Archive of articles - February 1999

VW Slovakia exports jump 2.6-fold in one year

US eyes car mogul for ambassador post

The United States government is in the process of confirming a new ambassador to Slovakia to fill the post which will be vacated by Ambassador Ralph Johnson after a three-year stay. Though it is not official, press reports confirmed by sources close to the process say that the man being looked at for the job is Carl Spielvogel, a New York-based car mogul and a major contributor to the Democratic Party.The US embassy in Slovakia would not comment on Spielvogel's candidacy, nor would the Slovak Foreign Ministry. The United States National Security council confirmed that a candidate is going through the vetting process. "But until he is presented for Presidential approval his name will not be announced to the public,'' said P.J. Crowley, National Security Council spokesman.

Culture Shock: Marriage - 'Making a hell in heaven's despite'

According to national folklore, Slovak women are the prettiest in the world. True or not, this statement has clearly been taken to the heart by the country's marriage office officials, who have stoked a bureaucratic inferno to test the mettle of any cudzinec who dares to marry a Slovak.Here are the basic facts - if a foreigner wants to marry a Slovak on Slovak soil, it will take about three months and cost around 10,000 Slovak crowns ($250) just to arrange the necessary paperwork.What's more, a thousand small insults to common sense and justice must be endured from embassy officials, bank clerks and post office employees, all of whom seem to be part of a conspiracy to keep Slovak nationals from tying the knot with foreigners.

Hlohovec wireworks shows 1998 loss of 3.5 million Sk

Few details, many vows at conference

Slovakia's economy may still be ailing, but the country's new government is ready to follow the European Union's prescription for better health. That was the message government officials presented to potential investors and European Commission brass at the nation's Foreign Investment Conference, held in Bratislava February 18-19.The conference, which was paid for by the EC through its PHARE grant program, gave Slovak officials a chance to present a hopeful, if somewhat vague vision of the future to about 200 guests. Top EC officials used their speeches to reassure Slovakia that it is on the path towards EU membership and could still be considered for first-round entry along with Hungary, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Poland and Slovenia.

Slovak politics: Looking neither left nor right

The most frequent criticism of the current ruling coalition is that its member parties are too diverse in their political philosophies. A government made up of avowed socialists and free market conservatives, pundits say, will never be able to survive intact four years of tough economic choices.This observation would be valid if Slovakia's parties really pursued traditional political platforms in keeping with their supposed position on the left or right of the political spectrum. But the closer one looks, the more arbitrary the designations 'socialist' and 'conservative' seem in this country.

Remiaš killing linked to Slovak secret service

Following Slovak Information Service Director Vladimír Mitro's decision on February 24 to declassify his parliamentary report on the operations of the secret service during the 1994-1998 Mečiar era, the daily paper Sme printed those parts of the report that could be made public. What follows is excerpted from that report.Immediately after the abduction of [the son of the former President] Michal Kováč Jr. to Austria, several measures were applied to hide SIS participation in this operation. Code names of SIS agents and identification signs on those cars which were used in the operation against Kováč Jr. were changed frequently.

Independent theatres ask for state funding

Stoka, one of Slovakia's independent theatres, is suffering financially this year. Located in the Bratislava city center, this stage attracts many to see its experimental and innovative performances. Since its founding in 1991, Stoka has succeed in developing into a thriving but not lucrative business.Stoka was supported at the beginning of its history by a state fund called Pro Slovakia. When support was cut off under former Minister of Culture Ivan Hudec in 1994, Stoka began to take donations from Swiss cultural foundation Pro Helvetia, well-known for its grants of many Slovak cultural organisations in the same situation.

Shipbuilder SLK loses court battle for Ruse

Suing for damagesThe SLK has also filed another lawsuit in connection with the Ruse privatisation, this one at the Municipal Court in Sofia. The company is demanding $320,000 in compensation for damages suffered as a result of the decision of the Bulgarian privatization agency. A trial in this case was to continue on February 25.

KOVO union urges FNM to review Martinmetal sale contract

Influenza epidemic in slow retreat across nation

VSŽ shuffles management

An extraordinary general meeting on February 19 at Slovakia's biggest company, troubled steel maker VSŽ, made several changes in its management.VSŽ said in a statement on February 22 it had accepted the resignation of board member Thomas Graham, a former president of USX Corp's US Steel. Shareholders voted in John Goodish, who served as president of USX Corp's subsidiary United Engineers and Consultants from 1997 to 1999.The meeting also accepted the resignation of supervisory board chairman Alexander Rezeš for health reasons. Štefan Šulek, director of construction company Hutny Projekt Košice, and Dušan Štefanik, member of the board of Hutnik a.s., were voted onto the supervisory board.

Negotiations with Vatican to determine church policies

Cabinet approves austere budget

The Slovak government on February 22 passed the 1999 state budget as proposed by the Finance Ministry."In the year 1999, income to the volume of 179.9 billion crowns is budgeted and a level of expenditure of 194.9 billion. The deficit of the state budget is budgeted at 15.0 billion crowns," said government spokesman Martin Lengyel in a prepared statement. The 15 billion crown budget deficit is equal to around 2% of gross domestic product compared with a deficit of more than 5% of GDP in 1998.

Forex reserves of Slovak banks fall $594 million in mid-February

Slovak PM wants foreign telecom investor

Prime Minister Mikuláš Dzurinda said in an interview with Reuters on February 19 that the government agreed with a Telecommunications Ministry proposal for a strategic investor for the state telecommunications company, Slovenské Telekomunikácie (ST)."Our primary aim is to secure the transformation of Slovenské Telekomunikácie in such a way to enable them to develop more dynamically. The road to it should lead either through the privatisation of a package of shares or through an increase in basic capital," he said.

Matador reports preliminary 1998 gross profit of 214 million Sk

Poll: Prime Minister is trusted

Immunity stripped from HZDS' Krajči

Following 40 hours of discussion in a four-day emotionally charged session of parliament, deputies voted to strip former Interior Minster Gustáv Krajči of the immunity he enjoys as a member of parliament and allow his prosecution for marring a 1997 national referendum.Krajči is suspected of abusing his powers in May 1997 as an Interior Minister in the third cabinet of former Prime Minister Vladimír Mečiar by omitting a question on direct presidential elections from a referendum ballot and penning the three questions on NATO membership in a way which purposely cast entrance into the western military alliance in a negative light.