Archive of articles - The Slovak Spectator

Kubiš: Slovakia and Turkey seek easing of visa requirements

Slovakia and Turkey will look for ways to ease visa requirements between the two countries, Slovak Foreign Affairs Minister Ján Kubiš and his Turkish counterpart Ali Babacan agreed in Bratislava on May 28.

Visegrad Group parliamentary summit set to discuss Lisbon Treaty

The status of national parliaments after the Lisbon Treaty comes into effect will be the main topic of talks between Visegrad Four countries on May 30 in Prague, the TASR newswire wrote on May 29.

KDH and SKDÚ will not support SMK's effort to amend Press Code

If the coalition KDH party requests the Constitutional Court examine the Press Code, it would prefer to do it in coordination with SDKÚ rather than with the ethnic-Hungarian SMK, KDH vice-chairman Martin Fronc said on May 29 in response to the SMK initiative announced earlier in the day.

Opposition rejects merging voting dates

Opposition parties said on May 29 they would refuse to support the merging of some voting dates in 2009, when the European Parliament (EP), a two-round vote for Slovak president and a two-round elections to local governments' bodies (VÚCs) was scheduled.

Revaluation of Slovak crown's central parity is justified, says ECB

The European Central Bank (ECB) has commented on the revaluation of the Slovak crown’s so-called ‘central parity’ against the euro, which was approved on May 28 after the closing of markets by eurozone finance ministers, the ECB, and the finance ministers and central banks of Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia. The new central parity is Sk30.126 to one euro. According to the ECB, the move was justified and supported by the ongoing improvement of underlying economic fundamentals in Slovakia, the SITA newswire wrote.

President hails Slovak diplomat’s UN appointment

Slovak president Ivan Gasparovič has hailed the appointment of Slovak diplomat Miroslav Jenča as head of the new UN Regional Centre of Preventive Diplomacy in Central Asia (UNRCCA) as an unprecedented position for a Slovak diplomat. Jenča takes up his post as of June 1, at UNRCCA headquarters in the Turkmen capital, Ashgabat, according to the SITA newswire. Jenča said that next Thursday he would meet with Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) representatives in Vienna, as one of his mission's tasks was to coordinate the activities of the international community in the region. Jenča a listed some of the problems afflicting the Central Asian region: lack of water, trafficking in drugs and illegal migration.

Employers critical of planned changes in CO2 emissions trading

The National Association of Employers (RÚZ) and its European partners clustered in EU’s biggest employer organization, BusinessEurope, conveyed serious concerns on May 28 in reaction to a draft amendment to a directive on trading in greenhouse gas emissions. RÚZ secretary Martin Hošták argues that the proposal not only does not guarantee the fulfilment of an EU goal to cut emissions of greenhouse gases by twenty percent by 2020 compared to the year 1990, but also considerably hinders the competitiveness of EU industry, and hence the employment and prosperity of citizens in the bloc.

SMK suggests four possibilities for resolving Press Code issues

The opposition Hungarian Coalition Party (SMK) has announced the results of a legal analysis addressing the situation surrounding Slovakia’s controversial new Press Code which it had asked independent experts to produce. The analysis found four alternatives, the SITA newswire wrote. SMK leader Pál Csáky said that the first possibility was to file a motion with the Constitutional Court. The SMK is ready to support such a step, but the party needs the support of five or six deputies from other opposition parties. The second option would be to submit a draft amendment to the Press Code at a parliamentary session in September that would correct the disputed provisions. The SMK is in favour of this solution, and the party has already more or less agreed on its implementation. Csáky does not consider the remaining two possibilities to be very realistic. The SMK could turn to the ombudsman, who has the right to submit the problem to the Constitutional Court, or present the problem to international forums, for example the European Court for Human Rights.

SDKÚ and KDH snub SMK on Press Code talks

Discussions on possible changes to the controversial Press Code slated to take place in the headquarters of the opposition ethnic-Hungarian SMK party on May 29 will not involve the other two opposition parties - SDKÚ and KDH, the TASR newswire wrote on May 28.

Slovak crown breaks more records

The Slovak crown recorded new historic highs against the euro and the US dollar on May 28, OTP Banka Slovensko dealer Eduard Pracko told the TASR newswire. As early as the morning session, the crown broke the 31 SKK/EUR threshold for the first time ever. Its current records are 30.65 SKK/EUR and 19.52 SKK/USD.

Počiatek won't comment on speculations on central parity revaluation

The rapid firming of the Slovak crown since the EC's positive evaluation report on May 7 on Slovakia's readiness to adopt the euro has pushed the crown to near the lower limit of the allowed band in the ERM 2 rate mechanism, leading to speculation about the revaluation of the central parity.

