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Slovak Construction Minister is sacked by President Gašparovič On March 11 Slovak President Ivan Gašparovič dismissed Construction and Regional Development Minister Igor Štefanov who had been nominated by the Slovak National Party (SNS) and appointed Education Minister Ján Mikolaj (also from SNS) to lead the ministry until the parliamentary elections on June 12, the TASR newswire wrote. Prime Minister Robert Fico called on Štefanov to step down on March 9 in the wake of an inspection at his ministry that was carried out by the Supreme Audit Office (NKÚ), which cast doubt on the use of around €4 million under the contract awarded after the much-discussed bulletin-board tender at the ministry. 12 Mar 2010

Smer and SNS present their parliamentary election candidate slates The national presidium of the Slovak National Party (SNS) on March 11 approved the 150-member party slate for the general election set for June 12, SNS chairman Ján Slota announced at a press conference on the same day, the TASR newswire reported. 12 Mar 2010

Vienna law firm says Slovakia could lose €216 million in emission quotas deal The emission quotas scandal can drag on and on and without immediate legal steps being taken Slovakia could lose at least €216 million, said Rainer K. Wachter, the director of Vienna branch of the American law firm Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP on March 11, as reported by the TASR newswire. “There is no immediate end in sight for this case ... its duration will directly depend on the course of action Slovakia chooses to employ. We doubt that the (Interblue) company would go out of business without transferring such a lucrative trade on to another legal entity. Hence, there's a great possibility that the Interblue Group Europe or some other subject of law will appear in future and claim a legal succession vis-a-vis the contract on emission quotas sale. It can happen anytime, until these rights lapse,” said Wachter in reaction to the announcement that the new representatives of Interblue Group Europe regard the contract on emission quotas as still in effect, as evidenced by their statements on March 9. According to Wachter, it’s necessary for Slovak authorities to cooperate more closely with American authorities, particularly the FBI and Treasury Secretary, to learn more about the financial flows by scrutinising the way Interblue Group USA was taxed on its profits from the sale. 12 Mar 2010

Bratislava Volkswagen workers go on strike alert demanding a pay raise Workers at automaker Volkswagen in Bratislava announced a strike alert on March 10, calling for the salary raise under the provisions of a collective agreement that expires at the end of March, a unionist said on Thursday as reported by the TASR newswire. “Initially, the company managers didn’t consider a pay raise. Things have been set in motion in that direction,” said the unionist Zoroslav Smolinský to TASR. Volkswagen did not deny the information but added it will not release the results of negotiations with unionists until their completion. 12 Mar 2010

Barbs traded in Slovak parliament after debate on MEP Szegedi’s statements Slovakia’s parliament witnessed a highly excited debate on March 10, fuelled by high passions and vulgarity, which was provoked by the suggestion of the Slovak National Party (SNS) to adopt a resolution condemning statements by Hungarian MEP Csanad Szegedi in the European Parliament about Slovakia, the SITA newswire reported. 11 Mar 2010

Forbes' richest people’s list includes a Slovak-Czech The list of the richest people in the world published on March 10 by US magazine Forbes includes a Slovak with Czech citizenship, Andrej Babiš. He placed 938 with his property assessed at $1 billion, the Sme daily wrote on its website. 11 Mar 2010

Year-on-year inflation remains at historical minimum The year-on-year growth of consumer prices remains at its historically lowest levels, the SITA newswire wrote. According to data from the Slovak Statistics Office, inflation in February was 0.4 percent on an annual basis, which is the same figure as in January. Consumer prices did not change in monthly terms. 11 Mar 2010

Americans want to change Czech and Slovak government tender rules Firms from the United States want to fight against corruption in public tenders in Slovakia and the Czech Republic and the American Chamber of Commerce in the Czech Republic was the first to announce that it plans to prepare an amendment to that country’s public procurement act, the Hospodarske Noviny daily reported. 11 Mar 2010

Minister Štefanov refuses to resign, President will recall him The Slovak National Party (SNS) announced at an extraordinary press conference on March 10 that it has recommended its nominee in the post of Minister of Construction and Regional Development, Igor Štefanov, to not resign despite a call issued by Prime Minister Robert Fico for him to do so, the TASR newswire wrote. Štefanov, who was present at the press conference along with SNS chair Jan Slota and party first vice-chair Anna Belousovová, said that he does not see any reason to resign over issues for which his predecessor was responsible. Fico called on Štefanov to step down over failures that the Supreme Audit Office (NKÚ) discovered in the use of funds spent under the so-called notice-board tender. For more info about the tender and NKÚ inspection, see:NKÚ begins inspection into bulletin-board tender at Slovak Construction Ministry 11 Mar 2010

Hundreds protest against Patriotism Act in Bratislava Approximately 1,000 people, most of them students, gathered outside the Presidential Palace on March 10 to protest against the newly-approved Patriot Act, the TASR newswire wrote. “On behalf of all students, I want to call on President Ivan Gašparovič not to sign the act ... We disagree that a democratic state should force an emotion that ought to be candid and free,” said Robert Mihály of “The Initiative for Transparent Democracy”. Mihaly added that petitions aimed at collecting enough signatures to have a referendum on the legislation will be launched. The president’s spokesman Marek Trubač said that Gašparovič views the event as a natural display of democracy. Education Minister Ján Mikolaj of the Slovak National Party (SNS), which drafted the bill, said that he senses some kind of politicking and manipulation behind the activities of the initiative. Mihály said that the event is purely apolitical. Even though some political parties have approached the organisers of the rally, “we said no to them as we don't want anybody to score political points from this.” TASR 11 Mar 2010

Chinese company plans €29 million investment in Slovakia The Chinese company Guangzhou Echom Science & Technology plans to build a new production plant in the western Slovak town of Nové Mesto nad Váhom. The investment should reach about €29 million, writes the latest issue of the Trend economic weekly, as quoted by the SITA newswire. 11 Mar 2010

Classified data about nuclear power goes against EU rules The Slovak parliament has amended the Environmental Act in response to calls by the European Commission, which threatened Slovakia with cutting the country off from European funds worth €12 billion. Deputies also hastily approved some small amendments that provide that people will not need to be informed about permission granted for construction of a nuclear power plant built close to their homes, according to the Sme daily. 11 Mar 2010

SNS announces Minister Štefanov will not resign from his post Minister of Construction and Regional Development Igor Štefanov (a nominee of the Slovak National Party, SNS) will not resign from his post, his party has declared. He will thus reject a request to this effect made by Prime Minister Robert Fico. 10 Mar 2010

IPI to hold 60th anniversary World Congress in Vienna and Bratislava The International Press Institute (IPI) will hold its annual World Congress in Vienna, Austria, and Bratislava, Slovakia, from 11 to 14 September 2010, the organisation officially announced at the beginning of March. The 2010 World Congress will mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of IPI, and the organisation will celebrate 60 years of defending press freedom in a series of events, culminating in the World Congress in the "twin cities" of Vienna and Bratislava. 10 Mar 2010

IT sector paid best in January, restaurants paid least Employees in Slovakia’s information and communications sector were paid the highest average nominal monthly wage, of €1,530, in January of this year. 10 Mar 2010

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