MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Thursday, April 17, 2025 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Wednesday, April 16): BRATISLAVA - President Peter Pellegrini hasn't signed an amendment to the law on prosecutors, returning it to Parliament with comments for reworking, the President Office's communications department told TASR on Wednesday. The president proposes scrapping the idea of a special after-service pension for the prosecutor-general (PG). Instead, he could be granted a pension after he serves in the post for his whole term in office, suggests Pellegrini. "If MPs think that the PG should get a life annuity, okay, but then he should receive it after serving a full seven-year term in the post, and not if he quits it halfway through," stated Pellegrini. The Presidential Palace has also published the information on its website. BRATISLAVA - No freeze will apply to MPs' salaries, as Parliament has rejected an amendment to the law on the rules of procedure submitted by the opposition 'Slovakia' party. The party proposed that the salaries of MPs, their assistants and their expenses for running an MP's office should be frozen at the level set in 2024. It proposed putting a freeze on the president's salary as well. "We view any increase in the salaries of MPs or the president as immoral in the current economic situation in Slovakia. "It is immoral that MPs and the president should have higher salaries when they have scrapped several social measures for ordinary people and burdened them with higher taxes," 'Slovakia' MPs wrote in an explanatory report. BRATISLAVA - MPs on Wednesday approved an amendment to the law on non-profit organisations sponsored by the Slovak National Party (SNS). The amendment introduces several changes. For example, NGOs are to be obliged to draw up a transparency report and to make information on the management of public funds available. According to the amendment, non-profit organisations, foundations and associations with an annual income of over €35,000 will be required to submit a transparency report. The report should include information about individuals who have donated more than €5,000 to the organisation during the year. BRATISLAVA - The police on Wednesday detained Daniel B. (name abbreviated due to legal reasons), who faces charges for committing several extremism-related crimes, Bratislava regional police spokesman Michal Szeiff has confirmed for TASR. Noviny.sk website was first to break the news. "We can provide no more information with regards to the steps that are being currently taken," said Szeiff. Three international arrest warrants were issued against Daniel B. on suspicion of committing several extremism-related crimes. He was escorted from the United Kingdom to Slovakia in late January under tight security measures. A prosecutor proposed so-called escape and preventive custody for him, as there were concerns he might abscond or continue his criminal activities. ZAGREB/BRATISLAVA - Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico in Zagreb on Wednesday called on Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic to support the renewal of natural gas transit through Ukraine, TASR's special correspondent reported on the same day. Fico thanked his Croatian counterpart for the possibility of receiving liquefied natural gas (LNG) via terminals on the Croatian island of Krk, but according to the Slovak prime minister, this is currently a more expensive option for Slovakia. Fico again emphasised that Slovakia has no problem covering domestic consumption, but it's losing revenues from transit fees through Slovak territory. "Renewing the flow of gas through Ukraine should be in the interests of the entire European Union, and Slovakia as well, of course," he said. PARTIZANSKE - Honeywell Safety Products Slovakia will permanently cease production in Partizanske (Trencin region) this autumn and gradually lay off its remaining employees, following the US company's decision in 2022 to relocate production due to high labour costs, a move that was communicated to the local authorities at the time, Partizanske mayor Jozef Bozik told TASR on Wednesday. "The Honeywell factory issued a statement back in 2022 that it would be winding down operations in Slovakia, relocating outside the country and Europe, and gradually laying off employees," said Bozik. Bozik went on to explain that the company decided to leave Slovakia due to high labour costs. "They considered the costs to be too high back in 2022 and chose to relocate operations to a country where the total cost per employee, including levies, is only 400 dollars [per month]," he said. The company in Partizanske specialises in the production of protective footwear and safety equipment and is part of US conglomerate Honeywell International. ko