News from Slovakia
Smer MP files complaint against Mikloš for travel agency ad
The Slovak Spectator - 12 Nov 10 kl. 10:00Opposition Smer MP Renáta Zmajkovičová, the chair of parliament's conflicts of interest committee, on Thursday, November 11, filed a complaint regarding Finance Minister Ivan Mikloš (Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ)) for allegedly promoting the business activities of Bratislava-based travel agency Bubo, is what she said was a violation of a constitutional law.
Krajcer: Public officials' right to reply will be restricted
The Slovak Spectator - 12 Nov 10 kl. 10:00A new amendment to the Press Code will restrict public officials' right to reply as currently defined by the law, said Culture Minister Daniel Krajcer (Freedom and Solidarity (SaS)) at a press conference on Thursday, November 11.
Coalition talks on general prosecutor candidates continue today
The Slovak Spectator - 12 Nov 10 kl. 10:00Negotiations between representatives of the four governing coalition parties – the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ), the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH), Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) and Most-Híd – concerning a possible joint candidate for the post of general prosecutor will continue today, Friday, November 12.
Radičová commemorates Veterans Day in USA
The Slovak Spectator - 12 Nov 10 kl. 10:00During her ongoing visit to the United States of America, Slovak Prime Minister Iveta Radičová honoured American war veterans on Veterans Day, November 11, by laying a wreath at the Iwo Jima Memorial near Washington, DC.
Penta purchases majority stake in Dexia Banka Slovensko
The Slovak Spectator - 12 Nov 10 kl. 10:00The Franco-Belgian bank Dexia announced on Thursday, November 11, that it has reached an agreement with Slovakia-based investment group Penta concerning the sale of an 88.71-percent stake in its subsidiary Dexia Banka Slovensko, the TASR newswire wrote.
Expert states that Slovak drug addicts are switching to alcohol
The Slovak Spectator - 11 Nov 10 kl. 14:00Slovakia has a greater problem with alcohol than with narcotics and former drug addicts are tending to switch to alcohol, said a Slovak drug expert, after a report by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction was released, the SITA newswire wrote.
Fico loses libel case against Plus 7 Dní weekly
The Slovak Spectator - 11 Nov 10 kl. 14:00The leader of Slovakia’s largest opposition party, Robert Fico, lost a lawsuit against the publisher of the Plus 7 Dní weekly, the SITA newswire reported, adding that the decision of Bratislava’s Regional Court was delivered to the publisher on November 10. The regional court confirmed a previous ruling made by a district court in March 2009.
Slovak President signs three new laws
The Slovak Spectator - 11 Nov 10 kl. 14:00The Ministries of Culture and Defence will follow new regulations when providing subsidies as of January 1, 2011 as President Ivan Gašparovič signed into law on November 11 a bill enacting new rules for providing subsidies in these fields which parliament had passed at its October session, the SITA newswire reported.
President Christofias of Cyprus visits Slovakia today
The Slovak Spectator - 11 Nov 10 kl. 14:00The President of the Republic of Cyprus, Demetris Christofias, and his wife Elsi are paying an official visit to Slovakia upon the invitation of Slovakia's President Ivan Gašparovič, the SITA newswire wrote.
Cypriot ambassador wants to draw more companies to Slovakia
The Slovak Spectator - 11 Nov 10 kl. 10:00Cyprus is the tenth largest investor in Slovakia but there is still a lot of room for improvements, the Cypriot ambassador to Slovakia, Marios Kountourides, told the TASR newswire on November 10. "I hope that I will act as a catalyst to promote investments in both directions," said Kountourides. The ambassador pointed to the qualified and versatile workforce and a high level of services in Slovakia.
Banská Bystrica regional government holds first electronic procurement auction
The Slovak Spectator - 11 Nov 10 kl. 10:00Banská Bystrica’s regional government held an electronic public procurement auction for the first time in its history this week, the TASR newswire was told by the region’s spokesman, Peter Hajnala, on November 10.
Foreign Affairs Minister Dzurinda plans to replace ambassadors
The Slovak Spectator - 11 Nov 10 kl. 10:00Slovakia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Mikuláš Dzurinda plans to replace four or more ambassadors and the proposal will be discussed by the cabinet on Friday, November 12, said Dzurinda at a news briefing on November 10, the SITA newswire wrote.
