Archive of articles - October 2002, page 8

'Hu-hu-hu': We all descended from the same tree

WHAT AN UNPLEASANT event the October 12 European Championship football qualifier between England and Slovakia turned out to be. The match took a back seat to racism and shootings from the Slovak side, and boorishness and ridicule from the English. A bad taste, to say the least.As politically and morally charged as sports matches have become, they're usually more fun than this last dismal meet. But it's not hard to figure out what went wrong, and even easier to offer a few suggestions for the next time Slovakia hosts an international football match.First, the country has to do something about its private security services, which in many cases are simply money-laundering and extortion outfits for their owners.

New parliament sits

Belts about to be tightened

EU football officials investigate Slovakia

Politician Rusko still media owner

Wages up almost 10 per cent

FinMin expects economy to remain strong

HZDS convention abandoned

Cabinet reconsiders Roma handling

English footballers complain

Figeľ keeps job

Coalition agreement showing "mutual trust" signed

THE LEADERS of the four centre-right parties that won a narrow majority in recent parliamentary elections signed a coalition agreement on October 8, vowing to remain united while painful social reforms are launched in the first half of their four-year term.The agreement gives each party a veto over basic government decisions, and regards siding with the opposition to defeat a government proposal as a gross breach of faith that could annul the agreement.The intent, said the deal's authors, was to ensure the government's two-seat majority in the 150-member parliament was sufficient to sustain four years of stable governance.

Policy proposals laid out

Over the next four years the ruling coalition is planning to crack down on corruption and reduce unemployment, two areas identified as key problems for the country by a European Commission (EC) report released October 9.After signing an agreement on their future cooperation, the coalition parties forming the new government released a list of policy proposals laying out their main intentions. These will be voted on by parliament, once the new government is in place.Reacting to EC criticism of the country's history of corruption, which the Commission's report called "grounds for serious concern," the proposed policies for the Interior Ministry address corruption within the police force. One measure, intended to reveal any suspicious income, requires police officials and their family members to submit detailed property statements.

Drum full of marijuana

Slovakia and EU still at odds over state aid

Quote of the Week

Communists call Nato a "US power tool"

THE SLOVAK Communist Party (KSS) wants to call a referendum on Slovakia's entry into Nato, claiming that the organisation is a "Cold War anachronism" used by the US to push through its political interests.The KSS says it is prepared to respect the outcome of any such referendum, but believes that a national vote is crucial, as the country's "defence decisions should not be made by political parties, but by the people," according to the party's vice-chairman, Ivan Hopta.Observers say it is unlikely that the unreformed communists will succeed with their plan, as six out of seven parliamentary parties placed Nato and European Union (EU) integration at the top of their election agendas. Public opinion surveys also show a firm pro-Nato orientation, with 60 per cent of Slovaks supporting entry.

Alliance expansion appears set

Utility price rises on horizon