Slovaks re-elect all eight regional governors in local and regional elections
More than two million voters, nearly 3,000 towns and villages and over 23,000 elected positions. Slovakia has just held combined local and regional elections. The largest elections in the country's history in terms of organisation, they give voters the opportunity to choose not only their mayors, but also the members of local and regional councils.
The results show that, in most cases, Slovaks have opted for continuity. All eight regional governors have been re-elected. Although they represent different political camps, voters have given them another four-year mandate.
There will be three changes in the mayors of Slovakia's eight regional capitals. Košice and Trenčín will elect new mayors, while Trnava will have its first woman mayor. She has made history by winning more votes than any previous mayor of the city. In Trenčín, the current mayor will be replaced by his deputy.
One of the biggest surprises came in Košice, where Ladislav Lörinc scored a strong result. In Bratislava, meanwhile, Matúš Vallo comfortably secured a second term, winning more than 64 % of the vote.
The biggest change can be seen outside the major cities. For the first time, independent candidates have won more than half of all mayoral positions. 24 years ago, they accounted for only about a third.
Governing coalition parties also performed well in smaller municipalities. Hlas-SD political party once again came out on top, with 258 mayors, followed by Smer-SD political party with a slightly lower number. The largest parliamentary opposition party, Progresívne Slovensko, has only two mayors of its own.
The elections also exposed a problem with local politics in Slovakia. In more than a thousand municipalities, mayoral candidates ran unopposed, leaving residents with no choice at all.
Voter turnout increased compared with the previous elections. It reached 48.5 per cent in the local elections and just under 47 per cent in the regional polls.
Overall, the results suggest that when choosing who should run their towns and villages, Slovak voters do not look solely at political affiliation. The individual candidates and their track record in local government play a particularly important role.
Slovakia moves ahead with plans for a new nuclear reactor with US support
Slovakia has moved a step closer to what could be the biggest business deal in the country's history. Over the next six months, US company Westinghouse will work on a study to advance the engineering, licensing and design work for the construction of an AP1000 nuclear reactor at the Jaslovské Bohunice nuclear power plant.
Part of the cost of the study will be covered by the US Department of State. The agreement was signed at the Government Office by representatives of the companies overseeing the deal on behalf of the two countries, US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Courtney Kline and Prime Minister Robert Fico.
Prime Minister Robert Fico reaffirmed his government's commitment to building a new 1,100-megawatt nuclear power unit. He also emphasised that cooperation with the US should be based on mutual respect and draw fully on Slovakia's own expertise and experience in nuclear energy.
The parliamentary opposition has called on both the government and the US Embassy to disclose the value of the contract.
Ivan Štefunko of the opposition Progresívne Slovensko party pledged to do everything possible to prevent the process from becoming irreversible. He also warned that the project would face close scrutiny, both from the opposition and, should they enter government in the future, from the governing coalition.
According to the US side, the American contribution at this stage amounts to just under five million euros. The Slovak prime minister has announced that the new reactor will be fully owned by the Slovak Republic. The price will be determined by the next study, with the estimated cost potentially reaching or even exceeding 15 billion euros.
Slovak researchers report fewer accidents with front brake lights
Researchers from the University of Žilina have presented the findings of their research into front brake lights in Geneva, at a meeting of a working group of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.
The technology was tested in real traffic conditions on more than 3,000 cars, which covered a combined distance of over 38 million kilometres. According to the findings presented, vehicles equipped with front brake lights were involved in around 12 per cent fewer accidents. The Slovak researchers are now preparing a proposal to amend international regulations.
Astrobiologist Michaela Musilová to join planned international space mission
Slovak astrobiologist Michaela Musilová has been selected to join the planned international space mission ECM1. The privately organised European suborbital mission is scheduled to take place in 2027. Its crew is expected to include representatives from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Germany.
Musilová, who has previously led dozens of simulated missions to Mars and the Moon, will be responsible for the scientific programme. If the flight goes ahead, she could become the first Slovak woman in space.
And that brings us to the end of our weekly news roundup, prepared by Juraj Mikula.
Slovak Radio celebrates 100 years of broadcasting with gala concert
One of the highlights of the celebrations marking 100 years of radio broadcasting in Slovakia was a gala concert by the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra.
Alongside works by composers such as Ján Levoslav Bella, Alexander Moyzes, Ilja Zeljenka, Antonín Dvořák and Svetozár Stračina, the programme also featured popular melodies by Gejza Dusík, Bartolomej Urbanec, Miro Žbirka and others.
For decades, Slovak Radio has broadcast and recorded these works, bringing them back to listeners in new forms. A century of radio is a century of voices, melodies and stories that have become part of people's lives and, over time, an integral part of the country's cultural memory.
