Archive of articles - June 2006, page 3

541 Slovaks vote from abroad

Events Countrywide

Western SLOVAKIACentral SLOVAKIAEastern SLOVAKIA

Park of metal

SEVERAL places in Slovakia serve as fertile ground for groups of artists to meet regularly and create works. One is the Pustý Chotár manor house in the tiny village of Beladice, near Nitra, where local and world's celebrated ceramists gather to produce a unique atmosphere with their clay artworks. Another is the Turčianske Teplice spa, which each year nurtures dozens of new smithery works that add to the town's distinctive spirit.

Barabáš's Pururambo released in English

Roman Games in Rusovce expand

Quote of the Week:

Slovak theatre lacks quality criticism

From big picture to brass tacks

THE SLOVAK public has not been immune to the trend of declining interest in foreign affairs, and the media has responded by shaving pages and minutes from their international news coverage.Despite the domestic disinterest, however, foreign policy experts say that Slovakia's ability to respond promptly to events on the world political stage, which requires above all being informed, is becoming ever more important.

Industry voices 2006

Industry Voices will run for the next three months as a regular feature in which industry professionals comment on the challenges facing the next cabinet.The Slovak Spectator (TSS): Amrop Jenewein has a think-tank in Brussels. What's a human capital and EU affairs firm doing with a think tank?Peter Bachratý (PB): We understood after a couple of successful years in business that if we and the whole business sector wanted to be more professional, we had to become involved in some kind of philanthropy, something that would help to create a better business and public administration environment. We used our existing European activities and our Brussels office to work towards this goal.

Petržalka fire raises toxic worries

THE THICK black smoke that billowed over Bratislava from a chemical plant fire on June 18 scared the capital's citizens and forced some to abandon their homes."I collected my family and we spent the night in a cottage outside Bratislava. The smell was too intense," said a resident of the Petržalka suburb in which the fire broke out for The Slovak Spectator.

'Tis the season to be kind

THE ELEMENT of surprise is what makes elections so endlessly fascinating. On June 17, the Slovak voter, this perplexing creature that politicians have been trying to dissect to learn its secrets, prepared several surprises for the political contestants. Indeed, one of the most frequently used words following the announcement of the results of the parliamentary elections in Slovakia was "surprise".

Stolen painting back on the wall

Krupina

THE FREE royal town of Krupina in southern Slovakia made huge sacrifices to fulfil its 16th-century role as part of the defensive line against Turkish invasion, suffering almost a century and a half of fear, battles and tragedies.

Not just an obligation

SLOVAKS may not realise it, but their country is among the richer in the world. Slovakia's GDP of about $16,100 per capita puts it between 85th and 90th on the list of the world's more than 230 countries, a significant step ahead of the approximately 145 states with a GDP of less than $10,000 per capita.Along with this wealth comes the responsibility to help poorer nations. Moreover, Slovakia is bound to distribute

Vote buying observed in Roma settlements

All eyes on KDH as Smer hunts partners

ROBERT Fico, whose socialist Smer party scored a strong 29.1 percent in the June 17 general elections, started official talks with all five other parties that won seats in parliament within days of the ballot. However, as the meetings continued, attention gradually focused on the 8-percent conservative Christian Democratic Movement (KDH), whose agonized indecision over whether to join Smer was seen as the key to the shape of the next government.

Reader feedback: In search of an economic identity

Voters tap MPs over party picks

SLOVAKIA'S electoral system may give political parties a loud say in who wins a seat in parliament, but in June 17 elections a custom allowing voters to indicate preferred candidates allowed some to leapfrog their colleagues and land a job in the legislature.One such case was Peter Gabura of the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH), whom the party leadership had originally placed at No 77 on its 150-member list of candidates for elections, giving him no chance of winning a seat.

Economy Ministry prepares unbundling of SSE power distributor