Alright, Slovakia watchers! Welcome to Thursday’s edition of Today in Slovakia — where MPs debated gambling, and two very different public figures set the internet ablaze.

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But first — quiz time: Which world-famous corgi lover once dropped the puck at an ice-hockey game during a visit to Slovakia on this day in 2008? Don’t worry — the answer’s further down in the digest.

NO SLEEPY BREAKFASTS: TV Markíza’s Teleráno got unexpectedly political on Thursday morning. Actress Zuzana Mauréry stunned hosts and viewers with a blistering on-air comment about intolerance in Slovakia.

Promoting her new film NEPELA — out October 30, about the iconic figure skater Ondrej Nepela — Mauréry wrapped up the interview with an unscripted reality check: “It’s about unfreedom… when people are shot for being different, when the government hates difference because it doesn’t understand it, that’s very sad,” she said, referring to the 2022 murders of two queer people and the recent constitutional change defining “two sexes”. 

Mauréry called the move hlúposť”— stupidity — and said Slovakia was heading “back to the Stone Age”, warning that many young people will leave if the country keeps this course.

Icon, isn’t she?

AND THEN THERE’S THIS GUY: While Mauréry was making headlines for moral courage, Smer MP Richard Glück was making them for… something else.

On Wednesday night, Glück went viral after a TV interview where he unveiled his idea to punish petty theft. His plan? Make offenders do community service in their hometowns — wearing jackets that read “Kradol som” (“I stole”). 

“If they walk around in hoodies saying ‘I stole’, they’ll think twice next time,” Glück said, arguing public humiliation works better on Slovaks than fines.

The internet somewhat agreed — but not in the way he hoped. Commenters suggested all Smer party members should wear such jackets, noting that several figures linked to PM Robert Fico’s party have been charged or even convicted of corruption.

Glück, a self-declared Andrew Tate fan and infamous brawler, might want to start with a hoodie of his own: “I have only ‘great’ ideas.”

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Casino coalition: “king of gambling” cashes in

Post-game spin. The Christian Democrats (KDH) summed it up bluntly: “Gambling won, people lost.” The SNS, meanwhile, posted: “SNS did not support the gambling law.” (source: KDH/SNS)

Late-night showdown. Shortly before 21:00, parliament approved the controversial gambling amendment put forward by Tourism and Sports Minister Rudolf Huliak, after a chaotic day of coalition tension and procedural drama. Seventy-one MPs — all from Smer, Hlas, and a group of government-aligned deputies from Huliak’s non-parliamentary Countryside (Vidiek) party — voted in favour. Seven coalition MPs from the SNS abstained; Huliak, who left the SNS and remains on poor terms with the party, received no support from his former colleagues.

Opposition out. After 20:00, opposition MPs announced they would not take part in the vote and left the chamber. The move was largely symbolic: the coalition still had enough votes to pass the bill on its own, though at least 76 MPs had to register for the vote to be valid.

What was on the line. Huliak’s amendment would allow the state-owned lottery company Tipos, which falls under his ministry, to take over expiring casino licences and automatically extend them by six years — even in towns that have banned gambling.

You couldn’t make it up. According to the explanatory memorandum, the amendment to the Gambling Act is “not expected to have any impact on marriage, parenthood or the family, nor any wider social effects”.

Name-calling hour. The opposition blasted the move as “blood money” and nicknamed Rudolf Huliak the “King of Gambling”. They even suggested he rename the Ministry of Tourism and Sport to the “Ministry of Gambling”.

Coalition pushback. Coalition MP Zdenka Mačicová from Hlas proposed a softer version, requiring municipal consent and a €500,000 annual contribution from Tipos towards addiction prevention. Huliak rejected the compromise, insisting on his original text. However, with coalition amendments approved in the evening, Tipos will indeed gain the power to take over expiring casino licences — but allegedly only with the consent of the relevant municipality. How towns will use their new power remains to be seen — the bill is anything but clear.

