MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Friday, March 28, 2025 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Thursday, March 27): BRATISLAVA - European Commission (EC) experts have confirmed that the the measures that Slovakia has put in place to address foot-and-mouth disease have been correct, said Agriculture Minister Richard Takac (Smer-SD) following his meeting with EC experts on Thursday. "I can state that the experts have unambiguously confirmed that the steps taken by State Veterinary and Food Administration head Martin Chudy and his team are the right ones, and, in my opinion, often go beyond what EU legislation obliges us to do. I must say that no one can question the steps that have been taken, and this has been confirmed for us by the given experts," said Takac. The minister noted that the first case of foot-and-mouth disease occurred in Slovakia last Friday (March 21), and the disease has been confirmed at four farms so far. "No other outbreaks have been confirmed here, which is very important information, and no suspicions [of infection] have been reported, either," stressed Takac. He reiterated that small-scale farmers in the vicinity of the outbreaks of the disease who have had to cull their livestock due to the disease will be compensated in the upcoming days. Chudy pointed to the need to observe bio-security rules strictly in order to protect livestock. He stressed the importance of regular clinical checks and animal testing. Although the incubation period is supposed to be seven to 14 days, the occurrence of another case in Hungary after almost three weeks shows that the infection can occur even after a longer period of time, he added. BRATISLAVA - The opposition Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party has filed a criminal complaint over suspected animal disease transmission related to the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak, said MP Ondrej Dostal (SaS) at a press conference on Thursday. "Freedom and Solidarity is filing a criminal complaint over suspected animal and plant disease transmission. This is related to information about the transport of dead animals and negligence that may have occurred, as the container transporting them — as seen on social media — was left partially open," explained Dostal. The MP specified that according to the law, the handling and transport of infected animal remains must be conducted in a way that prevents the spread of the virus, which, in this case, didn't happen. On Wednesday, March 26, videos emerged showing a lorry transporting euthanised animals with the doors on the top of its container partly open. Agriculture Minister Richard Takac has responded to this by stating that the vehicle set off with a sealed container but that a technical failure probably occurred during the journey. BRATISLAVA - The opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS) party has called on Parliamentary Chair Richard Rasi (Voice-SD) to push for a freeze on MPs' salaries, as it views a halt to their growth as a basic gesture of solidarity, PS leader Michal Simecka and PS caucus head Martin Dubeci told a news conference on Thursday. "Some might call it cheap populism, but we must realise the situation that people in Slovakia face, not only now, not only this year, but also in the upcoming months and years. If we want people to tighten their belts, if we want them to realise why it's important to consolidate and reduce the deficit, then how can we afford not to make at least that basic gesture of solidarity?" asked Simecka. The party believes that public officials should be adequately remunerated, but Slovakia has found itself in an extraordinary financial situation, stated Simecka. Dubeci said that he thought there would be an agreement on this step, but he encountered resistance from the coalition parties. According to him, the newly elected House Chair Rasi should deal with a change in the rules of procedure as well. Simecka also returned to Wednesday's election of the House chair. He reiterated the opposition's stance that the election was not held by secret ballot and that a constitutional principle was thus violated. He claimed that a coalition MP was checking his colleagues' ballot papers. Simecka noted that the opposition hasn't signed the record from the election. Bratislava, March 27 (TASR) - President Peter Pellegrini met newly elected House Chair Richard Rasi (Voice-SD) at the Presidential Palace on Thursday to congratulate him on his successful election and to wish him a great deal of strength in managing and representing Parliament, TASR learnt from the President's Office press department on the same day. "The House chair and I agreed to engage in intense cooperation, also with the Prime Minister, in the format of the top constitutional officials. We're ready for quality cooperation between Parliament and the President's Office in the legislative process and to coordinate our stances on foreign policy. I'm pleased that the House chair wants to spend a lot of time in the Slovak regions because direct contact with the public is the most crucial part of every responsible politician's toolkit," declared the president. On Wednesday (March 26), Richard Rasi was elected as the new House chair by Parliament with the votes of all the 79 MPs who were present. mf