Archive of articles - July 1997, page 4

The Spotlight

Out of the sewer and through a "sea of troubles," the cast of Stoka Theater asks itself, What next?

"Masochistic exhibitionism," says Stoka actress Erika Fábryová, "that's what it is to be an actor." "Well for me, it's about venting," shoots back actor Laco Kerata. "Venting feelings of love and hate." "It's a magnifying glass," adds another, Imrich Maťo.Leaning forward in a rickety dressing room chair, actor Jozef Chmel ends the discussion: "It's a sacrifice."And a sacrifice it is for the actors of the experimental Stoka Theater in Bratislava. Creating avant-garde performances mostly through improvisation, their style of theater is undermined by classically-trained actors and under-appreciated by the majority of the snobby theater-going public. "Some people like [actress] Zdena Studenková hate us, but only from what they hear about us," Kerata said. "They've never even seen our performances."

Trade deficit for Jan-May reaches 30.1 bn Sk

VW plans to increase production

The SPP-Gazprom Deal

A series of agreements forged between Russian Prime Minister Victor Chernomyrdin and Slovak Premier Vladimír Mečiar in late April 1997 helped secure Slovakia's energy needs for the future. The list of agreements included a "joint venture" between Slovakia's most profitable company in 1996, Slovenský plynárenský priemysel (Slovak Gas Industry or SPP) and the largest Russian company Gazprom.Last year's published figures reveal that SPP - made 13.79 billion SK ($418 million) - in gross profits, while the Russian fuel giant Gazprom contributed more than one quarter of all taxes paid in Russia last year to the state budget.Precise details of the SPP/Gazprom agreement were not published, but Mečiar reported that the deal signed between the two companies regarded the long-term transit and supplies of gas from Russia to Slovakia, and would remain in force until 2008.

STV2 privatization stopped in Parliament

The Movement for a Democratic Slovakia's (HZDS) plans to privatize STV-2 to a company with close party ties suffered a setback, as Parliament on June 26 passed a law halting the privatization of STV2, the second nationwide terrestrial channel of Slovenská Televízia (STV).Out of 135 deputies in the chamber, 75 supported the legal initiative of Milan Ftáčnik, a deputy for the Party of the Democratic Left, who proposed it with a group of opposition deputies. Both junior partners in Vladimír Mečiar's coalition partly supported the bill, as nine deputies from the Association of Slovak Workers (ZRS) and four from the Slovak National Party (SNS) voted in favor of the proposal."For the moment, the HZDS plans are dammed," said Ftáčnik. "The HZDS has learned that narrow partisan interests don't have the green light here and don't enjoy support even within the ruling coalition."

Still waiting for highway and housing money

The government continues to postpone its decision to issue state bonds worth 8 billion Sk to finance highway construction and other development projects planned for the second half of this year, Hospodárske noviny daily reported.One billion of the overall sum is slated for building apartments this year as part of the State Housing Development Fund. The last amendment to the Act on the State Housing Development Fund increased the maximum loan amount the fund can grant for apartment construction. This, however, jacked up the demand for such loans to the extent that now the fund is not likely to have enough money to cover the first half of this year. The government therefore opted to strengthen the fund's resources and approved a government bond issue worth 1 billion, to be issued by the end of July.

Tarpan comes loaded with pleasure

After a day of jumping at the nearby stables with some shiny mares, stop in for a delightful lunch or dinner at the Tarpan. A little difficult to find, but once there, you'll be glad you made the effort.We say it's in Petržalka but actually it's in Ovsište, behind the Ekonomická Univerzita, next to the riding club. To get there turn off the main road on the east side of Petržalka just south of the university, turn immediately right and follow a charming road through the woods. The enjoyment starts just driving up to the restaurant, housed in a beautifully maintained building set against the riding academy.Once inside, the pleasure continues. You are greeted by a delightful host and seated. The decor is wooden with an equestrian theme and spacious high ceilings. The tables are far enough apart that you don't feel you are dining with your neighbor. In the middle, Tarpan has a grill on display from which the smell of sizzling meats and chicken will immediately delight your nose and later your stomach.

