Archive of articles - February 2010, page 11
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Amendment to curb MPs’ and judges’ immunity fails in Slovak parliament
The possibility of launching criminal proceedings against an MP will still be conditioned by approval from parliament after it rejected a constitutional amendment submitted by Christian Democrat vice-chairman and former Justice Minister Daniel Lipšic on February 10 aimed at narrowing MPs’ immunity, the TASR newswire reported. Lipšic's proposal was supported by 63 out of the 142 MPs present and 90 votes in favour of such a law are required. Former justice minister Lipsic at the same time proposed that approval from the Constitutional Court should not be necessary in order to launch legal proceedings against a judge or the Prosecutor-General.
Average salary increased 4.9 percent y-o-y in industry in December 2009
The average nominal monthly salary in December 2009 rose fastest year-on-year in industry – by 4.9 percent, the Statistics Office reported on February 10 as quoted by the TASR.
Parliament rejects total ban on smoking in bars and restaurants
People will still be allowed to smoke in Slovak restaurants, cafes and bars under certain conditions, as parliament on February 9 rejected an amendment to the Non-smokers Protection Act submitted by Tatiana Rosová from the Slovak Christian and Democratic Union, SDKÚ, the SITA newswire wrote.
Justice Minister Petríková summoned to parliamentary committee over judges’ lawsuits
On February 9, Justice Minister Viera Petríková (Movement for Democratic Slovakia, HZDS) was invited by the Parliamentary Constitutional Committee to report about the steps her ministry is conducting in the case of the mass lawsuits filled by hundreds of judges involving alleged discrimination in salaries compared to Special Court judges, the SITA newswire wrote. The committee decided unanimously on summonsing Petríková following a proposal submitted by former justice minister Daniel Lipšic (Christian Democrats, KDH). Several judges filed the lawsuits back in 2007, pointing to the fact that the judges on the Special Court were receiving €4,000 per month more. The lawsuits were based on Slovakia’s Non-discrimination Act, and the state may now pay tens of thousands of euros in compensations if the judges succeed at the courts.
Most-Híd and OKS to run together in general parliamentary election
Non-parliamentary parties Most-Híd and the Civic Conservative Party (OKS) agreed on Tuesday, February 9, that they will run in the general election in June 2010 on the same ticket, representatives of both parties said at a press conference on the same day, the TASR newswire reported.
SDKÚ says National Highway Company knew about toll flaws
In a document drawn up shortly before the road-toll system was launched on January 1, the National Highway Company (NDS) listed several faults with the system that had been revealed in testing, opposition Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ) caucus leader Stanislav Janiš said at a press conference on February 9, the TASR newswire reported. The test run of the system in December wasn’t completed in line with the contract between NDS and the toll provider SkyToll, said Janiš. “NDS didn't release a document on successful conclusion of the preparations for (launching) the toll; rather, it was merely a conditional confirmation,” said Janiš or the TASR. The contract reads that NDS can ask for lowering the payments for SkyToll due to the problems that were revealed in the test run, Janiš added.
Parliament rejects bill on ‘conspiracy against Slovakia’ and opposition bill to decrease petrol tax
The draft bill on the Penal Code submitted to parliament by Slovak National Party (SNS), the junior member of ruling coalition, is primitive, according to independent deputy Frantisek Mikloško. Parliament rejected the draft on Tuesday, February 9, the SITA newswire wrote.
SaS party decides it will not join forces with SDKÚ in election campaign
The rightist opposition and non-parliamentary parties probably will not join forces before the June election to form a block against the ruling Smer party, the web portal topky.sk wrote on February 10. The Christian Democrats (KDH) recently presented their own slate and the non-parliamentary Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) has decided not to cooperate with the strongest opposition party Slovak Democratic and Christian Union, SDKÚ. It was the head of the SDKÚ Mikuláš Dzurinda who at the end of 2009 summoned a meeting of seven opposition parties aimed at forming a united alternative to the current coalition. “The Republic Council decided that the SaS will go to the election independently,” reads the press release of the party that stands somewhere around the five percent threshold required to reach the Slovak Parliament.
Hotel Kempinski High Tatras makes management change
On January 15, 2010, Jean-Claude Annen became the head of the grand Hotel Kempinski High Tatras, replacing Konstantin Zeuke who has moved to the position of CEO of the Grand Hotel River Park Bratislava that will open its doors to visitors in spring, the Kempinski communications department informed the SITA newswire.
Rectors’ Conference asks Trenčín University’s Mečár to leave academia
The outgoing rector of the Trenčín University, Miroslav Mečár, should leave the school entirely and stop discrediting Slovakia's education sector, Ján Bujňák, vice president of the Slovak Rectors’ Conference, told the SITA newswire on February 8.
