Archive of articles - March 2011, page 2
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Employer association says trade unions are aiding Smer party
By protesting against an amendment to the Labour Code, trade unions are delivering on their agreement with the opposition Smer party, said Jozef Špirko, the vice-chairman of the Republican Union of Employers (RÚZ), on March 28, as reported by the TASR newswire. "Their agreement is to attack the government at any cost and to increase some sort of tension in society. The Smer party isn't making itself heard on the amendment just yet but it doesn't even need to as the unions are doing the job for it," said Špirko. Slovakia's labour law and unemployment rate ought to be dealt with at the negotiating table rather than via protest rallies, he added.
SMK party chariman says its proposals will be part of Hungary's new Constitution
Three proposals submitted by Slovakia's ethnic-Hungarian SMK party were taken into account in drawing up Hungary's new Constitution, SMK chair József Berényi said at a press conference following his meeting with Ján Fuzik, the chairman of the Countrywide Slovak Self-Government in Hungary on March 28, the TASR newswire wrote.
Report from NGOs says Roma students face segregated classrooms
Segregation of Roma students takes place in Slovakia and the government still has not changed the situation in practice, said the authors of “Answers to Questions Concerning the (Un)Segregation of Roma Pupils in the Slovak Education System” on March 28 as reported by the TASR newswire. The authors said Roma students who are placed in special schools with disabled children receive a lower quality education and learn from significantly reduced curricula. "If we want to stop this, good education legislation is needed," said Vlado Rafael of the Open Society Foundation, as quoted by TASR.
Bratislava’s Old Town mayor plans to demolish three illegal buildings
Bratislava Old Town’s construction office has issued orders for the removal of three illegal constructions and halted four other building projects, said Old Town mayor Tatiana Rosová (Slovak Democratic and Christian Union) at a press conference on Monday, March 28, the TASR newswire reported.
Foreign Minister Dzurinda attends London conference on Libya
Slovakia’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Mikuláš Dzurinda, is attending an international conference on Libya in London on Tuesday, March 29, the Foreign Ministry press department told the TASR newswire. More than 40 delegations and top representatives of key international organisations are expected to develop a united and coordinated response to the ongoing conflict in Libya which is escalating into a civil war.
Education Minister Jurzyca confers awards to teachers
Marking Teachers' Day on Monday, March 28 (the anniversary of J. A. Komenský, known as the “Teacher of the Nations”), Education Minister Eugen Jurzyca bestowed Saint Gorazd's medals and letters of thanks to 60 teachers for their contribution towards education, lifelong work and extraordinary achievements, the TASR reported. In his speech, Jurzyca pointed to the improving image of teachers in society. Prime Minister Iveta Radičová also appeared at the ceremony and said that her cabinet will do its utmost to raise the status of teachers.
Fair-Play Alliance launches database on state contracts
The Fair-Play Alliance, a watchdog NGO, and Slovakia's Visual Trade Register (VORSR) have launched a website at www.znasichdani.sk which will release information on firms that have significant state contracts, Lucia Buranová from the Alliance told the TASR newswire on March 28. "The website has met with significant interest from the general public. It makes us happy; but on the other hand it caused some unexpected problems," said Buranová in reference to the unavailability of the website on Monday afternoon.
This week in Slovakia
Content of programme: Slovakia wins on eurosummit demands; Mobsters in custody after police foil hit; Privatization plans gather pace; Mobile operators to pay for license extensions; Bear research contract questioned
Bratislava Airport will fund completion of its arrivals terminal with bank loans
Bratislava's M.R. Štefánik Airport (BTS) will take out loans of about €60 million towards completion of the construction of its arrivals terminal, the TASR newswire reported. BTS Board Chairman Maroš Jančula said that the airport will take a loan from several banks. The total sum for the venture currently stands at €113.3 million, after being reduced from €121 million. The price reduction was made possible by favourable experience with the construction of the departures terminal which can be applied to the current venture, said Jančula.
Slovak military officer takes command of UN supervision mission in Golan Heights
A Lieutenant-Colonel in Slovakia's Armed Forces, Jan Cesek, has become the new commander of a supervision group for the Golan Heights, the spokesman for the Slovak Defence Ministry, Ivan Rudolf, told the TASR newswire on March 27. "A total of 37 military observers from 24 countries will be subordinate to our officer. I view it as an appreciation of the professional work of our soldiers," said Defence Minister Ľubomír Galko in a statement.