Earlier drama. Coalition MP Peter Kotlár of the SNS — yes, Robert Fico’s envoy for investigating the coronavirus pandemic — tried, unsuccessfully, to withdraw the bill earlier in the day, warning that “no voter of any party” supported it. His move was backed by the opposition. Huliak hit back, calling Kotlár a “poor man” — or, as he put it in Slovak, a chudák. At the end of the day, Kotlár backed the softer version of the bill.

Local resistance. The Association of Towns and Villages and the Union of Slovak Cities both opposed the Huliak proposal, arguing it undermined local self-government and could override 215 municipal bans, including Bratislava’s.

The numbers. Huliak’s three MPs (Roman Malatinec, Ivan Ševčík, Ján Ľupták) were crucial to Fico’s majority of 78–79 seats; losing them would cut the coalition to 75–76.

SNS points fingers at the opposition. Environment Minister Tomáš Taraba, nominated by the SNS, and party chair Andrej Danko have begun blaming the opposition for helping pass the amendment to the Gambling Act — arguing that by walking out, opposition MPs helped approve the bill.

But here’s the catch. It is the SNS, one of the coalition parties, that could have stopped it. For parliament to be quorate, 76 MPs must register before a vote. Seventy-eight coalition MPs did — including those from the SNS. Had the SNS deputies not registered, the coalition would have fallen short, with only 71 MPs and no valid quorum. So when Danko insists that “SNS did not support gambling,” it’s, at best, misleading. As the numbers stand, at least 64 opposition MPs would have had to register to prevent the amendment from passing — a tall order given that the opposition’s 71 MPs come from four different parties with limited coordination. It would have been far easier for the SNS, part of the ruling coalition, to sink the bill simply by not registering for the vote.

Timing, timing. The law takes effect on Monday, 27 October 2025 — a date the opposition said was no coincidence, since Bratislava-Petržalka’s last casino licence expires this month. They accused Minister Huliak of rushing the change through in fast-track procedure to protect that licence. The coalition backed the bill, reportedly in return for support from Huliak’s three MPs on the government’s now-approved budget and consolidation package.

WHAT THE SLOVAK SPECTATOR HAD ON THURSDAY: 

Gaming the system: Far-right politicians target teens online  

MEPs Milan Uhrík (left) and Milan Mazurek (right), as featured on the “Gaming Against the System” profile on the streaming platform Kick. (source: Kick)

Politics goes gaming. MEPs Milan Mazurek and Milan Uhrík from the far-right Republika party have launched a streaming channel called “Gaming proti systému” (Gaming Against the System). Their aim, Mazurek says, is to “reach as many young people as possible so we can beat the progressives politically”. 

What’s on screen. The streams, broadcast on the Kick platform, show the two politicians playing shooters such as World of Tanks and Counter-Strike. Mazurek mixes gameplay with political talk, at times using racist, homophobic and sexist language. In one clip, firing a virtual sub-machine gun, he remarks: “Someone said – and it wasn’t me – that if we had this on the border, there’d be no problem with illegal migration.”

The audience. According to Denník N, viewers include boys as young as 14. When one asked to join the Young Republikans, Mazurek told him he must wait until he turns fifteen. The party later edits parts of the streams into short clips for TikTok and other platforms, which gain tens of thousands of views.

Their message. Mazurek tells followers he wants to “save young people from progressive mental disease”. He mocks a new Call of Duty release as “woke rubbish” and claims its studio is full of “very strong woke lesbian staff”. In another stream he jokes about women in combat roles and refers to a colleague as “a gay racist”.

Uhrík’s turn. In his own video, Uhrík compares transgender people to dogs, asking whether those who “identify as dogs” should have the right to vote. He also defended Marián Magát, convicted of extremist crimes, saying “you don’t go to prison for opinions”.

Why it matters. Experts interviewed by Denník N warn that Republika’s gaming outreach is targeting minors and copying online tactics from the West. Security specialist Tomáš Kriššák called the practice unethical, while gaming podcaster Jozef Vančo noted that the politicians “can’t actually play games” and use them merely as a tool.

The platform. Kick, where Republika streams, has weaker moderation and is known for hosting controversial creators. Marek Madro from IPčko told Denník N the site allows “shocking, violent, sexual and extremist content”.

