Archive of articles - September 2003

Trade surplus at Sk1.4 billion

Stricter conditions for political parties

STV director halts spots featuring homosexuals

Slovakia - New Tax Haven in Central Europe?

New economy minister starts firing

Šimko warns Dzurinda's SDKÚ might collapse

Direct foreign investment in Slovakia rising

PPS Detva owners disclosed

Events Countrywide

BRATISLAVAWESTERN SLOVAKIAEASTERN SLOVAKIA

Judges' property to be a public issue

LAZY, drunk, and corrupt judges will no longer be tolerated in their posts, and demoting or firing them from service should be made easier by a recently approved legal amendment proposed by the Justice Ministry.The amendment, which is hoped to increase public trust in the Slovak judiciary, was again passed by MPs on September 19, after an earlier veto by President Rudolf Schuster. In the past, numerous surveys have shown that the public considers the courts to be among the most corrupt institutions in the state.

Coalition loses muscle

ONE YEAR after parliamentary elections, Mikuláš Dzurinda's ruling coalition, which started the election term with 78 deputies, will lose its majority in Slovak Parliament after three New Citizen's Alliance (ANO) deputies leave the party's deputy faction.The broad coalition, involving liberals and conservatives, will now formally have 75 deputies, which is exactly half of all the parliamentary seats. The ruling coalition politicians admit that the change might cause some trouble when trying to push through cabinet-tailored laws.

Understanding PM Dzurinda

RECENT weeks have shown that Prime Minister Mikuláš Dzurinda is losing his ability to effectively communicate with the media, with his political partners, and most importantly - with the public.Without doubt, his rhetorical skills and talent for getting key messages across to voters were among the reasons why, in 1997, Dzurinda became the spokesperson of the Democratic Coalition Party (SDK), a wide union of parties determined to oust the authoritarian Vladimír Mečiar from office and put Slovakia back on a pro-democratic and pro-Western course.

Christian Democrats to boycott TV Markíza

Towns want more funds

SIS and NBÚ at war

TWO CRUCIAL state institutions - the National Security Office (NBÚ) and the Slovak Intelligence Service (SIS) - are in conflict after the former said that SIS violated the law by providing several state officials, including PM Mikuláš Dzurinda, with sensitive information regarding NBÚ chief Ján Mojžiš.The NBÚ, which carries out security screenings on officials and people who will access classified information when Slovakia joins NATO in May 2004, has always enjoyed the support of its foreign partners in the Alliance.

Reader feedback: Region's future depends on villages

Slovaks love Zlatý Bažant and Nokia

New left wing party emerges

Foreigners' accounts

IF YOU plan to live in Slovakia for a long time and you find fees for withdrawing cash from ATMs on an international payment card issued by your home bank too high, you should think about opening a bank account in a Slovak bank.Opening a new account in Slovakia is easy to do even when you are a foreigner.