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Greetings. Welcome to Today in Slovakia — where it was announced Gorillaz will headline next year’s Pohoda Festival, but otherwise it was a typical Tuesday: a day of sharp words, surprise claims and a few decisions that raised eyebrows.

To keep things interesting, let’s start with a quick quiz. Here are two questions:

(It isn’t/wasn’t Dirty Harry — and definitely not Clint Eastwood. The answers await in today’s digest.)

After Monday’s deadly-looking crash near Rožňava, Košice Region Governor Rastislav Trnka voiced what some Slovaks were also thinking: how can two trains still crash head-on on the same track — in 2025? 

“For years we’ve heard about billions poured into rail modernisation and green transport,” Trnka said. “And then this happens — on one of the main lines in eastern Slovakia. It’s not just an accident. It’s a symbol of what our railways have become.” He accused the government of excuses and zero accountability: “While they draw high-speed dreams in Bratislava, people in the east are praying their train arrives safely.”

Cue outrage: Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok called Trnka’s remarks “hyenism”, accusing him of scoring points off tragedy. 

Staying out of the way: Speaking of “hyenism”, Šutaj Eštok and his Health Minister, Kamil Šaško, rushed to the crash site — cameras in tow — posting photos and videos from the scene. Whether that helped anyone on the ground is debatable. Sometimes, as some might argue, it’s better to pick up the phone, ask for updates — show you care — and stay out of the way where you’re not needed.

Meanwhile, back in Bratislava: Deputy Speaker Tibor Gašpar (Smer) floated a rather different idea — extending the government’s term from four to five years. “Four years is too little,” he argued. “We’re already spending our third year fixing what we inherited. Building our own programme on top of that is hard.”

The move isn’t official, Gašpar said, just his “personal view”. But it drew instant fire from Progressive Slovakia’s Michal Šimečka, who accused Smer of “saying the quiet part out loud”. 

“They botched consolidation, raised taxes, presented a terrible budget — and now they want to limit people’s right to vote,” Šimečka shot back.

As we reported on Monday, PM Robert Fico wants to see local and regional elections postponed by a year — leaving people guessing why. And let’s talk about Fico for a moment before we get to the latest on the train crash.

Fico turns up the pressure on Žilinka

General Prosecutor Maroš Žilinka (source: SME – Jozef Jakubčo)

Two years after reshaping Slovakia’s law-enforcement landscape, Prime Minister Robert Fico has found a new target — the man he once helped into office.

At Smer’s weekend party congress, Fico lashed out at General Prosecutor Maroš Žilinka, accusing him of turning a blind eye while “those who destroyed Slovakia between 2020 and 2023” — shorthand for former police officers who investigated Smer politicians — walk free. Some of them faced charges that were later dropped, while other officers still face prosecution.

“White shirts, ties, mineral water, tea,” Fico told delegates. “But some people sat in custody. Some died.”

The line landed like a warning: Fico’s patience with the country’s top prosecutor might be running out.

The short version: Fico wants results. Žilinka won’t play along. The truce is over.

How we got here: Since returning to power in 2023, Fico’s government has replaced senior police leadership, shut down the Special Prosecutor’s Office and disbanded the National Crime Agency. Oversight of the police inspectorate went to loyalist Branislav Zurian.

Through all that, Žilinka stayed put — elected by parliament in 2020 for a seven-year term. In spring, the ruling coalition even approved a lifetime pension for the general prosecutor. President Peter Pellegrini vetoed it — and parliament failed to pass it on the second try. Now, Žilinka’s in Fico’s sights.

Žilinka fires back: Žilinka quickly rejected Fico’s criticism, calling it manipulative and saying such rhetoric only weakens public trust in the prosecution service.

“Looking for ways”: Deputy PM and Defence Minister Robert Kaliňák (Smer) struck a more ominous note, saying the party is “looking for ways” to deal with the situation.

Why it matters: Control of the prosecution service would give Smer influence over corruption cases still working through the courts — above all Operation Očistec (Purgatory), which targets former police chief Tibor Gašpar and businessman Norbert Bödör, both close to the party.

Fico had ties to previous prosecution chiefs — from the late general prosecutor Dobroslav Trnka to the convicted former special prosecutor Dušan Kováčik. Back then, corruption seemed not to exist — at least officially.