The wider backdrop. Denník N cites an EU report and recent warnings from British counter-terrorism police, MI5 and the National Crime Agency that extremist groups are using gaming platforms to radicalise teenagers.

Bin it: Danes dump Slovak assets

Illustrative image (source: Marius Pedersen)

No walk-out, just a handover. Danish waste group Marius Pedersen is selling its Slovak and Czech operations; KPMG is running the process and aims to close in Q2 2026. The company stresses this is a change of ownership, not a withdrawal from activity in the two markets.

Slovakia first. The Slovak subsidiary reported €73 million revenue and €7 million profit last year, making the group a top-tier player locally; across CZ/SK, it employs about 4,300 people. 

Price talk. Reporting in Prague pegs the expected enterprise value at “more than CZK 20 billion” (about €800 million), with some estimates ranging between CZK 16 and 25 billion (€640 million to €1 billion) based on EBITDA multiples cited by industry sources.

Market standing. On the combined CZ/SK market, Marius Pedersen is the No. 2 waste operator after AVE.

What’s changing. The sale lands as the region’s waste business tilts toward less landfilling and more recycling, requiring heavier investment — one reason the deal is attracting attention. 

The Danish line. Ownership wants to refocus on Denmark under a “Green Future” strategy and target carbon neutrality by 2035; the firm told Forbes Česko that conditions in CZ/SK don’t align with that path. 

Timeline. Indicative bids are due by Christmas, with completion targeted for mid-2026.

THURSDAY FEED: What nonprofits shared

• Transparency International Slovakia is on a data high — it’s launched a new portal tracking prime ministerial reserve grants, revealing that most of the money over 13 years and six governments went to sports projects and politically friendly mayors rather than genuine emergencies. The map joins 11 other Transparency data platforms, covering everything from party donors to public contracts and EU funds.  

• Via Iuris says Labour Minister Erik Tomáš plans to “fix” Slovakia’s new Russian-style NGO law — by making it even more discriminatory (Since June, civic groups have been lumped under Slovakia’s freedom of information law — forced to respond to requests like government ministries — and while the Labour Ministry now wants to scrap the rule, it plans to spare only social service providers, leaving the rest of the NGO sector tangled in pointless red tape.) Their latest newsletter also dives into Robert Fico’s inner Carl Schmitt and how the Judicial Council is grappling with social media. 

• Zastavme korupciu flags a €146 million revamp of the Slovensko.sk e-government portal — now set to go to a Czech firm once banned from state tenders and linked to GlobalTel, a company tied to oligarchs Ján Počiatek (former finance minister) and Jozef Brhel. What was meant to cost €27 million could now balloon fivefold — and Brussels might just send the bill back to Bratislava, according to the anti-corruption watchdog.  

• A public discussion on Skalica’s waste future drew sharp debate over a proposed incinerator, with Friends of the Earth Slovakia arguing for a cleaner path: mechanical-biological treatment and a Zero Waste approach focused on prevention, reuse and recycling.  

• After a fire on Bratislavská Street in Žilina left 19 people — including children — without homes, People in Need Slovakia (Človek v ohrození) said it’s helping affected families with food, hygiene supplies and long-term support in coordination with the city. The NGO warned that repeated fires in the area reflect deeper issues of generational poverty and unsafe housing.  

• The Milan Šimečka Foundation, together with the Bratislava City Gallery, hosted pupils from a diverse classroom — Slovak, Ukrainian, Russian and Vietnamese children — for a guided tour of artist Kvet Nguyen’s exhibition. The foundation said the event showed how art and education can help neighbours understand one another and celebrate diversity.  

• The League Against Cancer (Liga proti rakovine) warned about radon, a “silent killer” responsible for up to 800 lung cancer cases a year in Slovakia. In partnership with ZMOS and Comenius University, the group has launched a pilot radon-monitoring project in public buildings — from schools to care homes — to identify and fix dangerous levels of the radioactive gas. 

• NGO Návrat (Return) thanked donors for supporting its Donio campaign helping Ukrainian psychologists take respite stays in Slovakia. The group said the visits will give women working with war-affected families and soldiers a chance to recover and regain strength — with one generous donor even doubling all contributions.

