Archive of articles - April 2010, page 10
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Slovakia’s Border Police crush a gang arranging illegal jobs for Ukrainians
The Bratislava unit of the Slovak Border and Foreigners police and the National Unit of the Fight Against Illegal Migration crushed an organized crime group on Monday, April 1. According to information provided to the SITA newswire the group has been involved in providing illegal jobs to people from Ukraine since 2006 and had earned €1,750,000 for themselves in this illegal business.
Over 16,000 Slovaks may lose jobs in mass layoffs
As many as 16,149 employees might lose their jobs because of planned forthcoming collective layoffs, the STIA newswire reported, according to information released by the Economy Ministry. Of the total of 46,130 planned layoffs reported to labour offices since the beginning of last year, 29,981 people have become jobless as of the twelfth week of 2010. Labour offices register 5,439 available jobs, up 242 from the 11th week, SITA wrote.
Slovak President Gašparovič says: ‘Goodbye, My Friend’ to Kaczynski
President Ivan Gašparovič on April 12 visited Poland's Embassy in Bratislava to express his condolences with the entire Polish nation over the crash of the plane carrying Poland's President Lech Kaczynski and a host of other top Polish officials on Saturday, the TASR newswire reported. “I come here with a message 'Goodbye, my friend', as we knew each other more than as politicians,” Gašparovič told TASR after putting his signature into the book of condolences. He added that since he has been involved in politics he doesn’t remember any other tragedy that reaches such proportions. At the same time, the Slovak president indicated that he will attend Kaczynski's funeral on Saturday. The Polish president perished along with his wife Maria Kaczynska, several parliamentarians, top military officers and religious figures on board a Tupolev-154 plane that was en route to the Katyn forest (Russia) to commemorate the victims of the massacre perpetrated by Soviets on Polish military leaders 70 years ago.
Slovakia’s year-on-year inflation increases to 0.8 % in March
The year-on-year inflation measured by the national methodology accelerated to 0.8 percent in the March 2010. A month ago, the indicator stagnated at the historical low level of 0.4 percent. The average y-o-y inflation for the first three months of this year thus represented 0.5 percent, the SITA newswire wrote.
Paška says he discussed 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia with Medvedev
Pavol Paška, the Speaker of Slovak of Parliament on April 12 accused Slovak media of lying when giving the impression that during the visit of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev visit no Slovak politicians were willing to raise the Russian (then-Soviet Union)-led invasion of Czechoslovakia in August 1968 in talks with Medvedev, the TASR newswire reported. Speaking at the annual government-sponsored foreign policy conference, Paška said that he did privately raise the issue without difficulty and received a reply (without specifying what it was).
Border police detained 15 refugees in eastern Slovakia last week
Fifteen refugees were detained last week in the district of Sobrance in eastern Slovakia, among them six Moldavians, four Somalis, three Chechens and two Georgians, who had illegally crossed the Ukrainian-Slovak border.
PM Fico says Slovakia wants good relations with any government in Hungary
Slovakia has a natural interest in a permanent dialogue at all levels and good relations with any government formed due to the results of democratic elections in the Republic of Hungary said Prime Minister Robert Fico, as reported by the SITA and TASR newswires.
Slovakia’s central bank says domestic banking sector is stable
The Slovak banking sector recorded an almost 50-percent slump in profits in 2009 in the wake of the economic crisis, yet the sector’s development and situation can be called stable, according to a member of the country’s central bank, the NBS, according to the TASR newswire. Slavomír Šťastný, head of NBS’s department for supervision and regulation of the Slovak financial sector, told a press conference on April 12 that the country’s banking sector and related institutions are expected to easily withstand any foreseen developments as well as a situation deteriorating beyond expectations.
The week in Slovakia
Content of programme: Right and far-right win big in Hungary; Mourning Poland’s tragedy; Russian president ignores 1968; Justice system in crisis; Thousands protest opening Tatras to logging; Thieves make withdrawal; Slivovica, the wonder drug
Foreign trade records surplus of €67.1 million in February
Slovakia’s foreign trade balance posted a surplus of €67.1 million in February, the country's Statistics Office announced on April 9, the TASR newswire reported.
