Archive of articles - April 2012, page 7
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Kažimír: ESM to be ratified in June, fiscal agreement later
While the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) is expected to be passed by the Slovak Parliament in June, the ratification of the new fiscal agreement will have to wait until the second half of the year, Finance Minister Peter Kažimír has said, as reported by the TASR newswire. During his official visit to Brussels on Monday, April 16, Kažimír met several European Commission representatives including EU Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs and the Euro Olli Rehn.
IMF forecasts Slovakia's GDP will grow by 2.4 percent this year
The Slovak economy, which last year grew by 3.3 percent, will grow by only 2.4 percent this year, according to a prognosis published by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as part of its latest global economic outlook, the SITA newswire reported.
TIS objects to political selection of heads of watchdog authorities
The new heads of watchdog authorities such as the Supreme Audit Office (NKÚ) and the Public Procurement Office (ÚVO) ought to be picked via open selection procedures rather than via political nominations, Transparency International Slovensko (TIS), a political ethics watchdog, said on Tuesday, April 17, as reported by the TASR newswire.
SNS congress postponed until autumn; Slota says he won't run for re-election
The Slovak National Party's (SNS) presidium on Tuesday, April 17, postponed the party's next congress from May 19 to an as-yet unspecified date in the autumn, citing organisational reasons, the TASR newswire reported, citing party leader Ján Slota, who added that he would not stand for re-election.
Magdaléna Lacko-Bartošová to be new agriculture state secretary
The post of Agriculture Ministry state secretary will be filled by Magdaléna Lacko-Bartošová, the TASR newswire reported on Tuesday, April 17. Lacko-Bartošová currently works as a professor at the Slovak Agriculture University (SPU) in Nitra.
UK Ambassador awards financial contributions to Slovak veterans
Almost 30 Slovak WWII veterans on Tuesday, April 17, received financial contributions from Britain for their involvement in the Western resistance to Hitler. The payments, which represented the 11th such instalment, were received from British Ambassador Susannah Montgomery.
EU-harmonised inflation down slightly to 3.9 percent in March
EU-harmonised inflation reached 3.9 percent year-on-year in March, a drop of 0.1 percentage points compared to the rate seen for February, the Slovak Statistics Office announced on Tuesday, April 17.
Danish Ambassador kicks off Hans Christian Andersen Week in Slovakia
Hans Christian Andersen Week, a joint project by Denmark's Embassy to Slovakia and the Bratislava-based international house of arts for children Bibiana, was ceremonially opened on Tuesday, April 17.
Not just for vegetarians (video included)
One of the first things I noticed about Lucy Valerio concerned her diet. “I am not the best person to ask about Slovak food,” she said. “I am a vegetarian and I don't really eat a lot of cheese. I haven't tried any local food.“
Interior ministry might get responsibility to scrutinise illegal construction
There are no official statistics on illegal construction in Slovakia but over the past few years several dozen construction projects that were started illegally were later made legal, the Sme newspaper wrote in its April 17 issue.
Slovakia sells long-term bonds worth nearly €200 million
On April 16 Slovakia held auctions of long-term bonds maturing in 2025 as well as short-term bonds maturing in November 2016, the SITA newswire wrote.
Motor fuel prices in Slovakia moved in both directions this week
Motor fuel prices in Slovakia last week moved in both directions with the price of 98-octane petrol going up while the price of 95-octane petrol declined from the previous week. LPG and diesel prices remained unchanged from the previous week, the Slovak Statistics Office stated, as reported by the SITA newswire.
Prime Minister asks intelligence service to screen SIS candidate
Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer) said on April 16 that he has asked the current leadership of the Slovak Intelligence Service (SIS) to carry out a security screening of a potential candidate to be its new director, the TASR newswire reported.
Bratislava’s Autosalón to feature a record number of models
A record number of automobile models – 74 – will be on show at the country’s 2012 Autosalón, which begins in Bratislava on April 17 and continues until April 22, the TASR newswire reported.
Finance Minister says government will get deficit under 3% of GDP in 2013
The new government will meet its predecessor's commitment to reduce the state budget deficit to under 3 percent of GDP in 2013, Finance Minister Peter Kažimír (Smer) told representatives of the European Commission in Brussels on April 16, the TASR newswire reported. Kažimír met Thomas Wieser, the Economic and Financial Committee (EFC) president, Olli Rehn, the EU’s Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs and the Euro, Maroš Šefčovič, Vice-president of the European Commission and Janusz Lewandowski, the EU’s Commissioner for Financial Programming and the Budget, TASR wrote.
