Ho ho ho and welcome to TODAY IN SLOVAKIA — 22 days ‘til Christmas, but pensioners start receiving their 13th pensions today. More pressingly for MPs: just 10 days left before parliament shuts up shop. Here’s what went down — or rather, didn’t — on Tuesday.

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RÁŽ REMAINS: MPs failed — on the third and fourth try — to even open the session to sack Transport Minister Jozef Ráž (Smer). While the house faffed, Ráž held a presser on the Pezinok train crash (one of the reasons the opposition wants him dismissed), dismissed claims about a lack of signalling infrastructure and rolled out a video pointing the finger at the train driver.

FERENČÁK SAGA CONTINUES: Hlas MPs took a swing at removing Hlas rebel Ján Ferenčák from the EU affairs committee chair. Outcome: punted to next week. Hlas doesn’t have the numbers, Smer refuses to lose another coalition vote, and dropping to 78 seats in a 150-seat chamber is a no-go. (Should the coalition lose Ferenčák, another significant liability remains within the ranks: the Huliak faction, whose primary loyalty lies with Sport Minister and Vidiek party leader Rudolf Huliak.)

Ferenčák warns he’ll quit the Hlas parliamentary group if ousted — and won’t back coalition votes in the meantime. He also scolded Hlas for once again dragging PM Robert Fico (Smer) into their personnel row. Rumours suggest Smer and Hlas could swap committee chair posts to keep the Hlas MP nominally under Smer — something he’s expected to reject.

MORE POSTPONEMENTS: Attempts to oust several ministers — and even the whole government — have been kicked to next week. Again.

DRUCKER DECLARES ALL CLEAR (MOSTLY): Education Minister and acting recovery-plan chief Tomáš Drucker (Hlas) says an audit of the controversial innovation calls found no legal breaches — though ministry insiders ran the audit. He now plans to scrap grants tied to President Peter Pellegrini and Hlas.

‘THREE STRIKES’ MAKES A COMEBACK: MPs are tearing through proposed Criminal Code changes reinstating the “three strikes and you’re out” rule for petty theft. The government, while rejecting blame for flawed changes to the Code, attributes rising shoplifting to “media disinformation” and politicians who allegedly tell people that “it pays to steal”.

COALITION PRIORITIES LISTED: The governing parties agreed on their end-of-year must-dos: pass anything starting 1 January and anything tied to recovery-plan cash. But for the second week running, the big-ticket item remains abolishing the Whistleblower Protection Office.

WHISTLEBLOWER OFFICE MOVES FORWARD: Coalition MPs sent the abolition bill to a second reading. The whistleblower office said it was unsurprised that MPs approved the bill at their first reading. Debate lands Thursday (and yes, one might ask why not Wednesday — is the coalition cooking up changes?).

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‘Traitors’ chants echo as Fico’s coalition targets whistleblower office

Protesters march in Bratislava on Tuesday, 2 December 2025, against the planned abolition of the Office for the Protection of Whistleblowers (ÚOO). (source: TASR – Jaroslav Novák)

Protest erupts in the capital: Bratislava’s streets filled with chants on Tuesday as demonstrators marched against the government’s plan to abolish the Office for the Protection of Whistleblowers. The rally — organised by Stop Corruption Foundation, Transparency International Slovakia and Via Iuris — set off from Freedom Square at 17:00 and moved toward parliament.

Star speakers on stage: A strong roster took the microphone: former Constitutional Court judge Ján Mazák, whistleblower Mária Koránová, actress Henrieta Mičkovicová and investigative journalist Marek Vagovič all delivered their remarks.

‘This isn’t Europe’: As the march reached parliament, Zuzana Wienk of the civic association Bystriny — the group behind Slovakia’s whistleblower awards — blasted the government’s approach as un-European. Protesters responded with chants of “Shame!”

‘You can scrap the office, not the truth’: Vagovič, who has written several books on the mafia and politicians, including Fico, told attendees that the government’s “reign of fear” had been “destroying everything in its path for two years”, insisting the truth cannot be abolished.

Emotion from the stage: Mičkovicová called for solidarity with those “bullied and slandered simply for having the courage to speak up”. She urged Slovaks to hold on to hope: “We want this country to remain a home — also for our children.”

Mazák lets rip: Former Judicial Council chair Mazák slammed the plan as a “brutal attack”, saying the office’s only offence was its independence. He accused the bill’s authors of showing “contempt for their own state” and employing “dictatorial practices”. The crowd answered with chants of “Traitors!”

EU cash risks: NGOs warned that dismantling the office will weaken anti-corruption efforts and may endanger EU money. Via Iuris’ Katarína Batková said whistleblowers will face tougher hurdles and may think twice before reporting wrongdoing — a risk Slovakia “cannot afford” when 80 percent of public investment comes from Brussels.

Fico digs in: Prime Minister Fico remained unapologetic earlier on Tuesday, defending the abolition under fast-track rules. He labelled whistleblower ofice chief Zuzana Dlugošová a “mercenary of the opposition” and accused the office of doing “dirty work”.

