About: Slovak Presidency Archives

In a gesture illustrating the concept of “flexible solidarity”, Slovakia announced that it will offer 550 state scholarships to young people that will be able to come to Slovakia to study in its universities, but it will not grant them asylum.

The Slovak parliament today voted today (21 September) to ratify the Paris Agreement, the landmark international treaty in the fight against climate change. After France, Hungary and Austria, Slovakia, who holds the rotating presidency of the EU, is the fourth country to ratify the deal.

The European Union's 28 member states yesterday (20 September) accepted Bosnia and Herzegovina's membership application and ordered the Commission to prepare an assessment of the Balkan country's readiness to join the bloc.

The Bratislava summit marks a turning point in the evolution of the EU’s response to the migration crisis, as Germany and other Western nations appeared to accept the Visegrad Group's alternative to relocation and migrant quotas, called "flexible solidarity”.

Ukraine is doing less than Russia to meet its obligations under the Minsk peace plan, Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Saturday (17 September), stepping up calls for the European Union to end sanctions against Moscow.

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi stepped up his attacks against other European Union leaders yesterday (18 September) after an EU summit in Bratislava which he said amounted to no more than "a nice cruise on the Danube."

The Bratislava summit, which ended on Friday (16 September), was supposed to focus on security and border control as well as other consensual issues following Britain's decision to leave the European Union.

Speaking to journalists at the start of the Bratislava summit today (16 September), Parliament President Martin Schulz admitted that the system of relocating refugees based on mandatory quotas isn't working, and that the Visegrad group is expected to table an alternative proposal.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov has slammed the EU for lack of solidarity and said he will request leaders at tomorrow’s EU summit in Bratislava for the immediate release of €160 million of aid for strengthening the country’s borders.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker kicked off his State of the European Union address at the European Parliament at 9am today (14 Wednesday). EURACTIV's live feed brought breaking news, live video and analysis of the speech.

In his invitation letter for the 16 September Bratislava summit, European Council President Donald Tusk made reference to The Leopard, the famous novel which describes the 19-century crisis of the Italian nobility, known for the famous sentence "everything needs to change, so everything can stay the same".

Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker told Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov in a letter seen by EURACTIV that he is aware of the “fragile situation” of the country and that considerable support for the consolidation of the country’s border will be made available.

On top of delivering his State of the Union address at the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday (14 September), the European Commission chief will this week field questions from bloggers ahead of the EU’s first 27-state post-Brexit summit. EURACTIV France reports.

The Slovak ambassador to Belgium told an audience today (7 September) that older EU members shouldn’t “miss the opportunity” to listen the messages of the Visegrad Group (V4) at the forthcoming Bratislava summit on the future of the EU after Brexit.

Four eastern European countries will stake out a joint position at next week's  Bratislava summit on the EU's post-Brexit future, Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydło said yesterday (6 September).

The Bratislava summit on 16 September will launch a reflection on what needs to be done to overcome the problems the EU faces, which could result in a clearer vision to be formulated in March 2017 - the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Rome Treaty - the Slovak Presidency said.

The creation of a “European army” has appeared to some politicians as a realistic possibility, now that the UK can't obstruct such a goal. Big statements have been made at high levels, but analysts question the substance behind the rhetoric. The EURACTIV network reports.

The informal Bratislava summit of the 27 heads of state and government of the post-Brexit EU will focus mostly on the internal and external security, a high-level diplomat told Brussels journalist today (2 September).

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who had dinner with Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday (25 August), has lobbied for Russian support for his Minister of Foreign Affairs, Miroslav Lajcak, to become the next UN Secretary-General.

At a meeting of socialist leaders yesterday (25 August), French President François Hollande pleaded against the rise of populism. He also announced his participation in another summit of the EU’s southern countries in Athens, on 9 September. EURACTIV France reports.

European Council President Donald Tusk met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel over dinner in Berlin yesterday (18 August). This is a first step in a series of trips to EU countries in preparation for the 16 September Bratislava informal summit on the future of the EU, following Brexit.

Five members of Slovakia's junior coalition party, Siet, quit the party yesterday (16 August), but they said they would continue to support the ruling coalition led by Prime Minister Robert Fico, the faction said in a statement.nt.

The European Union can no longer look at data protection with the presumption of guilt but must be flexible and fast in responding  to deficiencies, while managing responses based on hard data and analysis, not on emotions stimulated by politicians, Slovakia's deputy prime minister said in an interview with EURACTIV Slovakia.

Britain wants a bespoke model for its future ties with the European Union, Prime Minister Theresa May said on Thursday (28 July), adding that its exit deal must address British voters' concerns over immigration.