DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Slovaks Vote in Presidential Election That Might Bolster PM Fico
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-22 | by ( March | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

(Reuters) - Slovaks vote in a presidential election on Saturday that could strengthen Prime Minister Robert Fico's grip on power as he seeks more control over public media, softer anti-corruption laws and a dissenting voice to EU support for Ukraine. Polls are open in the first round of voting from 7:00 a.m. (0600 GMT) until 10:00 p.m. (2100 GMT). A run-off between the top two candidates is due on April 6 if no one wins a majority this weekend. Pellegrini, a former prime minister and member of Fico's leftist, ruling SMER party and now the head of junior coalition partner HLAS, is hoping to duplicate that success. Caputova won the last presidential election in 2019, riding an anti-corruption wave aimed at Fico's party, which was in power then.

Persons: Robert Fico's, Fico's, Peter Pellegrini, Zuzana Caputova, Fico, Pellegrini, HLAS, Ivan Korcok, Caputova, Korcok, Jason Hovet, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Reuters, Ukraine, EU, Constitutional, RTVS Locations: Ukraine, Moscow, Russian, Kyiv, Prague

☆ New Slovak government rejects final military aid package for Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Then designated Prime Minister Robert Fico walks on the day of the new cabinet's inauguration at the Presidential Palace in Bratislava, Slovakia, October 25, 2023. Fico's government rejected the package at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, according to the government's website. Fico ran a campaign criticising Western military support for Ukraine and sanctions on Russia, and backs pushing for peace talks, a line similar to Hungary's leader Viktor Orban but rejected by Kyiv. Slovakia, which shares a border with Ukraine in its east, had sent military aid in 13 packages and worth 671 million euros to Kyiv since Russia's attack in February 2022 before Fico's appointment. Diplomats have said army stocks have been largely depleted so a halt in official military aid may have limited impact.

Persons: Robert Fico, Radovan Stoklasa, Fico's, Fico, Viktor Orban, Jason Hovet, Alex Richardson Organizations: REUTERS, NATO, Kyiv, SNS, Diplomats, Thomson Locations: Bratislava, Slovakia, Ukraine, Kyiv, Russian, Russia, Prague

☆ Slovakia's Fico appointed prime minister for fourth time
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Slovakia's designated Prime Minister Robert Fico and Slovakia's President Zuzana Caputova attend the new cabinet's inauguration, at the Presidential Palace in Bratislava, Slovakia, October 25, 2023. REUTERS/Radovan Stoklasa Acquire Licensing RightsOct 25 (Reuters) - Leftist leader Robert Fico was appointed Slovakia's prime minister on Wednesday for the fourth time, after pledging in his election campaign to end military support for Ukraine and criticising sanctions on Russia. President Zuzana Caputova appointed Fico and his cabinet after his SMER-SSD party won the Sept. 30 election and formed a coalition with the centre-left HLAS and nationalist SNS parties. Fico quit as prime minister in 2018 amid mass public protests against corruption after a journalist was murdered. Both Ukraine and migration may be among topics at an EU summit on Thursday and Friday that Fico will attend.

Persons: Robert Fico, Zuzana Caputova, Radovan Stoklasa, Fico, Viktor Orban, Orban, Jan Lopatka, Toby Chopra, Kevin Liffey Organizations: REUTERS, Ukraine, SNS, EU, NATO, Thomson Locations: Bratislava, Slovakia, Russia, Ukraine, U.S, Europe, Brussels, United States, Prague

☆ Slovakia's populist ex-PM Fico seals coalition deal for new government
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Jason Hovet | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SMER-SSD party leader Robert Fico arrives to the party's headquarters, after the country's early parliamentary elections, in Bratislava, Slovakia, October 1, 2023. REUTERS/Eva Kornikova/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 16 (Reuters) - Slovak former prime minister Robert Fico and his party signed a coalition deal on Monday to form a new government expected to go slow on cutting high deficits and reduce support to neighbour Ukraine. Fico said his priorities would include boosting living standards and a foreign policy consistent with Slovakia's EU and NATO membership - but focused on protecting national interests. Fico has a tense relationship with Caputova, whom he has called a U.S. puppet acting as U.S. financier and philanthropist George Soros' proxy. Reporting by Jason Hovet in Prague; editing by Alex Richardson, Mark Heinrich and Tomasz JanowskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Robert Fico, Eva Kornikova, Viktor Orban, Zuzana Caputova, Fico, Caputova, George Soros, opposition's, Jason Hovet, Alex Richardson, Mark Heinrich, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: REUTERS, Ukraine, Hungarian, Kyiv, Democracy, Slovak National Party, European Union, NATO, EU, Thomson Locations: Bratislava, Slovakia, Slovak, Ukraine, Fico, U.S, Poland, Prague