A complicated alliance: Fico once supported Žilinka’s appointment, hoping for stability. For a time, their interests aligned: Žilinka used the controversial Article 363 to cancel several prosecutions, some benefiting Smer officials (Fico included).

But more recent decisions — after the failed lifetime pension — have cut the other way, and the relationship has soured. When Fico told the cycling-mad prosecutor to “turn his bike around and start acting”, Žilinka shot back from a work trip in Azerbaijan: “I don’t turn the bike. And unlike some, I don’t turn anything else.”

(Why Žilinka — and his two colleagues — needed a business trip to authoritarian Azerbaijan is anyone’s guess. Perhaps the lure wasn’t legal cooperation, but the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Baku.)

What’s next: Fico, who wanted to be the prosecution chief in the late nineties, can’t remove Žilinka outright. His mandate protects him. But political pressure, legislative manoeuvres or simply wearing him down — all are now in play. For now, Žilinka stays. But the message from Smer’s congress was unmistakable: the détente is over.

What The Slovak Spectator had on Tuesday: 

A split second from disaster

A railway carriage after the collision of two fast trains in the municipality of Jablonov nad Turňou, Rožňava district, on Monday, 13 October, 2025. (source: KR PZ v Košiciach)

Slovakia’s rail system had a close call this week — and it wasn’t thanks to technology, but sheer luck.

Two passenger trains collided near Rožňava on Monday, after one driver missed a distant signal and rolled onto a single-track section he should never have entered. The driver, heading from Košice to Zvolen, reportedly realised the mistake too late — braking only after passing the main signal protecting the tunnel.

The train managed to stop just short of the Jablonov tunnel, moments before the oncoming service emerged. “If the train had stopped three hundred meters further ahead, we would have had an accident in the tunnel,” said railways chief Ivan Bednárik in an interview with Rádio Expres. 

By late Tuesday, trains were moving again near Jablonov nad Turňou — slowly. Traffic is limited to a single track at a cautious 10 km/h.

The fallout: Police have opened a criminal investigation for public endangerment. The driver who missed the signal jumped from his cab and escaped unhurt — he was questioned on Tuesday and later released. The other driver wasn’t so lucky: he suffered serious facial injuries and was airlifted to hospital. Dozens of passengers were treated, one with life-threatening wounds.

The blame game: Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok rushed to pin it on “driver error” — a verdict Bednárik says is premature. Investigators are now checking everything from wet tracks to visibility and signal coverage.

The bigger issue: Signal overruns aren’t rare. Railways logged a dozen last year, and seven so far this year. Unions say fatigue, staff shortages and 50-year-old locomotives are pushing drivers to the limit. “Many are exhausted,” Peter Dubovský from the drivers’ federation told Denník N. 

Average driver pay hovers around €2,400 gross — boosted only by long hours. Unions say wages lag inflation, and ZSSK isn’t planning a raise anytime soon.

What’s next: Officials promise the ETCS safety system will make crashes like this a thing of the past — eventually. Bednárik’s take? “We’ll be retired by the time it reaches Rožňava.” Translation: not for another 15 years.

Quote: “My father was a train driver all his life — 40 years. Now, whenever he crosses the tracks, he has to spit. A train driver carries the same level of responsibility as a pilot: constant changes to sleep patterns, nights spent in dormitories, stress, people losing their lives, dreadful working conditions, draughty trains, Christmases without family — all for miserable pay. On outdated, worn-out machines. Ageing drivers… but what else could you expect in a country where people are so foolish they applaud a naked king for wearing the most beautiful clothes?” — a comment picked up by Zomri, Slovakia’s favourite meme factory.

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Bratislava’s gender whiplash

Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár (source: SME – Jozef Jakubčo)

Within days of rewriting its constitution to state that there are only two sexes, Slovakia quietly signed a Council of Europe recommendation calling for equal rights for intersex people, according to Euractiv.

The Foreign Ministry, led by Juraj Blanár (Smer), confirmed the vote but stressed the document is non-binding. It declined to explain why Slovakia backed it just after hard-coding a binary definition of sex into its constitution. The ministry also pointed to the Justice Ministry as the competent body — which has stayed silent.

