Archive of articles - April 2007

Jusko becomes new RÚZ chairman

HZDS regional assembly in Košice supports Mečiar for chairman

SNS against publication of list of former ŠtB members

Fico supports Putin’s opposition to US missile shield

Most HZDS district assemblies support Mečiar

Tensions escalate between Prime Minister and media

THE RELATIONSHIP between the government and the Slovak media grew even more tense last week.At a meeting in Veľký Krtíš on April 22, Prime Minister Robert Fico did not even try to hide his disappointment with the media's conduct.

Slovnaft to pay Sk7.5 billion in dividends

Air transport leaders to gather in Bratislava

EastEuro Link's second Annual Air Transport Conference - Business in the Sky, focusing on the air transport industry in central and southeastern Europe, will be held at the Radisson SAS Hotel in Bratislava on May 4.

Quote of the Week:

Slovak parties reach out to citizens on May Day

UNDER COMMUNISM, May 1's International Workers' Day celebrations were compulsory and attendance was closely monitored. Since the fall of the iron curtain, May Day has mostly shed its ideological connotations and now is more a time for local street fairs and parties.

König: PM's media approach 'unfortunate'

ARNE König, chairman of the European Federation of Journalists, is surprised by the level of tension in relations between the Slovak government and the country's media, and says Prime Minister Robert Fico should understand he represents all parts of society.

Palermo

There is no need to panic or to demonize the few individuals who are among the colony of Czech friends and advisors to PM Robert Fico from the ČSSD Czech social-democratic party. Nevertheless, while names like Jaroslav Tvrdík and Jan Kavan should put us on our guard, the fact that the director of Slovak Railways was named at the suggestion of a man named Miroslav Šlouf should be investigated by the counter-intelligence division of the SIS as well as the State Security Council.

Around Slovakia

Slovak Grammys 2006 distributed

THE YEAR of 2006 ended without any clear winners in Slovak popular music as the female vocalist Tina, Nitra-based band Desmond and Lavagance from Bratislava finished with two Aurels each. The Slovak music academy awards for 2006, known as the Aurels, were handed out on April 18 in Martin.

US ambassador planned 'small chat' with Jahnátek

US AMBASSADOR Rodolphe M. Vallee used his speech at a conference on freedom of the press in Bratislava on April 25 to refute recent comments made by Economy Minister Ľubomír Jahnátek regarding alleged exceptions for corrupt practices in American legislation.

Warhol reinvents tradition at the new SND

COLOR AND INTERACTION were the dominant themes at the world premiere of the ballet Warhol, which opened at the new SND on April 20.But as much focus was on this colorful and daring production - the first choreographed and directed by the new head of the SND Ballet, Mário Radačovský - perhaps even more was on its venue, which opened only two weeks ago after two decades of construction.

Tourists find scenery good but services lacking

WHILE SLOVAK and foreign tourists prefer to visit the same regions in Slovakia, foreign visitors are less interested in history and more concerned about the quality of services.Almost half of Slovaks think the High Tatras are the most attractive region for tourism, according to a survey from the TNS SK polling agency conducted in November. One fifth chose Slovak Paradise (Slovenský Raj) as their favourite region, and one tenth chose the Low Tatras.

One quarter of Slovaks agree with military

More love

People who heat their homes with wood are out of luck. As are people who use electricity, coal, or heat from heating plants, or who are retired and not yet older than 65 years. Everyone is out of luck who is not a pensioner, but is existing on the minimum welfare amount.