Archive of articles - September 2009
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Slovak cabinet approves changes to Act on Residency of Foreigners
When Slovakia administratively expels a foreigner from Slovakia, theInterior Ministry will be obliged to provide a written explanation of the matter in a language that the foreigner is presumed to understand. This stems from a draft amendment to the Act on Residency of Foreigners, which the Slovak cabinet approved with proposals for changes on Wednesday, September 30, the SITA newswire wrote.
Opposition MP says situation Environment Ministry is worse
The situation at the Environment Ministry, now led by Deputy Premier (Knowledge-based Society, European Affairs, and Human Rights and Minorities) Dušan Čaplovič (Smer-SD) on an acting basis, is even worse than when it was under the supervision of Slovak National Party (SNS) ministers, said Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ) MP Pavol Frešo at a press conference in Bratislava on September 29. "I thought that it couldn't possibly be worse than during the era of the SNS ministers (Jaroslav Izák, Ján Chrbet and Viliam Turský). They at least didn't have problems to open the door," said Frešo for the TASR, alluding to the fact that the ministry has blocked an MPs' enquiry into various controversial cases, including the sale of CO2 emission quotas at below value to Interblue Group.
Slovak Deputy PM Čaplovič discusses human rights in the US
Slovakia's disagreements with its ethnic Hungarians over the recently passed state language and living conditions of Roma citizerns dominated Slovak Vice-Prime Minister Dusan Čaplovič's discussions with American officials on September 29 during his current working visit to the United States, the TASR newswire reported.
Confidence in Slovak economy grows for fourth consecutive month
Slovakia's Index of Economic Sentiment (IES), a measure of confidence in the country's economy, continued to grow in September for the fourth month in a row, rising by 1.8 points month-on-month to 75.1, the Slovak Statistics Office said on September 29, as reported by TASR. This means that the IES is moving away from its lowest-ever level of 66.2 points during the global economic crisis. The positive development in the indicator was mainly influenced by a significant increase in confidence in services; however, the IES was still 21.3 points lower year-on-year and down 25.3 compared to the long-term average. Confidence in industry in September fell by 3.3 points to minus 12.3 points. This was influenced by a predicted drop in industrial production in the next three months. Consumer confidence in Slovakia improved significantly in September rising by 8.4 points to minus 24.3.
Slovak Finance Ministry releases budget with deficit of 5.5% of GDP for 2010
The 2010 public finances deficit is expected to be at 5.5 percent of gross domestic product on revenues of €23.97 billion and expenditure of €27.68 billion, according to the general government budget plan published by the Finance Ministry on September 29, TASR wrote.
EC: Transport Ministry didn’t err on SkyEurope
WHILE some passengers are hoping they might recover payments they made to the collapsed low- cost airline SkyEurope for flights they will never board, there remains an intense debate on whether Slovakia’s market regulator correctly fulfilled all its duties related to the evolving developments within the ailing airline.
PM Fico hints at tougher press code
TIME has not brought a thaw to the government’s chilly view of the press and its controversial press legislation enacted last year. Quite the contrary: in response to a story published in one of Slovakia’s tabloids, the country’s prime minister is pondering further changes to make the law even tougher. Observers doubt that changes of the sort that Prime Minister Robert Fico envisions would be passed by parliament but they say the rhetoric used by the prime minister justifies some concern.
Research and tech park in Vajnory to start construction soon
The construction of a research and technology park in the Bratislava municipal district of Vajnory called CEPIT - Central European Park for Innovative Technologies, is ready and will be kicked off after the construction permit is granted.
Transparency International warns that people fear to report public corruption
Participants in a seminar organised by the non-governmental organisation Transparency International Slovensko (TIS) said that few people inSlovakia are willing to report incidents of public corruption because they are afraid it may turn against them, as there is no applicable protective legislation. For that reason TIS is recommending that the government adopt more specific measures. TIS head Emília Sičáková-Beblavá told the SITA newswire that this topic may be part of the election campaign next year.
Slovak Foreign Minister Lajčák opens UN workshop in Argentina
On September 28, Slovakia's Foreign Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajčák opened a UN workshop on security sector reform in Buenos Aires, Argentina. “Slovakia has become an informal leader in this area and we are now concentrating on regional aspects of coordination of international community activities in post-conflict areas in Latin America,” said Lajčák at the start of the seminar, according to Foreign Ministry spokesman Peter Stano, who provided information to SITA newswire.
Open Society Foundation presents ‘awards’ to cover-ups
The Open Society Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, presented the results of its INFOčin roka (INFOaction of the Year) contest, which monitors positive and negative examples of the implementation of the Freedom of Information Act on September 28, as reported by the SITA newswire.