Slovakia’s representative Oľga Algayerová backed the recommendation in Strasbourg on 7 October, along with all 45 other member states.

The government may call the vote symbolic — but it underscores a growing split inside the Slovak state: constitutionally conservative at home, formally progressive abroad.

Tuesday scroll: Facebook posts from the parliamentary parties (selection)

COALITION

• Smer: The party shared a video featuring Deputy Defence Minister Igor Melicher — who also heads its youth wing — commenting on The Guardian’s “Boris Files” article. Melicher concluded, without any proof, the alleged corruption of former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson “stopped peace and brought war to Europe”. 

• Hlas: The party shared a post by leader Matúš Šutaj Eštok condemning the vandalism of a Slovak National Uprising memorial in Kosorín, defaced with the graffiti “Vivat Cintula”. Cintula is the man who shot PM Fico in 2024. Šutaj Eštok blamed the act on what he called an atmosphere of hatred and division fuelled by the opposition and sympathetic media. Meanwhile, Economy Minister Denisa Saková posted from China about her meetings with Vice Premier He Lifeng, highlighting plans to deepen economic cooperation in automotive, renewables, biomedicine, AI and robotics.

• SNS: In a video, SNS leader Andrej Danko asked viewers whether they’ve already used their recreation or sports vouchers — noting the year’s end is fast approaching. The vouchers was his initiative.

OPPOSITION

• Progressive Slovakia: The Brat za brata organisation — described as a pro-Russian group collecting information on so-called “enemies of the nation” — has come under fire from Progressive Slovakia, which says its activities expose a breakdown of state authority under Prime Minister Robert Fico. PS called on President Peter Pellegrini to take action against SIS chief Pavol Gašpar for failing to counter extremism and Russian influence.

• SaS: The opposition Freedom and Solidarity party slammed a government-backed plan to triple annual registration fees for professional chambers representing healthcare workers — from €15 to about €45. SaS argues the move is unfair, noting the chambers offer “no direct benefit” to members. The bill, sponsored by Smer MPs, cleared parliament’s health committee this week.

• Slovensko: In a video, Slovensko MP Július Jakab called on parliament to pass a resolution urging the government to explain where €7.4 billion from three consolidation packages has gone. Citing Eurostat, ex-PM and Slovensko leader Igor Matovič said his 2020 cabinet had inherited the EU’s 21st weakest finances but left them as the 8th strongest. He also mocked Finance Minister Ladislav Kamenický (Smer), dubbing him “Fantozzi Kamenický”. 

• KDH: “The EU wants to enforce the possibility of gender reassignment for children without age restrictions! The constitutional change came at the eleventh hour,” KDH leader Milan Majerský writes on Facebook, criticising the European Commission’s draft LGBTIQ+ strategy for 2026–2030, saying it interferes with national powers over gender and family policy. 

And the rest…

• The IMF has cut its forecast for Slovakia’s 2025 growth to 0.9 percent, down from 1.3 percent in April, with next year still seen at 1.7 percent. Among the V4, Slovakia is set for the second weakest growth this year, and next year its economy is projected to lag behind the entire region. 

• The Labour Ministry plans to extend its scheme allowing up to 5,000 visas a year for bus and lorry drivers from outside the EU. The move, still at the pre-draft stage, aims to ease Slovakia’s chronic driver shortage — a problem transport firms have long warned about. The so-called national visas have been a key lifeline for Slovak hauliers struggling to fill posts.  

• Poland’s Celon Pharma is investing around PLN 63.3 million (EUR 15 million) to build a new production plant in Žilina, Slovakia. The facility, developed by Polonez Plus, will boost manufacturing capacity for GLP-1–based therapies and diversify the company’s production footprint. 

• Slovakia’s state-owned post, Slovenská pošta, is drowning in debt, with banks deferring €33 million in loans after years of losses — €53 million since 2020. Auditors say the firm’s deep red ink stems from chronic underfunding of legally mandated services like mail delivery and its vast branch network. The Supreme Audit Office is urging the government to act fast on a rescue plan.(Denník N)  

• Slovakia’s water parks and swimming pools say they’ve just endured one of their hardest summers in years. Hit by a VAT hike from 10 percent to 23 percent, soaring costs and a rainy July that slashed revenues by up to 50 percent, many now teeter on the edge of viability. The industry group SAAKP is urging the government to move them into the 5 percent VAT bracket to stay afloat.

