Archive of articles - October 2013
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Fashion outlet is a first for Slovakia
SLOVAKIA finally has its first outlet shopping centre, One Fashion Outlet (OFO) Voderady, which drew thousands of eager shoppers when it opened on October 30. As Slovakia was the only country in the region without a shopping outlet, Slovaks previously had to travel to Austrian Designer Outlet Parndorf, about 40 km from Bratislava, to find brand name goods at discount prices. Now, they still have to travel the same distance, but in the opposite direction.
Lipšic and NOVA want holders of multiple state posts to get one salary
Officials who hold more than one public post should receive only a single salary from one of them, New Majority-Agreement (NOVA) proposes in a bill unveiled on October 30. Under the proposed amendment to the constitutional act on the protection of public interest, the holder of multiple public posts would only be able to receive one salary – albeit the highest one. MPs headed by NOVA leader Daniel Lipšic said, as quoted by the TASR newswire, that parliament has seen several attempts to curb the practice of holding multiple public posts, but all have fallen flat. Consequently, it’s still possible for a regional governor to be a member of the Slovak or even European Parliament at the same time. According to Lipšic, attempts to prohibit the practice are unlikely to make it through parliament, hence NOVA’s new bill. The party member Daniel Krajcer, who is an MP and is also running for Bratislava regional governorship, reiterated his earlier vow to give up his seat in parliament should he be elected in the regional elections next weekend.
Slovak who used ATM flaw to draw €95,000 gets conditional sentence
In September 2009, the British Barclays Bank became the target of attack by fraudsters from Slovakia.
Nicholson was wiretapped because of contacts with murdered lawyer Valko
Tom Nicholson, a Canadian journalist living in Slovakia, was wiretapped by police, during the tenure of Iveta Radičová government (2010-2012) and while Daniel Lipšic was Interior Minister and Jaroslav Spišiak as Police President, the Sme daily wrote October 31.
Construction begins on Slovakia’s most taxing highway stretch
Transport, Construction and Regional Development Minister Ján Počiatek on October 30 ceremonially launched the construction of the D3 motorway stretch between Svrčinovec and Skalité – in the Žilina Region. The 12.3-kilometre section is projected to be completed by mid-2016. “The D3 highway is, just like the D1, our priority. This section is the most important in terms of a link with Poland,” said Počiatek, as quoted by the TASR newswire. He also said that the government is sticking to its commitment to make sure that the construction work on all D3 sections will begin by the end of its term in 2016. Počiatek said that close to half of this section involves bridges or tunnels.
Turkish Foreign Minister visits Slovakia
Turkish Foreign Affairs Minister Ahmet Davutoglu paid an official visit to Slovakia October 30. Meeting the head of Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajčák, he thanked him for Slovakia’s support for his country’s accession to the European Union.
Slovakia to contribute €481,000 to 2022 Winter Olympics bid with Poland
Slovakia wants to co-organise the Winter Olympic Games together neighbouring Poland. It plans to spend approximately €481,000 by the end of July 2015 on preparatory work for its joint bid with Poland to host the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Krakow, according to a report on the progress of the bid’s preparations that was approved by the government on October 30. “These resources aren’t included in either the budgetary chapter of the [Education] Ministry, or the [Office] of the Government Proxy for Youth and Sport, so it will be necessary to approve the allocation of such extra resources in addition to the planned budget of the education sector for 2014-15,” reads the document drafted by the Education, Science, Research and Sport Ministry. The ministry calculated that as much as 40 percent of all the expenditures will be consumed by services related to the preparatory work, such as analyses, expert studies and assessment work; while another 35 percent will go to travel expenses and expenditures associated with attending various meetings. The ministry also claims that the project won’t entail any demanding construction work on sporting venues and stadiums. “All that’s needed are investments in the modernisation and reconstruction of already existing facilities, or in new venues built in place of already existing facilities and sports complexes,” reads the report a quoted by the TASR newswire. The final decision to bid to host the games in the Polish city of Krakow was reached at a joint session of a Polish-Slovak committee commissioned with drawing up the bid in Demänovská Dolina in the Žilina Region in August. The project counts on Slovakia’s ski resort of Jasná in the Low Tatras becoming the venue for the alpine disciplines during the games. Krakow is expected to announce its official bid to host the Winter Olympics in co-operation with Slovakia on November 14, with the bid due to be submitted in March 2014.
Regional Court negates Slovakia’s first ever terrorism conviction
Košice Regional Court on October 30 overruled a verdict of Košice District Court which sentenced a man identified only as Ladislav K. to 25 years in jail for terrorism. The case will now return to the Košice District Court, the TASR newswire learnt from the Košice Regional Court spokeswoman Marcela Galová told TASR. An extremist animal-rights supporter and a Košice native, Ladislav K., became the first individual in Slovakia to be found guilty of terrorism on May 19. He immediately appealed against the verdict. According to the original sentence, Ladislav K. carried out a bomb attack against a Košice fast-food restaurant. He was also found guilty of manufacturing explosives, unlawful possession of firearms, blackmail and intimidation. On December 28, 2011, the man planted and detonated a home-made bomb in a rubbish bin outside the restaurant. There was no loss of life, although the explosion caused property damage. According to the verdict, Ladislav K. committed the deed “in an effort to gravely intimidate the public and force the state government to adopt measures restricting the killing of animals”. The District Court rejected the arguments of Ladislav K.’s lawyers, whom argued that he was mentally ill.
