Archive of articles - October 2011, page 4
If you desire to read an old article, use the search bar or select the publication date.
KDH names Pavol Abrhan as caucus leader while Hrušovský remains its formal head
Pavol Abrhan will lead the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) caucus in parliament instead of its formal head, Pavol Hrušovský, who is now Speaker of Parliament, the SITA newswire reported.
Radičová announces she will not run for parliament in March elections
Iveta Radičová, the outgoing Prime Minister of Slovakia and Deputy Chairperson of the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ) party announced she will not be a candidate for parliament in the elections on March 10 at a news conference after a meeting of the SDKÚ presidium on October 24, the SITA newswire reported.
Prosecutors in Žilina say no law covers bust of Slovak war criminal
The Žilina District prosecutor’s office as well as the Žilina Regional prosecutor's office have announced that the placing of a bust of Ferdinand Ďurčanský, a Slovak wartime-state politician, on a square in the town of Rajec is not regulated by law and that their offices will take no action against the bust, the SITA newswire reported.
Speaker of Parliament signs constitutional amendment for interim government
The Speaker of Parliament, Pavol Hrušovský from the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH), signed the constitutional amendment that will enable President Ivan Gašparovič to authorise the cabinet of Iveta Radičová to remain in office in a caretaker role until a new government is formed after the elections in March 2012, the SITA newswire reported.
Parliament passes law on toxic environmental burdens after 8 years
Slovakia’s parliament passed a law on environmental burdens last week. After eight years of preparation, Environment Minister József Nagy (Most-Híd) hailed it as the law of the decade, the Sme daily wrote.
Coach of Slovak men’s national volleyball team resigns
The head coach of the Slovak national volleyball team, Emanuele Zanini, has resigned for personal reasons, the Slovak Volleyball Association (SVP) announced on October 24, as reported by the TASR newswire. TASR wrote that the 46-year-old Italian, widely known as an extraordinary motivator, has been the most successful coach of the national team, leading Team Slovakia to two championship titles in the European League (in 2008 and 2011). The team also qualified for three European championships. Zanini's team ended in fifth place at the recent European Championship in the Czech Republic and Austria.
Slovak Trade and Industry Chamber to develop business ethics platform
The Slovak Trade and Industry Chamber (SOPK), in co-operation with the German-Slovak Chamber of Trade, is working on development of a business ethics platform that will promote anti-corruption rules as stipulated by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), SOPK told the TASR newswire on October 24. The platform will promote the principles of ethical business and will be open to all business entities operating in Slovakia regardless of their size or line of business, said SOPK spokesperson Bibiana Gunisová. Among the first organisations approached by SOPK to join the new platform and support the anti-corruption initiative were the winners of the SOPK Grand Prix – an annual competition organised by the Slovak Trade and Industry Chamber since 2002. SOPK said there is no need to introduce new anti-corruption rules as the existing ones are valid and generally accepted by businesses in all ICC countries. If Slovak companies accept these rules, this will not only improve the integrity of business transactions between companies and state authorities but will also provide protection for companies that are at risk of extortion, Gunisová said.
Association of Towns and Villages and Finance Ministry near agreement on revenue-sharing
An agreement is likely to emerge between the Association of Slovak Towns and Villages (ZMOS) and Slovakia’s Finance Ministry on future distribution of taxes for municipalities, said ZMOS chairman Jozef Dvonč (the mayor of Nitra) at a press conference following an extraordinary convention of the association held on October 24, the TASR newswire reported. According to Dvonč, municipalities will not be financed via the so-called 'tax mix' next year but via a specified share of tax collected on the incomes of individuals.
State contracts now available on NGOs’ new website
Contracts consummated by state institutions can be reviewed by the public on a new website called OtvoreneZmluvy.sk (Open Contracts) as of October 24, the TASR newswire reported.
Foreign Ministry says Slovakia is ready to back reforms in Libya
Slovakia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry is convinced that the most important thing after the death of Muammar Gaddafi’s is that violence against Libyan civilians is stopped, the ministry’s spokesperson, Ľuboš Schwarzbacher, told the TASR newswire on October 21.
Industrial orders increase in Slovakia in August
New industrial orders in Slovakia significantly increased in August in comparison with other countries of the European Union, the SITA newswire reported.
Slovakia wins first arbitration case involving private health insurers
Slovakia won its first trial involving private health insurers as the arbitration court ruled that the company’s shareholders do not have the right to ask for a return of lost dividends, the SITA newswire reported.
Radičová reports on Sunday’s meeting of eurozone leaders
European leaders excluded opening the Lisbon Treaty as one of the ways to solve the debt crisis because currently there is no political will to take this step, the TASR newswire reported.