Slovak Finance Ministry releases expenditure plan for 2010
The Finance Ministry on September 28 unveiled its expenditure plan for 2010 aimed at cutting Slovakia’s budget deficit from this year's 6 percent of gross domestic product to 5.5 percent in 2010 based on expenditures of €16.28 billion in 2010, €16.15 billion in 2011 and €16.05 billion in 2012, the TASR newswire reported. The Financial Plan was submitted by Minister Ján Počiatek to the Economic and Social Council and will go before the government at its weekly policy session on September 30. By government department, the Finance Ministry is proposing to allocate most funds - €3.71 billion - to the State Treasury, €2.35 billion to the Education Ministry, €1.97 billion to the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family, €1.44 billion to the Health Ministry and €1.42 billion to Ministry of Transportation, Posts and Telecommunications.
Transparency International Slovakia gets new head
Gabriel Šipoš, who has been active in the Institute for Economic and Social Reforms, will become the new director of Transparency International Slovakia in October, the TASR newswire reported. Šipoš will replace Emília Sičáková-Beblavá who is leaving for maternity leave.
Slovak Justice Minister dismisses Judge Buľubášová
Judge Gabriela Buľubášová received a decision from the Justice Minister dismissing her as the Bratislava I District Court chair effective immediately, ministry spokesman Michal Jurči told the TASR newswire. Justice Minister Viera Petríková (a nominee of the Movement for Democratic Slovakia) had already hinted over the weekend that she intended to recall Buľubášová over her alleged ‘interference in the workings of justice’. According to the SME daily, Bratislava criminal judge Marta Lauková claimed that somebody tried to interfere in her independence as a judge, with the suspicion falling on Buľubášová, who is Lauková's boss. Laukova purportedly received a document in late June in which she was asked to release a person charged with involvement in organising illegal immigration to Slovakia.
Tripartite negotiations in Slovakia fail on minimum wage increase
The Minister of Labour, Social Affairs and Family, Viera Tomanová, said on September 28 to the TASR newswire that she will submit a proposal to raise the minimum wage by 8.1 percent to the government on September 30 without the unanimous backing of the tripartite social partners – unions, employers and government. Her decision came after trade unionists and employers failed to reach agreement earlier in the day. Trade unionists have agreed to the 8.1 percent increase while the employers have rejected it. “We have been pushing for a proposal not to raise it (the minimum wage) from the start, arguing that the timing is wrong due to the financial and economic crisis,” said Marián Jusko, president of the Republic Union of Employers (RÚZ).
SDKÚ seeks to give municipalities authority to decide on waste dumps
Municipalities and counties should be able to directly decide on big waste dumps and dangerous waste disposals in their communities according to amendment to the Construction Act to be proposed by MP Pavol Frešo (Slovak Democratic and Christian Union, SDKÚ), the SITA newswire wrote.
Survey reports two-thirds of Slovaks back further EU enlargement
Some two out three Slovaks support the European Union's further enlargement, compared to the EU-wide average of 47 percent, according to a public opinion poll called Standard Eurobarometer that was conducted in Slovakia from June 13 to 30 on a sample of 1,065 respondents. The poll also revealed that Slovaks believe that EU institutions should place more emphasis on energy, economic and social issues which would strengthen the union. Thirty-eight percent of Slovaks stressed energy issues, which is double the EU27 average, the TASR newswire wrote on September 27. According to analysts, the high level of concern is due to the energy crisis that hit Slovakia at the beginning of 2009. In tackling the effects of the economic crisis, 31 percent of Slovaks consider the EU to be the entity that is best-equipped to adopt effective measures against negative impacts of the crisis. The figure is ten percentage points higher than the EU average. A total of 78 percent of Slovaks believe that the EU has sufficient powers and tools to defend its economic interests in today's globalised economy.
KDH proposes parliamentary session to oust Slovak Justice Minister
The presidium of the opposition Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) decided on September 26 that the party will propose summoning an extraordinary parliamentary session for a no-confidence vote in Justice Minister Viera Petríková (a nominee of the Movement for the Democratic Slovakia, HZDS), the TASR was told.
State aid to help laid-off workers with mortgage payments starts in January
A state aid programme for people who are unemployed due to the economic crisis who cannot make their mortgage payments will become effective on January 1, 2010, according to the Finance Ministry, which will submit a report on the safeguards in this programme to the next government session, the TASR newswire reported.
FAM Lajčák attends EU-Russia ministerial meeting
Discussions on mutual relations as well as joint stances on current world issues were held by foreign affairs ministers from the EU and Russia in New York on Friday, the TASR newswire was told on September 26 by the Slovak Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman, Peter Stano. Slovakia was represented by Slovak Foreign Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajčák who is leading the Slovak delegation at the current UN General Assembly session in New York. Lajčák said ministers discussed the Middle East and Afghanistan – issues on which they have largely identical stances. They also discussed issues in which they differ in opinions such as Georgia and its territorial integrity. They have also focused on the Iranian nuclear programme, which represents one of the main global issues at present.
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- Fico praises China and Vietnam as models, says liberal democracy has failed
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- The compass points to Kúty, and people are starting to follow
- 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
- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners More articles ›
