Archive of articles - December 2010, page 4
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Matovič likens Fico to Stalin and Hitler
MP Igor Matovič, from the Ordinary People faction of Freedom and Solidarity (SaS), launched a verbal attack on Robert Fico, the leader of the Smer opposition party and former prime minister, during an extraordinary session of parliament on Thursday, December 16, calling him a crook and likening his practices to those of Stalin and Hitler.
Radičová: EU must send clear signal to markets, but it might not work
The premiers of the Visegrad Four countries (Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland) agreed in Brussels on Thursday, December 16, on the need to send a clear signal to the markets when it comes to a definite agreement on creating a permanent crisis mechanism to replace the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) in 2013.
Nagy: Slovakia won't try to claim €15 million from Interblue via court
Slovakia won't try to claim an additional payment of €15 million from the notorious carbon-dioxide emissions quota deal with Interblue Group via legal action, Environment Minister József Nagy (Most-Híd) indicated on Thursday, December 16.
SPP: Slovakia’s gas supply will be secure over Christmas
Slovakia will not face the threat of a potential natural gas crisis this Christmas, Chairman of the Board of Directors at gas utility Slovenský Plynárenský Priemysel (SPP) Achim Saul said during a visit to the main control centre of the transmission system operator Eustream in Nitra on Thursday, December 16.
Sulík: Construction costs for D1 motorway will be halved
Construction costs for the section of the D1 motorway between Hričovské Podhradie and Dubná Skala (both in Žilina Region) will be lowered by almost half, Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) chairman Richard Sulík said at a press conference on Wednesday, December 15. If the third package of the D1 had been carried out via a public-private partnership (PPP) project, it would have cost €6.78 billion over 30 years. However, the approach proposed by SaS and passed by the Coalition Council on December 13 will save more than €3 billion, Sulík said, as quoted by the TASR newswire.
Public sector salaries to remain flat next year
Basic salaries in the public sector will remain unchanged next year, based on higher-level collective agreements that the government signed with representatives of trade unions on Wednesday, December 15. Public sector workers will, however, receive an extra week of paid leave in 2011.
Standard & Poor’s confirms Slovakia's ratings
Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services announced on Wednesday, December 15, that it had affirmed its ‘A+’ long-term and ‘A-1’ short-term sovereign credit ratings for the Slovak Republic, with an outlook of ‘stable’. The transfer and convertibility assessment on Slovakia is ‘AAA’.
Harmonised inflation remained at 1 percent in November
Harmonised inflation remained at 1 percent in November, the SITA newswire wrote. Inflation in Slovakia has changed little since July.
Slovak president vetoes law on STV-SRo merger, parliament overrides it
On Wednesday, December 15, Slovak President Ivan Gašparovič vetoed a law merging public-service Slovak Television (STV) and Slovak Radio (SRo) that was recently approved by parliament, the TASR newswire wrote, but parliament overrode the veto. The proposal to merge STV and SRo into a new public broadcaster called Radio and Television Slovakia (RTS) was backed by 77 MPs at a parliamentary session on November 30. The initiative, submitted by Culture Minister Daniel Krajcer (SaS), is designed to resolve the financial woes plaguing STV in particular, and to boost the quality of programmes aired by both media. A new RTS chief will be tasked with consolidating broadcasting and preparing conditions for running the institution as of 2012. As of the beginning of that year, the broadcaster will receive a single allocation from the state budget. Licence fees will be abolished.
UNDP reports Slovakia ranked 31st in quality of life
Slovakia is a country with a very high level of human development, states the Human Development Report 2010 presented at the Bratislava Regional Centre of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States on December 15, the TASR newswire reported. Listed among countries with only a high development last year and moving up from last year's 42nd spot, Slovakia is now ranked 31st in the table evaluating the quality of life, closely behind the Czech Republic and Slovenia. First place was taken by Norway, while Hungary and Poland were ranked 36th and 41st, respectively. Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa were ranked at the very bottom of the table.
Gašparovič and Galko visit Slovak troops in Afghanistan
Slovak President Ivan Gašparovič and Defense Minister Ľubomír Galko paid their first visit to Slovak troops deployed on the ISAF operation in Afghanistan on Wednesday, December 15, the TASR newswire reported. Upon their arrival in Kandahar in the morning, they spent the whole day at KAF military base, where most of the Slovak troops are serving. The ISAF military mission was launched by NATO on December 20, 2001, based on a resolution passed by the UN Security Council. The main purpose of the ISAF mission is to provide assistance to the Afghan Government in creating a secure and stable environment in the country.
Radičová to discuss permanent crisis mechanism at EU summit
Prime Minister Iveta Radičová will represent Slovakia at the upcoming summit of EU-member countries scheduled for Brussels on Thursday, December 16 and Friday, December 17, the TASR newswire reported. The session is set to address the EU's economic policy and external relations. Financial sustainability and the establishment of a permanent crisis mechanism to ensure stability in the eurozone are also on the agenda.
New industrial orders in October grew by almost one quarter
The volume of new industrial orders in Slovakia rose in October by nearly one quarter. According to data from the Slovak Statistics Office, new industrial orders in October rose by 23.7 percent year-on-year (y/y) to €3.244 billion.
Slovak PM: Government has not considered reintroducing the crown
Speculations about alternatives to the euro weaken the stabilisation mechanism itself and are risky, Slovak Prime Minister Iveta Radičová said at a discussion forum of the HN Club on Tuesday, December 14 (HN stands for Hospodárske Noviny, a Slovak financial daily).
Slovak Parliament limits support for renewable energy production
On Wednesday, December 15, the Slovak Parliament approved an amendment to the law on support for renewable energy sources that aims to mitigate the impact on retail prices of the mandatory purchase by distributors of electricity produced from renewable energy sources and from combined heat and power production. The draft was submitted by Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) deputy Ľudovít Jurčík.
Graduation theses will have to be published online from 2011
All Slovak university students who submit a graduation thesis will now have to agree to it being published online. Their permission will be required in order for them to be admitted to defend their thesis. Under an amendment to the law on universities, which the Slovak Parliament passed on Tuesday, December 14, only habilitation theses (used to achieve the highest academic qualifications) that are published as a book that is publicly available will be exempt.
EU foreign policy chief appoints Slovakia’s Lajčák to key post
Chief of the EU European External Action Service (EEAS) Catherine Ashton appointed Slovak diplomat Miroslav Lajčák as head of the EEAS’s department for relations with the western Balkans, Eastern Partnership and Russia on Tuesday, December 14.
Fico allegedly asked Sulík for post at General Prosecutor’s Office
Smer chairman Robert Fico allegedly wanted to do a deal with Speaker Richard Sulík (Freedom and Solidarity (SaS)) over selection of the general prosecutor, Most-Híd chairman Béla Bugár said on Tuesday, December 14, as quoted by the TASR newswire.
Slovakia and Hungary concur on some issues and disagree on others
Slovak and Hungarian Prime Ministers Iveta Radičová and Viktor Orbán agreed on some issues, such as energy policy and regional co-operation, during their meeting in Bratislava on Tuesday, December 14. But there were other issues on which divergent positions emerged, according to Radičová.
House passes bill making English compulsory at primary schools
English will be a compulsory subject for primary school pupils as of September 2011, as 79 MPs backed an amendment to the Education Act submitted by Education Minister Eugen Jurzyca at a parliamentary session on Tuesday, December 14.
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- Fico praises China and Vietnam as models, says liberal democracy has failed
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- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners More articles ›