Karol Mičieta is chosen as new rector of Comenius University
The Slovak Spectator - 11 Nov 10 kl. 10:00Members of Comenius University's Academic Senate selected the head of the Botany Department, Karol Mičieta, as the university's new rector on November 10, the TASR newswire reported. Picked from among four candidates, Mičieta gathered 39 of 65 votes in the final round of a secret ballot that saw the lowest candidate eliminated after each round. Mičieta will replace František Gahér who served two terms as the university rector.
TV Markíza still most popular channel
The Slovak Spectator - 10 Nov 10 kl. 14:00In the second and third quarter of 2010 the most popular television channel in Slovakia was Markíza TV, according to a national survey carried out by the MEDIAN SK polling agency in a licensed cooperation with Kantar Media between March 29 and September 12, 2010 on a sample of 4137 respondents aged 14 to 79. The MML-TGI (Market & Media & Lifestyle - Target Group Index) survey has been carried out regularly in Slovakia since 1997. 65 TV stations and 4 teletext services were monitored in the third quarter of 2010.
Economy Minister wants state-run companies to disclose managers’ salaries
The Slovak Spectator - 10 Nov 10 kl. 14:00Slovak Economy Minister Juraj Miškov (Freedom and Solidarity (SaS)) wants information about the salaries and bonuses of managers at state-owned or state-co-owned companies to be available to the public, the SITA newswire wrote on November 9.
Slovaks prepared for improved access to information, Wienk tells IT congress
The Slovak Spectator - 10 Nov 10 kl. 14:00Slovak society is ready for a change in attitudes towards access to information, Zuzana Wienk of the political fairness watchdog Fair-Play Alliance said, as quoted by the SITA newswire. Wienk, the alliance’s executive director, announced at the ITAPA 2010 International Congress, a meeting of IT and knowledge-economy representatives held in Bratislava on November 9-10, that information is now available on the internet the moment it emerges, and Slovakia must adapt itself to this trend.
Ruling coalition parties silent on candidates for general prosecutor
The Slovak Spectator - 10 Nov 10 kl. 14:00Each of the four parties which make up the ruling coalition has proposed a candidate for the job of general prosecutor but their names have not been revealed, the Sme daily wrote on Wednesday, November 10.
Expert: Slide in Slovak house prices has halted
The Slovak Spectator - 10 Nov 10 kl. 10:00Even though the Slovak economy is recovering, important international investors have not returned to the real estate market and since 2009 no new significant transactions have been carried out. According to a report by consulting company TPA Horwath looking at the real estate markets in central and eastern Europe, a decrease in demand for residential real estate led to a fall in prices in 2009 and early 2010. The prices of larger, four- and five-bedroom apartments fell the most, TPA Horwath tax adviser Peter Danovský told the SITA newswire.
Third Mochovce reactor to be connected to the power grid in late 2012
The Slovak Spectator - 10 Nov 10 kl. 10:00The third reactor block of the Mochovce Nuclear Power Plant (EMO) should be connected to the power grid on December 30, 2012, the SITA newswire has reported. The block is currently being constructed; the fourth unit will be completed eight months later.
Dzurinda visits Moldova to discuss visas and EU integration
The Slovak Spectator - 10 Nov 10 kl. 10:00Slovak Foreign Minister Mikuláš Dzurinda visited Chisinau, the capital of Moldova, on Tuesday, November 9, for meetings with Moldova’s Prime Minister Vladimir Filat and President Mihai Ghimpu, the SITA newswire wrote.
Prime Minister Radičová meets American investors in New York
The Slovak Spectator - 10 Nov 10 kl. 10:00Slovakia’s attractiveness as a destination for foreign investment was the topic of negotiations between Slovak Prime Minister Iveta Radičová and US entrepreneurs in New York on Tuesday, November 9. Almost 20 representatives of the American investment and financial community, including managers from Morgan Stanley, Honeywell, Elderson Technology Partners, Credit Suisse Securities and Nomura Holding America, were informed about the government's measures to support economic growth and attract foreign investment to the country.
