Archive of articles - March 2009, page 11
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Time to end this 'thug-of-war'
POLITICAL opponents never miss out on a single chance to fight, overcome, challenge and question their rivals in the political arena. Potentially, even bird watching or the migration of frogs could serve as a reason for political opponents to have a clash of differences. Any event, anniversary, tragedy, success or failure can – in a millisecond – turn into an amphitheatre where the political camps can clash in a bombastic political fight.
Petit Press gets new shareholder
THE PUBLISHING group Media Group Rheinische Post (RP Media Group) – owner of the Czech dailies Mladá Fronta DNES and Lidové Noviny – has become a major shareholder in the Petit Press publishing house which publishes The Slovak Spectator, the Sme daily, regional newspapers, weekly newspapers, a internet news provider and other media products in Slovakia.
Open-air archaeology museum to open in Nitra
AN OPEN-AIR archaeological museum will soon rise on the premises of the former military barracks under Zobor hill in Nitra. The Archaeological Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAV) has received part of the premises in a transfer from the Defence Ministry and work has already started, the SITA newswire reported.
Novels keep Slavic nations in touch
EVEN Slovaks themselves are often surprised by how easily they are understood in Bulgaria, Macedonia or Belarus. And, apparently, it is not only the similarity of languages that binds the 13 Slavic nations living in Europe.
Report slams government for rising corruption
THE SLOVAK government has strengthened the influence of the state in the economy, and at the same time there has been a rise in corruption and party cronyism, according to the annual Global Report on the State of Society published by the non-governmental think-tank the Institute for Public Affairs (IVO). Its most recent edition was published this month.
Lower spending poses information security risks
RECENT surveys indicate that the thriftier budgets being forced on companies by the global economic downturn may result in threats to their information security. IT companies warn that neglecting information security may expose companies to risks from leakage or abuse of data, making their systems non-functional or exposing them to viruses. Reduced IT costs can also lead to low flexibility or make companies’ software systems more vulnerable, they add.
Production declines
JANUARY figures have confirmed that the global economic downturn has started to affect Slovakia markedly. During the first month of 2009, production in both industrial and construction sectors shrank by over one quarter when compared with January 2008. Market watchers ascribe the decline to the natural gas crisis in early January, the overall economic downturn, as well as to bad weather. Future prospects are gloomy, though the public sector may spur more construction work.
IT firms better prepared
IT COMPANIES say they are better prepared for the global economic downturn, as they have very well-established information systems, thanks to which they can react much more flexibly to the market’s swings. Moreover, they offer clients solutions to help them make their operations more effective and reduce costs. They warn that only those companies which do not neglect their investments in information technologies will have the best starting point as the crisis ends.
Anti-fascist activists call on Interior Minister to act
Dozens of young people protested in SNP Square in Bratislava on March 14 against an ultra-right rally and march through the capital commemorating the war-time Slovak state and its controversial president, the priest Jozef Tiso.
Slovak wartime fascist state ‘commemorated’ in Bratislava
Several hundred supporters of the Nazi-puppet government in Slovakia during World War II gathered at Hodžovo Square in Bratislava at 13:00 on March 14 to commemorate the 70th anniversary of its establishment. The mostly young and shaved-head men dressed in black with uniforms resembling those of oppressive regimes, members of the Czech National Resistance, and a group of older people listened to nationalistic speeches and yelled nationalistic slogans, the SITA newswire wrote.
Analysts says candidates without party backing are lost
Those presidential candidates who aren’t backed by a political party - in effect, only by their own ideological and financial background - have no chance in the election set for March 21, political analyst Miroslav Kusý told the TASR newswire on Thursday, March 12. “The election campaign is about public relations. It means that it's directly connected to PR agencies and costs a fortune,” said Kusý, adding that candidates without party backing have limited scope to secure money for their campaign.
Inflation rate lower for five straight months
Slovakia's annual headline inflation calculated according to national methodology slowed for the fifth consecutive month in February, dropping to 3.1 percent from 3.4 percent in January, the Slovak Statistics Office told the TASR newswire on March 12.
Committee lays out principles of new political party
Expertise, propriety and real solidarity will be the underlying principles of a new political party called Freedom and Solidarity (SaS), according to four members of the party's preparatory committee who announced on March 12 that the party was registered with the Interior Ministry on February 27 of this year, the TASR newswire wrote.