Private doctors now seek a salary increase
Slovakia’s Association of Private Doctors (ASL) called on the Health Ministry to arrange an increase in their salaries similar to the one recently received by doctors working in hospitals, the TASR newswire reported, noting that doctors at state-run hospitals achieved an average salary increase of €300 per month after a mass protest action last November/December. According to ASL president Ladislav Pásztor, private doctors want to have a basic monthly salary of €1,600, which would require another €118 million allocated to the health-care system each year. TASR wrote that Pásztor said that private doctors do not challenge the right of nurses to higher salaries (€640-€928 per month as of April 1) but that doctors must have at a ratio of at least 2.2-times the salaries of nurses. There are around 1,100 private paediatricians, 2,200 private general practitioners and around 2,000 private specialists in the country, Pásztor said, without indicating what kinds of protests, if any, the association may engage in.
Appointments announced for Slovakia’s military intelligence services
Defence Minister Martin Glváč appointed Ľubomír Skuhra the new director of the country's military counter-intelligence unit, the Military Defence Intelligence (VOS), and Robert Tibenský was named director of the Military Intelligence Service (VSS), the TASR newswire reported based on a statement by the Defence Ministry spokesman Milan Vanga. Skuhra previously worked in Slovakia's intelligence services and held the post of VOS director between 2006 and 2010 during the first term of Robert Fico's government. "The iron door between the ministry and VOS has been re-opened. Mr. Skuhra has my trust and along with VSS director Robert Tibenský they will be key persons in carrying out a merger of the institutions," said Glváč.
PM Fico wants to ban private health insurers from retaining profit
Prime Minister Robert Fico will again seek to ban private health insurance companies from retaining or distributing profits and has asked Health Minister Zuzana Zvolenská to find a way to do so without violating the constitution since the attempt to do this in the first Fico government in 2007 was found to be unconstitutional, the Sme daily reported.
GLOBSEC 2012: V4 countries should cooperate closer on defence
The Visegrad Group (V4) should engage in closer cooperation in the area of defence and share certain military capabilities, the representatives of the group’s member states, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, agreed during the Bratislava Global Security Forum (GLOBSEC). The initiative will be promoted in the future by the DAV4 working group, the TASR newswire reported.
GLOBSEC 2012 highlights integration of Balkans into NATO and EU
The Bratislava Global Security Forum (GLOBSEC) held between April 12 and 14 has principally raised the issue of integration of Balkan countries into international structures, the president of the Slovak Atlantic Commission (SAC), Rastislav Káčer, told the TASR newswire.
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- Legendary captain Zdeno Chára inducted into IIHF Hall of Fame Video
- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava
- Liberal MP's boxing challenge backfires as far-right MEP seizes the moment
- The Kremlin’s security agency has a Russian contractor in Slovakia - no one has noticed
- From eight to thousands of runners. How Košice marathon rose to prominence Photo
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- Slovak female triathlete shatters barriers with historic win at Himalayan event
- The law changed. Our family papers were ready. Now my kids are Slovak citizens
- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava
- The Kremlin’s security agency has a Russian contractor in Slovakia - no one has noticed
- Slovak female triathlete shatters barriers with historic win at Himalayan event
- Slovakia loses another EV model to Spain as Stellantis chooses Zaragoza over Trnava
- From eight to thousands of runners. How Košice marathon rose to prominence Photo
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- Iconic Slovak barn still draws crowds. Without donors, it might have been lost Photo
- The law changed. Our family papers were ready. Now my kids are Slovak citizens
- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners
- Slovakia loses another EV model to Spain as Stellantis chooses Zaragoza over Trnava
- Slovak female triathlete shatters barriers with historic win at Himalayan event
- The Kremlin’s security agency has a Russian contractor in Slovakia - no one has noticed
- The law changed. Our family papers were ready. Now my kids are Slovak citizens
- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- The Kremlin’s security agency has a Russian contractor in Slovakia - no one has noticed
- Fico praises China and Vietnam as models, says liberal democracy has failed
- News digest: Violent gang in Bratislava is under arrest
- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners
- 3 free things to do in Bratislava in the next seven days
- Legendary captain Zdeno Chára inducted into IIHF Hall of Fame Video
- Liberal MP's boxing challenge backfires as far-right MEP seizes the moment
- The law changed. Our family papers were ready. Now my kids are Slovak citizens
- News digest: Prosecutor seeks jail for NBS Governor Kažimír as his political support wanes
- Slovakia loses another EV model to Spain as Stellantis chooses Zaragoza over Trnava
- Slovak female triathlete shatters barriers with historic win at Himalayan event
- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
- News digest: Fico’s bloc wants to save money by restricting electoral access More articles ›