Sailing success of Slovakia
The Slovak Spectator - 09 Nov 10 kl. 14:30Slovakia apparently doesn’t need to have a coast in order to learn how to tame the wild Croatian waves. The Slovak team FYC Slovakia Bank & Sailing Team won this years’ Championship in Croatia, the “Zadarski Cup” 2010, which ended on November 8.
Survey reports that electronics and book e-shops are most attractive to Slovaks
The Slovak Spectator - 09 Nov 10 kl. 14:00Internet-based shops that sell computer equipment, other electronics and books enjoy the most interest among Slovaks, according to the results of the ShopRoku 2010 ('Shop of the Year') survey published on November 8. The second year of the competition was organised by the independent shopping advisor heureka.sk, which approached 30,000 customers between November 2009 and the end of October 2010.
Slovakia has drawn 10.7% of available EU funds halfway through current funding period
The Slovak Spectator - 09 Nov 10 kl. 14:00Slovakia has drawn 10.7 percent of the EU funds that are available in the 2007-2013 programming period as of the end of October, which represents €1.23 billion out of the €11.
Slovak soldiers will take a canine unit to Afghanistan
The Slovak Spectator - 09 Nov 10 kl. 14:00For the first time in its history Slovakia will have dogs in addition to soldiers in its foreign mission. They will be deployed together with military units in one of the key and most challenging missions of ISAF in Afghanistan, the SITA newswire reported.
Fico charges that Dzurinda was the political fixer for a major deal in late 1990s
The Slovak Spectator - 09 Nov 10 kl. 14:00According to Robert Fico, the previous prime minister and leader of the Smer political party, the chairman of the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ), Mikuláš Dzurinda, was the political fixer for a deal concerning the supply of incinerators for municipal waste in Bratislava in the late 1990s, the TASR newswire reported. Fico made the claim based on recordings that were reportedly delivered to Smer headquarters on November 6. Fico put three recordings on playback at a news conference on that day.
Prominent lawyer Ernest Valko found shot dead in his home
The Slovak Spectator - 09 Nov 10 kl. 10:30PROMINENT Slovak attorney Ernest Valko was found shot dead in the late evening of November 8 in his family house in Limbach, near Bratislava. The shooting and death was confirmed by Interior Minister Daniel Lipšic and Police President Jaroslav Spišiak but they refused to provide any further details on the case pending more information becoming available in the ongoing investigation. Motives for the killing are unclear.
Specialised Court gives 5 year sentence for stripping assets of Horizont Slovakia company
The Slovak Spectator - 09 Nov 10 kl. 10:00Slovakia’s Specialised Criminal Court in Pezinok on November 8 sentenced Dávid B. to five years imprisonment, the SITA newswire reported. Together with Jozef Majský and Patrik Pachinger, the accused was convicted of asset stripping involving the unlicensed deposit companies BMG Invest and Horizont Slovakia.
Median SK releases poll showing Smer has support of 36.2 percent of those surveyed
The Slovak Spectator - 09 Nov 10 kl. 10:00The latest poll organised by Median SK released on November 8 shows that the largest opposition party in parliament, Smer, had the support of 36.2 percent of those polled and would have been the top runner if an election had been held in late September or early October, the TASR newswire wrote.
International Women’s Club to host its 20th Christmas Bazaar in Bratislava
The Slovak Spectator - 09 Nov 10 kl. 10:00As has been the tradition for the past 20 years, the International Women's Club (IWC) will host Bratislava's traditional Christmas Bazaar in the city's PKO Culture and Leisure Centre on Sunday, November 21, the TASR newswire wrote.
PM Radičová will return from USA on November 12 and attend cabinet session
The Slovak Spectator - 09 Nov 10 kl. 10:00Prime Minister Iveta Radičová will return from her visit to the United States on the morning of Friday, November 12, and take part in a government session scheduled for later that day, the TASR newswire reported. Due to Radičová's travel the cabinet will not hold its usual Wednesday meeting. The prime minister departed for her first working visit to the US on November 7.