SkyEurope to launch new routes as of June

As of next month, SkyEurope Airlines will expand its range of destinations in European countries, spokesman Tomáš Kika told the TASR newswire on May 28.

Find your property at living.spectator.sk

Dear Readers, The Slovak Spectator is pleased to announce the launch of its new sub-site, www.living.spectator.sk, focusing on real estate. As well as a wide range of properties, user-friendly navigation and extensive photographs, the site also contains information on different regions of Slovakia, and several articles on the subject of real estate and housing. There is also a section allowing you to advertise your own property for sale or rental.

Ján Pallo

Real Estate & Construction Guide

Dear Readers,The Slovak real estate market has experienced a huge boom in the past few years and The Slovak Spectator has always tried to cover the most significant real estate-related topics.

Ján Pallo

Amnesty International criticises racism in Slovakia

Slovakia’s Roma community continues to face serious discrimination in its access to housing, education, employment, health care and other services, as well as persistent prejudice and hostility, according to Amnesty International’s annual report on the state of the world’s human rights in 2007, published on May 28. The human rights' watchdog group also says that the Slovak authorities do not adequately react to attacks on foreigners and minority members. Police investigations sometimes appeared dilatory or failed to acknowledge the racial motivations of attackers.

Wind parks planned for Senica district

A series of new wind-powered electricity-generating units are planned for the Senica district in western Slovakia. The company Ventureal Slovakia, s.r.o., has announced plans to build a wind park costing between Sk2.5 billion and Sk3.6 billion, with 22 to 31 wind power units, in an area near to the villages of Letničie, Petrova Ves, Šaštín-Stráže, Štefanov and Unín. The park should generate between 60 and 85 megawatts (MW) of electricity. Another company, Enairgy Veterná Energia, s.r.o., has announced plans to erect wind power generators in an area near to the villages of Hradište pod Vrátnou and Osuské. The development will cost between Sk950 million to Sk1.1 billion, with 10 to 17 wind power generators producing a total of 20 to 22 MW. Environmental impact assessments are now being evaluated.

NGOs to file nuclear complaint

One hundred and twenty-one NGOs say they will file a complaint against the completion of the third and fourth reactors at the Mochovce nuclear power plant (EMO). The environmental organisation Greenpeace says that that NGOs and private entities will take action based on their belief that the EMO completion project has not yet undergone an environmental impact assessment (EIA) asrequired by law. “The Nuclear Supervision Office of the Slovak Republic, which in this case is the responsible construction office, has not requested an EIA in relation to the completion of the third and fourth units [at] Mochovce so far. In our opinion, which lawyers have also confirmed, a supplementary evaluation according to the law on EIA is now required,” said Pavol Široký, of the organisation For Mother Earth (Za Matku Zem), the SITA newswire reported.

Health Ministry refuses to comment on minister’s alleged resignation plans

The Health Ministry is refusing to comment on reports that Health Minister Ivan Valentovič (a Smer-SD nominee) is planning to resign from his post. “The Health Ministry won't comment on media speculation,” ministry spokesperson Silvia Horváthová said on May 27. A report about Valentovič's alleged departure plans appeared in the financial daily Hospodárske Noviny on Tuesday, May 27. The paper stated that it had been told by an unnamed senior Smer representative that Valentovič would resign on June 10 for “personal reasons”. The Smer party presidium has reportedly made a clear decision on the matter. “We won't entertain any speculation,” the TASR newswire was told by Smer spokesperson Katarína Kližanová-Rýsová. Valentovič is currently on an official visit to Israel. According to the daily, the main candidate to replace him is the current director of Bratislava Faculty Hospital, Richard Raši. TASR

Independent MPs seek support for minister’s dismissal

The four independent MPs who left the opposition Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) earlier this year are calling for a parliamentary vote to have Justice Minister Štefan Harabin (ĽS-HZDS) dismissed.

Aeroflot resumes Moscow-Bratislava flights

The Russian airline Aeroflot restarted its scheduled air-link between Bratislava and Moscow on May 27, after a four-year hiatus. It will now fly twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, using TU-154M aircraft. “A scheduled line will stimulate the development of tourism and business interests,” Aeroflot’s director-general, Valery M. Okulov, told reporters. If there is sufficient interest, Aeroflot is set to increase the number of flights. In the 1990s and early 2000s, Aeroflot flew five times a week between Moscow and Bratislava. The service ended in 2004 when the IL-62 and TU-134 aircraft used on the route failed to meet European noise and emission standards after Slovakia joined the European Union. Between 2004 and 2007, the air-link between the capitals was provided by Slovak Airlines. In February, Aeroflot – which began operating in Bratislava in 1969 –celebrated its 85th anniversary in business. Its fleet includes 85 planes, half of which are Airbus A320s and Boeing 767s. TASR

Archive of articles - May 2008