☆ Slovakia's SMER Party to Sign Agreement on Forming New Government on Monday
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

(Reuters) - Slovakia's former Prime Minister Robert Fico and his SMER-SSD party will sign a coalition agreement to form a new government with the centre-left HLAS and nationalist SNS parties on Monday, SMER said. Fico, a three-time prime minister, won an election on Sept. 30 with pledges to halt military aid to Ukraine and criticism of sanctions on Russia. He struck a deal with the coalition parties last week and is expected to lead a new government. The coalition agreement was set to be signed at 1 p.m. (1100 GMT). The parties are seeking to have an administration in place ahead of a European Union summit on Oct. 26-27 where Ukraine will be high on the agenda.

Persons: Robert Fico, SMER, Jason Hovet, Alex Richardson Organizations: Reuters, SNS Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Prague

☆ Slovakia's SMER party to sign agreement on forming new government on Monday
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SMER-SSD party leader Robert Fico arrives to the party's headquarters, after the country's early parliamentary elections, in Bratislava, Slovakia, October 1, 2023. REUTERS/Eva Kornikova/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 16 (Reuters) - Slovakia's former Prime Minister Robert Fico and his SMER-SSD party will sign a coalition agreement to form a new government with the centre-left HLAS and nationalist SNS parties on Monday, SMER said. Fico, a three-time prime minister, won an election on Sept. 30 with pledges to halt military aid to Ukraine and criticism of sanctions on Russia. He struck a deal with the coalition parties last week and is expected to lead a new government. The coalition agreement was set to be signed at 1 p.m. (1100 GMT).

Persons: Robert Fico, Eva Kornikova, SMER, Jason Hovet, Alex Richardson Organizations: REUTERS, SNS, Thomson Locations: Bratislava, Slovakia, Ukraine, Russia, Prague

☆ Slovakia's Fico strikes deal on coalition after election win
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Jan Lopatka | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A Fico-led government would move Slovakia closer to Hungary at a time when the European Union and other Western countries have tried to keep unity on support for Ukraine. The memorandum did not specify any foreign policy details. He has not been specific on commercial supplies from the country's defence industry which include ammunition and heavy equipment makers. Prior to the election, also said he wanted to re-negotiate a defence cooperation treaty with Washington. Reporting by Jan Lopatka and Jason Hovet in Prague; Editing by Emelia Sithole-MatariseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Robert Fico, Zuzana Caputova, Radovan Stoklasa, Fico, Viktor Orban, Jan Lopatka, Jason Hovet, Emelia Sithole Organizations: REUTERS, EU's, Ukraine Coalition, Ukraine, Democracy, European Union, Justice, SNS, NATO, Washington, EU, Hungarian, Diplomats, Thomson Locations: Bratislava, Slovakia, Ukraine, Russia, Hungary, Slovak Republic, Prague

[1/2] SMER-SSD party leader Robert Fico arrives to the party's headquarters after the country's early parliamentary elections, in Bratislava, Slovakia, October 1, 2023. Caputova, a liberal who has a tense relationship with Fico, a three-time former prime minister, will first make a 2 p.m. statement on the election outcome. Fico and his SMER-SSD party won nearly 23% of the vote on Saturday, ahead of liberal challenger Progresivne Slovensko (Progressive Slovakia, PS) with 18%. HLAS, led by Fico's former colleague and prime minister Peter Pellegrini, could also support a potential PS-led coalition if negotiations with SMER fail. Fico's pledge, however, may have limited practical impact as analysts say Slovakia has already provided much of what it could spare.

