Good day! Welcome to Today in Slovakia — where the English word “slay” is suddenly everywhere, thanks to a Slovak influencer previously known mainly for a song about her vagina. Now she’s added a controversial property deal — and a borrowed bit of Gen Z slang — to her repertoire.  

Article continues after video advertisement

Article continues after video advertisement

WELCOME TO THE CIRCUS — But the real star turn came from opposition MP Zuzana Mesterová, who used Thursday’s debate on the coalition’s move to abolish the Whistleblower Protection Office to deliver a performance worthy of an actual big top. As a kid, she confessed, she dreamed of joining the circus. Turns out she landed in one after all — the parliamentary kind.

“You’ve fulfilled my childhood wish,” she told coalition MPs, “because you’re such mental acrobats and magicians that in two years you’ve made the rule of law disappear.” Consider the tent well and truly shaken.

DAY 8 — Parliament has spent eight days stuck in the same loop, MPs orbiting endlessly around the fate of the whistleblower watchdog.  The coalition hasn’t exactly walked off, but many have fallen quiet; the opposition is repeating its lines — and as Thursday showed, that’s not always a bad thing.

MINISTER’S ENTRÉE (AND EXIT) — Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok (Hlas) entered the chamber, presented his bill in second reading, and declared every criticism “lies” or “irrational”. He insisted he’s not pursuing revenge and branded the office a “bunker for the charged” — a jab at police whistleblowers who investigated Smer-era corruption before he illegally suspended and demoted them. Then he vanished for the remainder of the day. (On Wednesday, he didn’t even show up to the constitutional affairs committee, sending his deputy instead.)

THE EVERGREEN REFRAIN — The minister also claimed the bill fully complies with both the constitution and EU law. Of course he did.

SLAY, GIRL — Enter opposition MP Lucia Plaváková, who sliced through the minister’s talking points in minutes flat. That, dear reader, is what slay actually looks like. MPs, however, weren’t allowed to react to the minister’s speech — probably his single clever strategic choice of the week.

THE GOLDEN QUESTION — What exactly is the coalition negotiating with the European Commission? The coalition has insisted from the start that Brussels is perfectly satisfied. The opposition doubted it — and after eight days of debate, it turns out opposition lawmakers were right. On Monday, the government reportedly met with the Commission; by late Thursday afternoon, the coalition quietly introduced an amendment aimed at soothing the concerns reportedly raised in those talks. (Naturally, without admitting any mistake.)

WHAT SURVIVES OF THE BILL — The amendment removes the sections reportedly causing EU heartburn — including limits on reporting corruption only linked to one’s direct employer, and repeated employer-led reviews of protection status. What remains? Largely the coalition’s core aim: ousting the current Whistleblower Protection Office leadership by scrapping the institution and replacing it with a new one. Ta-da. The opposition is now gleefully claiming it has saved Slovakia millions in potential EU penalties.

WEDNESDAY’S COMMITTEE FIASCO — Whistleblower Protection Office head Zuzana Dlugošová was blocked from speaking at the constitutional affairs committee. The human rights committee didn’t even open due to coalition obstruction. She wasn’t allowed to speak in the plenary either. (Funnily enough, this from a coalition that loves to claim the opposition “can’t handle other opinions”.)

VOTE NEXT WEEK — After a Thursday sitting stretching from 9:00 to midnight. (But the show is back on Friday.)

WHO REPLACES DLUGOŠOVÁ? — Excellent question, no clear answer. Speaker Richard Raši, a close ally of the interior minister, will appoint a temporary head. The opposition warns the pick will hardly be independent — and the interim boss could, conveniently, stay in place indefinitely until a permanent leader is elected. Small reminder: The coalition hasn’t managed to elect a Constitutional Court judge in two years.

ARE WE FINISHED? — Unlikely. Dlugošová says the amendment still doesn’t resolve the bill’s fundamental problems — including the politically motivated removal of leadership and the retention of retroactive provisions.

The circus continues.

If you like what we’re doing and want to support good journalism, please buy our online subscription with no ads. We’ll mail a copy of The Slovak Spectator print edition to your home in Slovakia each month. Thank you!

