Archive of articles - May 1999, page 8

Despite concerns, state breaks promise to close Bohunice

On the thirteenth anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear catastrophe April 26, the Slovak government broke its 1994 promise to shut down operations of the Russian-designed Jaslovské Bohunice V1 nuclear power plant by the year 2000, instead announcing that the plant would receive safety measure upgrades aimed at increasing the plant's life-span indefinitely.The decision sparked uproars of protest from various groups who said that the government's unwillingness to honour the past agreement creates an image of Slovakia as an unstable state, while others warned that keeping the plant open could endanger the country's European Union aspirations.Robert Žitňanský, adviser to Deputy Prime Minister for the Economy Ivan Mikloš, told Reuters that the oldest reactor, V1, would be phased out at some point but that there were now no specific plans for the closure of the V2 reactor.

Ghost Festival Program

The Ghost Festival will be held from April 29 to May 2 and May through May 9 at SNM - Múzeum Bojnice, Zámok Bojnice, 972 01 Bojnice. Tel.: 0862/543-0624, 543-0633, fax: 0862/543-0051 www.bojnicecastle.skFollowing is the weekend schedule of events. An abbreviated schedule of events is held during the week.Saturday 1.5.99 and 8.5.99

Polls place Schuster in lead

According to the results of an April 16 - 19 opinion poll on presidential elections conducted by the independent polling agency MVK in Bratislava, Rudolf Schuster, the joint candidate of the ruling coalition, would win the ballot with 31.6% of popular support.Schuster's biggest rival, former Prime Minister Vladimír Mečiar, represents the opposition HZDS party, would finish behind Schuster with 24% of votes, followed by an independent candidate and former film diva Magda Vášáryová with 18%.Other candidates were left far behind the leading ones. Chairman of the far-right Slovak National Party Ján Slota would end up with 9.7%, followed by one-time Slovak President Michal Kováč (6.7%), and former HZDS member and diplomat Ivan Mjartan (2.5%).

Central Bank lends financial sector 2.5 billion crowns

"Days of Europe" festival brings the continent's best to Bratislava

For the first 10 days of May, Bratislava will pulsate with street performers and art critics, European contemporary dancers and classical musicians. The wide range of cultural talent will come from throughout the continent to take part in the city's event-packed Third Annual Days of Europe Festival.The City of Bratislava began hosting the international cultural festival in 1996 in order to better "familiarise Slovakia with west European culture," said Ladislav Snopko, the head of organisation committee of Days of Europe and the Director of the Petržalka Culture program. But since then, he added, it has come to be about much more.

Around Slovakia

HZDS sent non-functioning bombFit Slovak women sweep European competitionHit and run car theftPetition protests NATO bombingsCuckoos return earlyMore flood alerts in eastern SlovakiaUnattended toddlers die in fire above local PubFrench soldiers back for exercise at Lešť training area

Mafia and property crime on the rise

Slovakia experienced a considerable increase in violent, property, and economic crime in 1998, according to a report on the security situation in Slovakia discussed by the Parliamentary Committee for Human Rights and Nationalities in Bratislava on April 21.A total of 12,247 violent crimes were registered in Slovakia in 1998. Of these, 2,159 were committed with guns while explosives were the weapon of choice in 35 cases.Of the 128 murders cases for the year, most of which were committed in the Košice and Nitra regions, 99 were solved. Approximately 3,639 burglary crimes were committed, mainly in the Bratislava region, while police recorded a 43.4% success-ratio in resolving them.

National Labour Agency faces 1999 financing problems

Mečiar: In top form, he's a hard man to ignore

Sunday, April 25: Former Prime Minister Vladimír Mečiar appears on the private station TV Markíza to discuss his presidential ambitions, as well as a host of sensitive topics left over from his almost six years in power. At the conclusion of the show, known as "Na Telo," the two Markíza reporters approached Mečiar to shake his hand. Somehow, their microphones were left on, and captured the accolades of the interviewers."You were very energetic today, Mr. Mečiar," said reporter Soňa Bullová. "You played it very well," added Vladimír Repčík.Mečiar, in fact, played his Markíza grilling with the skill and charisma that kept him at the top of Slovak politics from 1991 to 1998. He looked like a different man from the manic, self-pitying character who crooned a song to viewers on his last television appearance after being voted out of office in September last year. His eyes were caged, his replies voluble and comprehensive, his smile derisory. He was in top form, and left one doubting whether this was the same Mečiar whose authoritarian brand of politics made Slovakia a pariah among western democracies.