In other news

• The number of foreign workers in Slovakia has jumped to over 135,000 — the highest in two years, with non-EU employees topping 100,000 for the first time, according to new data. Half come from Ukraine, Serbia and India, while the rest are mainly from neighbouring V4 countries, Romania, Bulgaria, the Philippines and former Soviet republics. Though migrants have helped offset Slovakia’s ageing workforce, they increasingly fill low-skilled industrial roles, with the share of foreign managers, technicians and specialists halving over the past decade.

• Defence Minister Robert Kaliňák (Smer) drew a curious parallel during parliamentary question time on Thursday, asking why “Britain never gave Gibraltar back to Spain” while discussing Ukraine. Standing in for PM Robert Fico, Kaliňák blamed the war on the 2014 Maidan protests and defended Russia’s “security interests abroad”, citing Britain’s 18th-century seizure of Gibraltar as a comparison.

• Slovakia’s super-deduction scheme for research and development marks its tenth year with record uptake — 500 companies claimed €230 million in deductions, saving €48.5 million in taxes, according to CRIF – Slovak Credit Bureau, a data analytics firm that tracks corporate and financial performance. Analysts expect the total to exceed €300 million and 600 users by year-end. Slovnaft leads with a €22.9 million claim, followed by ESET, Continental, and Saneca Pharmaceuticals, while newcomers like ZF Slovakia joined the million-euro club with projects in electromobility. (SITA)

• Parliament failed to open an extraordinary session on objections to Slovak Information Service chief Pavol Gašpar. Speaker Richard Raši (Hlas) said the constitutional committee had ruled the issue couldn’t be discussed separately, as it’s already listed on the regular October agenda. Opposition MPs boycotted the committee vote in protest.

• Progressive Slovakia urged Hlas on Wednesday to “show responsibility for Slovakia” by backing Thursday’s extraordinary session to dismiss Investment Minister Samuel Migaľ over non-transparent tenders. But when the time came, a quarter of the opposition didn’t show up — including six PS MPs (among them leader Michal Šimečka, who was meeting Emmanuel Macron), several from SaS, KDH, and Hnutie Slovensko. As expected, the coalition blocked the session by refusing to register. Yet the opposition again undercut its own message by failing to turn up in full strength — reinforcing the sense that both sides are hollowing out parliamentary accountability.

PS leader Michal Šimečka met and shook hands with French President Emmanuel Macron in Brussels on 23 October 2025. (source: Facebook – Michal Šimečka)

• Hlas tightens discipline. Slovakia’s junior coalition party has quietly adopted new statutes allowing it to expel members who “disparage the party chairman” or fail to present official positions, Aktuality reports. Hlas MP Ján Ferenčák, who has repeatedly criticised his own party, likened the rules to “communist-era normalisation clauses”, warning they let the leadership purge anyone who disagrees.

• Progressive Slovakia (PS) continues to lead the polls, with nearly 22 percent support in the latest Ipsos survey for Denník N — holding a three-point edge over Robert Fico’s Smer (18.5 percent). The poll, conducted after the coalition’s controversial constitutional changes, shows no major movement in voter preferences. Republika remains ahead of Hlas (10 percent vs. 9 percent), while Matovič’s Hnutie Slovensko (8 percent), SaS (7 percent), KDH (6.5 percent), and Demokrati (5.4 percent) would also enter parliament. Ipsos notes the results confirm Smer’s decline below 20 percent is real, not statistical noise. If elections were held today, an opposition majority would be possible — PS, SaS, KDH, and Demokrati together would win 71 seats, rising to 85 with Matovič’s party, though the opposition parties insist they won’t govern with him.

