Archive of articles - June 2003

Branisko tunnel opens

Majský back in custody

Hyundai may come to eastern Slovakia

Cigarette smuggling rife in Slovakia

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Other activities in the region

Hiking tripsLiptovský Hrádok is considered to be the gateway to the Low Tatras. There are several valleys (doliny) running through this mountain area riddled with caves. Here are details of two of them. The first is recommended for a family with children, the second for adults. For each, reserve one day.

Smer strengthens its position

Parliament keeps Csáky, Mikloš in office

Slovak Matters

IT IS my own personal opinion, and one that I'm sure will be vigorously denounced by our readers, that folk music (ľudová hudba) across former Czechoslovakia gives great insight into the character and hospitality of its peoples.Starting with western Bohemia (the area that includes Prague), I have noticed that the local folk songs seem much slower than their eastern counterparts. In fact, most of the Bohemian folk music seems more suitable for a funeral (pohreb) than a celebration (oslava). There also appear to be a surprisingly large number of songs about beer rather than romance (láska).Moving towards Moravia, the songs become livelier (živšie), suitable for the quiet end of an evening as the party winds down. In contrast, with Slovak tunes it is hard to sit and listen to them - they really make you want to just get up and join in.

All smoke and daggers

THOSE expecting something of major interest in the recently published Slovak Information Service (SIS) report on its activities will be disappointed to find only the barest details of phone-tapping scandals that rocked the ruling coalition at the beginning of this year.The report merely states that 611 phones were tapped over the period, but with no indication as to the context of this activity, or the cases it involved. Criminal? Terrorist? Or as Pavol Rusko, leader of the coalition partner the New Citizen's Alliance, the purported victim of one of the instances of phone-tapping, has suggested, political?The report promises that the investigation into the case it still not complete. As time goes on, it seems unlikely that the public will ever get a full explanation about what happened. Instead, the case will be all but forgotten among the scandals that will break as Slovakia moves towards EU entry next year, when closer inspection will show gaping holes in official budgets and bring shady government ordering to light.

Coalition bickers over highway plans

AS SLOVAK transport authorities celebrate the June 29 opening of the Branisko tunnel outside the eastern city of Prešov, controversy is still brewing in the cabinet over the country's highway plans.The tunnel, at 4.8 kilometres, is Slovakia's longest, and is a major step towards completing a highway connection for the country's two largest cities, the capital Bratislava in the west and Košice in the east, along the so-called northern route.Minister of Transport, Post, and Telecoms Pavol Prokopovič has submitted plans to the cabinet that call for the route, which passes through Prešov and Poprad before continuing along the Váh river through some of Slovakia's most heavily industrialised areas, to be completed as early as 2008 with the aid of EU structural and cohesive funds, as well as private investment.

Východná goes international

THE FOLKLORE festival Východná is proof that folk culture is a living phenomenon. It is constantly moving and evolving into new contemporary forms and styles, its organisers say.In the five decades of its existence, going to the Východná festival - named after the village it takes place in - has become a pilgrimage for people interested in folk customs. Taking place over three days, the festival will showcase traditional Slovak music, dances, games, traditional clothes, embroidery, and various handcrafts.

Quote of the Week:

Quote of the Week: "I'm not going to comment on Pál Csáky, except to point out that he already has a lot of work to do."

Events countrywide

BRATISLAVA WESTERN SLOVAKIA CENTRAL SLOVAKIAEASTERN SLOVAKIA

Alcohol abuse a problem in judiciary

Letter from the Editor

Fund bosses freed

JOZEF Majský and Patrik Pachinger, former businessmen allegedly involved in the tunnelling of investment funds Horizont Slovakia and BMG Invest that collapsed last year, were released from custody on June 21, to the dismay of thousands of people who lost billions of crowns in the ventures.The two men had spent eight months in custody, when a Košice judge decided that there was no longer any reason to keep them under lock and key.Those who lost a combined total of around Sk18 billion (€428 million) to BMG and Horizont said they were flabbergasted at the judge's decision, while justice and interior ministers Daniel Lipšic and Vladimír Palko called the ruling "absurd" and "shameful" respectively.

Abortions Hungarian law puts cabinet to test

THE RULING parties are going through a new test of unity, with one major dispute not yet resolved and another emerging.But top state officials and other observers believe that despite a heated conflict between ruling conservatives and liberals over an amendment to the abortions law, and a recently passed Hungarian law that pits three coalition partners against the fourth, the coalition with survive intact.In the first instance, the conservative Christian Democrats (KDH) and the liberal New Citizen's Alliance (ANO) are currently engaged in a dramatic dispute over a draft amendment to the country's abortions law.

SIS to crack down on foreign spies, mafia

THE ACTIVITIES of foreign intelligence services, organised crime, terrorism, and illegal weapons trading are among the greatest security threats Slovakia faces today, according to the country's secret service.In a closed session on June 19, head of the Slovak Information Service (SIS) Ladislav Pittner presented to parliament the agency's annual report, non-confidential parts of which have been released on the SIS web site.Pittner took over as SIS boss at the beginning of April. His predecessor, Vladimír Mitro, stepped-down on March 11 following allegations that the agency had taken an active part in a wire-tapping scandal involving Pavol Rusko, deputy speaker of parliament and head of the coalition New Citizen's Alliance (ANO) party.