Archive of articles - December 2004, page 2

Slovak youths on drugs

Minister survives no-confidence vote

Ski Window

RECENT warm weather has degraded natural snow conditions under 1,200 meters. Resorts with snowmaking, however, are still managing to keep some low elevation terrain open. The weather forecast is for hazy conditions in valleys and sunny weather at higher altitudes. Low night-time temperatures will create excellent conditions for snowmaking, and more resorts should be open for the weekend of December 17 and 18.

India's gateway to the West

SLOVAKIA is interested in improving its trade balance with India by diversifying exports and extending India's business activities in the country.President Ivan Gašparovič delivered the message personally by travelling to New Delhi December 11, where he signed three bilateral trade agreements.Gašparovič and his trade delegation met with Indian counterpart Abdul Kalam and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to talk about boosting their economic cooperation. Gašparovic considers the current level of partnership between the two countries "dissatisfactory".

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Practise what you preach

THE OPPOSITION once again failed to sack a minister of the Mikuláš Dzurinda cabinet, despite its experience in initiating no-confidence motions.The first no-confidence motion by the opposition dates back to 1999 when the Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS), unable to digest its defeat in the 1998 parliamentary elections, sought to fight the coalition by putting certain cabinet ministers on trial and having them removed.

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The year of the biggest reforms

WHILE tackling a series of legislative changes to harmonize its laws with those of the EU, the Slovak parliament has not only adopted a series of EU directives but also earned international acclaim as passing the biggest reform laws of the year.Among them are healthcare reform laws, fiscal decentralization laws, and legislation governing the future operation of the new pension system as of January 1, 2005.The cabinet completed the public administration reform when parliament finally passed a plan on the distribution of income tax to municipalities and self-ruling regional and municipal parliaments.

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Trade deficit down in 2004

Iraqis receive training in Slovakia

Stahl appeals to Constitutional Court

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Maestro triumphs

IN PRAISE of Troubled Dreams, Feverish Inaction, Continual and Persistent Trying for Ownership, Drunken Dragon, A Boat Named the Torture Chamber of Love - these are not insane hallucinations, but the titles of some of the numerous artworks by Albín Brunovský.He is known to the masses not only for the banknotes he designed but for his singular and immensely evocative style.

Initiative aims to boost gallery attendance

WHY is it that the galleries of the Tate museum in London are permanently full and important Slovak galleries are virtually empty?"Gallery pedagogy has a weak tradition here. It's not built on live communication [with the visitor]," said Vladimír Malast from the Slovak National Gallery.He explained that viewers are often expected to understand difficult, expert-like texts and follow the track of exhibitions installed in boring ways.

Festival winners announced

DECEMBER 11, the day when The Life and Death of Peter Sellers entered Slovak cinemas, was also the day the International Film Festival Bratislava closed.The largest movie happening in the country, which brings films and music from around the world to a Slovak audience, ran for eight days at Bratislava's Aupark.Up to 22,000 people visited this, the sixth year of the festival. 170 films and 53 music videos from more than 50 countries were on offer.

Marianka

IF ON A hike from Bratislava into the Malé Karpaty (Small Carpathians) you notice numerous ancient crosses and statues of saints, you are probably on one of the pilgrimage trails that lead from Rača or Svätý Jur, to Marianka.