Many Slovaks sign doctors’ petition for improvements in health care funding
A petition seeking assurances that the health care sector will serve the public has been signed by around 10,000 people within a week, Andrej Jančo, head of the Slovak Specialist Physicians Union (SLUŠ) told the TASR newswire on Sunday, March 27. The petition contains five demands such as that faculty and university hospitals should remain under the state's remit and that the state should increase its health care insurance payments to bring them on a par with those in the EU's most advanced countries.
Freedom and Solidarity party elects new members to its countrywide council
Members of the coalition party Freedom and Solidarity (SaS), meeting at their third congress in Bratislava on Saturday, March 26, elected four new members to the party's country-wide council, Tatiana Tóthová, personal secretary to SaS leader Richard Sulík, told the TASR newswire. The four new SaS council members are: Culture Minister Daniel Krajcer; head of SaS parliamentary caucus Jozef Kollár; and MPs Martin Chren and Kamil Krnáč.
Slovak Bagpipers’ Carnival attracts musicians including Scots
The Gajdošské Fašiangy (Bagpipers’ Carnival) festival in Malá Lehota in Žarnovica district took place for the 24th time this year. Apart from Slovak musicians, foreign bagpipers also attended, from Scotland, the Czech Republic and Hungary. The festival’s schedule began on March 2 at schools in Nová Baňa, with concerts for pupils, students and with screenings of documentary films about bagpipers.
Veľký Šariš in charity drive
Inhabitants of the town of Veľký Šariš, in Prešov Region, decided to put the Valentine’s Day weekend to good use: by trying get a record number of inhabitants to take part in a charity effort. The weekend, on February 12 and 13, included blood donations, and volunteer work at nearby Šariš Castle.
Slovak record book is published
Slovak firsts, the country’s natural rarities and its most interesting human achievements are all summed up in a new book, Rekordy Slovenska / Records of Slovakia. “It is a great work. It maps record phenomena from nature, society, human beings, and the history of settlements. These are all checked and proven facts, so our country has much to be proud of,” the book’s editor, Daniel Kollár of the Dajama publishing house, told the TASR newswire.
People show interest in Bratislava City Card, but mainly as a tram pass
The municipality of Bratislava has this year cooperated with several banks to offer residents the Bratislava City Card, which incorporates the advantages of a city card – discounts at city institutions, including the zoo, and on mass transport – and those of a normal payment card which can also be used abroad. By the beginning of March, almost 13,000 people with permanent residence in the city had asked for a card. “Out of that, 2,690 activated its function as a tram pass,” Bratislava Mayor Milan Ftáčnik said, as quoted by the TASR newswire. “Some estimates suggested that if the card attracted clients too quickly the City Transport Company could lose one to two million euros – but given the speed with which new clients have applied for it, we don’t expect that to happen this year,” he added. The mayor said he foresees enhancements to the project, involving individual city districts and possible introduction of a visitors’ card.
Countrywide Events
Western SLOVAKIA
Prosecutor, judge accused of bribery
SUPREME Court judge Štefan Michálik, who is also head of the Supreme Court penal senate, has been named in a case in which prosecutor Michal Barila and lawyer Ladislav Sčury have each been charged with corruption, the Týždeň weekly reported on March 18. According to the weekly, the prosecutor is alleged to have taken a bribe in return for settling matters with the judge to get a man who had been charged with fraud released from jail.
Forging better energy links in central Europe
THE IMPORTANCE of energy security has been increasing across the world not only because of the gas shortage faced by many parts of central Europe in January 2009, when Russian natural gas flowing via Ukraine to Slovakia and beyond was completely halted, but also due to many other global developments far from Slovakia’s borders. In response, individual countries as well as international groupings of countries and organisations are calling for better linkages between national energy systems and building new transmission systems to diversify energy sources and establish additional options in delivering energy to final consumers. With its strategic position in the middle of Europe, Slovakia is an integral player in all these processes.
How to save €1.17 billion
THE ARGUMENTS of Slovakia and other smaller eurozone members got a hearing – and achieved something of breakthrough – during a meeting of eurozone finance ministers on March 21 that agreed financing arrangements for a new, permanent bailout fund for the zone, the European Stability Mechanism (ESM). As a result of a compromise proposed by Estonia, smaller countries like Slovakia, Slovenia and Estonia itself will contribute around 17 percent less in contributions than they currently do to the existing, temporary bailout fund, the European Financial Stabilisation Facility (EFSF). The compromise should mean that Slovakia has to stump up about €1.17 billion less.
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- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners More articles ›
