Archive of articles - November 2009
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Slovakia’s Golden Nightingale music awards for 2009
Slovakia on Saturday, November 29, night learned the winners of the popular Slávik (Nightingale) 2009 music contest, as voted by the public, the TASR newswire wrote.
Political analyst believes Smer is finished with candidate Bajan
Political analyst Grigorij Mesežnikov considers the second round of Slovakia's regional elections to be unsurprising, he told the TASR newswire on November 29.
Political analyst says Smer gained in image in regional elections
As far as image is concerned, Slovakia’s regional elections held on November 14 and 28 represent a victory for the Smer party, political analyst Juraj Marušiak told the TASR newswire on November 29.
Low voter turnout blamed on defeated first round candidates
Polis research agency analyst Ján Baránek blames the lower voter turnout in the second round of Slovakia's regional elections (well below 20 percent) on the fact that voters of candidates who failed to move into the run-off did not vote, the TASR newswire wrote.
Institutions and trade organisations in Slovakia
Finance Ministry
Architecture seeks missionaries of the aesthetic
For architects, the ribbon-cutting ceremony is by no means the end of the adventure: the greatest reward (and best advertisement) is when their works are used, admired, or, in the perfect scenario, awarded prizes. The good news in Slovakia is that while doing a good job can be hard work, when it comes to winning prizes there is no shortage of prestigious competitions.
Key developments in the real estate and construction sector
November 2008 – Construction of units 3 and 4 of the nuclear power plant of Slovenské Elektrárne in Mochovce resumed. The new nuclear reactors and auxiliary buildings should be finished in 2012 or 2013 and will cost about €2.775 billion.
Karusel
WHAT do carousels and Slovak regional elections have in common? If you’re guessing that merry-go-rounds are a common part of local political rallies, or that candidates like to show-off riding their stallions, you’re wrong. ‘Karusel’ is a foolproof, hard-to-detect method of buying votes. It works like this – you drive a group of ignorant voters, usually people from Roma settlements, to the proximity of an election room. The first of the bought voters goes in, but doesn’t actually cast a vote. Instead, he throws an empty envelope into the box and brings out the empty ballot. The person in charge of the operation circles the right candidates on the ballot, hands it to the next ‘voter’ and sends him in to vote. The second voter casts the marked ballot and brings out a new empty one, which serves as proof that the circled sheet has been cast and cash can be paid out. This is how the carousel can go round and round as long as you have fresh people to ride it.
The Time Traveler’s Wife
Director: Robert SchwenteStarring: Rachel McAdams, Eric Bana
Is Christmas stronger than the economic crisis?
IN THE RECENT past, Christmas was a time of abundance for stores as well as shoppers. Last year, even though Slovaks had begun to feel the start of the economic crisis they did not allow it to spoil their Christmas and retail sales went on increasing. Market watchers expect that the strong tradition of enjoying Christmas in Slovakia will not change this year, even though Slovak customers have adopted some more economical shopping habits in response to the economic downturn.
GDP growth meets expectations in Q3
THE FLASH estimate of the gross domestic product in Slovakia in the third quarter of 2009 released by the Statistics Office cane as no surprise to the central bank but the drop in overall employment was steeper than the National Bank of Slovakia (NBS) had predicted, the SITA newswire reported.
Integrity as window dressing?
INTEGRITY is one of those words which has made it into the jargon of Slovakia’s academic and political community but it seems that people holding some important positions in Slovakia have little idea what the word means other than to use it as window dressing for their mission statements or as a bullet on a political flyer.
Downturn of the economy – downturn in morals?
HOW does the economic crisis affect younger market economies still in their transformational process, Slovakia among them? That was one of the questions discussed at the Central European Forum commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia, which started the democratisation process in political life and the transition from a centrally-planned economy to a market economy. The panel was hosted by one of the leaders of the November 1989 revolution, Martin M. Šimečka, and was named “The open society in the time of crisis”.
The spy who prospered
WHEN Juraj Široký left the Czechoslovak embassy in Washington two decades ago, following his posting as secret agent and second secretary, he didn't forget about his colleagues in the communist intelligence service.
SNS wants more patriotism
PARLIAMENTARY deputies for the ruling Slovak National Party (SNS) Rafael Rafaj and Ján Slota have submitted a draft law to parliament which they say is intended to support patriotism, the SITA newswire reported.
Proposed measures split social partners
THE TRIPARTITE social partners in Slovakia failed to reach agreement on the use of state funds to create new jobs at the November 23 session of the country’s Economic and Social Council, the SITA newswire reported.
Countrywide Events
Western SLOVAKIA
Cross-border market attracts buyers
Bratislava’s location next to two of Slovakia’s neighbours, Austria and Hungary, has helped boost the real estate market in foreign villages close to the borders. Over the past few years Kittsee, Wolfsthal, Rajka, Mosonmagyaróvár and others have become cheaper, and in other ways advantageous, alternatives to the Slovak towns and villages surrounding Bratislava. Real estate experts working in this segment say the impact of the crisis on them hasn’t been huge and they are expecting business in this area to grow further in the future.
Shopping centres still growing – so far
Slovakia’s development prospects for retail shopping properties are less gloomy than the predictions for other parts of Europe. However, the shopping centre projects planned for completion in 2009 and 2010 are still reflecting the pre-crisis optimism of developers and the economic conditions for further development of the retail sector may not be as rosy in coming years.
Fico ‘replies’ to Sme
PRIME Minister Robert Fico has apparently changed his mind about the right of reply introduced by the controversial Press Code approved by parliament last year. At the time the code was passed Fico issued assurances that the right to have a ‘reply’ printed in a newspaper was mainly for ordinary citizens who had no other means to respond to information about them published in the media. But in November 2009 the prime minister himself, perhaps the most high-profile figure in Slovakia, decided to seek a reply.
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
- News digest: Fico’s bloc wants to save money by restricting electoral access
- Slovakia loses another EV model to Spain as Stellantis chooses Zaragoza over Trnava
- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners
- 3 free things to do in Bratislava in the next seven days
- Convicted of multiple murders, Slovakia’s mafia boss seeks release from prison
- Slovakia plans to restrict access to new medicines amid funding shortfall
- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- 3 free things to do in Bratislava in the next seven days
- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
- Digital Jarvis is real now. He is coming for your to-do list
- News digest: Fico’s bloc wants to save money by restricting electoral access
- The disinformation scene has become a tool of media capture
- Slovakia plans to restrict access to new medicines amid funding shortfall
- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- News digest: Violent gang in Bratislava is under arrest
- The Kremlin’s security agency has a Russian contractor in Slovakia - no one has noticed
- 3 free things to do in Bratislava in the next seven days
- Digital Jarvis is real now. He is coming for your to-do list
- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
- The disinformation scene has become a tool of media capture
- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava
- A mayor resigns over €2.7 million fraud scandal at town hall
- Show me your moves! Slovak hockey stars share their best pick-up lines
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- He designed Gatwick. But this is his masterpiece
- Fico praises China and Vietnam as models, says liberal democracy has failed
- News digest: Violent gang in Bratislava is under arrest
- 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 ›