Persons: Robert Fico, Radovan Stoklasa, Fico, Zuzana Caputova, Progresivne Slovensko, Fico's, Peter Pellegrini, Reuters Graphics Fico, Viktor Orban, Pellegrini, Jason Hovet, Jan Lopatka, Andrew Heavens, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: REUTERS, Ukraine Won, Russian Slovak National Party, SNS, SMER, Reuters Graphics, European Union, Russia's, Hungarian, Law and Justice, Brussels, NATO, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Bratislava, Slovakia, Ukraine, Progressive Slovakia, SMER, Russian, Hungary, European, Russia, Europe, Slovak

BUDAPEST/PRAGUE, Oct 2 (Reuters) - Robert Fico's election win in Slovakia after he had campaigned to end military aid to Ukraine shows creeping discontent in Central Europe over the war with Russia, but analysts do not expect a major policy turn-around by Bratislava or Warsaw. Fico's victory in Saturday's election prompted concerns that his new government would see NATO-member Slovakia joining Hungary in challenging the European Union's consensus on support for Ukraine. However, analysts do not see a big policy switch regarding Ukraine in Slovakia and Poland. MODERATING EFFECTIn Slovakia, Fico's SMER-SSD party won the election with 23% of the vote. "The bigger challenges are not Slovakia, or Hungary but the U.S. election cycle and the impact that has on support for Ukraine."

Persons: Robert Fico's, Fico, Viktor Orban, Roger Hilton, Fico's, Peter Pellegrini, Samuel Abraham, Robert Fico, Zuzana Caputova, Radovan Stoklasa, Pellegrini, Abraham, legitimise, Orban, Mujtaba Rahman, Rahman, Krisztina, Jan Lopatka, Angus MacSwan Organizations: NATO, SNS, Republika, REUTERS, EU, Russia, Ukraine, Reuters, Eurasia, Thomson Locations: BUDAPEST, PRAGUE, Slovakia, Ukraine, Central Europe, Russia, Bratislava, Warsaw, Hungary, Russian Poland, Saturday's, Poland, GLOBSEC, SMER, Brussels, Budapest, Kyiv, Europe, Prague

According to preliminary results released by Slovakia’s Statistical Office at 6 a.m. local time, Robert Fico’s populist SMER party won 23.3% of the vote. While in opposition, Fico became a close ally of Hungary’s Prime Minister Victor Orban, especially when it came to criticism of the European Union. Fico previously served as Slovakia’s prime minister for more than a decade, first between 2006 and 2010 and then again from 2012 to 2018. Kuciak reported on corruption among the country’s elite, including people directly connected to Fico and his party SMER. In the Czech Republic, which used to form one country with Slovakia, 71% of people blame Russia for the war.

Persons: Robert Fico’s, Fico, upend, Peter Pellegrini, Hlas, ”, Pellegrini, Slovakia “, “, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Victor Orban, Orban, Jan Kuciak, Martina Kušnírová, Kuciak, Věra Jourová, GlobSec, – Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, NATO, Slovakia’s, SMER, Progressive, Ukrainian, Ukraine, European Union, Russia, Hungary’s, European, Justice, Kyiv Locations: Slovakia, Ukraine, Progressive Slovakia, Slovak, Kyiv, Brussels, Russia, Bratislava, Baltic, Czech Republic, States

☆ Slovak Party PS Says It Will Still Try to Form Coalition After Fico Win
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

BRATISLAVA (Reuters) - Liberal party Progresivne Slovensko (Progressive Slovakia, PS), which won the second highest number of votes in a Slovak parliamentary election, still sees an option to form a ruling coalition, its leader Michal Simecka said on Sunday. Simecka, speaking after the Saturday election, said PS would do what it can to prevent vote winner SMER-SSD from forming a government. "SMER-SSD won the election, we of course respect that," Simecka told a news conference. And it would be even worse news if Robert Fico succeeds in forming a government,” he added. "We will do everything...so that Robert Fico does not rule in Slovakia."

