Archive of articles - May 2011, page 5
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Manufacturing company plans to create 500 new jobs in Stará Turá
Approximately 500 new jobs will soon come to Stará Turňáa in Nové Mesto nad Váhom district as the Elster company, a producer of gas meters and water gauges, plans to build a new assembly hall on its premises, the SITA newswire reported.
Slovak Defence Minister warns that Armed Forces are in critical condition
A day after NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen visited Slovakia, Slovak Defence Minister Ľubomír Galko issued a statement about the condition of the country’s armed forces, saying it is critical and is starting to threaten Slovakia's credibility among allies, the SITA newswire reported.
Government offices trade charges over whether census is anonymous
Slovakia’s Office for Protection of Personal Data announced that anonymity is not guaranteed in the census of the population, doing so only a few hours before the citizens were to begin completing census forms, the Sme daily wrote.
Special Prosecutor’s office will not pursue criminal action against Interblue Group
The purchaser of Slovakia’s excess carbon dioxide emissions at a bargain-basement price in 2009 will not be charged with a criminal offense as Slovakia’s Special Prosecutor’s office turned down a criminal motion against the US firm Interblue Group, finding the situation was the Slovak state’s fault, the Sme daily reported.
Duelling counts of Pezinok
THE TOWNS of Pezinok and Svätý Jur in the Small Carpathians belonged for three centuries to the families of the Counts of Svätý Jur and Pezinok.
Lack of qualified people predicted
IN SPITE of the still-high unemployment rate, the Slovak labour market may face a lack of qualified labour within a short time, the Trenkwalder personnel agency warned in late April. It based its concerns on the long average period – currently exceeding one year – which job seekers spend registered with job offices, the SITA newswire wrote.
Bratislava’s Galéria Z turns 15
ONE OF the three galleries located in the Zichy Palace in central Bratislava is Galéria Z, which this year celebrates its 15th birthday. The gallery, which specialises in contemporary art by both Slovak and foreign artists, is the dream-come-true of local artist Viktor Hulík. Galéria Z’s first public exhibition opened on March 28, 1996, Hulík recalled. It was made possible with the support of the capital’s Old Town district and Agentúra Artlines, and in fact all the gallery’s financial resources have been secured through sponsorship.
Young Europeans seek work abroad
ACCORDING to the latest Eurobarometer survey, 53 percent of young people in Europe are willing or keen to work in another European country, but lack of money discourages many of them from taking a first step towards doing so by spending part of their education abroad. The survey, conducted in the context of the European Commission’s ‘Youth on the Move’ strategy, was published on the eve of the 2011 European Youth Week between May 15 and 21.
Cabinet approves tax shake-up
THE MUCH-DEBATED changes to Slovakia’s system of taxes and mandatory payroll levies were approved by the coalition cabinet at its session on May 18.
Countrywide Events
Western SLOVAKIA
Marriage portraits celebrate Slovakia’s 'month of love'
MEMBERS of the Union of Women of Slovakia (Únia žien Slovenska, ÚŽS) in the town of Malinová prepared an exhibition of historical wedding portraits to mark Slovakia’s “month of love” at the beginning of May.
45 applicants for every job
JOB offices offered fewer than 9,000 vacancies in March, while the number of job seekers marked a record level of over 390,000. There were therefore around 45 unemployed people for each available job in Slovakia, the TASR newswire reported.
The Radičová Code
POLITICAL conspiracy theories do have a certain irresistible charm and Smer boss Robert Fico is not the kind of politician who can resist them, especially when an elaborate plot can secure what he desires as much as power: widespread publicity.
Coalition unrest over 'no' for Paluda
JUST AS tension within the coalition was rising as a result of the fraught selection of the next general prosecutor (though that somewhat eased after a vote on May 17; see main story), another disputed nomination has generated yet more trouble. The post of the head of the National Security Office (NBÚ), Slovakia’s main security vetting agency, remains vacant despite the fact that Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) has already proposed two candidates. Observers warn that continued failure to fill the post could prompt more tension and risk further reducing trust among the coalition parties.
Austrian cops nab high-speed Slovak
AT THE end of April a Slovak driver, aged 24, had his driver’s licence confiscated by Austrian police after he was clocked driving at 230 kilometres per hour on a highway near Salzburg.
Radičová stays as Trnka fails again
DOBROSLAV Trnka, the former general prosecutor whose bid to retain his position has been supported by the opposition Smer party, failed to secure the job in a secret ballot of MPs on May 17. By rejecting Trnka, whose previous term as general prosecutor elapsed on February 2 this year, ruling coalition MPs apparently heeded a threat by Prime Minister Iveta Radičová to resign if Trnka, about whom she has expressed strong reservations, were to prevail.
Radičovej kód
IT’S BEEN another great week for conspiracy fans. The police claim to have discovered actual victims of the alleged cannibal, while some question not only his guilt but also the actions of the police who failed to catch him alive. The census is getting under way, propelling a wave of e-mails likening the project to the activities of the communist-era secret police and warning of possible abuses of personal data. National hockey team coach Glen Hanlon was sacked, leading to a national hunt for his successor. According to information from WikiLeaks, the US secretly advised Robert Fico’s government on how to buy back shares in Transpetrol, and thus prevent deeper Russian involvement in the country. Then add the main foreign news – the amorous adventures of IMF boss Dominique Strauss-Kahn.
Nurses present petition to parliament
NURSES and midwives wearing black gathered in front of Slovakia’s parliament building on May 17 to draw MPs’ attention to the working conditions and low salaries of medical staff. A petition titled 'If we don't care about ourselves, who will care for you?', signed by 240,000 people over the past two months, was presented to Speaker of Parliament Richard Sulík.
Did US advise over Transpetrol?
AN OIL expert from Texas reportedly gave advice to the Slovak Economy Ministry and former minister Ľubomír Jahnátek while the country sought in 2006 to repurchase 49 percent of the shares of Transpetrol that were owned by an arm of the Yukos company, according to diplomatic dispatches published by Wikileaks.
Germany and Austria open their doors – at last
SLOVAK citizens are now able to work in Austria and Germany under the same conditions as local workers after the two countries opened their labour markets on May 1 to citizens from eight member states in central and eastern Europe, including Slovakia. Citizens can now apply for a job in Austria and Germany without requiring a work permit. Reactions in Austria and Germany to the new freedoms have been mixed: some worry that workers from the east will flood their labour markets; while others rejoice, saying that Austria and Germany are in need of a fresh source of highly qualified labour.
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- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners More articles ›