Fico accuses mother, Kaliňák dodges Epstein query

From left to right: Defence Minister Robert Kaliňák, PM Robert Fico, PS MP Beáta Jurík, PS MP Zuzana Števulová. (source: TASR)

QUESTION TIME, BUT MAKE IT UGLY: Thursday’s session, traditionally reserved for MPs’ questions, delivered another showcase of political theatre — with PM Robert Fico (Smer) and Defence Minister Robert Kaliňák (Smer) in starring roles for all the wrong reasons.

FICO SAYS ‘NO’ TO COMPENSATION: The PM shut down calls to compensate the Roma mother and relatives of two children who died in last month’s Mašličkovo fire in eastern Slovakia.

BLAMING THE GRIEVING MOTHER: “I’m sorry, but what do you want from me?” asked the premier. Fico escalated by portraying the mother — who suffered serious burns — as someone who “left her children to burn”.

‘JUST STATING FACTS’, SAYS FICO: He doubled down, insisting he was only repeating information available to him as PM — and tossed in a sweeping claim about Roma “reacting hysterically”.

PS HITS BACK: Progressive Slovakia MP Zuzana Števulová called the remarks “cynicism of the highest order”, pointing to the state’s failure to address generational poverty.

ENTER ROBERT KALIŇÁK: The defence minister went on the offensive — not against the question he was asked, but against the party asking it.

DODGING THE EPSTEIN QUESTION: PS MPs wanted answers about former foreign minister Miroslav Lajčák’s communications with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Lajčák serves as an adviser to Fico. Kaliňák gave them everything but.

KALIŇÁK’S COUNTERATTACK: He branded PS a “semi-fascist” party and revived an old case involving former PS MP Tomáš Hellebrant’s HIV status.

SCORCHED-EARTH RHETORIC: Calling Hellebrant’s alleged behaviour “bestial” — claiming he had concealed his status in hospital and thereby endangered a nurse — Kaliňák accused PS of applying the principle of freedom selectively.

SEXISM MAKES AN APPEARANCE: Kaliňák turned personal, mocking female PS MPs’ expressions and telling them to fix their “liberal NGO ranks” before criticising others. “Those furious, twisted lips you’re showing in front of me — it’s really grotesque. Do you know what you look like? When you smile, it’s possible to have a discussion with you, but when you have this fascist look on your face, it’s absolute hell,” the defence minister said.

PS PUSHES BACK HARD: PS MP Beáta Jurík wasn’t having it. She reminded Kaliňák she’s not the sort of woman who takes instructions — from a man. Then came the jab: rather odd, she noted, that the ministers who were actually supposed to answer the Lajčák question were nowhere to be seen, dispatching instead Kaliňák — “such a great rhetorician and lawyer”. “Surely just a coincidence,” she deadpanned.

STOP THE HIV STIGMA: Jurík reminded the minister Hellebrant was ruled non-infectious. She wasn’t done. “I’ll have you know,” she snapped, “that just days after we marked World AIDS Day, spreading fear and stigma against people living with HIV is utterly unacceptable.”

WHAT THE SLOVAK SPECTATOR HAD ON THURSDAY

In other news

• On Thursday, three MPs from the freshly minted Strana vidieka, clustered around Sports Minister Rudolf Huliak, unexpectedly blocked a government bill on social enterprises after demanding it be rewritten to their liking. Their leverage stems from Hlas punishing its own rebel MP, Ján Ferenčák, leaving the coalition’s maths so tight that even a trio of backbenchers — folklorist, general and chicken farmer — can now bring the government to a standstill.

• Hlas insists MP Peter Kmec is the ideal choice to replace rebel MP Ján Ferenčák atop the parliamentary EU affairs committee — but SME reports the role may be only a stopover. According to the daily, President Peter Pellegrini has already floated Kmec for the ambassadorial post in Rome.

• Justice Minister Boris Susko (Smer) says he won’t publish the legal analysis underpinning Slovakia’s potential lawsuit against the EU’s Russian gas ban, insisting he won’t “show his hand” just yet. The pledge came during Question Time, leaving MPs none the wiser about the government’s strategy.