Persons: Progresivne Slovensko, Michal Simecka, Robert Fico, Simecka, ”, SMER, HLAS, Jan Lopatka, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Liberal Locations: BRATISLAVA, Progressive Slovakia, Ukraine, Slovakia

☆ Slovak party PS says it will still try to form coalition after Fico win
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRATISLAVA, Oct 1 (Reuters) - Liberal party Progresivne Slovensko (Progressive Slovakia, PS), which won the second highest number of votes in a Slovak parliamentary election, still sees an option to form a ruling coalition, its leader Michal Simecka said on Sunday. Simecka, speaking after the Saturday election, said PS would do what it can to prevent vote winner SMER-SSD from forming a government. "SMER-SSD won the election, we of course respect that," Simecka told a news conference. And it would be even worse news if Robert Fico succeeds in forming a government,” he added. "We will do everything...so that Robert Fico does not rule in Slovakia."

Persons: Progresivne Slovensko, Michal Simecka, Robert Fico, Simecka, ”, SMER, HLAS, Jan Lopatka, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Liberal, Thomson Locations: BRATISLAVA, Progressive Slovakia, Ukraine, Slovakia

☆ Pro-Russian ex-PM Fico wins Slovak election, needs allies for government
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Robert Fico, former Slovak prime minister and lead candidate of the SMER political party, arrives at SMER headquarters at the Slovak parliamentary elections on September 30, 2023 in Bratislava, Slovakia. Slovakia's leftist former Prime Minister Robert Fico beat his progressive rival in a parliamentary election after campaigning to end military aid to Ukraine, but he will need to win over allies to form the next government, nearly complete results showed on Sunday. With 98% of voting districts reporting in the Saturday election, Fico's SMER-SSD party led with 23.37% of the vote. Former Fico colleague and leftist HLAS leader Peter Pellegrini kept his options open on future coalitions. It would also signal a further shift in the region against political liberalism, which may be reinforced if conservative PiS wins an election in Poland later this month.

Persons: Robert Fico, Fico's, Peter Pellegrini, Fico, Robert Kalinak Organizations: Slovak, Progressive, NATO, Ukraine Locations: Slovak, Bratislava, Slovakia, Ukraine, Progressive Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Brussels

☆ Slovakia's election could turn Ukraine's stanchest supporter into a Kremlin ally
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The frontrunner, former Prime Minister Robert Fico, has made no secret of his affinity for the Kremlin during the election campaign. Fico’s left-wing populist SMER party has been leading for months, although opinion polls published earlier this week showed SMER neck-and-neck with the Progressive Slovakia (PS) party. “The approach to Russian war in Ukraine is a divisive line (in the election),” she said. It is also far from certain that the leader of the biggest party will become the prime minister. While in opposition, Fico has also become a close ally of Hungary’s Prime Minister Victor Orban, especially when it comes to criticism of the European Union.

Persons: Robert Fico, Slovakia’s, Zuzana Čaputová, Fico’s, Michal Šimečka, Věra Jourová, ”, Peter Pellegrini, Pellegrini, Fico, Ján Kuciak, Martina Kušnírová, Russia ”, OLaNO, Kyiv’s, “, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Victor Orban, Orban Organizations: CNN, European Union, Kremlin, NATO, Progressive, EU, Kyiv, West ., “, Coalition, Republika, Russia, ”, and Solidarity Party, Independent, Ukraine Fico, Hungary’s, Justice Locations: Ukraine, NATO, American, Progressive Slovakia, Slovakia, “ Slovakia, Russia, Russian, Brussels

☆ Slovaks choose between pro-Russian ex-PM Fico and pro-Western liberals
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Jan Lopatka | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BRATISLAVA, Sept 30 (Reuters) - Slovaks were voting on Saturday in a parliamentary election closely fought between former leftist prime minister Robert Fico, who has pledged to end military aid for neighbouring Ukraine, and pro-Western liberals. He has kept his options open but said this week his party was closer to Fico. Fico has ridden on dissatisfaction with a bickering centre-right coalition whose government collapsed last year, triggering this election a half-year early. Fico has pledged to end military supplies to Ukraine, and to strive for peace talks. But Fico was also a pragmatic leader in the past, which foreign diplomats and analysts say could tame his foreign policy turn.

