Archive of articles - October 1998, page 6

Theatre festival depends on foreign funds

One of Slovakia's most famous theatre festivals, Divadelná Nitra, opens from October 2 to 8, no thanks to the Ministry of Culture. All of the money donated to the festival has come from foreign cultural institutions and sponsors, and festival organisers say that without such support, it would not be able to survive."The Ministry gives little money to Slovak theatres, so they find it difficult to survive," said Darina Kárová, Divadelná Nitra's director . "The Ministry's explanation is that 'we decide who to support,' which is ridiculous when [Culture Minister Ivan] Hudec and [Premier Vladimír] Mečiar spend millions of crowns on inviting world movie stars [to support the campaign of the HZDS party]."

Ecological investment in Kovohuty almost finished

Engineering firm SES Tlmače expects to exceed last year's profit

Election polls wide of mark

At 17:00 on September 26, a preliminary 'exit' poll forecasting election results gave the opposition SDK party over 30% of votes and the ruling HZDS party of Premier Vladimír Mečiar less than 23%. But the roar of exultation from SDK delegates that greeted this news, and the boisterous celebration that followed it, turned out to have been premature - the final results actually gave the HZDS a narrow margin of victory over the SDK."The SDK was a little bit too early with its reaction," agreed Milan Ftáčnik, a deputy withtheformer communist SDĽ party, which also saw its final tally fall 3% below exit poll predictions )

What's Happening in Bratislava

Slovak corruption soars

Disunity of fiscal and monetary policy hurts Slovakia

Shares of VÚB and Banka Slovakia returned to FNM

The bank watch of the National Bank of Slovakia (NBS) slapped the Slovak Insurance Company (Slovenská poisťovňa, SP) a.s. Bratislava with a fine of 500,000 Sk ($14,286) for having acquired a large amount of shares in two banks without the consent of the NBS.The shares were transfered to the SP in the Centre for Securities by the state privatisation agency, the National Property Fund (Fond národného majetku, FNM) in so-called repo trades (buy-back agreements), through which the FNM obtained money from SP to improve its liquidity.Approximately 16% of shares of the General Credit Bank (Všeobecná Úverová banka, VÚB) a.s. Bratislava thus ended up in SP's account, as well as more than 60% of the shares of Banka Slovakia a.s. Banská Bystrica from the portfolio of the FNM.

Bratislava gets new ticket machines

Monetary policy must stay tight

Foreign firms paid for Slovak visits of stars

The six international show-biz stars who came to Slovakia in September to support Premier Vladimír Mečiar and his HZDS party were not bought with Slovak money alone.French corporate 'sponsors' of Mečiar's government were behind the visits of German supermodel Claudia Schiffer, actors Gérard Depardieu and Ornella Muti and race driver Paul Belmondo, according to Jean-Daniel Angibaud, the Bratislava-based French entrepreneur who arranged every visit.In an interview with The Slovak Spectator, Angibaud said that through his company Léa Productions, private companies "gave me the responsibility of promoting the image of Slovakia.

Privatisation moratorium demanded

The Slovak Democratic Coalition, which emerged as the strongest opposition party from weekend's general elections and that is likely to lead talks on forming a new government, called on the outgoing cabinet of Premier Vladimír Mečiar not to proceed with privatisation process."We call on the government not to take any more privatisation decisions...and also call on foreign investors not to get involved in any such deals because these will be cancelled," said SDK deputy chairman Ľudovít Černák said on September 27.The SDK said it would reassess, and eventually cancel, privatisation deals made during the next 30 day period until a new government is formed.

Fashion at the end of the 20th century

In the Sixties it was photographers. In the Seventies it was rock stars. In the Eighties it was obscure European royalty, Wall Street brokers and perma-tanned magicians. But in the Nineties the figure every self-respecting supermodel simply has to be seen with is a world leader.Claudia Schiffer, Christy Turlington, Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell and Amber Valetta are among those who have endowed the political scene with such trendiness that they are in danger of turning the international diplomatic stage into a starry mini-series.

Crown pushed to limit

Whatever government emerges in Slovakia from negotiations between former opposition parties, one thing is certain: it will receive no breaks from the country's crisis-racked economy. And as recent developments on the domestic currency market have shown, one of the most pressing questions the new administration will have to address is whether or not to devalue the Slovak crown.The crown (Sk) came under strong downward pressure in the last 10 days of September, leading many analysts and foreign exchange dealers to say that devaluation was inevitable. The new Slovak government, they said, would inherit an economy on the verge of collapse: a growing foreign trade deficit, which is fuelling a current account shortfall of around10% of the gross domestic product, as well as a large fiscal deficit and burgeoning foreign debt.

EXPOREAL'98

Universities in deep trouble

Over 300 million Sk ($8.6 million) that was originally earmarked in the state budget for Slovak universities has been frozen, plunging the schools into deep financial trouble that may lead to their closure.Finance Minister Miroslav Maxon took the decision to freeze the funds despite the government's assurance that the its general clampdown on fiscal spending would not touch universities. "We cannot bear responsibility for a situation we didn't create," said Ferdinand Devínsky, chancellor of Comenius University, Slovakia's largest, at a press conference in Bratislava on September 30.According to Devínsky, the cutbacks mean Comenius will have to close school buildings and student dormitories, and will not be able to pay its teachers. Several buildings have already been closed for lack of funds from the state, Devínsky said.

Press Digest

Around Slovakia

Deer rut climaxWoman killed by tramBarefoot Bangladeshis in BratislavaFake thousand crown billsFatal accident under High TatrasTwo districts without electricity

Majestic castles beckon from Small Carpathians

The rocky outcrops of the western Slovakia's Carpathian foothills provided ideal perches for medieval fortresses. Some repelled attackers more effectively than others, but nearly all have fallen into ruin over the centuries for various reasons.Devín and Pajštún, the closest to Bratislava, were blasted to bits by Napoleon. Further north, František Ráckoczi's Hungarian rebel army torched Čachtice. Beckov was ravaged by flames and subsequent neglect during relatively peaceful times.Today, these craggy remains of once-grand fortresses stir the imagination. But their actual history is not that of knights in shining armour battling dragons to save damsels in distress. Some tales, like that of Alžbeta (Elizabeth) Báthory are downright gruesome.