Slovak Spectator

Chinese e-commerce orders to Slovakia fall sharply after new EU customs duty
The €3 fee on low-value consignments is already changing shopping patterns in the country.

Weekend: Festivities and fairs you don't want to miss
Here's what to do during the weekend of 18-20 September.

3 free things to do in Bratislava in the next seven days
Enjoy an evening of choral music and film or a multicultural picnic in Prügerka.

News digest: Pellegrini speaks, politicians pick sides
A mystery Danube pontoon, Slovakia’s sweet Scandinavian success, and a Rusyn village with its own piroh.

Bosch to close plant near Bratislava, move work to Serbia
The Bernolákovo factory employs 148 people and will wind down production by March 2027.

Fjúžn is about to begin. Its organiser is still waiting for public money (+ programme)
The festival, focused on migration and Slovakia’s foreign communities, runs from 19 to 30 September.

Stained glass from former Slovak churches in US returns to Slovakia
The 120-year-old windows are now part of a memorial to Slovaks who emigrated to America.

Nippon Steel to spend €900 million modernising Košice steelworks
The investment includes a new electric furnace, while up to €350 million will come from the EU Modernisation Fund.

Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners
Celebrate diversity at the [fjúžn] festival, head to the Good Market and become a scientist for a day.

Arms group paid Kaliňák’s company. Its firms later landed major defence deals
CSG says payments continued after Kaliňák became defence minister, but covered earlier work. He rejects any conflict of interest.

Slovakia’s post-1989 founders face the hardest business decision
Entrepreneurs have to navigate the potentially tricky issue of family succession.

An American came to Slovakia to understand its democracy. What he found surprised him
Jeff Lugowe spent weeks travelling around Slovakia for his podcast, discovering a country he found both inspiring and alarming.

Foreigners prosecuted in Slovakia fall for second year
The number dropped to 1,152 in 2025, with Ukrainians, Czechs and Hungarians the largest groups.

A new pontoon appeared on the Danube. Bratislava wasn’t told
The pontoon is one of 10 Danube mooring sites leased without a public competition to a company owned by the daughters of a governing Smer party MP.

The Slovak American ballplayer who helped topple the race barrier
George Shuba could not care less if his teammate “was Technicolour”.

From The NeverEnding Story to Shrek: The films that defined childhood of Slovaks
The 1984 fantasy classic leads a nostalgic top 10 that also includes Harry Potter, Shrek, Home Alone and The Lion King.

News digest: Why €2 diesel is hard to stop
Fico’s coalition troubles flare up, Slovak radars could head to NATO’s eastern flank, Šaštín marks a feast that is not a day off this year.

This Rusyn village has its own piroh. Local children learn the recipe at school
The speciality from Kamienka attracts visitors from abroad, although residents rank another dish higher.

Deep crack tears through new cycle path in eastern Slovakia
The town and contractor disagree over who is responsible for the damage.

A Slovak factory makes millions in sweets. Scandinavia eats most of them
Cloetta’s largest plant recorded €116 million in sales last year while its profit nearly tripled.