Hungarian and Slovak parliamentary chairmen report on talks
The amendment to the State Language Act approved by the Slovak government on March 11 will not restrict the rights of ethnic minorities to use their language, the Chairman of the Slovak Parliament, Pavol Paška, said following talks with his Hungarian counterpart Katalin Szili in the village of Bela on Thursday, March 12, the TASR newswire wrote. “Let us defend our national language at home, it's quite common even by larger nations in Europe,” said Paška. Paška appreciated the meeting for its openness. “Formerly, I used to have a feeling that I'm standing in the dock,” said Paška, adding that Slovakia is able to respond to all questions Hungary raises, but currently its foremost concern is to focus on bolstering the economic situation of all people living in the country, without regard to their nationality. Conversely, Szili expressed Hungary's concerns about the government-proposed bill toughening up use of the ethnic minorities languages. “The words of Chairman Paška are a guarantee that no elements restricting the rights of ethnic minorities to use their language will appear in the final version of the bill,” said Szili. The chairs also agreed on future talks of the constitutional and foreign affairs parliamentary committees of the two countries, which are expected to resolve issues surrounding the legal status of the ethnic minorities in both Slovakia and Hungary, TASR wrote. Paska and Szili are to meet in June again in order to evaluate the results of the cooperation. TASR
Slovak and Hungarian Speakers of Parliament to meet today
Relations between Slovakia and Hungary will be high on the agenda of the March 12 meeting between the Speaker of the Slovak Parliament, Pavol Paška, and his Hungarian counterpart, Katalin Szili. They will meet in the Slovak village of Bela near Štúrovo to evaluate the joint sessions of five Slovak and Hungarian parliamentary committees which met in January and February. The MP committees were tasked with formulating the main proposals of both sides to be taken up by the speakers of both parliaments in resolving problems between the countries, the SITA newswire wrote.
Wholesale price of electricity going down in Slovakia
The wholesale price of electricity in Slovakia has been dropping. At an annual news conference, the Executive President of the Italian energy group Enel, Luigi Ferraris, said that Slovakia’s dominant electricity distributor Slovenské Elektrárne (SE) last year sold electricity for this year at an average of €68 per megawatt hour (MWh) while currently the company is selling electricity for next year at an average of €62 per megawatt hour, according to the SITA newswire.
Government and employers sign memorandum on cooperation
The Slovak Government and employers confirmed on Wednesday, March 12, that they will cooperate to tackle the effects of the global economic crisis by signing a memorandum on cooperation. The document was signed by Prime Minister Robert Fico, by the chairman of the Republic Union of Employers (RUZ), Marián Jusko, by the president of the Association of Employer Unions and Organisations (AZZZ), Tomáš Malatinský, and by Klub 500 chairman Vladimír Soták, according to the TASR newswire. Fico emphasised that the government has committed itself in the memorandum not to adopt laws during the crisis that would inappropriately burden employers with financial, regulatory or administrative costs above the level laid out in current legislation. His priority is to create the conditions necessary for maintaining employment, TASR wrote. The employers committed themselves in the memorandum to not misuse the crisis to worsen the working conditions of employees. The signatories will also carry out measures aimed at maintaining social peace. Malatinský stressed that employers are interested in maintaining employment as well. They especially want to hold on to professionals because if they lose them this could have fatal consequences when the economy recovers.
More companies announce layoffs
Two more companies have announced planned layoffs in the Nové Zámky district that will make 40 and 29 people redundant. Marta Lazianska of the Office for Labour, Social Affairs and Family in Nové Zámky informed the SITA newswire that both companies are Slovak and are involved in engineering. She did not specify their names as the office did not have their ‘permission’.
Candidate accuses newspaper of violating purity of presidential campaign
The Slovak Communist Party’s (KSS) presidential candidate Milan Sidor said at a press conference on March 11 in Bratislava that he is displeased that the private media is violating what he called ‘the purity’ of the presidential campaign, according to the TASR newswire.
Analysts foresee no likely Presidential winner in first round
None of the seven presidential hopefuls is likely to receive enough votes to become president after the first round of the election on March 21, according to the prognostications of several Slovak political analysts on March 11.
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