Environmentalist Huba: "Not enough concrete results"

Scientist Mikuláš Huba has been active in the Slovak environmental protection movement since 1975. A Comenius University graduate, he was the chairman of the Slovak Union of Nature and Landscape Protectors from 1990 to 1993 and chaired the Environment and Natural Protection Committee of the Slovak National Council from 1990 to 1992. Along with being involved in a number of prestigious international environmentally oriented organisations, including the United Nations' Commission on Sustainable Development Core Expert Group for Sustainability Indicators, he is the president of the Slovak Society for Sustainable Living, a position he has held since 1993.Wearing sandals and speaking in a low, soft voice, Huba bemoaned environmental policy under the administration of former Prime Minister Vladimír Mečiar, which he said caused the sector to take major steps backwards.

State moves forward to an attempt to sell off troubled IRB

Slovakia sees first quarter trade gap at 12.65 billion crowns

PM jockeys for NATO acceptance

In an event that Slovak officials hailed as a triumph for the government of Mikuláš Dzurinda, Slovakia was placed on an official list candidates being considered for NATO membership at the April 23-25 NATO summit in Washington.The seven countries - Slovenia, Romania, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Slovakia - were listed with equal weight as potential members in the text of the final communiqué at the summit. But according to Peter Burian, Slovak Ambassador to NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Slovakia is currently considered one of the two top candidates."After Slovenia, Slovakia has been assessed as the second best politically and economically prepared candidate," Burian told The Slovak Spectator on April 28 after returning to Brussels from Washington.

ST's OnLine Start cut down by ministry

In a definative finale to a two-and-a-half month long debate over Slovak Telecom's cut-rate Internet access service, the Slovak Telecom Ministry demaded that the state-run telephone company discontinue its fledgling OnLine Start service by April 20.Ministry officials cited possible security concerns and monopoly abuse allegations as the reason for the shut-down. ST representatives, meanwhile, complained that the government had succumbed to unjustified pressure from the the Association of Private Internet Providers (API), a newly-formed Slovak group.Launched on February 1, OnLine Start was an Internet service provided by telecom monopoly Slovenské Telekomunikácie (ST) which allowed subscribers to log onto the Internet under one universal password for only the advertised cost of a local telephone connection.

Community Grapevine

The Friends of Slovakia Association schedules its benefitPiešťany Hash Run coming in MayOpen Society Foundation offers a summer English courseBritish Embassy announces closures

Nafta Gbely Reports 41 Percent Drop in Pre-Tax Profit in 1998

Quote of the Week

Heineken introduces Zlatý Bažant to the Hungarian beverage market

Heineken is convinced that the Slovak beer brand Zlatý Bažant will be the perfect match for the Hungarian beer market. There's one hitch, though: though the hops will come from Slovakia, the beer which will be sold in Hungary will not be brewed in Slovakia at all."I'm convinced that this year we will sell more of our Zlatý Bažant beer in Hungary than combined sales of all Czech breweries there," said commercial director of Heineken Slovakia Willen Onno Jalink at an April 28 news conference on the occasion of the official launch of one of the most successful Slovak beer brands in Hungary.Jalink explained Amstel and Zlatý Bazant breweries began examining the possibilities of exporting Slovak beer to Hungary in 1997. High taxes and customs duties however, made beer exports to Hungary almost impossible. Therefore, Heineken Slovakia decided to brew its brand in the Amstel Hungary brewery in Komárom, Hungary.

State wants in on VSŽ decisions

Steel-maker VSŽ is trying to enforce a minimum two month "stand-still" agreement which would prevent its creditors from trying to collect funds from the struggling company. But until its largest creditor, VÚB (Vseobecna Úverova Banka) signs the document, the agreement will not be valid.The Slovak government has offered to help VSŽ - but not without a price. In order to lean on state-owned VÚB to sign the agreement, the Košice-based steel giant would have to allow government participation as it moves to select a strategic investor as well as allow government representatives to sit and have power in VSŽ decision-making bodies.According to Finance Minister Brigita Schmögnerová, the government wants to express its interests as the most significant domestic creditor of VSŽ through this special "stabilization" agreement between the government and the group of VSŽ's creditor banks. It feels its claims would be guaranteed by the additional rights of representation. In addition, if VSŽ agrees to sign the government stabilization agreement, the government will make VÚB join the signatories of the stand-still agreement.