Hundreds marched in Nitra on Thursday to the site of spy chief Pavol Gašpar’s August car crash, where a temporary “Memorial of the Arrogance of Power” was installed. The protest, organised by the SaS party, aimed to spotlight what it calls the impunity and abuse of authority under the current leadership. (source: TASR – Henrich Mišovič)

• NGO Človek v ohrození has accused the government of systemic failure after nine children and two adults died this year in fires across marginalised Roma settlements, urging ministers to introduce urgent prevention measures. In an open letter, the group calls for a national fire-prevention plan, stronger child-protection oversight, scrutiny from the children’s commissioner, and real investment in safe, legal housing.

• An early-morning scare in Žilina forced hundreds to evacuate after a strong odour spread through the city centre, later traced to an organic substance in the sewage system. Mayor Peter Fiabáne ruled out a gas leak or any kind of toxic or military agent after a full crisis-team assessment.

• President Peter Pellegrini emerged from his Vatican audience on Thursday saying the Pope hopes to visit Slovakia, potentially within the next few years.

• Chinese firm IBIH Advanced Materials is set to invest up to €10 million in a Trnava industrial park, creating an estimated 70 to 90 jobs producing fire-resistant and thermal pads for EV batteries. Production is slated for Q2 2026. (TASR)

THE BRIGHT SIDE: Let’s catch our breath

PENSIONS BOOST FOR PARENTS — Parliament approved a major overhaul of social insurance rules, meaning parents on maternity or parental leave will now be treated as if they’d been working, giving many a future pension bump. The changes passed with 142 votes, though critics warn the six-year recalculation window means the next government, not this one, will foot the bill. 

SANTA DRIVES THE BUS — Zvolen’s streets get their Christmas sparkle back on Friday as the city’s No. 6 bus rolls out with Mikuláš (St Nicholas) behind the wheel and a devil (čert) at the door, delighting kids and commuters all day. The only ticket required is a valid fare — though a poem may earn the little ones a sweet treat.

St Nicholas and a devil pose beside a bus in Zvolen. (source: SAD Zvolen)

DRONE TO THE RESCUE — Bratislava police on Wednesday night located a missing 82-year-old man after deploying a thermal-imaging drone over Petržalka and the city centre. The device picked up a heat signature in the floodplain woods near Dolnozemská Road just after midnight, allowing officers to reach the disoriented — but unharmed — man in time. (video)

PALACE TREE TAKES ROOT — A 35-year-old spruce from the village of Trstín now adorns the courtyard of the Presidential Palace in Bratislava, forming a festive gateway for the weeks ahead. Felled due to a damaged root system threatening nearby utilities, the once family-planted tree will soon be lit and decorated to brighten the city’s Advent season. (video)

Friday, 5 December — What to expect

• Parliament resumes its session

• Ukraine opens a General Consulate in Prešov, eastern Slovakia

• Bratislava rolls out and officially welcomes its Christmas trams

FRIDAY’S FRONT PAGES

SME: Šutaj Eštok against police officers. New electricity and gas prices. Polyclinic ordered to refund a fee.

Denník N: That’s a total slay.

HN: Gas will see the biggest price increase. For some, bills will rise by hundreds of euros.

Pravda: Czechs concerned as Slovaks fill the country’s best-paid jobs.

Friday weather: Cloudy to overcast with fog, and rain or drizzle in places — especially in the west; snow only at higher elevations. Expect temperatures between 2°C and 12°C. (SHMÚ)

Name day: Oto.

That’s all from Today in Slovakia — thanks for reading. Mikuláš (with his angel and devil in tow) officially arrives on 6 December, but he’ll be making the rounds in many towns this Friday. If you’re in Slovakia, enjoy the moment — and if you’ve been good, here’s hoping the polished shoe on your windowsill is full of treats come Saturday.

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

Follow The Slovak Spectator on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram(@slovakspectator).

Join our newsletter family and never miss a Slovak moment: Today in Slovakia | Last Week in Slovakia | Slovak Science| Spectacular Slovakia | Slovak Roots