• Andrej Babiš has lost his legal fight in Slovakia over a €21 million fine slapped on his family’s bakery group Penam for failing to report its takeover of two Slovak bakeries. A Bratislava court rejected the Czech ex-PM’s appeal, ruling that the 2017 antitrust inspection was lawful. The acquisitions — in Bratislava and Žilina — were first made through associates before landing under Penam. Babiš’s family is now taking the case to the Supreme Court. (Denník N) 

• Slovakia’s central bank (NBS) has fined Prima banka €500,000 for misleading savings ads that promoted high rates without key details — despite a prior ban. The Penta-owned bank says the ruling is wrong and plans to appeal. (TASR) 

The Hradská Street bridge in Bratislava-Vrakuňa is open again after a full rebuild — wider, safer and ready for cars, cyclists and pedestrians. The €2.8 million upgrade was completed in nine months. (source: Michal Feik)

APPLAUSE — Slovenská sporiteľňa is giving 17 November off to more than 3,500 staff to mark the day that changed Slovakia’s future — the fall of communism. “The future is yours,” the bank said. The move comes after PM Robert Fico’s government scrapped the day as a day off in a bid to shore up public finances.

SNOW PATROL — Košice is rolling out the sixth year of its Adopt a Pavement scheme, which lets locals earn money by clearing snow and ice from city walkways. A record 1,000+ pavements are up for adoption across seven boroughs. Returning volunteers can register via the Adaptie app from 15 October, with new applicants joining from 17 October. The city provides salt and basic gear, while volunteers bring their own tools. Payments run up to €220 for the season, plus €5 per day for each cleared path.

LIGHTS, CAMERA, DREAMS — Bratislava’s Áčko Student Film Festival kicks off on 15 October for its 29th run, celebrating fearless, thought-provoking student cinema. This year’s theme: SOMNIUM — the dream.

CIAO, NITRA — The University of Constantine the Philosopher marks Italophonia Week (13–19 October) with talks on Italian language and culture. Highlights: on 15 October, writers Mirta Curkovic, Monika Šavelová and Paolo Di Vico discuss women’s voices in Italian literature; on 16 October, Natália Rusnáková explores Slovak poets on the Italian front. Organised by the Istituto Italiano di Cultura Bratislava and the Embassy of Italy. Free entry.

Wednesday, 15 October — What to watch

Parliament watch: MPs meet in the debating chamber.

Education focus: Parliament’s education committee convenes.

Tále talks: Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár and Deputy Defence Minister Igor Melicher open the Export Forum, pitching Slovakia’s trade ambitions.

Bread diplomacy: Agriculture Minister Richard Takáč gets a symbolic loaf from bakers for World Bread Day.

Cabinet meets: PM Robert Fico chairs the government’s session. 

Fiscal front: At the Consolidation 2026 conference, PM Fico and Finance Minister Ladislav Kamenický vow tougher action on tax fraud.

HR pulse: The HR Club Conference unveils results of the 2025 Salary Survey.

Coming to town: Mathieu Mori, Secretary General of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, visits Slovakia on 15–16 October to discuss local government reforms and the Council of Europe’s New Democratic Pact. He’ll meet Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár, Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok, Speaker Richard Raši and Bratislava officials, plus visit Častá, speak to students and meet the press.

WEDNESDAY’S FRONT PAGES

Sme: Gašpar also wants to change elections

Denník N: Dream of five-year plan

Pravda: After express train crash, police detained train driver

Hospodárske noviny:  Volvo on massive hiring spree: recruiting in both Bratislava and Žilina

Nový čas: Actress Nela Pocisková: Tormented by online hate

Plus jeden deň: Actor Lukáš Latinák admits to health problems

Wednesday weather:  Grey skies, a few northern showers — maybe snow on the peaks. Chilly start, up to 16°C later.

Name day: Terézia.

That’s all from us for now — have a cracking Wednesday, and thanks for making us part of your day. We’ll be back tomorrow. 

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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