Government resumes military contacts with Russia after four-year pause
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The government has resumed military ties with Russia, fulfilling a promise made by Robert Fico. The move ends a four-year suspension and marks a return to the diplomatic posture the Prime Minister has long signaled. While the foreign ministry handles the optics, the defense establishment is now reconnecting with a neighbor most of Europe is trying to isolate.
Domestically, the Social Insurance Agency is preparing to mail tens of thousands of citizens about mandatory payments. For some, the envelope may result in requests for several hundred euros in extra contributions. Meanwhile, the police inspection office is facing a standoff: Juraj Svtok, a figure in the long-running 'Ćurillovec' corruption case, tried to reclaim his job after a court victory, only to be blocked by the director. In Slovak policing, winning in court and getting past the front desk are two different matters.
A food retail chain that planned to open 65 stores has admitted defeat after launching just four, and a man faces a dealer’s prison sentence for growing marijuana. Elsewhere, the cadastre office is struggling with a 225-year-old ghost: a land ownership claim from a man deceased for over two centuries is currently halting highway construction.