Slovak state wins again in Transpetrol case
In the complex, protracted case of the Transpetrol company, the state won another round October 30. The Regional Court Bratislava ruled that the companies Brilant, a.s., and Darts spol. s.r.o. Košice have no right to be included on the list of shareholders of the Transpetrol company.
Unions gain power; firms cry out
UNIONS and representatives of employees will be able to enforce pay hikes even in firms which disagree with such hikes thanks to a Smer-designed revision to the law on collective bargaining. The legislation, which sailed through parliament on October 29, hit a raw nerve with foreign chambers of commerce, an association of employers as well as the political opposition, and the changes may yet end up at the Constitutional Court.
Ano
A MILLIONAIRE and media mogul starts a party called Ano (Yes), promises to bring in a new type of politics, succeeds in elections and becomes the decisive element in the formation of a ruling coalition. Does this remind you of Andrej Babiš, who finished second in last week’s Czech elections? Well, it’s also the story of Pavol Rusko, whose Ano enabled the formation of a right-wing government in Slovakia in 2002. The story of the two Anos is not the only way in which the Czech vote confirms that Czechoslovakia, which celebrated its 95th birthday just two days after the election, lives on.
Sharing embassies to cut costs
THE FOREIGN Ministry is considering merging diplomatic services within common embassies in third countries with other EU member states in order to curb costs.
Constitutional Court dismisses three disciplinary motions against Harabin
THE CONSTITUTIONAL Court dealt with three disciplinary motions against Supreme Court President Štefan Harabin, filed by former justice minister, Lucia Žitňanská, during her tenure in 2010-2011, on October 30.
Government passes UN report on racism
SLOVAKIA lags behind in the implementation of legislative and other measures to eliminate racial discrimination. Such is the opinion of the UN Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), voiced in its regular report which the Slovak cabinet passed at its October 30 session, the TASR newswire reported.
Floods have caused almost €13 million in damage
FLOODS that hit parts Slovakia between September 2012 and July 2013 caused damage totalling €12.8 million, according to a report drafted by the Environment Ministry and passed by the cabinet at its October 30 session.
Hollande pays historic visit to Slovakia
Francois Hollande made a historic one-day visit, the first ever by French president to Slovakia, October 29. At the beginning of his stay, he decorated his Slovak counterpart Ivan Gašparovič with the Grand Cross of the French Legion of Honour. To repay the honour, Gašparovič awarded Hollande with the highest state award in Slovakia - the Order of the Double White Cross First Class.
Petr Kellner buys O2 mobile operator
The Spanish concern Telefónica sold its Czech and Slovak branches to the PPF investment group, the majority owner of which is Czech billionaire Petr Kellner.
Constitutional Court rejects renewed Harabin disciplinary proceedings
During the tenure of former Justice Minister Lucia Žitňanská, a disciplinary proceeding was launched against the Supreme Court Chairman Štefan Harabin, as he refused to allow a Finance Ministry audit in 2010. In 2011, the Slovak Constitutional Court punished him with a 70-percent reduction of his monthly salary for one year.
Rítomská leaves OĽaNO caucus after fallout with leadership
The opposition Ordinary People and Independent Personalities (OĽaNO) caucus has shrunk after MP Maria Rítomská left it on October 28, Speaker of Parliament Pavol Paška announced. As a result, the OĽaNO caucus has been reduced to 14 members. Rítomská also automatically lost her post on the parliamentary supervisory committee that monitors decisions of the National Security Authority (NBÚ), as membership extends only to lawmakers with affiliation to party caucuses. She decided to leave after he party colleagues asked her to attend the parliament more and be more active. “Rítomská has belonged long-term among the greatest absentees and the least active MPs,” reads the OĽaNO public statement, as quoted by the TASR newswire. “We called upon her repeatedly to change her approach to the way she exercises her mandate and she chose to leave our caucus instead. We fully respect her decision.”
Poll: Eight parties would reach parliament
If a general election were held in the first half of October, as many as eight political parties would have won seats in parliament, according to the latest poll conducted by the Focus agency, released October 29. According to the results of the poll, the highest number of votes (35.5 percent) would have gone to the governing Smer party, followed by opposition parties: the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) with 12.8 percent, Ordinary People and Independent Personalities (OĽaNO) 9.7 percent, the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ) with 8.1 percent, New Majority-Agreement (NOVA) bringing in 5.9 percent and Most-Híd taking 5.8 percent. In addition, the Hungarian Community Party (SMK) and the Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) would have received just enough votes to get over the parliamentary hurdle, 5.1 and 5 percent, respectively. The doors of the house would have remained closed to the Slovak National Party (SNS) at 3.5 percent and the Movement for Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) with just 0.5 percent.
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