Archive of articles - July 2009, page 8
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Democracy is deteriorating in Slovakia, says IVO
THE QUALITY of democracy in Slovakia is continuing to deteriorate, with cronyism, corruption and misuse of the Hungarian issue remaining the biggest problems after three years of rule by Robert Fico’s government, according to the Institute for Public Affairs (IVO) think tank. The findings come from IVO’s latest Barometer survey, evaluating democracy in the second quarter of 2009.
Car-scrapping bonus boosts car sales in Slovakia
DURING the first half of 2009 Slovaks bought almost 41,300 new passenger cars. Compared with the same period of 2008 this was an increase of 18.4 percent. In June alone, Slovaks bought 10,355 passenger cars: sales normally average 4,000 to 5,000 units in Slovakia.
NBS expects deteriorating quality of bank credit portfolios
CREDIT risks in the Slovak banking sector will increase this year because of the impact the unfavourable situation in the global economy is having on the Slovak economy, according to a financial stability report published by the National Bank of Slovakia (NBS) on July 6. Banks will experience worse credit portfolio quality for loans to households as well as to non-financial corporations, according to the NBS.
An independent regulator could be the answer
An independent regulator, free of political pressures, is one of the prescriptions the health insurance market needs the most, says Tomáš Szalay of the Health Policy Institute think tank.
President explains why he did not mention human rights to Hu Jintao
Raising the issue of human rights in China with Chinese President Hu Jintao during his official visit to Slovakia would have been “the empty gesture of a politician who doesn’t have a vision”, the director of the foreign policy department of the President’s Office, Jan Foltin, wrote in a letter to the director of the Conservative Institute Ondrej Dostal, as reported by the SITA newswire.
Chess match with live pieces in Banská Bystrica square won by Hungarians
Knights’ duels, fire from muskets and cannons, medieval songs, and in particular a live chess match with pieces in period clothing dominated Banská Bystrica’s SNP Square on July 5.
Public sculptures on show in Bratislava
The public sculpture project, Socha a objekt (Statue and Object), is a traditional event of Bratislava’s Cultural Summer and on June 25 nine exhibitions were opened. In addition to individual works, two joint presentations are on show in Slovenská výtvarná únia (Slovak Artistic Union) and in Dom umenia (House of Arts).
Filling their pockets while doing nothing
POLITICIANS, in general, like to be heard talking about transparency. Some of them are even able to comprehend the philosophy of transparency and can perhaps envision what it would actually require in real life. Throughout the year, and especially when elections approach or they are prompted by revelations about the wealth of their political opponents, politicians are wont to make vague allusions to possible changes to the rules that guide state servants when submitting their annual property reports. And this is where the process mostly remains: at the level of vague allusions.
EC to take disciplinary action against Slovakia over excessive deficit
EUROPEAN Monetary Affairs Commissioner Joaquin Almunia said that eurozone member Slovakia and a number of other countries would face EU disciplinary action this year for overrunning the agreed limit on their public spending deficit, the TASR newswire reported.
Finance minister: Slovakia not considering changing tax rates for now
THE GOVERNMENT in Slovakia is not considering changing tax rates for the moment although the public spending deficit has risen sharply due to the impact of the economic crisis, Slovak Finance Minister Ján Počiatek has told the Financial Times.
Quote of the Week
"The tax system we’ve got is only for fair weather. It’s definitely not for bad weather."
Countrywide Events
Western SLOVAKIA Trenčín FESITVAL: TENS of thousands of people will soon converge on Trenčín to take part in Slovakia’s best-known and most popular music event, Bažant Pohoda Festival. From July 16 to 18, musicians, DJs, dancers and other artists from all over the globe will be performing live at numerous open-air stages with American singer Patti Smith and Scottish band Travis being among the highlights. Apart from the concerts, so varied that they will include even classical music performances, various film screenings, workshops and discussions are available. The festival will be held at the Trenčín Airport. One-day tickets cost €55 and a festival pass is €65. More information can be found at www.pohodafestival.sk.
Waste dump under investigation by European Commission
The European Commission (EC) will start a preliminary investigation of the permission granted to allow the opening of a controversial waste dump in Pezinok, Zuzana Čaputová from the civic initiative A Waste Dump Doesn’t Belong in a City told the SITA newswire.
Finance Minister Počiatek toys with some tax hikes
WHILE income tax reductions and cuts to mandatory payroll taxes were the prescription that opposition parties and many economists said they would write for Slovakia’s aching economy, Finance Minister Ján Počiatek is now toying with the idea of some tax hikes. More taxes on alcohol and gambling would be the target if the idea turns into a plan, he suggested.
