Archive of articles - January 2007, page 2

Opposition rallies forces against government

Around Slovakia

Salaries in regions catching up with capital

Prosecutor challenges mobile tender

IFP increases estimate of Slovakia's 2006 GDP

US "grateful for Slovak support"

THE SLOVAK Spectator asked US Embassy spokesman Keith Hughes how the latest developments in Slovak foreign policy could affect Slovak-US relations on January 23.

Slovakia still needs its protesters

In American football, after a man was tackled by an opponent, it was common until the mid-1970s for other tacklers to jump on top of them until the original two players were buried under a pile of over-fed bodies. The practice of "piling on" was later banned because it was dangerous, and because it delayed the game, which was what everyone had paid to see.

Mild winter a boon to some

If anyone is happy that this winter has been mild so far, it is homeless people and the ethnic Roma, many of whom live in poor conditions in makeshift shelters.

One third of Slovaks over 15 use the internet

MORE THAN A third of Slovak citizens older than 15 use the internet, according to a survey carried out by the marketing company TNS SK in October and November of last year on a sample of 1,081 respondents.

Bureaucratic ghosts

State offices continue to receive funding for people they do not employ. In 2005 the state paid Sk500 million to fund posts in the civil service that had not been filled, while in 2004 the figure was around Sk600 million.

Mečiar still recovering from multiple bypass

Pankl to move production from Austria

Fico snubs US missile plan for Czechs, Poles

PRIME Minister Robert Fico's go-it-alone approach to foreign policy was on display again in the third week of January after the Cabinet Office apparently got its signals mixed with the Foreign Ministry over a US proposal that Poland and the Czech Republic help set up a regional anti-missile shield.

Late winter packs a punch

IMPATIENT SKIIERS who have been waiting more than a month for winter to arrive have finally gotten their wish. The snow at Lomnické Sedlo in the High Tatras is almost 2 metres deep, making it the location with the best skiing conditions.

Guide eases integration for new arrivals and seasoned expats

FOREIGN language teachers and university students often arrive in Bratislava with the same kinds of questions: "how do I get an internet connection set up in my apartment?" or "where should I go shopping for new clothes?"

Slovak is hard

I HEAR the statement "Slovak is hard" over and over again. Slovaks say it with sympathy in their voices, and non-natives often with a sense of resignation or awe. I think I've actually heard it most from Slovak acquaintances (počujem to od známych), who correct me with confidence, and from close friends (od kamarátok, when female, od kamarátov, when male), who correct me with a sort of apologetic superiority.

Culture shorts

Adjusting to life after nuclear shutdown

JASLOVSKÉ BOHUNICE - The closure of two reactors at the nuclear power plant in this village in western Slovakia, scheduled for 2006-2008, began on January 1. It was accompanied by grim statements from government politicians as to the folly of closing a station capable of producing energy for years to come, and accusations that the previous Dzurinda government, which signed off on the deal, had caved in too easily to the environmental lobby within the EU.

Davos is a long way off

The Swiss town of Davos has been besieged by the global economic elite. While 1,200 renowned economists and heads of state decide the fate of the world, the Slovak government is burying its head in the sand, and does not have a single representative at Davos.