News digest: One man's mission to improve science in Slovakia

Employment visas for foreigners, try a bath in a tent sauna. Learn more in today's digest.

Good evening. Here is the Wednesday, March 29 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.


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Try a sauna tent at Zlaté Piesky resort

A sauna in a tent is something between a Finnish sauna and a steam sauna. It’s not too hot, the heat doesn’t drive you out of it, and thanks to a powerful stove with a huge reservoir of rocks, there’s amazing fine steam.

The sauna tent is one of five outdoor saunas that the Slovak Sauna Community has constructed at Wakelike Beach at the Zlaté Piesky summer report.

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Feature story for today

In the space of just a few months, two scientists in Slovakia received European Research Council (ERC) grants after years of no one from the country being awarded the prestigious funding.

Having spent years at the Swiss federal institute of technology ETH Zurich, Miroslav Baláž, who is applying for an ERC grant to study metabolic processes and develop treatments for non-communicable diseases, has returned to Slovakia.

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Miroslav Baláž: Changing Slovak science for the better Read more 

Music tip of the day

After eight years, the British rock'n'roll band The Subways are to return to Bratislava, performing on Thursday at 19:30 at the Majestic Music Club in the capital.


In other news

  • The Defence Ministry wants to use a €200-million grant from the US to procure more than 180 Oshkosh 4x4 armoured vehicles. Slovakia is waiting for an official offer from Washington, according to Interim Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď. The vehicles could begin to arrive in the country as early as next year. The grant would also be used to procure anti-drone systems and 5,000 M4 carbines.
  • Second Deputy Chair of the Ukrainian parliament Olena Kondratiuk thanked Slovakia for the country's help to her homeland in a speech in the Slovak parliament. She also said the four MiG jets Slovakia gave to Ukraine are currently guarding the sky above Kharkiv and that Slovakia knows what it is like to wake up and have Russian tanks in its cities.
  • Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová continues to be the most trusted politician in the country, with 43 percent of respondents in a new survey saying they trusted her. Peter Pellegrini, leader of the non-parliamentary party Hlas, came second. Third place belongs to Smer chair Robert Fico, whose party has topped recent voter support polls. OĽaNO head Igor Matovič was the least trusted politician.
  • Slovak MPs rejected the European Parliament's resolution on the murder of Juraj Vankulič and Matúš Horváth on Zámocká Street. According to the Slovak Parliament, the resolution is "incorrect, untruthful, misleading" and does not respect the sovereignty of the country.
  • Parliament has rejected a proposal for a €500 reward for each voter who takes part in parliamentary elections in September, submitted by OĽaNO leader Igor Matovič. He immediately submitted the proposal to parliament again.
  • Slovakia's economy should grow this year and next, while inflation should fall, according to Slovakia's central bank governor Peter Kažimír.
  • "NATO is a guarantee of the defence of Slovakia and security of its people, of which there need be no doubt," interim Foreign Affairs Minister Rastislav Káčer said on the 19th anniversary of Slovakia's accession to the Alliance on Wednesday.

Weather for Thursday

Cloudy, with rain, at first occasionally, and later on in many places in the western half of the country rain, expected. Daily temperatures between 6 and 12 degrees Celsius, in south-west Slovakia up to 17. A level 1 alert for freezing rain is in place for the entire night and early morning.


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


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