Archive of articles - May 2013, page 11
If you desire to read an old article, use the search bar or select the publication date.
Night of Museums and Galleries seems to flourish
THERE ARE a host of events every year in which cultural institutions around the country organise special programmes for the public. Since 2005, one such event, the Europe-wide Night of Museums and Galleries, has occurred every year around May 18, in honour of International Museum Day. Many Slovak cities and towns have been participating in the event since 2008, typically allowing visitors to see things that are not normally viewable by the public, and to experience museums in totally different ways.
Liberals and conservatives agree deal
RENEGADES from the ‘traditional’ centre-right parties are trying to find ways to cooperate. Most recently, the conservative New Majority (NOVA) party and Liberal Agreement (LIDO) civic association, established by renegades from Freedom and Solidarity (SaS), agreed to run common candidate lists in all regions for the regional elections in the autumn, plus two common candidates for regional presidencies.
Uncertain Ground for independent theatre
THE BRATISLAVA-based Stoka Theatre is this year taking a second stab at the New York City Fringe Festival. The first attempt, back in 2001, was covered by The Slovak Spectator at the time, and although it did not bring the theatre its much hoped-for breakthrough, the small independent group managed to survive, and is now making another bid for international success. For this year’s festival, Stoka rehearsed its recent piece, Neistý grunt (medzidruhová agresia), in English, under the title Uncertain Ground (intraspecies aggression). The title is a play on words in both Slovak and English, possibly alluding to the uncertain and non-transparent way in which grants are allocated in Slovakia.
Gefco extends warehouse capacities
THE SLOVAK arm of Gefco, an international provider of logistics services, has opened a new warehouse in the industrial park in the western-Slovak town of Senec in response to the growing demand for outsourcing of logistics services. With this new space it has added 9,000 square metres to its existing warehouse premises of over 15,000 square metres in Trnava, and 5,800 square metres in Kechnec in eastern Slovakia, from where it provides warehouse logistics for clients in the automotive, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and high-tech industries, the Transport a Logistika magazine wrote last October.
Countrywide Events
Western SLOVAKIA
Firms cut costs, refocus by outsourcing logistics
GLOBALISATION in production and trade has brought new challenges to logistics, which as a consequence has become so complex that some companies prefer to outsource this part of their businesses in order to focus on their core business activities, or to reduce costs. Outsourcing of logistics services in Slovakia is not as common as abroad, but foreign companies operating in Slovakia have established an outsourcing model which is being used increasingly by local companies.
D1 highway completion delayed
A RECENT landslide near Šútov in the Martin district will considerably delay the completion of the D1 highway, the Pravda daily wrote in its May 7 issue.
Some IT companies providing outsourcing services in Slovakia
-DATALAN, www.datalan.sk-Digmia, www.digmia.sk-EMARK, www.emark.sk-Hewlett-Packard Slovakia, www8.hp.com-IBM Slovensko, www.ibm.com/sk-InterWay, www.interway.sk-JEREMY, www.jrm.sk-SAP Slovensko, www.sap.com/sk-SCR Techniologies, www.scr.sk-Softec, www.softec.sk-Solver IT, www.solver.sk
Slovaks say corruption is widespread
BRIBERY and corruption are widespread in Slovakia, at least according to the perceptions of 84 percent of respondents in a poll carried out by global accountancy firm Ernst & Young. In Europe only Slovenia, Croatia, Ukraine and Greece are perceived as having a higher degree of corruption than Slovakia, according to the company’s press release.
