Archive of articles - June 2002

Vague retail chain law passed

Tati, ja som cikal! A lexicon of swimming

IN THE MIDST of the recent heat (horúčava) in Bratislava I went back on a vow: never to visit another Bratislava pool or swimming hole (kúpalisko) again.In Canada I've been spoilt by the freshwater lakes (jazerá) where, without another soul in view, you can wet your feet (máčať nohy vo vode) or just plain swim (plavať). By being able to peel off my trunks (vyzliecť do naha) and tan (opaľovať) wherever the sun shines.But in Bratislava, to get to any lake you have to brave the traffic jam (zápcha) on the paved trail (hrádza) south-east to the former villages of Jarovce, Rusovce and Čuňovo (with lakes in each, they're now part of greater Bratislava). A bicyclist and a roller blader were in a fatal crash last year, and if you dare the route in 2002 you will understand why the Bratislava city council is about to create separate biking and blading paths.

Telecom monopoly cancelled as of 2003

PARLIAMENT voted on June 20 to cancel the monopoly enjoyed by incumbent telecom services provider Slovenské telekomunikácie (ST) as of January 1, 2003.The move will require ST to rent its 'local loop' - the physical cables connecting urban telecom hubs to household and business customers - to competitor firms, many of which plan to offer advanced data transfer services through the lines.While the change to the nation's Telecom Law will bring market rules in line with European Union requirements, however, ST has said it will result in higher rather than lower prices for telecom services, and had lobbied for the change to be delayed for a year.

Statutory representatives have complicated tax position in Slovakia

The recent amendment to the Slovak Commercial Code has introduced many important changes influencing entrepreneurs in Slovakia. The purpose of the amendment was to bring Slovak commercial law into harmony with European Union standards, to increase protection for creditors and minority shareholders in Slovak companies, and to set out the responsibilities of companies' statutory representatives in greater detail.The statutory representative represents a company to third parties and is responsible for the company's management. The statutory representative is obliged to exercise his/her function with due professional care and in keeping with the company's interests.The amended Commercial Code stipulates further responsibilities for statutory representatives, for example:

Folk festival showcases Slovak cultural variations

"WE ARE a small country but we have very diverse folk traditions. You just have to walk over a hill to find something different," says Jozef Burič, director of the Východná Folklore Festival that opens over the July 5 to 7 weekend in northern Slovakia's mountainous Liptov region.Named after a small Liptov town, the Východná festival showcases traditional Slovak folklore through dances, songs and enacted customs. Founded almost half a century ago as a local festival, it has assumed nationwide significance, and now hosts foreign folklore ensembles as well. In three days 1,400 participants from across Slovakia as well as Georgia, Croatia, Romania and Hungary will share a large wooden stage at a local amphitheatre."Východná is one of the largest festivals in the country. It presents the best of Slovak folklore in a very authentic way," says Burič, adding that the winners of recent local folklore competitions make up the core of the festival.

Welcome to Slovakia: From the newcomers themselves

THIS ISSUE you may notice that we have changed our lineup of content. Business is at the front, in somewhat cramped quarters, our coverage of elections and general news moves to the back, and culture - revamped as a summer travel/survival tips/expat community guide - is at your right in the Summer in Slovakia 2002 slot at the core of the paper.While the layout of a thin 12-page broadsheet may not require any pomp to announce, it was motivated by a more grave topic that normally begs editorial space - the apparent inability of the Slovak state apparatus to volunteer tourist information on the country in a language intelligible to foreigners.We won't try your patience with figures any more than to note that this country spends about one twentieth the sum of its southern neighbour, Hungary, on promoting its attractions as a tourist destination. We would, however, like to alert the authorities to the foolishness of neglecting cooperation with The Slovak Spectator as a platform for such promotion.

Mečiar-era flats must be returned

EU-impact study revises figures

What to do and where to go during hot summer days

With the holidays coming, this section may help you to plan trips on your free days to explore natural beauties, visit cultural events or just learn more about SlovakiaONE DAY TRIPWEEKEND TRIPWEEK TRIP

Alleged fraudsters back in Slovakia

Jobless rate down to 17.7 per cent

Countrywide Events

BRATISLAVAWESTERN SLOVAKIACENTRAL SLOVAKIA

ST moves ahead with job cuts

Village competes for European beauty title

Reader feedback: Get out, but not before you fix our lives

A scupltor removes his mask

"We spent that night in 1982 with a bottle of wine discussing the social situation," sculptor Juraj Meliš remembers. "I shouted to my friends - make me a death mask, for I'm already dead to this society!"Meliš, 60, has recently dropped the mask and revealed to the public the full splendour of the work he has been doing, sometimes secretly, for decades.One of the most famous sculptors in Slovak contemporary art, Meliš has opened an exhibition in the capital called Anvil of Dreams, with works displayed in two different environments - on a courtyard and in the basement of the Slovak National Gallery - symbolising the two different periods during which the artist has worked.

Police receive ID cards to identify fascist slogans

POLICE are about to receive assistance in recognising neo-Nazi supporters on the streets of Slovakia - pocket cards that identify Nazi symbols on the skin and clothing of fascist sympathisers, with a short explanation of what the cryptic signs mean.The 8-by-12 centimetre cards feature 27 of the most frequently-used symbols favoured by members and sympathisers of right wing extremist groups. The designers of the cards hope they will aid police in fighting what experts say is a rising, and increasingly brazen, tide of racial intolerance in the country.Although wearing clothes with fascist symbols is illegal in Slovakia and can be punished by up to three years in jail, anti-racism activists have complained that many local officers ignore those who wear such clothing. They say that when confronted with such situations on the streets, officers often do not seem to know what to do.

Army engineers to Afghanistan

Drink tea, doctors advice thirsty Slovaks