be this time too. We reject any violence or provocation and call on all participants not to react to any attempts by hecklers to provoke conflict. We're cooperating with both town and state police. Our volunteers are trained, a control room will be present on site and security monitoring will be supplemented by experts," said 'Peace to Ukraine'. BRATISLAVA - The opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS) party has launched a campaign called 'We won't allow it' about the need for Slovakia to remain in the European Union (EU), PS leader and MP Michal Simecka told a press conference on Friday, adding that his party is reacting to statements made by coalition representatives. The campaign includes a public appeal to the government not to change in any way the anchoring of Slovakia's foreign policy. PS also plans to place billboards around the country, especially in localities with strong coalition support. BRATISLAVA - The coalition Voice-SD party is holding a two-day party congress as of Friday in the village of Bystra (Banska Bystrica region), with party representatives set to announce the outcomes on Saturday (January 25). Voice-SD leader and Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok recently stated that the congress will be a great opportunity "to sit down calmly and openly clarify our opinions". This is seen as a response to four Voice-SD members, including Samuel Migal, who have expressed dissatisfaction with the direction in which the party is going and have requested a meeting with Sutaj Estok, who stated that the congress will allow all party members to voice their opinions. However, these MPs aren't participating in the congress, Migal posted on a social network. According to him, the party leadership agreed on this course of action at a meeting this week to avoid escalating intra-party tensions. The MPs want to allow the Voice-SD leadership to calm the situation. Migal added that they're still registering new pressures on their persons. POPRAD - A young student who threatened to kill a teacher in Hranovnica, near Poprad (Presov region) on Wednesday (January 22) during a lesson at the local school, was taken into custody on Friday, as reported by spokesman for the Presov Prosecutor-General's Office Michal Sovic. "The prosecutor from the District Prosecutor's Office in Poprad submitted a motion to the judge for the pre-trial procedure at the Poprad District Court to detain a 15-year-old student from the elementary school in Hranovnica for the criminal offence of dangerous threats made against a teacher at the same school," stated the spokesman. am