Some firms providing services in accounting, tax advisory and payroll
-Accace, www.accace.com-BMB Leitner, www.bmbleitner.sk-Deloitte, www.deloitte.sk-Ernst & Young, www.ey.com/sk-KPMG Slovensko, www.kpmg.sk-Mazars, www.mazars.sk-PwC, www.pwc.com/sk
Finance minister hails 1 percent
THE OPPOSITION has collected 40 signatures to launch an appeal to the Constitutional Court against a change to the law governing the court’s own operation which the ruling Smer party passed via a fast-tracked proceeding on April 30. Smer justified its sudden move by saying that it was necessitated by the need to resolve the ongoing deadlock at the court in the case of Slovakia’s next general prosecutor. A series of objections against the court’s 13 judges has left only one of them not subject to claims of bias by either general-prosecutor-elect Jozef Čentéš or President Ivan Gašparovič, who has been refusing to appoint Čentéš for nearly two years since he was chosen as general prosecutor by parliament.
Levoča altar getting a face lift
Restoration of the main altar in the Gothic St James’ Church in Levoča is well underway. The altar, which includes the work of Master Pavol, is among the most important art masterpieces in Slovakia. At almost 19 metres high the altar is one of the tallest in the world of the late-Gothic period. The altar, along with the works of Master Pavol and the church has been named a UNESCO heritage site. The Church is also a national cultural monument.
Outsourcing at marketing agencies
THE MOST common reasons why advertising and marketing agencies outsource are a shortage of time and labour, and because they do not employ specialists for required types of services, the Stratégie magazine wrote in November 2012.
New EU tax to impact pensions
THE NEW tax on financial transactions that the European Union plans to introduce might reduce the pensions of over one million of pension savers by tens of percent annually, the Hospodárske Noviny daily wrote in its May 7 issue.
Teachers protest again
TEACHERS returned to the streets of Bratislava for a day in early May to protest what they say is the alarming situation in Slovakia’s school system, something which they argue could be resolved by a consistent increase in government spending. However, not all teachers believe that such protests are the best way to bring about change.
Life and times of Kapucínska
THE CAPUCHIN monastery and accompanying church in Bratislava arose gradually on its present site during the 18th century.
Quote of the week
“Potholes in Slovak roads are neither conservative nor liberal, but they are deep and there are plenty of them!”
Families might receive less money from state
THE NEED to reduce public spending is now so great that the current government, which describes itself as “socially-oriented”, is proposing cuts to family allowances in order to save money. The cabinet says the changes are intended to combat abuses of the benefit system and has promised that the restrictions will only affect those with higher incomes.
European armies 'need a conductor'
WE NEED to be able to assist our neighbours in becoming more secure themselves because their security is our security, and their stability is our stability, says Antonio Missiroli, a former adviser to the Bureau of European Policy Advisers (BEPA) of the European Commission. Missiroli also argues that some urgency is required to address the security issues facing the European Union, pointing to the cumulative effect of declining defence budgets among EU countries and warning that this may lead to a collective loss of EU defence capabilities.
SNM revives the 1960s
THE 1960s in Czechoslovakia were marked by a brief political thaw that brought an atmosphere of hope, known as the Prague Spring. This hope was, however, abruptly dashed in August 1968 when the armies of the “friendly” countries of the Warsaw Pact marched in and put the politicians promoting “socialism with a human face” back in their place – in a role of submission to the Soviet Union. But the hope for political liberalisation, at least within the limits of the communist regime, was reflected in both the art and the lifestyle of the period.
- The law changed. Our family papers were ready. Now my kids are Slovak citizens
- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava
- Slovakia loses another EV model to Spain as Stellantis chooses Zaragoza over Trnava
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- 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
- From eight to thousands of runners. How Košice marathon rose to prominence Photo
- 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
- 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
- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners
- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
- 3 free things to do in Bratislava in the next seven days
- The Kremlin’s security agency has a Russian contractor in Slovakia - no one has noticed
- Digital Jarvis is real now. He is coming for your to-do list
- 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
- A mayor resigns over €2.7 million fraud scandal at town hall
- Fico praises China and Vietnam as models, says liberal democracy has failed
- News digest: Violent gang in Bratislava is under arrest
- He designed Gatwick. But this is his masterpiece
- 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
- Slovakia plans to restrict access to new medicines amid funding shortfall More articles ›