Rainbow coalition looking to topple HZDS in '98

Fresh wind stirred the waves in the Slovak political pool at the beginning of June, as two opposition parties, the Social Democratic Party of Slovakia (SDSS) and the Slovak Greens' Party (SZS) abandoned the leftist shallows and swam to the abundant rightist streams. They stated their intention to sign a pre-election pact with three allied parties known as the Blue Coalition - the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH), the Democratic Union (DU) and the Democratic Party (DS).The move's consequences were twofold - a new swimmer that can match the muscle of Prime Minister Vladimír Mečiar's Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) emerged on one end. A washout crawled out on the other, however, since the Party of the Democratic Left (SDĽ) was marooned not only by SDSS and SZS, but also by the Farmers' Movement (HP) which is considering a fusion with the farmers' party within the ruling coalition.

Around Slovakia

13 injured during soccer celebrationAir accident had a happy endingLast to practice dinosaur medicine

Weaker Slovak crown needed to improve current account balance

Slovakia's current account deficit widened to $479 million in the first quarter of 1997 from $420 million in the same period of 1996, and analysts said the situation would not improve without a weaker crown."The trade deficit, which is crucial for the current account figures, could certainly improve with a cheaper crown," Vladimír Kukliš of Československá Obchodní Banka (ČSOB) said. "An immediate small drop [in the crown's value] would be definitely better than a possible steep fall later."But neither the Slovak government nor the National Bank of Slovakia (NBS) is buying the argument. On June 9, Prime Minister Vladimír Mečiar said Slovakia is not considering any administrative devaluation of its currency. "Despite everything we've heard from abroad, we are neither planning nor considering a devaluation of the crown," the economic daily Národná Obroda quoted Mečiar as saying.

1Q GDP growth at 5.1 %

Hard currency reserves stabilized

Broken Slovnaft monopoly paves way for foreign gas stations

Gates were opened for foreign companies looking to invest in Slovakia's gas station market when the Anti-Monopoly Office ruled in May 1995 that Slovnaft, which purchased a 51 percent share of Benzinol earlier that year seizing 80 percent of the market in 1995, could only have a 50 percent share by the end of 2000.As a result new gas stations have been springing up but Slovnaft still dominates construction and operation of gas stations in the country. At the end of 1996 there were 480 gas stations in Slovakia. Slovnaft owned 105 of them with another 204 chipped in by Benzinol. This total, 309 gas stations, makes up 64 percent of the market.Responding to the ruling by the Anti-Monopoly Office, Slovnaft is looking abroad for new markets. "Slovnaft will look and will build new gas stations in surrounding countries, so it can export fuel to them," said Ľubomír Žitňan Slovnaft's spokesman. Slovnaft already has 19 gas stations in the Czech Republic and 2 in Ukraine.

Getting energy from Russia has pros, cons

Slovak and Russian government officials believe the rcent joint venture concluded between Slovenský Plynárenský Priemysel (SPP) and Gazprom on April 24 is a perfect match between two gas companies that have worked together in the past and can now look forward to favorable cooperation.But to some critics, the deal (see article on page 9) looks more like Slovakia swallowing unfavorable conditions that Russia has demanded, making the country dependant on Russia for economic prosperity.The Gazprom-SPP deal is the latest in a series of agreements between Russia and Slovakia that commits the latter to buy all of its natural gas, oil and nuclear fuel from the former. The recent debate about the pros and cons of Slovakia's energy policy can be cast in the form of three questions.

Unemployment drops in May

Poľnobanka distributes dividends

Matador sold 69.7 percent stake

Čadca, Kysuce's industrial heart, was hit hard by 1920's layoffs

Five valleys, the Javorníky and Beskydy mountain ranges, and the Kysuca and Čierňanka rivers all converge in one place - the town of Čadca.Because of its geographical position, Čadca is both a starting and ending point for tourists traversing the Kysuce region. It is situated on the international Bohumín (Czech Republic)- Žilina rail line, and the highway being built to connect Slovakia with Poland leads through the town.The first recorded mention of the town dates to 1572, when the rulers of Strečno and Budatín began to urge migrating Wallachians to settle on their land.Čadca was one in the most industrialized towns of the Kysuce region before World War I, but economic and social conditions were so bad that poverty reached a catastrophic level. The Čadca Textile Works, employing 500 workers during the war, had to shut down in 1922.