Archive of articles - May 2004

SDKÚ responds to illegal funding allegations

State aid information to be public

Tough safety measures for NATO assembly

Reader feedback: The West needs immigrants

Rusko accused of lobbying for Markíza

Cartoon

As good as honey

LOOKING back over the past editions of SlovakMatters, one notices a disturbing pattern. Insults, pick-up lines, and other sensational material have been thetopic of many a column. Even the week covering weddings paid great attention to dramatic matters likekidnapping, drunkenness, and broken crockery. To change the tone of these pages, today we will turn to allthings dobré ako med, or as good as honey.

Bratislava opens for NATO assembly

SLOVAKIA has toughened border checks and safety measures in Bratislava's heart ahead of thespring session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly from May 28 to June 1.Just a day before the start of the session, police found two plastic bags with explosives under a waste bin at theFajnorove riverside near the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra where the event, featuring 352 delegates from 44countries, is being held.Never in its history has Slovakia experienced such a concentration of world politicians. The largest delegationscome from the United States, Germany, Russia, France, and Great Britain.

White-collar crime alert

SLOVAK Intelligence Service (SIS) chief LadislavPittner presented the service's annual report, which discussed issues such as terrorism, corruption, illegalmigration, and organised crime, to a closed parliamentary session last week.Asked by journalists on May 21 whether Slovaks could feel safe in their country Pittner offered an ambiguouscomment."Yes and no. It is relative," he said.

Spectator moving

Dear readers, The Slovak Spectator is moving from Dostojevského rad. As of Monday, May 31, thepaper's new home will be Námestie SNP 30, 811 01 Bratislava, Slovakia.

Reader feedback: English a neocolonial tool

First car rolls out in January 2006

THE FIRST car produced inPSA Peugeot Citroen's new plant in Slovakia should leave the factory gate in January of 2006. So far, theconstruction works and recruitment process for the French carmaker are progressing on schedule. The firstproduction hall should be finished in late summer this year.The plant near the western Slovak town of Trnava will become one of the greatest investments in production inSlovakia and certainly the biggest French investment in the country.

Rusko's nuclear reaction

THE LATEST brainchild of Economy Minister PavolRusko, the idea that the Slovenské elektrárne power producer be sold to an investor who would complete twoblocks of the nuclear plant in Mochovce, has evoked fiery debate in business, environmental, and evendiplomatic circles.Safely backed by his party the New Citizen's Alliance, Rusko said that the completion of the blocks is in theinterest of Slovakia's power self-sufficiency.

The EU is no hamburger

THE COMMUNIST Party of Slovakia (KSS), as all other parliamentary parties, supported Slovakia'sentry to the European Union.The Slovak Spectator spoke with Karol Fajnor, the party's top candidate in the elections for the EuropeanParliament, to find out what visions the party has for a united Europe.The Slovak Spectator (TSS): The preamble of the new European constitutional treaty is likely to include areference to the continent's cultural heritage. Should it mention Christianity or perhaps communism?

Military intelligence boss recalled

Eastern gateway to the West

AFTER May 1, Slovakia became the main eastern gate to the European Union, which makes thecountry even more attractive to asylum seekers and, unfortunately, to human traffickers.In April, Slovakia registered a record number of asylum applications, warned the Office of the United NationsHigh Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Bratislava, and more are likely to come.As many as 1,067 asylum seekers submitted their applications, which is the highest number in Slovakia's historyand the highest number of applicants in central Europe in 2004, the news wire SITA reported.

New deadline for SE bids

Quote of the Week

Sk37.2 billion given in mortgage loans