• Smer and Republika are feuding over EU carbon permits for households (ETS2), even as their positions remain strikingly similar. Republika’s MEP Milan Uhrík accused Smer of backing the measure, while Smer’s MEPs hit back — defending their record but stopping short of real disagreement. Analysts say the spat reflects political competition for the same nationalist voters rather than any genuine policy divide. (Denník N)

• A new Focus survey for 360tka puts Progressive Slovakia firmly ahead with 23.1 percent, widening its lead over Smer on 17 percent. Republika trails in third on 9.8 percent, followed by Hlas (9.4 percent), Slovensko (8.3 percent), KDH (6.7 percent), SaS (6.3 percent), and Demokrati (5.2 percent). The SNS would fall below the 5 percent threshold at 4.3 percent. An opposition bloc of PS, Demokrati, SaS, KDH, and Matovič’s Slovensko would command 87 mandates — enough to govern. (SME)

• Slovakia’s conference and congress sector is booming — attendance jumped 52 percent year-on-year and is now 8.8 percent above pre-pandemic highs, according to the Statistics Office. Nearly 600,000 participants attended events in 2024, with Bratislava hosting a third and Žilina seeing an 80 percent surge. (SITA)

THE BRIGHT SIDE

AID DRIVE. The Oksana 50 fundraising campaign — launched to supply 50 evacuation vehicles for Ukraine’s front lines — has raised over €355,000 in its first month, organisers said. Run by Slovakia’s Open Society Foundation with Czech partners from Gift for Putin, the drive runs until February 2026. The campaign’s symbol, the Oksana ambulance, was destroyed by a Russian drone in January — but donations have already funded an extra vehicle, bringing the total to 51 ambulances.

NIGHT AT THE CASTLE. The Orava Museum is inviting visitors to brave the dark this Friday, 24 October, with its candlelit “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” night tour of Orava Castle. Guests will explore eerie corridors and courtyards by flashlight, encountering “whispers of the past” and mysterious figures hidden in the shadows. Tours begin at 18:30, without guides — courage and your own torch required.

RETRO REVIVAL. A post in a Pezinok Facebook group sparked excitement among locals after one resident suggested reviving discos for the over-30 crowd — inspired by the town’s legendary clubs like Bujačareň, Tipo, and Zoška. The idea: occasional nights of 80s and 90s hits, wine, and old friends, held in the town centre “without curfews”. Dozens of locals have voiced support, calling it a long-overdue return of fun “for us older folks”.

SPRINGFIELD FEVER. Fans of The Simpsons are bringing the cult show’s yellow charm to Slovakia — with artists and meme-makers creating “Simpsonised” versions of their hometowns. After Trnava and Bratislava, Pezinok has now joined the trend.

The “Simpsonised” version of Pezinok (source: Facebook – Pezinok)

Friday, 24 October — What to watch

• Parliament meets again, with opposition parties expected to make another attempt to oust Investment Minister Samuel Migaľ over allegedly non-transparent tenders.

• Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár and Brezová pod Bradlom Mayor Jaroslav Ciran will unveil a memorial plaque marking the 80th anniversary of the United Nations and honouring Ján Papánek, Czechoslovakia’s first permanent representative to the UN.

• The trial of former police chief Peter Kovařík continues.

FRIDAY’S FRONT PAGES

Sme: How much health costs

Denník N: Gentle quarrels (Smer is arguing with Republika over emission allowances…)

Pravda: Stricter tests and penalties: The EU is changing the issuing of driver’s licenses

Hospodárske noviny: Petržalka has big plans. It wants to catch up with Košice

Friday weather: Grey skies ahead — expect rain, showers, and the odd thunderstorm across much of Slovakia, with snow in the mountains. Highs of 10–15°C, cooler up north around 8°C. Blustery westerly winds could hit 70 km/h, so hold onto your umbrellas.

Name day: Kvetoslava

On this day in 2008: Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip touched down in Slovakia for their first — and only — royal visit to the country, a two-day stay that began on 23 October.

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II (first from the left) and Slovak President Ivan Gašparovič (second from the left) with his wife Silvia (third from the left) at the Hradná Brána Hotel in the Devín district of Bratislava on 23 October 2008, where the Queen is speaking with one of ‘Sir Nicholas Winton’s children’ (on the right).” (source: TASR – Štefan Puškáš)

That’s all from me for today — Iryna Uias’s in the driver’s seat on Friday to steer you through the twists and turns of Slovakia’s political scene.

P.S. If you have suggestions on how our news overview can be improved, you can reach us at editorial@spectator.sk.

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