Prominent lawyer killed late on Monday evening November 8
The Slovak Spectator - 09 Nov 10 kl. 08:55Late on Monday night, November 8, prominent lawyer Ernest Valko was killed, Police President Jaroslav Spišiak confirmed to the Sme daily. Valko, who was currently working for the state, was shot dead in his house in Limbach, near Bratislava. The police have not released any further information.
Slovakia’s Ambassador to Norway will attend Nobel Peace Prize ceremony
The Slovak Spectator - 08 Nov 10 kl. 14:00Dušan Rozbora, Slovakia’s Ambassador to Norway, will attend the ceremony at which Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo will be awarded the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize, Slovak Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Ľuboš Schwarzbacher told the TASR newswire on Friday, November 5. The spokesman also confirmed that the Slovak embassy in Oslo received a note from the Chinese embassy on November 4 which asked European countries not to attend the ceremony on December 10.
Mikuláš Dzurinda is re-elected as SDKÚ leader for another four-year term
The Slovak Spectator - 08 Nov 10 kl. 14:00Mikuláš Dzurinda will remain the leader of the largest party in the governing coalition, the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ), for another four-year term, the party’s congress decided in a secret vote in Bratislava on Saturday, November 6, the TASR newswire reported. Dzurinda, who has been heading the party for ten years, faced no rival in the vote even though one delegate at the congress proposed current Prime Minister Iveta Radičová to run for the top post in SDKÚ. Despite being officially obliged to accept such a proposal in order to not violate the provisions of the party statute, she de facto refused to run against Dzurinda.
Hungarian president accepts invitation at V4 summit to visit Slovakia
The Slovak Spectator - 08 Nov 10 kl. 14:00The President of Hungary, Pál Schmitt, has accepted Slovak President Ivan Gašparovič's invitation to visit Slovakia. This was confirmed following their bilateral meeting in Karlovy Vary in the Czech Republic during the Visegrad Group (V4) presidential summit on Friday, November 5, the TASR newswire wrote, adding that the visit to Bratislava should be scheduled for either December or January. The two presidents met for bilateral talks lasting more than an hour even though the meeting was originally scheduled to last only 30 minutes.
Top prosecutor's job still unfilled after two votes
The Slovak Spectator - 08 Nov 10 kl. 00:00PARLIAMENT has still not yet answered the question of who will lead Slovakia’s prosecutor’s office for the next seven years. Indeed, the process by which MPs failed, during votes on November 3 and 4, to reach a decision has demonstrated that finally selecting the country’s next prosecutor general will be no easy undertaking.
[Locked] VOTE: Last election of 2010
The Slovak Spectator - 08 Nov 10 kl. 00:00MUNICIPAL elections at the end of this month will round out Slovakia’s year of multiple elections. The electoral highlight of 2010 was the national parliamentary election held in June. Now, only a little over two months after September’s multi-question referendum was held, Slovak voters will be invited to visit their polling places one last time this year – to elect mayors and representatives in their municipal councils.
Ministry rises from the dead
The Slovak Spectator - 08 Nov 10 kl. 00:00THE STATE is sheltering Slovak households from heftier gas bills – or at least this is what the recent blocking of attempts by Slovakia’s major gas utility to raise its prices suggests. Most recently, the general assembly of Slovenský Plynárenský Priemysel (SPP), in which the state holds a majority stake, turned down a management proposal for a 13.4-percent hike from January 1, 2011.
[Locked] Watchdog wants Trnka out
The Slovak Spectator - 08 Nov 10 kl. 00:00WHILE the position of the ruling coalition parties – and in particular the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ) – on who should be the next general prosecutor has been characterised by disunity and a fair degree of confusion, the attitude of political ethics watchdog Fair-Play Alliance has been clear: the incumbent, Dobroslav Trnka, should be replaced.
[Locked] VOTE: Turnout is forecast to be low
The Slovak Spectator - 08 Nov 10 kl. 00:00FEWER than three in 10 voters say they will certainly cast their votes in the upcoming municipal elections, according to a recent survey conducted by the Focus polling agency in the first half of October 2010. According to observers, the official election campaign, to be launched on November 10, is also not expected to stir voters’ interest.
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