Archive of articles - January 2003, page 2

On the right track - so far

THE DECISION to close 25 branch railway lines was inevitable and unavoidable, and marks a serious step on the long haul to bring Slovakia into line with the western European model of rail transport, focussed on intercity services and commuter networks.

VW production up 25 per cent

Top Pick : Artefacts that made history

THE ORGANISERS of Slovakia's 20th Century Milestones called upon the public to donate, sell, or lend objects for this exhibition that marks the significant historical events of last century. They did this because the museum itself did not have many such objects, and it seemed likely that some ordinary people would still have a few in their possession."Unfortunately, this didn't quite work out because the individuals and antique shops that contacted us mostly offered art objects and not [ordinary] items connected to political events," says the exhibition's curator, Elena Kurincová.By borrowing from the collections of other museums and by personally contacting people who have been key players in the history of the country, the curators of the exhibition were finally able to see their project reach fruition. Many photos, posters, items of clothing, and various other historical artefacts have been gathered to document the last 100 years of Slovakia's history; from the time when the country was a part of the Austro-Hungarian empire until it acquired its independence in 1993.

Familiar headlines mark deep divide

SO THE coalition is in crisis. Nothing new in that. It is in the nature of coalition governments for there to be loud and public disagreements, most often linked to personal ambitions.

How to get online in Slovakia

EVEN THOUGH the history of networked computing goes back to the 1960s, the Internet did not reach Slovakia until the Cold War was over - almost 30 years later. In 1989 the borders opened, and today 7 per cent of Slovakia's population accesses the Internet on a regular basis.People living in Slovakia have several options when it comes to getting online. If you do not have Internet access at your workplace, or are restricted in the amount of time you can surf at work, you can either connect at home or use a computer at an Internet cafe.

Warburg takes over Slovakofarma

Imuna restarts production

Foreign law firms accused of illegal activities

THROUGHOUT the last decade, local branches of foreign legal offices have provided legal counselling on some of the country's largest business transactions. Critics now claim that their activities have all this time been breaking Slovak law.Experts say that foreign law firms are not entitled to practise law in Slovakia because the law prohibits any company from offering legal advice. Legal services must be provided by individuals only, and those people have to be members of the Slovak Bar Association (SAK)."Foreign law firms do not meet statutory requirements for the provision of legal services prescribed by [Slovak law]," Pavol Erben, a member of the board of the SAK, confirmed to The Slovak Spectator, citing regulations laid down in two separate acts: the Legal Advocates Act and Commercial Lawyers Act.

Analysts warn of EU accession pains in business sphere

FOUR months before a nationwide referendum on EU membership, some analysts are warning that Slovaks have not been told enough about some of the economic dangers related with accession."The overall readiness of the business sector to enter the joint EU market is insufficient," states a recent report by the Institute of World and Slovak Economy (IWSE) titled The Economic and Social Contexts of Slovakia's Accession to the EU - Benefits and Risks."From the perspective of their financial position, approximately one fourth of large industrial companies [in Slovakia] are not competitive," the report continues.

70% would take part in referendum: poll

SIS accused of 'dirty tricks'

SLOVAK Information Service (SIS) chief Vladimír Mitro was forced to defend his organisation to MPs after the British magazine Jane's Intelligence Digest alleged that the SIS was involved in illegal arms trading and continued to use communist intelligence methods.In an article called "NATO's Allies in Slovakia", published by Jane's December 20, the SIS was described as "active in all of its former dirty tricks, with the exception, so far, of organising politically motivated assassinations".Previously led by Ivan Lexa, a member of the opposition Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS), the SIS was suspected of involvement in the 1995 kidnapping of the former president's son, Michal Kováč, Jr. Lexa is currently facing charges of ordering the murder of Róbert Remiáš, a go-between to a crown witness in the kidnapping case.

Slovakia to sign NATO protocol

Kukan's candidacy received coolly

VW suppliers could supply Peugeot

SIS named in Rusko-provoked coalition crisis

AT THE January 21 meeting between SIS boss Vladimír Mitro and the parliamentary SIS oversight committee, held in the wake of media allegations of dirty tricks in Slovakia's secret service, Mitro had to defend himself on a number of issues.In addition to dismissing the allegations of foul play laid down in the Jane's Intelligence Digest article, he also denied claims that the intelligence service was involved in the illegal tapping of a mobile phone belonging to Pavol Rusko, deputy speaker of parliament and head of the coalition New Citizen's Alliance party (ANO).Rusko alleges that his phone was illegally tapped, and has voiced suspicions that the SIS or special police departments could have carried out the surveillance in order to gather information on ANO members that could later be misused in political power games.

SIS activities seen from afar

THE ROW over a recent report in Jane's Intelligence Digest alleging dark deeds involving the SIS, the secret service officially and charmingly called the Slovak Information Service, reveals how Slovakia can be seen through the critical eyes of outsiders.

Cabinet goes after the bad guys

JUST TWO days after the Slovak cabinet approved a complex plan for fighting crime, a police swat team raided the ostentatious birthday party of a 27-year-old Slovak underworld leader as part of its zero tolerance drive against mafia practices.To the surprise of many, no immediate arrests resulted from the large-scale January 17 operation in the southern Slovak town of Šamorín. However, police insisted the mission had fulfilled its purpose, even though none of the alleged Slovak and Hungarian mafia members among the 150 guests were taken into custody.It was a sign of things to come, as officials change tack in their fight against crime. Now, knowledge is just as important as putting criminals behind bars.

Central bank loses Sk25 billion

Report finds appalling Roma conditions