Two Slovak parties, OKS and MOST, will ally ahead of June elections
The parliamentary party Most-Híd and the non-parliamentary Civic Conservative Party (OKS) will be allies in the June parliamentary elections, the SITA newswire wrote.
Košice and Bratislava SDKÚ organisations differ on future election leader
The leadership of the Košice regional organisation of the strongest opposition party, the Slovak Democratic Christian Union (SDKÚ), voted on February 8, to nominate party vice-chairperson Iveta Radičová for the post of election leader, the SITA newswire reported.
Slovak government to scrap restrictions in second pension pillar
The Labour, Social Affairs and the Family Ministry on February 8 submitted an amendment to the Old-Age Pension Savings Act - a move taken in response to reservations expressed by the European Commission (EC) towards certain investment restrictions applied to pension funds in the so-called private, second pillar of the pension system, the TASR newswire wrote. “The criticised shortcomings have been corrected and the discriminatory factors removed by the proposed changes, which loosen investment conditions, as well as create wider scope for investments outside the eurozone,” reads the document submitted by the ministry for comments.
Lajčák and OSCE Commissioner discuss State Language Act
Slovakia expects Hungary to stop spreading lies and misinformation about last year’s amendment to the State Language Act, Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajčák told the TASR newswire following his discussions with Knut Vollebaek, the High Commissioner for Minorities for the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) on February 8 in Bratislava.
Slovak Communist Party to petition for troop withdrawal from Afghanistan
The Slovak Communist Party (KSS) has organised a petition to withdraw the Slovak guard unit from the military operation in Afghanistan, KSS Chairman Jozef Hrdlička said at a press conference on February 8. The petition drive began on the same day and will last until about the autumn, said Hrdlička, the TASR newswire wrote. Hrdlička said the petition is the party's response to “the government’s decision to increase Slovakia’s military presence in Afghanistan by some 50 soldiers. Up until this point, Slovak troops carried out their tasks in relatively secure areas. After this enlargement, however, the servicemen will be exposed to real military action,” Hrdlička told TASR.
SMK will draft a Minority Language Act
The opposition Hungarian Coalition Party (SMK) said on February 8 that it would draft a bill on the use of ethnic-minority languages in Slovakia by the end of March and submit it to Knut Vollebaek, the High Commissioner for Minorities for the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), who is currently on a one day visit to Slovakia to discuss minority-language issues, the TASR newswire reported.
Ultra-right group gathers in central Slovakia but no trouble reported
Around 100 supporters of ultra-right organisation Slovenská Pospolitosť (Slovak Togetherness) gathered in the town of Jelšava in Banská Bystrica region on Saturday, February 6, with around 200 locals joining them later in what Pospolitosť claims was a protest against the government's inability to secure a decent life for decent people in Slovakia, the TASR wrote. A group of local Roma citizens was also present but no trouble was reported, said Banská Bystrica police spokesperson Petra Vašková. The 300-strong crowd then dispersed, with Pospolitosť supporters moving on to the nearby village of of Kameňany. Around 80 police officers were on duty both in Jelšava and Kameňany, said Vašková. TASR
Survey says one-third of Slovaks will be savers in 2010
One in three people in Slovakia (35 percent) said they are able and willing to save money over the next 12 months, according to a survey carried out in 14 countries in central and eastern Europe released recently by the GfK CEE Group. This ranked Slovakia third after Austria (43 percent) and Slovenia (38 percent), the TASR newswire reported. The survey also showed that 80 percent of the Slovak population over age 15 have a business connection with a financial institution.
Interior Ministry wants to make police cars ‘smart’
Interior Minister Robert Kaliňák has announced plans to outfit police cars with cameras, which, among other things, are designed to shield officers and drivers from suspicions of corruption, the TASR newswire wrote on February 7. The devices were successfully tested across Slovakia last year and proved useful during the transportation of large amounts of euros prior to the country's adoption of the new currency in 2009.
SDKÚ vice chair confirms talks with SaS and Most-Híd on election cooperation
The vice chair of the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ) party, Iveta Radičová, who hopes to win her party's primaries and top the SDKÚ list of candidates for the June 2010 election, has confirmed that she is in talks with potential centre-right partners after SDKÚ chairman Mikuláš Dzurinda agreed to take his name off the election slate following accusations of money-laundering against the party, the TASR newswire reported. Radičová told TASR on February 7 that she has so far spoken on behalf of her party to two new parliamentary hopefuls, Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party and Most-Híd party, but said that under a mutual agreement she would not brief journalists on the results of the talks until she has reported to her party presidium.
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