Air transport companies active in Slovakia
ABS Jets, www.absjets.cz
Cyclists lament unfriendly cities
WHEN discussing transport problems in Slovakia, finishing the country’s highway connections is probably the first thing that jumps to many people’s minds. But the missing stretches of the backbone highway between Bratislava and Košice are not the only problem in the transport system because usable cycling routes are also lacking in most parts of the country. Though more has been accomplished in promoting cycling as a tourism product in Slovakia, the opportunities that regular commuting by bicycle can bring to cities and towns have mostly been overlooked. Many cities in other parts of the world have encouraged the use of bicycles to overcome recurrent traffic jams and inadequate parking for cars. Though it has mostly been non-profit organisations that have been pushing for better cycling possibilities in Slovakia, some positive signals have recently come from state institutions and Bratislava’s city council has declared its intention to augment cycling as part of the city’s overall transport system.
Market for logistics facilities revives
AFTER a standstill lasting almost two years, construction of new distribution and warehousing premises has started again in Slovakia. Now that vacancy rates have reached critically low levels the owners and developers of distribution facilities have begun building new premises and are even talking about construction on a speculative basis, that is without pre-lease contracts.
Air transport sector hopes for calmer skies
IT IS said that budget airline SkyEurope taught Slovaks to fly. In the early 2000s the now-defunct low-cost carrier showed Slovaks, who were then enjoying the fruits of their nation’s rapid economic growth, that an air ticket did not need to cost a fortune and helped to make air travel a much more popular means of transport. However, the economic crisis helped push SkyEurope and other airlines from the Slovak skies and hit the domestic air transport sector hard.
FNM suspends privatisations
THE NATIONAL Property Fund (FNM), Slovakia’s privatisation agency, will indefinitely suspend the planned privatisation of several companies in which the state holds an ownership interest, the TASR newswire reported on October 14.
Drums to thunder in Petržalka
THE FIRST-EVER Slovak festival of drums will shake Bratislava’s Petržalka district at the end of October. It aims to introduce drummers and percussionists of various styles from Slovakia and around the world. The hot and, at least by Slovak standards, exotic rhythms promise to warm visitors coming in from the cold central-European autumn.
Michalovce celebrates its namesakes
TOWN HALL in Michalovce in eastern Slovakia joined forces with the local cultural centre to offer a celebratory event dedicated to all the town’s Michals and Michaelas who celebrate their name day on October 29. In Slovakia a person’s name day is of equal importance with a person’s birthday.
- Slovakia brings back border checks with Hungary and Austria starting April 8
- News digest: PM Fico questions Europe's rearmament
- Last Week: And then they came for the NGOs
- One of the biggest car makers enters Slovak market
- Parts of Bratislava to witness significant development in near future
- Local fuming over plans to burn waste near famous mineral springs
- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners
- What abides: Giving a shit
- Slovakia brings back border checks with Hungary and Austria starting April 8
- Last Week: And then they came for the NGOs
- What abides: Giving a shit
- Parts of Bratislava to witness significant development in near future
- Foot-and-mouth outbreak hits major Slovak cattle farm near Austrian and Czech borders Photo
- News digest: Crisis, what crisis? Culture minister's empty limousine tours Europe
- Don’t be afraid to use cash, say entrepreneurs as transaction tax begins
- News digest: PM Fico questions Europe's rearmament
- Last Week: And then they came for the NGOs
- What abides: Giving a shit
- Slovakia brings back border checks with Hungary and Austria starting April 8
- Štítnik resumes hand-crafting Christmas ornaments after 25 years
- A partnership centuries in the making
- From Mexico to Slovakia – finding a new life Audio
- Strange romance: Slovak leaders’ affection for Russia has yo-yoed
- News digest: Crisis, what crisis? Culture minister's empty limousine tours Europe
- What abides: Giving a shit
- Last Week: And then they came for the NGOs
- Foot-and-mouth outbreak hits major Slovak cattle farm near Austrian and Czech borders Photo
- From Mexico to Slovakia – finding a new life Audio
- Slovakia brings back border checks with Hungary and Austria starting April 8
- Trading McDonald’s for the front lines
- A paper that wasn’t supposed to last
- Strange romance: Slovak leaders’ affection for Russia has yo-yoed
- Local fuming over plans to burn waste near famous mineral springs
- News digest: PM Fico questions Europe's rearmament
- Young Slovak ice-hockey sensation helps her team secure US title
- One of the biggest car makers enters Slovak market
- Parts of Bratislava to witness significant development in near future
- Last Week: And then they came for the NGOs
- Slovakia brings back border checks with Hungary and Austria starting April 8
- News digest: Crisis, what crisis? Culture minister's empty limousine tours Europe