Persons: Robert Fico, Fico, Fico's, Michal Simecka, Peter Pellegrini, Michal Vasecka, Viktor Orban, Jan Lopatka, David W, Cerny, Peter Graff Organizations: Ukraine, Democracy, European, Thomson Locations: BRATISLAVA, Ukraine, Slovakia, Hungary, European, Poland, Progressive Slovakia, Russia, Brussels, Prague, Bratislava

☆ Knife-edge Slovak election to determine stance on Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Jan Lopatka | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Robert Fico, leader of the SMER-SSD party, Michal Simecka, leader of Progressive Slovakia party, and Peter Pellegrini, leader of HLAS party await for the televised debate to begin at TV TA3, prior to the Slovak early parliamentary election, in Bratislava, Slovakia, September 26, 2023. Fico's SMER-SSD party has a narrow lead over liberal Progressive Slovakia (PS), which has pledged to stay the course on foreign policy, in two out of four final opinion polls. Such an alliance may be reinforced if Poland's conservative PiS wins another term in October, although PiS has a hawkish view on Russia. The leading Slovak party is expected to get the first chance from liberal President Zuzana Caputova to form a cabinet. "He will stop the weapons (for Ukraine), that is what he gains support on."

Persons: Robert Fico, Michal Simecka, Peter Pellegrini, HLAS, Radovan Stoklasa, Fico's, Viktor Orban, PiS, Zuzana Caputova, Fico, Grigorij Meseznikov, Orban, embolden, Jan Lopatka, Christina Fincher Organizations: Progressive, REUTERS, EU, Reuters, NATO, Oxford, Thomson Locations: Progressive Slovakia, Bratislava, Slovakia, Ukraine, Russia, UKRAINE, Brussels, Hungary, Europe, Czech Republic, Poland, EU, Prague

☆ New studies shed light on how genes might shape a person’s experience with Covid-19
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

New research is exploring another dimension to the puzzle of how people experience this infection: genes. Hollenbach says it’s the job of HLA molecules to present pieces of proteins to the immune system so they can be recognized if they’re ever encountered again. The researchers then took a closer look at this group to see if there were any similarities in the genes that coded for their HLA molecules, and there were. So folks with these HLA molecules likely already had some preexisting immunity against SARS-CoV2 and were able to clear the virus before it caused symptoms, Hollenbach said. Genes, Zeberg said, are likely only one part of reason why someone develops long Covid, and there are probably a slew of genes involved.

Persons: Covid, ”, Jill Hollenbach, Hollenbach, they’re, “, ” Hollenbach, they’d, it’s, Gene, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, Hugo Zeberg, Zeberg Organizations: CNN, University of California, San Francisco’s Weill, for Neurosciences, Karolinska Institute, Get CNN, CNN Health, Karolinska . Genes Locations: San, Stockholm, FOXP4

☆ Slovak prime minister starts new pro-Western party for Sept election
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 7 (Reuters) - Slovak caretaker Prime Minister Eduard Heger launched a new pro-Western, liberal centrist party named the Democrats on Tuesday to run in a September election called after his coalition fell from power last year. Heger said pro-Western democratic values and aid to neighbouring Ukraine were the cornerstones of his agenda. Heger said he would not cooperate with far-right nationalists, like Fico's Smer (Direction) nor the Hlas (Voice) party, which itself split from Smer on a more pro-Western platform and now leads opinion polls. Four ministers from the current government, including Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad, have joined Heger's new outfit. Under Heger's leadership, Slovakia shipped military equipment to Ukraine including the S-300 air defence system, and allowed hundreds of thousands refugees across the border after Russia's invasion of Ukraine started in February 2024.

President Caputova will dismiss the cabinet but ask it to stay on until she at some point appoints a new one. SaS joined a leftist opposition party in bringing the no-confidence vote, accusing the government of not helping people cope with the higher energy costs. The political clash has prevented support for Heger's 2023 budget plan, which includes spending to offset energy prices. Sulik told a televised briefing SaS wanted to back the creation of a new government and did not support calling early elections. The poll-leading opposition party Hlas, though, called early elections the only option.

Search resuls for: "HLAS"

19 mentions found