WHAT THE SLOVAK SPECTATOR HAD ON TUESDAY

Minister faces court over slur

Progressive Slovakia MP Lucia Plaváková, Sport Minister Rudolf Huliak (source: TASR)

Huliak in court: Rudolf Huliak — now a minister in Fico’s government — is facing a civil lawsuit after calling Progressive Slovakia MP Lucia Plaváková a “bitch” last year. The slur, delivered at a parliamentary press conference and repeated in later debates, unleashed a wave of online hate and death threats against Plaváková and her daughter.

The case begins: Plaváková is seeking a public apology and €35,000 in damages. The trial opened on 25 November in Zvolen; Huliak skipped the hearing, sending only his lawyer, while Plaváková spent hours giving testimony. The suit accuses him of unlawfully violating her dignity, reputation and privacy, reports the news website Aktuality.sk.

Quote: “If this case convinces even one man to rethink how he behaves, it will be worth it,” the MP said.

Huliak’s justifications — and his new tone: Huliak long defended his remarks, refusing to apologise in parliament and joking he’d save apologies “for his bitch in the yard”. But this week he posted a video saying he is “sincerely sorry”, blaming an emotional outburst after a friend’s death — while admitting it “excuses nothing”. He urged MPs to “behave decently”.

THE BRIGHT SIDE: Let’s catch our breath

First Grape pick: Grape Festival has dropped its first big names for 2026: Australian multi-instrumentalist Tash Sultana, UK acts Overmono and LEAP, and Berlin electronic duo Brutalismus are all on the lineup.

Emergency flight home: A Defence Ministry aircraft is transporting a severely injured child from the Dominican Republic back to Slovakia. The Bombardier Global 5000 — one of two long-range jets the ministry bought last year for nearly €48 million — departed Slovakia on Monday and began its return journey the following day. (Denník N)

A century of resistance: Branislav Tvarožek — former political prisoner, Slovak National Uprising fighter and lifelong guardian of Slovakia’s anti-fascist legacy — marks his 100th birthday today. A member of the 1st Czechoslovak Army during the Slovak National Uprising (SNP), Tvarožek has spent decades preserving the memory of the struggle against fascism.

Festive drop: Slovak band Le Payaco has released a new single, Vianočná. The track mirrors one of Christmas’s simplest joys — a walk through fresh snow, leaving quiet footprints amid familiar faces and festive cheer.

Michalovce, eastern Slovakia, has again opened its temporary winter shelter for people without homes — a heated tent on Staničná Street with space for 15, including one bed reserved for patients discharged from hospital. The overnight facility runs daily from 15:30 to 8:30, with staff allowed to turn away anyone under the influence of alcohol or drugs. (source: TASR)

In other news

• After a cyberattack hit on Tuesday evening, the Economy Ministry says it intercepted the breach before anything could be encrypted — and insists the data used to calculate energy aid was never in danger.

• SaS, an opposition party, is planning a protest walk to the site of spy chief Pavol Gašpar’s car crash in Nitra, where on Thursday 4 December it intends to erect a symbolic “memorial to the arrogance of power”. The party staged a similar action in Banská Bystrica on 27 November, with another set for Bratislava on 11 December.

• Slovakia’s Investments Ministry is floating a ban on under-16s using social media, alongside a new specialist unit and grant scheme for NGOs, with Minister Samuel Migaľ (Smer nom.) insisting his ministry is taking charge of protecting minors online. The draft law is slated to enter inter-ministerial consultations in the first quarter of 2026. 

• Wages in Slovakia kept outpacing inflation in Q3, though real earnings rose by just 1.3 percent as wage growth slowed, according to the Statistics Office. Average nominal pay climbed nearly 6 percent to €1,569 — crossing €1,000 in all 19 sectors for the first time — but three sectors still saw real declines, while real estate, mining and healthcare led the gains. Regionally, wages increased everywhere, with Nitra Region posting the strongest real growth and Bratislava Region barely staying above water.

• Danish outfit Sanovo Technology Nikro is set to whip up 80 new jobs in Dolný Kubín, expanding its food-tech manufacturing base in northern Slovakia. The company already employs around 200 people in the Orava region — and is clearly hungry for more. (TASR)

Parliament Speaker Richard Raši (Hlas) hosted Czech lower-house chief and far-right SPD leader Tomio Okamura at Bratislava Castle on 2 December, giving a warm welcome to a politician known for his anti-migrant, anti-Brussels and anti-Ukraine rhetoric. Okamura said the meeting should “repair” strained ties with Slovakia’s government and, more importantly, help coordinate positions with “central European allies”. Raši added at their joint press conference that he sees the encounter as a “restart” of relations. (source: TASR)

Wednesday, 3 December — What to expect

• Parliament sits again.

• The Foreign Affairs Parliamentary Committee convenes.

• Government meets.

• Presidents of Slovakia, Czechia, Hungary and Poland (V4) gather in Esztergom, Hungary.

• Speakers of the Slavkov-format parliaments (Slovakia, Czechia and Austria) meet in Bratislava.

WEDNESDAY’S FRONT PAGES

Sme: Gašpar summoned to the committee.

Denník N: Bullying inside the SIS.

HN: Wage growth hits a wall. Labour market shows its limits.

Pravda: December boost for seniors: 13th pensions paid out.

Wednesday weather: Cloudy, misty, with some drizzle and possible black ice. –1 to 8°C. (SHMÚ)

Name day: Oldrich.

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