Lesy SR saga continues
SLOVAKIA’S national forestry company, Lesy SR, has hardly been showered with as much media attention over the past decade as it has received over the past two weeks. A large-scale revolt by the company’s employees against their bosses resulted in Prime Minister Robert Fico calling on the agriculture minister to sack the entire management of the company.
Summer Shakespeare Festival to stage Macbeth
The 9th year of the Summer Shakespeare Festival will have a new classic play, the tragedy of Macbeth. The festival is ongoing until August 8 on the western terrace of Bratislava Castle, in the courtyard of Zvolen Castle in central Slovakia and on Main Street in Košice. The head of the festival, Jana Zednikovičová, told the SITA newswire that she was fascinated by the story of Macbeth when she first saw it as opera performance, adding that for her, it is a dramatic and passionate play about love which becomes the basis for even murder. Slovak and Czech actors Veronika Freimanová, Milan Ondrík, Martin Nahálka, Marián Slovák, Juraj Kemka, Robert Jakab, and Lukáš Latinák will perform, among many others.
Speaking English on the city beach
BRATISLAVA’S city beach on the Petržalka embankment of Danube River has become a place for free English language conversations every Tuesday evening beginning July 7, the TASR newswire wrote. The conversations are led by foreign teachers from The Bridge language school. Between 18:00 and 19:30, through August 25, anyone can take part in the discussions at the reading area of the beach with these instructors from Canada, Chile and the Philippines.
The sweet sounds of Čičmany
About 50 shepherds’ musical instruments, including whistles, bagpipes, and fujaras (Slovak long pipes), can currently be viewed by visitors to the Raden House in the village of Čičmany, which hosts a permanent exhibition of Žilina’s Považie Museum.
Opponents of new ‘appliance waste’ law to sue Slovakia
Producers and importers of electrical appliances plan to file a lawsuit against Slovakia after its parliament adopted legislation that will add costs for the disposal of old electrical and electronic products as waste, the SITA newswire reported.
EP member says Slovakia’s new Language Act is discriminatory
The new Language Act that was passed by the Slovak parliament on June 30 does not comply with European standards and will lead to discrimination against minorities, the deputy chairman of the foreign affairs committee of the European Parliament, Michael Gahler, said on July 9, as reported by the SITA newswire.
- The law changed. Our family papers were ready. Now my kids are Slovak citizens
- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava
- Slovak female triathlete shatters barriers with historic win at Himalayan event
- From eight to thousands of runners. How Košice marathon rose to prominence Photo
- The Kremlin’s security agency has a Russian contractor in Slovakia - no one has noticed
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- Iconic Slovak barn still draws crowds. Without donors, it might have been lost Photo
- Slovakia loses another EV model to Spain as Stellantis chooses Zaragoza over Trnava
- The law changed. Our family papers were ready. Now my kids are Slovak citizens
- Slovak female triathlete shatters barriers with historic win at Himalayan event
- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners
- Slovakia loses another EV model to Spain as Stellantis chooses Zaragoza over Trnava
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- Convicted of multiple murders, Slovakia’s mafia boss seeks release from prison
- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
- News digest: Prosecutor seeks jail for NBS Governor Kažimír as his political support wanes
- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
- 3 free things to do in Bratislava in the next seven days
- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners
- Digital Jarvis is real now. He is coming for your to-do list
- The law changed. Our family papers were ready. Now my kids are Slovak citizens
- The Kremlin’s security agency has a Russian contractor in Slovakia - no one has noticed
- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- A mayor resigns over €2.7 million fraud scandal at town hall
- Fico praises China and Vietnam as models, says liberal democracy has failed
- He designed Gatwick. But this is his masterpiece
- News digest: Violent gang in Bratislava is under arrest
- The Kremlin’s security agency has a Russian contractor in Slovakia - no one has noticed
- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
- The law changed. Our family papers were ready. Now my kids are Slovak citizens
- News digest: Prosecutor seeks jail for NBS Governor Kažimír as his political support wanes
- Slovakia loses another EV model to Spain as Stellantis chooses Zaragoza over Trnava
- Slovak female triathlete shatters barriers with historic win at Himalayan event
- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
- News digest: Fico’s bloc wants to save money by restricting electoral access
- Slovakia plans to restrict access to new medicines amid funding shortfall
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process More articles ›
