Archive of articles - June 2012
If you desire to read an old article, use the search bar or select the publication date.
ÚDZS head Gajdoš steps down in protest
The head of the independent Health-Care Supervisory Authority (ÚDZS) Ján Gajdoš, who had been in office since August 2010, stepped down from his post on Wednesday, June 27, the TASR newswire learnt.
Parliament moves bill to cancel MPs' criminal immunity to second reading
Years of periodic efforts to repeal the criminal immunity of members of parliament looks set to end in success. The Slovak Parliament on Thursday, June 28, for the first time found a consensus across the political spectrum for the step and the abolition of penal immunity was passed to its second reading, winning the support of 140 of the 141 deputies present in the 150-member parliament. The follow-up amendment to the Penal Code was supported by all 141 MPs present.
Čaplovič: Inspection endorses Richter's degree
The bachelor's degree granted to Minister of Labour, Social Affairs and the Family Ján Richter and 37 of his classmates back in 2002 is fully in compliance with the law, Education Minister Dušan Čaplovič said in parliament on Thursday, June 28, referring to the outcome of a ministerial inspection.
General practitioners fail to find agreement with health insurer, patients might have to pay
The state-run health insurer Všeobecná Zdravotná Poisťovňa (VšZP) has only two days left to reach an agreement with general practitioners over new prices for procedures, the Sme daily writes in today's issue (Friday, June 29). If it fails to do so, doctors will not have valid contracts with the insurer and might start charging fees to patients. Even if they treat patients for free they will not be able to issue insurer-funded prescriptions and it will therefore be necessary for patients to pay for their medicaments. Old contracts expire on June 30; new ones should be signed by July 1.
Parliament approves legislation on ESM
The Slovak Parliament on Thursday, June 28, definitively approved the legislation concerning the country's accession to the European Stability Facility (ESM), in which Slovakia's up-front cash contribution to the bail-out mechanism represents a total €659.2 million. Out of 143 MPs present in parliament, 113 lawmakers voted for the legislation.
International conference Policy Making and Politics at the Local Level
Economics Faculty of Technical University Košice (TUKE) is hosting a prestigious international educational event: „The 2nd POL-LOC Summer School: Policy Making and Politics at the Local Level: East/West experience in comparative perspective“. It is taking place in the first half of July with the participation of students and young university pedagogues from 15 European Countries.
Depressingly predictable
IT NO LONGER shocks anyone in Slovakia if, after a change of government, the top manager of the public-service television broadcaster is shown the door. In fact, directors have come and gone even more frequently than governments. The reasons for and circumstances of the sackings, the names of the nominees, and the lengths of time they spend in this extremely precarious position might differ, but political motives have mostly remained at the root of this tradition.
SPP requests 17-percent hike in home gas prices
Slovakia’s primary natural gas utility, SPP, asked the Regulatory Office for Network Industries (ÚRSO) for an average 17-percent increase in natural gas prices for households in a request sent on June 13, the SITA newswire reported.
Cigarette prices to go up by €0.10 in October
The government on June 27 discussed and passed a proposal to raise the excise tax on cigarettes beginning in October 2012 rather than in March 2013 as originally planned, the TASR newswire reported. "The proposed excise tax hike on tobacco products will have a direct adverse impact on households of smokers, as the price for a pack of cigarettes will rise by some €0.10 (VAT included)," states the proposal submitted by the Finance Ministry, quoted by TASR.
Schindler to build new production hall near Dunajská Streda
Schindler, one of the world leaders in production of escalators and lifts based in Switzerland, will invest €10 million in a new production hall near Dunajská Streda that could create more than 250 jobs, the Hospodárske noviny economic daily wrote.
Economic sentiment in Slovakia worsens in June
Following several months of a positive trend, economic sentiment in Slovakia worsened in June, as the Slovak Statistics Office said on June 28 that its economic sentiment indicator dropped 0.8 points month-on-month to 91.8 points due to unfavourable developments of all components of the indicator, except the services sector, the SITA newswire reported. The indicator is lower than in the same period of last year, by 3.7 points and is lagging its long-term average by 5.8 points.
Parliamentary committee drops disciplinary proposal against Speaker Paška
The Slovak parliament’s mandate and immunity committee unanimously agreed on June 27 that Speaker of Parliament Pavol Paška from Smer party will not face disciplinary proceedings for what one opposition party called a forgery of the date of delivery of a legislative proposal to parliament’s registry office, the TASR newswire reported. “The committee has stated that the issue isn’t subject to disciplinary powers of the mandate and immunity committee and has cast aside the proposal. It was a unanimous decision,” said committee chairman Miroslav Číž from Smer, as quoted by TASR. He added that the committee ordinarily deals with MPs’ statements, voting on behalf of another MP, and examines whether an MP took their oath in line with the law. Disciplinary proceedings may result into a financial fine of €166. Paška allegedly changed the date of an electronic confirmation of the draft bill’s registration that first had the date of April 18 but four days later was changed to April 17, which was the deadline for delivering bills to parliament for the next agenda.