Eurobarometer poll indicates Slovaks know little about biodiversity
A total of 65 percent of Slovaks do not know what does the word ‘biodiversity’ means but the worst lack of knowledge in this area was in Denmark (70 percent) and Cyprus (73.2 percent), reports a Eurobarometer survey published on April 9, the TASR newswire wrote.
Slovakia to declare state day of mourning during Kaczynski's funeral
Slovakia’s government will, after consultation with President Ivan Gašparovič, soon decide on declaring a state of day of mourning on the day of Polish President Lech Kaczynski's funeral, Braňo Ondruš, director of the Government Office Press Department, told the TASR newswire on April 11. Kaczynski perished along with his wife Maria Kaczynska and many Polish officials, historians and religious representatives on board a Tupolev-154 plane at an airport in Smolensk, Russia on Saturday morning, April 10. The tragedy claimed the lives of all 96 people on board. The 88-member Polish official delegation was going to attend a commemorative event in the Katyn forest in Russia to mark the 70th anniversary of the mass slaughter of Polish military officials and intelligentsia by the Soviet NKVD public and secret police (a precursor of the KGB).
President Gašparovič says Slovaks are mourning along with Poland
Slovak President Ivan Gašparovič with deep sorrow received the shocking news of the plane crash in which his good personal friend and friend of Slovakia, Poland’s President Lech Kaczynski died – along with his wife Maria Kaczynska and other Polish officials, the TASR newswire was told by the Presidents spokesman, Marek Trubač, on April 10.
Small nations should speak out even if giants do not listen
SMALL nations that have survived the vagaries of history and carved their names firmly on the world map, have rarely done so through buffoonish laws ordering their citizens to listen to national anthems or fix their sights on national symbols at the dictate of state power.
Slovakia cuts development aid by 60 percent
SLOVAKIA plans to spend 60 percent less on aid to developing countries in 2010 than it did in 2009. It will carry out fewer projects within the Slovak Aid programme but, according to the National Plan of Official Development Aid presented for interdepartmental review during April, the projects will be more extensive and complex, the SITA newswire reported.
The crisis has reduced regional budgets
THE GLOBAL economic crisis and its impacts locally have created an inescapable operational backdrop for the presidents of all self-governing regions in Slovakia. As their budgets are funded primarily from income taxes paid by private individuals, rising unemployment and falling or stagnant wage levels have resulted in a 27-percent average drop in revenues from these taxes compared with last year and put the presidents in the unenviable position of deciding where to cut expenditures while trying to effectively perform their duties. These duties include administration of schools, social and health-care facilities as well as each region’s network of second and third-category roads.
’From Salaš to Town’
TOWARDS THE end of March, a special effort to market lamb and sheep meat as well as dairy products from sheep was organised in front of the town hall in Považská Bystrica. Shepherds, farmers and sheep breeders from 16 farms and salaš – mountain cottages where sheep are kept during the grazing season – in the Púchov, Ilava and Považská Bystrica districts gathered to offer the results of their hard work to the public. The event was called ‘From Salaš to Town’ and was organised in this, its first year by the Regional Agricultural and Food Chamber in Považská Bystrica, the TASR newswire wrote.
Countrywide Events
Western SLOVAKIA
Harabin cries foul
INTIMIDATION is how several judges regard the disciplinary proceedings launched against some among their ranks, especially those who have criticised Supreme Court president Štefan Harabin and the general state of Slovak justice. But now Harabin himself is complaining of intimidation. In his case this refers to the attendance by foreign diplomats at the public hearings of disciplinary senates. Harabin went as far as to ask the sole candidate for the post of vice president of the Supreme Court, Daniela Švecová, during her presentation on April 7, how she views the presence of foreign diplomats at public hearings.
The Ottoman history of Slovakia
THE SLOVAK National Museum is presenting an exhibition at its Vajanského embankment building that brings together artefacts from several museums around Slovakia to present a historical view of Ottomans living in Slovakia from soon after the Battle of Mohács in Hungary in 1526 for the following 150 years. It is called ‘Turks in Slovakia’ and is available until June 13.
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- Fico praises China and Vietnam as models, says liberal democracy has failed
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