Fico returns environment ministry to Pellegrini as coalition majority vanishes
Get European news in your inbox daily
A short daily digest of the whole continent — or just the countries you care about.
Check your email. We've sent a confirmation link — click it to complete your subscription.
Prime Minister Robert Fico is returning the temporary management of the Environment Ministry to President Peter Pellegrini, proposing a nominee from the Slovak National Party (SNS) for the position. This move comes as Fico reportedly refuses to mediate an ongoing dispute between SNS Chairman Andrej Danko and former Environment Minister Tomáš Taraba, with the governing coalition recently losing its parliamentary majority. Key votes are expected to reveal how the Prime Minister intends to maintain power in the coming days.
Further allegations have surfaced regarding former Environment Minister Tomáš Taraba, with reports indicating his associate earned 33,000 euros in one month and had access to seven company cars, while Taraba himself allegedly approved nearly 50,000 euros in bonuses for himself and his aide within two months. Separately, a prominent magnate's business empire in eastern Slovakia is reportedly collapsing due to significant debts.
In other news, the Kuciak murder case is back in court, with a key investigator testifying about Zoltán Andruskó's knowledge concerning the preparation of prosecutor murders, and police officers are also set to testify. Meanwhile, one year after a train crash near Pezinok injured over a hundred people, the train driver has now been charged. Economically, Slovak pensions are noted as more generous than those in Germany or Austria, but concerns are rising about the system's long-term sustainability.