New head of RTVS could be selected in early August
A new general-director for Slovakia’s public-service broadcaster, RTVS, could be selected in early August, said Dušan Jarjabek from Smer party who heads parliament’s culture and media committee, the TASR newswire reported. The committee is set to open the possibility of accepting applications on July 2 through July 17. Public hearings before the committee would then take place on July 30 with the committee expected to submit a recommendation for a specific candidate to parliament within two days, Jarjabek told TASR. Parliament recalled RTVS general director Miloslava Zemková on June 26 for announcing a public tender to lease a media complex for RTVS without providing prior written notification to the RTVS Board, its governing body. A total of 82 legislators out of the 85 present approved the proposal to dismiss Zemková while two MPs voted against and one abstained from the secret vote.
Government approves €55 million diversion to tackle youth employment
The cabinet of Prime Minister Robert Fico approved the diversion of €55 million from the Operational Programme Transport to projects supporting youth employment and the development of small and medium-sized companies on June 27, the TASR newswire reported. The EU-financed OP Transport programme continues to have nearly €3.8 billion available. "That means that the allocated resources will be reduced by 1.43 percent," states a document submitted to the government by Ján Počiatek, the Minister of Transport, Construction and Regional Development.
Labour ministry says gender pay gap narrows significantly
Although a gender salary gap persists in Slovakia at about 20 percent, the gap has decreased by one-fifth in the past five years, states a document drafted by the Labour Ministry and approved by the government on June 27, the TASR newswire reported.
Hurbanovo shooting sparks fears
MILAN Juhász, a 51-year-old policeman, did not go to work on Saturday, June 16. Instead, he took an illegally-held gun and headed to Komárňanská Street in Hurbanovo, a small town in southern Slovakia. There he stopped in front of the house of a large Roma family and proceeded to shoot dead a 44-year-old man, his 19-year-old son and 24-year-old son-in-law, as well as shooting in the chest the 44-year-old victim’s second son and also wounding the son’s wife. The police detained Juhász, who was by then threatening to commit suicide, shortly after the killings. According to human rights activists, the event could affect relations between the Roma minority and the non-Roma majority in Slovakia.
Poriadok
“I WOKE up in the morning thinking that I have to go there and establish order [poriadok].”
NBS posted loss of €77 million in 2011
Slovakia's central bank, the National Bank of Slovakia (NBS), posted a loss of €77 million last year, according to its annual report and accounts for 2011, submitted to parliament for debate on Tuesday, June 26. The NBS reported a loss of €515 million in 2010, the TASR newswire reported. The bank announced that it would cover the 2011 loss from future profits.
Cabinet approves merger of military intelligence services
The cabinet on Wednesday, June 27, approved a draft amendment to the law on military intelligence from the Defence Ministry, according to which on January 1, 2013, the Military Defence Intelligence (VOS) counter-intelligence service and the Military Intelligence Service (VSS) will merge into one unit, to be called Military Intelligence (VS). The amendment must be still passed by parliament.
ESM legislation to proceed via fast-tracked process
Slovakia’s cash contribution to the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) will reach €659.2 million, according to the legislative proposal on the ESM that will be debated in parliament via fast-tracked legislative proceedings. To make the contribution, five payments are scheduled, with the first (€131.84 million) to be made by Slovakia within 15 days after the law comes into force (i.e. in mid 2012). According to the document submitted by the Finance Ministry for debate, the second payment is expected later this year, probably in October.
- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- News digest: Fico’s bloc wants to save money by restricting electoral access
- Slovakia loses another EV model to Spain as Stellantis chooses Zaragoza over Trnava
- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners
- Slovakia plans to restrict access to new medicines amid funding shortfall
- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava
- Convicted of multiple murders, Slovakia’s mafia boss seeks release from prison
- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- 3 free things to do in Bratislava in the next seven days
- Digital Jarvis is real now. He is coming for your to-do list
- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
- News digest: Fico’s bloc wants to save money by restricting electoral access
- The disinformation scene has become a tool of media capture
- Slovakia plans to restrict access to new medicines amid funding shortfall
- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- News digest: Violent gang in Bratislava is under arrest
- The Kremlin’s security agency has a Russian contractor in Slovakia - no one has noticed
- 3 free things to do in Bratislava in the next seven days
- Digital Jarvis is real now. He is coming for your to-do list
- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
- The disinformation scene has become a tool of media capture
- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava
- A mayor resigns over €2.7 million fraud scandal at town hall
- Show me your moves! Slovak hockey stars share their best pick-up lines
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- He designed Gatwick. But this is his masterpiece
- Fico praises China and Vietnam as models, says liberal democracy has failed
- News digest: Violent gang in Bratislava is under arrest
- The compass points to Kúty, and people are starting to follow
- 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
- Slovakia plans to restrict access to new medicines amid funding shortfall
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners More articles ›
