Two polls, one message: PS ahead of Smer, Hlas falling
The AKO agency's poll for Joj 24 television gave Progressive Slovakia exactly 20 percent, Smer 18.6 percent, and Republika 9.5 percent. According to it, eight parties would make it into parliament — besides the top three, also Hlas with 8.6 percent, SaS with 8.4, KDH with exactly eight percent, Igor Matovič's movement Slovensko with 7.3, and Demokrati with 6.2 percent. TASR ↗ A poll by the Ipsos agency, published almost simultaneously, produced practically the same picture — PS at 20.2 percent, narrowly ahead of Smer — with Hlas-SD recording the sharpest decline, while Aliancia improved its standing following talks with Progressive Slovakia. hnonline.sk ↗More interesting than the numbers themselves was how the various outlets framed the same table. Pravda's headline said PS had overtaken Smer, with SNS remaining below the threshold. Pravda ↗ Aktuality.sk pointed to the coalition math, under which forming a new government would be difficult. Aktuality.sk ↗ SITA, meanwhile, noted that compared to the previous survey, Demokrati gained the most while Matovič's people lost ground. SITA ↗ The gap between PS and Smer in both polls falls within the margin of statistical error, so it is premature to speak of a clear leader.
Also read: Ipsos shows PS lead and Hlas decline
The Beneš Decrees back on the table
Paradoxically, it was Budapest that opened the most sensitive topic of the day. On Thursday, Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar announced that he and Fico had agreed to set up a working group to address the disputed issues surrounding the Beneš Decrees. ta3 ↗ The report, carrying practically the same headline — the Beneš Decrees are back on the table — was picked up by ta3, SME, and Hospodárske noviny. The postwar decrees of 1945, under which part of the Hungarian and German minorities lost their citizenship and property, remain one of the most explosive points in relations between the two countries.Magyar stressed that the decrees were not on the agenda of Tuesday's V4 summit in Gödöllő, Hungary, and that the question only came up at the press conference. According to him, he and Fico agreed that Slovak-Hungarian relations need to be improved. hnonline.sk ↗ For now, the initiative rests mainly on the Hungarian side's statement, without a published mandate, timeline, or a closer Slovak comment on exactly what the group would address. It follows just days after the V4 summit in Gödöllő, which Fico described as a renewal of cooperation.
Also read: What Slovakia Is Writing About: Fico Celebrates the Return of the V4, Hungary Puts on the Brakes the Same Day
Bratislava and Kyiv preparing intergovernmental talks
Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár confirmed that the Slovak and Ukrainian governments will again hold joint talks, this time in Lviv, and that Volodymyr Zelensky is interested in visiting Bratislava. hnonline.sk ↗ On the sidelines of a conference on the postwar reconstruction of Ukraine in Gdańsk, Poland, Fico met with Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko. SME ↗The Slovak prime minister continues to hold his well-known line of opposing military support for Ukraine, while viewing postwar reconstruction as an opportunity. According to him, an earlier peace would mean easier reconstruction. TASR ↗ At the same time, Defense Minister Robert Kaliňák announced that the Visegrád Four would go into the NATO summit in Ankara with a joint position, with cooperation on drones also on the table. Pravda ↗
State finances: OECD advises cutting
The OECD published a set of recommendations for Slovakia. According to the organization, the government should continue consolidation, scrap the transaction tax, and shorten parental leave. Denník N ↗ The OECD also flagged the need for pension reform and described energy subsidies as a problem, while forecasting a recovery for the country in 2027. SITA ↗Elsewhere in public finances, the economics desk of the daily SME documented that ministries once again significantly exceeded their information technology budgets. SME ↗ And the Agricultural Paying Agency ultimately did not lose its permanent accreditation, even though the European Commission had proposed suspending it. Minister Richard Takáč sent Brussels a plan of remedial measures. Denník N ↗
Under the radar
Progressive Slovakia filed a motion with the parliamentary committee against Smer MP Mažgút over ambiguities surrounding his asset declaration and a disputed apartment, with a sum of around 120,000 euros at stake. This is an opposition motion, and the committee has yet to address it. Aktuality.sk ↗In the trade union movement, Monika Uhlerová defended her post as president of the Confederation of Trade Unions, defeating MEP Ondruš in the vote. SME ↗ And a court imposed fines in the thousands of euros for the promotion of communism, handed down to one political party and seven members of its leadership. ta3 ↗
What hotinfo is watching
- Whether the decline of the governing bloc, especially Hlas's drop below nine percent, is confirmed in further polls.
- The mandate and timeline of the working group on the Beneš Decrees and the Slovak side's response to the Hungarian initiative.
- The date and agenda of the joint Slovak-Ukrainian intergovernmental meeting in Lviv, and whether Zelensky actually visits Bratislava.
- Whether the government responds to the OECD's recommendation to scrap the transaction tax.
- How the parliamentary committee handles the motion regarding MP Mažgút's asset declaration.
- The Visegrád Four's joint position at the NATO summit in Ankara, including cooperation on drones.
