Archive of articles - January 2004, page 8

2004 promises a wild political ride

THE YEAR 2004 promises to be rich in political events. Even without the possible early national elections that the trade unions and the opposition are campaigning for, it is packed with big events, several of which will mark a new era for the central European post-communist nation.Presidential elections, observers agree, are among the top political events this year, as well as the planned May 1 entries to the EU and NATO.

Wage differences grow

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Schuster builds suspense

PRESIDENT Rudolf Schuster appears determined to keep up his fight for a stronger role for the head of state in Slovak society. Although Schuster has yet to say his final word on whether he will run for president again, critics say he is already setting the stage for his re-election bid in 2004.

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Outstanding Slovaks honoured

EIGHTEEN Slovak personalities have received high state awards marking the country's independence day on January 1. President Rudolf Schuster, who distributed the New Year honours, noted that it is the wise and skilled people who increase a country's credit and authority abroad.The Pribina Cross First Class went to eminent filmmaker Dušan Hanák, who enriched Slovak cinema with masterpieces like Paper Heads (Papierové hlavy), Silent Joy (Tichá radosť), and Pink Dreams (Ružové sny.) Painter Ernest Zmeták, who had a significant impact on Slovak fine arts in the second half of the 20th century, and Peter Blaho, distinguished Romanist and Rector of the Trnava University, also received the Pribina Cross. The honour went in memoriam to František Klein, a significant figure of the Slovak medical sciences.

Irish band tours EU candidates

THE IRISH band Bell X1 is scheduled to play at the Slovak Pub in Bratislava on January 11. The concert is part of their Irish-government-supported tour of some of the states acceding to the European Union.A day before playing in Slovakia, the band could be heard in the Czech Republic.

MOL raises stake in Slovnaft

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President undecided on repeated candidacy

€100 million for tourism projects

No trust for ruling parties

PAINFUL social reforms are behind the corrosion of Slovakia's ruling coalition's popularity, led by Prime Minister Mikuláš Dzurinda, analysts say when weighing up the past year in the Slovak political arena. Grigorij Mesežnikov, head of the Institute for Public Affairs (IVO) think-tank; Soňa Szomolányi, head of the political science department of Comenius University in Bratislava; and Zora Bútorová, sociologist with the IVO, shared their outlooks in an interview with The Slovak Spectator.

2004 will be the year of conferences

ONLY when a burglar came to her house, knocked her down, and robbed her did she realise that the date of birth written on her identification card was inaccurate. The burglar was supposed to come a week later, the stars told her. The unexpected accident thus made her recalculate her birth.

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A generation of alcoholics on the rise

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