Archive of articles - December 2012, page 3
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Making the east attractive
DESPITE taking the lion’s share of foreign direct investment (FDI) to date, the western part of the country is not Slovakia’s only investment destination. Several investors now see potential in the east of the country, as demonstrated by recent significant moves by some of them to establish production plants there. Conferences represent one way to learn more about the region. The latest of these was Košice – Prešov Invest 2012, the latest edition of an annual event organised by the American Chamber of Commerce in Slovakia (AmCham) under the auspices of Economy Minister Tomáš Malatinský, which this year took place on December 4.
No significant changes in ARRA ranking
THE INCREASING joblessness of university graduates and the ongoing problem of the so-called PhD paradox are among the main findings of the annual ranking of Slovak higher education faculties prepared by the Academic Ranking and Rating Agency (ARRA), which this year covered 109 Slovak university and college faculties. The ARRA results generally confirmed the positions of the traditional leaders in the evaluated categories.
One World, recorded on film
THE 13TH One World (Jeden svet) international documentary film festival took place on December 3-9. Organised by the civic association People in Peril (Človek v ohrození), it aims to bring to Slovakia documentaries confronting social, environmental and humanitarian issues. This year about 70 movies were presented in four venues in Bratislava; they will continue to be screened in 24 Slovak cities and towns as part of the One World in the Regions (Jeden svet v regiónoch) project.
A key for everyone
THIS MOUNTAIN chalet under Borišov peak in the Veľká Fatra mountain range was built between 1937 and 1942. Construction was carried out according to the plans of architect Eduard Jančárik, and it was built for the Club of Czechoslovak Tourists in Martin.
Žilina doctors protest
DOCTORS in Žilina Hospital started filing resignations en masse concerning the emergency service at 14:00 on Thursday, December 6, in protest at the firing of their colleagues. The Health Ministry at one point considered evacuating patients, the Sme daily wrote on December 7.
Dowser 'discovers' old fort
APRIL: AMATEUR archaeologist Milan Pupala might have uncovered a long-lost hillside fortification in the village of Utekáč in east-central Slovakia and measured. He plotted out the walls of the fortification, which are partially visible from a nearby hill.
Minorities
Among the major changes in the government’s structure after the March election was the cancellation of the post of deputy prime minister for national minorities and human rights, a step for which Robert Fico earned harsh criticism from human rights and minority rights activists. Subsequently, for the first time, the post of government proxy for Roma communities was given to an opposition representative, Peter Pollák, who is also Slovakia’s first-ever ethnic Roma MP, and a member of Ordinary People and Independent Personalities (OĽaNO).
May: The top business stories of 2012
Parliament okays Fico’s programme. On May 15 parliament adopts the programme statement which the government of Prime Minister Robert Fico will pursue over the next four years. The programme is organised around 10 priorities, with the government stating that the top priority will be to ease the impacts of the European economic crisis and strengthen economic security for Slovak citizens, followed by the commitment to reduce the country’s public finance deficit to 3 percent of GDP or less in 2013, and to support economic growth and price stability. The government also aims to reduce the high level of unemployment among young people and seek solutions to deal with the large proportion of the population that has been unemployed for a year or more. The programme statement also speaks about improving the enforceability of the law in Slovakia and systematically eliminating corruption at all levels of society.
Senior court overturns Harabin win
IT IS now uncertain whether Supreme Court President Štefan Harabin will keep the compensation he received from the publisher of the Plus Jeden Deň daily as the result of a court case four years ago.
Quote of the week
“So many major changes would be indigestible for a horse, let alone a payroll clerk in a small company.”
Slovak medals
AUGUST: SLOVAK athletes won one silver and three bronze medals at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, failing to fully meet the hopes pinned on them. But despite Slovak canoeists’ failure to defend their gold medals from previous Olympics, Slovakia demonstrated its continuing strength in shooting and white-water disciplines.
Countrywide Events
Western SLOVAKIA
June: The top business stories of 2012
Tax freedom day in Slovakia falls on June 1. Tax freedom day, the first day in a given year on which people have earned enough to fund the state’s annual tax demands, falls on June 1 in 2012 in Slovakia, according to an analysis released by the Association of Slovak Taxpayers and the F. A. Hayek Foundation. Tax freedom day in 2011 fell on June 3.
Troubled prosecution
Jozef Čentéš, who was elected by parliament to be Slovakia’s next general prosecutor on June 7, 2011, has been waiting ever since for President Ivan Gašparovič to officially appoint him to the post. Gašparovič has received strong criticism from political ethics watchdogs as well as opposition parties for his reluctance to appoint Čentéš, who was elected in a ballot whose legitimacy has been confirmed by the Constitutional Court.
July: The top business stories of 2012
Building under construction in Bratislava collapses. A five-floor building under construction in Bratislava collapses without warning on July 1, but there are no injuries or deaths. The building was to house a wellness centre and parking for 3nity, a multifunctional development on Plynárenská Street that is still under construction, though one residential building is complete and occupied. The collapse of the structure leaves a crater filled with glass and other construction debris.
Slovakia owes Achmea millions, court rules
NOBODY will pay anything to anybody for now, was the first reaction of Prime Minister Robert Fico to Slovakia’s defeat in a long-running court case initiated by Achmea, the Dutch owner of Union, a health insurance firm, over controversial legislation which prevented privately-owned public health insurers from retaining profits or distributing them to shareholders. The law in question was passed by Fico’s 2006-10 government. The International Court of Arbitration ruled that Slovakia must now pay €22 million to Achmea for what it called a violation of the provisions of the investment treaty between Slovakia and the Netherlands.
Square in Madagascar named after Slovak
JANUARY: THE TOWN of Antalaha on the north-eastern coast of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean has named a new public square after Móric Beňovský, the 18th century Slovak explorer who for a short time was a ruler of part of the island.
New target for highway completion
COMPANIES cite unfinished highway infrastructure as one of the main obstacles to doing business in Slovakia. This is especially the case in eastern Slovakia, which is eager to welcome the kinds of new investments and business opportunities that have traditionally been concentrated in the country’s western region. The remaining stretches of the D1 highway that have yet to be built in order to connect Bratislava with Slovakia’s second largest city, Košice, are gradually being filled in, but it will still take several more years before the country finally completes its major backbone highway.
NGO gets prestigious award
THE SLOVAK non-governmental organisation the Center for Civil and Human Rights has received a French annual award, Freedom, Equality, Fraternity (Liberté - Egalité – Fraternité), for its activities in the area of human rights protection. The Košice-based organisation is the first from the former communist countries of Europe to be awarded this prize, the SITA newswire reported on December 11.
Oldest mining college celebrated
OCTOBER: THE MINING Academy at Banská Štiav-nica, the first university of mining and one of the oldest technical universities in the world, marked its 250th anniversary. The celebrations culminated on October 12 when representatives of universities from Slovakia, Hungary, Austria and the Czech Republic, all considering themselves successors of the Mining Academy’s tradition, gathered in Banská Štiavnica, the SITA newswire reported. The launch of the Mining Academy ranks among the most important moments in the history of Banská Štiavnica, a town with a long history of mining of silver and other precious metals. Queen Maria Theresa established the school by decree in 1762. In 1919, after Hungary split, the school moved to the Hungarian town of Sopron. But to this day several universities in central Europe acknowledge its traditions. In 2001 six faculties of universities in Miškovec, Sopron, Košice, Zvolen, Ostrava and Leoben signed a declaration of continuation of the intellectual heritage of the academy. Five more faculties joined in 2009.
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- News digest: Fico’s bloc wants to save money by restricting electoral access
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- 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
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- 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 ›
