Archive of articles - December 2012, page 5
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Survey: Only 25% of Slovaks view amendment to Labour Code positively
The recently-adopted changes to the Labour Code are viewed as appropriate by only 25 percent of Slovaks, while 49 percent think that they were a bad decision and 26 percent can't or don't want to answer the question, according to a recent poll carried out by the Focus agency and published by the Public Affairs Institute (IVO).
Lipšic accuses government of using law to favour Penta
Independent MP Daniel Lipšic is claiming that a proposed amendment to the Support for Renewable Energy Sources Act has been designed by the government to benefit the PPC steam and gas power plant, owned by the Penta financial group, to the tune of €20 million each year at the expense of electricity consumers, the TASR newswire reported.
Well-known Roma activist charged with child pornography offences
Miroslav Lacko, 44, a well-known Roma activist and head of the Slovak branch of the European Network against Racism (ENAR) NGO has been charged with the production and distribution of child pornography, committing sexual abuse, pimping, and corrupting the morals of young people, the Sme daily reported.
European Union to oversee eurozone banks
European Union finance ministers agreed on Thursday, December 13, the first step towards a eurozone banking union: they assigned the role of bank supervision to the European Central Bank (ECB). The ECB will oversee banks in the eurozone whose assets exceed €30 billion, or 20 percent of a country’s GDP, as well as those banks that the eurozone members have had to intervene to prop up.
Parliament approves 2013 state budget
The Slovak Parliament on Thursday, December 13 approved the draft state budget for 2013. Out of 146 MPs present, 82 voted for the draft, with 64 against.
Opposition withdraws no-confidence motion against justice minister
The Slovak Parliament will not now hold a no-confidence vote in Justice Minister Tomáš Borec. The opposition had wanted to hold a confidence debate regarding Borec in protest at the ruling Smer party’s refusal to present a report on the state of the justice system before parliament. However, on Thursday, December 13, MPs approved discussion of the report on Tuesday, December 18, and the opposition thereafter withdrew the no-confidence proposal from the programme of the current session.
One carriageway of new D1 highway stretch to open on Friday
The National Highway Company (NDS) will open one carriageway of a newly built section of the D1 highway between Jablonov and Studenec in Prešov Region on Friday, December 14, at 11:00.
Luxembourg court rejects appeal by Nováky chemical works
A general court in Luxembourg on Wednesday, December 12, rejected an appeal filed by the defunct Slovak chemicals producer Novácke Chemické Závody (NChZ) against the European Commission with regards to a fine imposed on the company in 2009 for its involvement in a cartel, Zuzana Trebulová from the EU Court of Justice press department confirmed.
Slovak police say Cinkota was not their agent
On Wednesday, Slovak Police officially denied that Dušan Cinkota, an actor convicted of serious drugs offences, had been acting as their agent, contrary to his claims. Police President Tibor Gašpar said, according to the Sme daily, that Cinkota met one police officer but their discussion had nothing to do with the case in which he was detained with 200 doses pervitin, a synthetic metamphetamine-based drug. Cinkota, who was sentenced to eight years in prison, is currently being sought by police in Banská Bystrica, Sme wrote on Thursday, December 13.
Stats Office: Year-on-year inflation at 3.4 percent in November
Year-on-year inflation in Slovakia reached 3.4 percent in November, with core inflation standing at 3.1 percent and net inflation at 2.5 percent, Slovak Statistics Office (ŠÚ) announced on Wednesday, December 12.
Government: Special parliamentary session on education not helpful
The Slovak government has dismissed a planned extraordinary parliamentary session to be held on Thursday, December 13, to debate the situation in the education sector, as “not beneficial amidst the current situation”, according to a statement approved at the cabinet's session on Wednesday.
Smer retains commanding lead in opinion poll
Had a general election been held at the turn of October and November, the governing Smer party would have gained 49.3 percent of respondents' votes, according to the results of an opinion poll released by the Median agency on Wednesday, December 12.
Cabinet ministers approve sale of SPP minority stake to EPH
Cabinet ministers have approved the sale of a 49-percent stake in the gas utility Slovenský Plynárenský Priemysel (SPP). The cabinet voted on Wednesday, December 12, to approve draft documents that the state as the 51-percent shareholder in SPP should now sign with the potential new owner of the 49-percent stake.
2012 budget sails through parliament
THE RULING coalition and the opposition parties have offered starkly different descriptions of the state budget for next year, which was finally approved by the Slovak Parliament on December 13. Prime Minister Robert Fico called it a “trustworthy plan”; the opposition parties labelled it “unrealistic, anti-social and unsustainable”. The state budget for 2013 assumes revenues of €13.916 billion and expenditure of €17.002 billion, with the budget gap therefore forecast to be €3.085 billion. Of the 146 deputies present, 82 voted in favour and 64 deputies voted against the budget.
Zlyhanie
“I WARN you against failure [zlyhanie]. Not only because harsh, repressive and personal measures will follow, but especially because the public would now be much more sensitive to a corruption scandal than before.”
Industrial sales maintain growth in October
Sales in industry in Slovakia in October maintained their growth rate when they surged 7.5 percent year-on-year to €7.496 billion. According to the Slovak Statistics Office (ŠÚ) data published on Tuesday, December 11, the annualised development of sales in industry was particularly influenced by sales growth in the manufacturing of transport equipment - by 12.9 percent.
Opposition's request for arbitration report fails
Representatives of the government will not inform MPs on the details and development of the international disputes pertaining to the profit ban that had been imposed on health insurers in the past, the SITA newswire wrote.
One in four support Gašparovič's refusal to appoint Čentéš
President Ivan Gašparovič’s unwillingness to appoint general prosecutor-elect Jozef Čentéš to the post is supported by one in four Slovaks, according to a survey presented by the Public Affairs Institute (IVO) on Tuesday, December 11. Around 6 percent of the 1,013 respondents fully approve of the President's refusal to appoint Čentéš, who was elected by parliament last year in June, while 19 percent claim it "tends to be the right" approach.
Fico backs Slovak farmers’ EU requests; farmers protest outside EC residence
Slovak farmers should receive at least as much financial support from the EU as their neighbouring states, it was said after a session of Prime Minister Robert Fico with Agriculture and Regional Development Minister Ľubomír Jahnátek and Slovak Agriculture and Food Chamber (SPPK) chairman Milan Semančík on Tuesday, December 11. The representatives discussed the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which is being prepared for the period of 2014-20.
Another candidate for NKÚ post fails to be elected
Another opposition candidate for the post of chair of the Supreme Audit Office (NKÚ), Vladimír Klimeš failed to be elected after he received only 59 out of 136 votes from the MPs present in parliament on Tuesday, December 11. Thirty-one deputies voted against the nominee, while 40 abstained from the vote and six cast invalid ballots, the TASR newswire reported.
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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 ›
