Archive of articles - April 2002, page 2

Nato to expand by seven countries

May 1 holiday casts around for new format

IT WAS only a decade and a half ago, at this time of the year, that banners were being prepared, parade routes were being laid out, and slogans were being thought up in anticipation of Work Holiday celebrations - socialist style.This week, most Slovaks will celebrate the first day of May in Slovakia by just relaxing, visiting friends and relatives, and, weather permitting, going to cottages and planting vegetables in their gardens. Historically, however, the 1st of May meant something completely different.

Michalovce lobbying for industrial park

Quote of the Week

Release of EU agriculture funds opens gate to future money

SLOVAKIA has been given access to European Union aid funds for agriculture in a move the EU hopes will prepare domestic bureaucrats for the job of distributing Union aid when the country joins the 15-member bloc.After more than two years of haggling, in which money from the union's Special Accession Programme for Agriculture and Rural Development (Sapard) fund was available but withheld, EU agriculture commissioner Franz Fischler in mid-April signed a deal to distribute 18.6 million euros in annual development funds through a local Slovak agency.Among the 12 EU-candidate countries, Slovakia now joins the three Baltic republics, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria in receiving management of EU pre-accession agricultural funds.

HZDS party re-elects old guard

NITRA - THE RE-ELECTION of Vladimír Mečiar to the head of the opposition Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) on April 20 was evidence the authoritarian ex-prime minister still dominates the party, and showed how little the HZDS had changed course since losing elections in 1998, said political analysts.Mečiar, who told his party congress the HZDS was stronger than before and ready to lead Slovakia after September 2002 general elections, was confirmed in his post with the votes of all 252 delegates save one abstention - his own.

Europeans still mixed on Slovak entry

Košice's Jewish cemetery vandalised

IN THE MIDST of what the leaders of the world's Jewish community call a worrying increase in anti-semitism in Europe, 135 tombstones were desecrated in the eastern Slovak town of Košice April 21 by unknown vandals.Slovakia's state representatives hurried to condemn the raid, which left half of the cemetery's tombstones commemorating local Holocaust victims lying broken on the ground. Košice officials said the act was the biggest attack on the town's Jewish community since the second world war, when about 13,000 Košice-area Jews were taken to Nazi death camps."We'd like to look into the faces of the heroes who fight against mute stones," said Košice rabbi Jossi Steiner.

Schuster reveals post-election plans

Mob boss cleared of murder charges

ONE OF THE most followed and controversial criminal processes in Slovak history has ended with an alleged gangland boss cleared of murder and possibly free within a year.The Supreme Court on April 23 cleared Mikuláš Černák of the 1997 killing of Polish citizen Grzegorz Szymanek, upholding an earlier ruling by a regional court and ending a five-year legal process dogged by witness murders and recanted testimonies.The verdict was greeted with dismay by some members of the legal community. "I heard his earlier testimony and I am convinced that Černák killed [Szymanek]," said Jozef Takáč, deputy attorney general, after the verdict was announced.

New climbing tower behind Aupark

Hung out to dry

Cleaner to stay in jail

More profit to come from VSŽ

Cabinet approves Kechnec park

THE CABINET approved an industrial park in the eastern Slovak village of Kechnec on April 25, enabling local backers to launch a long-awaited investment project to ease local unemployment.The Kechnec industrial park, 17 km south of Slovakia's second largest city Košice, has been attracting the interest of investors since late 2001, but its opening has been hindered by bickering between local and state authorities over funding, and lack of manpower to bring the project to fruition.

State to make Sk25 billion on distributor sales

Slota wants SMK banned

THE RIGHT-wing Real Slovak National Party (PSNS) has launched legal action to have the ruling Hungarian Coalition Party (SMK) banned for what it claims is attempts to "destroy the Slovak state".PSNS leaders have said comments made by SMK deputy leader Miklós Duray supporting the nationalist platform of the Hungarian Fidesz (Young Democrats' Union) party prior to Hungarian elections are evidence of the entire party's support for his views.

Letter to the Editor: A misleading piece on visas

Košice climbing out of deep hole