Archive of articles - October 1999, page 5

Belgian mission explores Roma status in Slovakia

Broker Slávia tires of media hysteria

Brokerage house Slávia Capital is fast gaining an international reputation as a safe, professional partner for financial transactions in Slovakia. Having won two big tenders - to assist in the sale of stakes in Slovak Telecom and the Slovnaft refinery - and having underwritten between five and six million euros of a recent bond issued by gas utility SPP, Slávia is making a high-profile move into investment banking and financial advisory services.As the brokerage has moved up in the financial world, however, it has made enemies, particularly in the media. Slávia's selection as the financial advisor on the Slovak Telecom sale was ascribed to its reputed personal links to Economy Minister Ľudovít Černák, while its underwriting of the SPP bonds was attacked by the national daily Pravda as a "conflict of interest" on the evidence that Slávia co-owner Peter Ratkovský had been employed as an advisor to SPP Director Pavol Kinčeš.

Twist gets redress

A media cause célebre from the Mečiar era, the cutting of the transmission of independent Rádio Twist in 1997, was finally brought to a close with the conviction of the former state official responsible for taking the anti-Mečiar station off the air.On September 21, the Banská Bystrica Regional Court turned down the appeal of Gabriel Szanto, former director of the Radio-Telecommunications division of Slovak Telecom (ST). Szanto, 42, had been found guilty in a Žiar nad Hronom court on April 6 this year of endangering the public interest by cutting off elctricity to the station.The Banská Bytrica court upheld the one year suspended jail sentence issued by the lower court in the case.

Slovak psychologists and psychiatrists warn that people are coping poorly with economic pressures and social change

Róbert and Ľuba's 23-year marriage is in tatters. Róbert lost his construction job in January, while Ľuba was fired a month later. Marital problems have kept them literally at each other's throats; Ľuba has had her left arm in a cast three times this year, while her right wrist is grooved with scars from self-inflicted wounds. Both drink, and are heavily in debt due to a fondness for slot machine gambling."I'd say we're an average Slovak couple," says Róbert. With national unemployment at 19.1%, annual inflation expected at 15% and money more scarce than ever, Róbert says he and his wife have fallen into the same lifestyle traps - gambling, alcohol and marital violence - that have snared many of their friends.

Slovnaft to begin investor talks in October

Wood-processing industry exports 22 billion Sk annually

Tesco hypermarkets gather speed

The British supermarket chain Tesco is set to open its second 'hypermarket' in Slovakia - a 7,000 square metre complex on October 12 in the eastern city of Košice. Having already opened a similar complex in the western town of Nitra in June, Tesco is in the middle of a three year expansion drive that will bring five hypermarkets - large shopping malls housing many retailers - to major Slovak cities.

Culture Shock: Do you have a complaint? Nech sa páči.

I once pissed off a Chinese friend by telling her the best thing about China was that if you wanted to pick your nose there, you could just go for it. After a long discussion, I finally conceded that maybe it was just one of the best things. Certainly, however, it was the main up-side to all the spitting, snorting, and picking practiced by millions in that filthy but lovely land.Similarly, I have found an up-side to what many foreigners find the most difficult part of their Slovak experience; the incessant, annoying, depressing complaining of the residents who live here. The silver lining is simple; If you want to be depressed here, that's just fine. If you want to bitch about something, that's good, too. No need to pretend you are happy all the time in Slovakia. Anyone who does, in fact, will most certainly be viewed as either crazy, foolish, or just not sophisticated enough to realize how bad everything actually is.

Mečiar one step closer to testifying

Lafarge unhappy with Považská Cementáren brass

Creditors accept ownership changes at Nafta Gbely

No holds barred to employers in probing new job candidates

When interviewing a candidate for a job, can the interviewer ask if the applicant has ever had a drug or alcohol related problem? Where the candidate has 'roots'? What grades they received in university, or even which university they went to and when?In the US, the answer to all the above questions is 'no' (see questionaire, page BF III). In Slovakia, however, where no laws exist governing what can be asked in an interview, anything goes."In Slovakia, there are no legal guide-lines for the job application and interview process," said Roman Hamala, a lawyer for the Bratislava office of White & Case, an international law firm. "What goes on in the interview is entirely up to the employer's best judgement."

Slovaks worried by Austrian vote

The second-place finish of the nationalistic Freedom Party in Austrian elections last week raised fears among Slovak officials that their EU hopes and other bilateral issues may be affected. As Austria's leaders begin to haggle over the composition of the next government, many Slovaks will be watching closely.The leader of the Freedom Party, Joerg Haider, campaigned on an anti-immigrant, populist platform and won 27.2% in the October 4 vote. The Social Democrat Party, which has led the country since World War II, suffered its worst showing since 1945 with 33%. The conservative People's Party, a governing partner for the last 13 years, fell to third place with 26.9%. 200,000 mail ballots had yet to be counted when The Spectator went to press.

Reviews: Old Town newcomers offer needed pizzazz

Three new cafés have opened recently in the centre of Bratislava, which is a very satisfying turn of events those looking for new faces and new drinks.It seems that finding a place to hang out with your friends will not be problem for coming winter, whether you'd like to arrange a date or stop for mixed drinks after an opera performance. Cafés differ in clientele and prices as well as personality. But each of the three has made a real effort to create a pleasant, unique atmosphere using a lot of expensive surfaces, lights, flowers and quality table settings.

Retail sales up 1% year-on-year in August

Construction output down 32.1% year-on-year

Mochovce's second reactor receives fuel

Community Grapevine

The Fulbright Foundation hosted state and education officials September 22 on the occasion of its 5th anniversary of work in Slovakia. The reception, held at the Forum Hotel, hosted Slovak Fulbright alumni, representatives of the Slovak National Council, the Slovak Government, and members of the academic community.At the ceremony, Slovak Minister of Education Ľubomír Ftáčnik, expressed his support for a proposal which will raise the level of contribution of the Slovak government to the Fulbright program to 10% from the current level of 1.2 million crowns. He is the first Slovak Minister of Education to attend the gala, after years of refusals from the former government, the Foundation said.

Egon Zehnder arrives

The Swiss management consulting firm Egon Zehnder International (EGI) announced on September 23 that they had finalised plans to expand into Slovakia. The principal activities of EGI include executive search (the search for and selection of executives), management appraisal (the external assessment of management teams) and board appointments (advice on appointments to corporate boards).At a press conference in Bratislava's Hotel Forum, representatives from EGI Prague said that their firm brings impressive credentials to the country."We were responsible for finding the head of the Olympic Committee in Atlanta and for finding the chief engineer for the construction of the tunnel connecting France and Italy," said EGI Partner Erik Slingerland.