Slovakia Today, English Language Current Affairs Programme from Slovak Radio

In her show, Patrícia Polakovičová introduces a new album bringing together renowned Slovak poet Ivan Štrpka and Altar Quartet. She also looks back at the 36th Days of ÚĽUV Craftsmen in Bratislava, which this year highlighted wirecraft, its history and its place on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Although the topic of Roma education has resonated in debates for many years, little attention is paid to the key actors in education – teachers. in this episode we are going to take a closer look at the conditions and struggles the teachers have to face in the marginalized communities in Slovakia and last but not least, their well-being as the SAV project tells us. We are going to be talking to the representatives from Centre of Social and Psychological Sciences in Košice who conducted the project and the director of desegregated elementary school Alma in Zvolen.

At the end of October, Slovakia will go to the polls to vote in Local and Regional Elections. In the first of a series of shows about the upcoming elections Ben Pascoe meets 2 of the candidtates for Mayor of Bratislava, incumbent Matus Vallo and candidate Martin Winkler.

On the occasion of the 280th anniversary of the birth of Móric Beňovský, we explore the extraordinary life of the 18th-century soldier, traveller and author who journeyed from Central Europe to Kamchatka, across the Pacific and eventually to Madagascar, where he claimed the title of “Ampansakabé,” or “King of Kings.” How much of his remarkable story is historical fact, and how much is legend? What do his memoirs reveal — and conceal — about the man behind the myth? We discuss Beňovský’s life, ambitions, expeditions to Madagascar, colonial context and enduring place in Slovak history with Miroslav Musil, diplomat, historian, author and traveller, who has spent decades researching Beňovský and following his footsteps around the world.

A recap of the past week in Slovakia and a look back at some of our recent reports.

In this Friday show, we are bringing an extensive report from the 21st International Film Festival Cinematik with the focus on premiers of internationally acclaimed Slovak films and films shot in Slovak co-production. "Lover, not a fighter", "If pigeons turned to gold" or "Becoming Emma" among them. Culture tips invite to several festivals in Slovakia and a few shows abroad.

What do the latest PISA results reveal about the skills of Slovak students? The OECD’s 2025 assessment points to some stabilisation, but also persistent challenges in reading, mathematics and inequalities linked to students’ backgrounds. Slovakia’s Education Minister Tomáš Drucker discusses the results, the impact of the digital world and how ongoing education reforms aim to respond.

Extreme heat is becoming an economic challenge for Slovak businesses, affecting productivity, revenues and the everyday operation of companies. Looking back at the summer of 2026, Vladimir Otrachshenko from the National Bank of Slovakia explains which sectors are most vulnerable to rising temperatures and why investing in adaptation could help firms reduce future losses.

This week the 21st Fjuzn Festival kicks off in Bratislava. Fjuzn is unique and is the largest multi-genre and multicultural event focused on migration and foreigners in Slovakia with national and international significance. Ben Pascoe sat down with one of the organizers, Veronika Fishbone Vlčková, to find out more about this year's festival.

In honour of the special day in Slovakia, we take a look back at some interviews explaining where this tradition comes from and why it is celebrated here.

The fourth edition of our summer series HerStories from the Capital: Remarkable Women of Bratislava brings together three women whose lives took very different paths, yet each left a lasting mark in our Capital. Bratislava tour guides Ľubomíra Černáková and Katarína Blšták Čatlošová introduce us to Helena Turcerová Devečková, a pioneering scholar, author and translator; Zdenka (Cecília) Schelingová, a religious sister who became a symbol of courage and resistance under the communist regime; and Erna Masarovičová, an influential sculptor who challenged the conventions of a male-dominated art world.

As always, the programme concludes with a new edition of our language corner, Slovak Sound Check.