Archive of articles - November 2013
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Fico wants to promote ‘Made in Czechoslovakia’ brand
SINCE several countries have not noticed the separation of Czechoslovakia yet and do not really understand the respective labels Made in Slovakia and Czech Made, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and his Czech counterpart, Jiří Rusnok, want to promote the Czechoslovak brand abroad. They said so after the meeting held in Prague November 28.
Energy prices to drop
ENERGY prices for Slovak households and companies will drop as of January. While the electricity for households will shrink by 7 percent in average, the gas will decrease by 0.23 percent in average, the TASR newswire reported on November 28.
Kňažko will run for president
MILAN Kňažko, one of the leaders of the Velvet Revolution and a former government official, has confirmed his candidacy in the 2014 presidential election. He will run as an independent candidate, and the main motto of his election campaign will be “There is much at stake again”.
EPH finalises buying shares in SSE
CZECH company Energetický a Průmyslový Holding (EPH) announced on November 27 that it had definitely finished acquiring shares of the Stredoslovenská Energetika (SSE) energy supplier. EPH, owned by Czech businessmen Daniel Křetinský and Petr Kellner and Slovak J&T financial group, bought a 49-percent share, with managerial control, from Electricité de France for €400 million.
Australia continues to remain a partner for Afghanistan
Australia’s long-term commitment to Afghanistan is entering a new phase as we complete our mission in Uruzgan province in line with transition and shift our gaze to Kabul as the centre for our ongoing engagement. It is timely to reflect on what has been achieved, but equally to look to what role we should play to help the Afghan government and people overcome the challenges ahead.
Smer will not introduce presidential candidate this year
The governing party in Slovakia, Smer, will not introduce their presidential candidate this year. According to information theSITA newswire has obtained, the party will only present its candidateafter the Speaker of Parliament Pavol Paška has announced the date of presidential elections.
Number of Slovak doctors at OECD average, nurses below
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in its latest report on health care, called Health at a Glance 2013, explores the expenses on health care in individual countries. In the study focusing on years 2009-2011, Slovakia placed below average in the expenses for health care-to-GDP ratio.
Ombudswoman proposes Constitutional Court assess law on aliens and asylum
The public defender of rights, or ombudswoman, Jana Dubovcová opined that some provisions of the currently effective Law on the Stay of Aliens and the Law on Asylum contradict not just the Slovak Constitution, but also several international agreements.
Business group says environment worsened in Q3
The business environment in Slovakia worsened in the third quarter of 2013, but at a slower pace compared to previous quarters, according to the Business Environment Index (Index podnikateľského prostredia-IPP) which is prepared by the Business Alliance of Slovakia (PAS).
Law on collective bargaining to go to Constitutional Court
The disputed legislation amending collective bargaining that passed the Smer-dominated parliament on November 27 will end up at the Constitutional Court, representatives of parties grouped within the opposition People’s Platform (Slovak Democratic and Christian Union-SDKÚ, Christian Democratic Movement-KDH and Most-Híd) said at a press conference. “The law goes against [principles of] free competition, freedom of choice, and against sanity,” SDKÚ vice-chairman Ivan Štefanec said for the TASR newswire. “We’re convinced that the legislation goes against the Slovak Constitution.” He added that the law demands that people observe contracts that they haven’t signed themselves. Štefanec said the law will be ruled unconstitutional just as a similar one was in the neighbouring Czech Republic.
US Ambassador awards Slovak bomb-disposal specialists
US Ambassador to Slovakia Theodore Sedgwick presented Commendation Medals to five Slovak bomb-disposal specialists who have taken part in the ISAF mission in Afghanistan. Two more specialists were awarded Bronze Star Medals at a ceremony that was held on November 27 at the National Centre for Explosive Ordnance Disposal (NC EOD) in Nováky. Sedgwick in his address said that the specialists deserved the medals, as their work was important, demanding and life-threatening. Slovak teams are the only ones that are carrying out such work in Afghanistan, said the ambassador, who praised Slovakia’s contribution towards foreign military missions and co-operation between the US and NC EOD. Chief-of-General-Staff of the Slovak Armed Forces Peter Vojtek said that the awards were the result of the tough work carried out by Slovak EOD specialists. “We have two very important entities - the Explosives Ordnance Disposal Centre of Excellence in Trenčín and the National Centre for EOD here in Nováky,” said Vojtek, as quoted by the TASR newswire. “Both have shown since they have been founded that they provide top specialists, and we'd also like to use them more in explosives disposal and in tackling various emergency situations here in Slovakia.” A total of five EOD teams from Slovakia have been deployed in Afghanistan since 2010. They have been tasked with disposing of explosive devices in the centre of Kandahar and its vicinity as part of military support for American troops.
SMK will run own presidential candidate
Independent MP and presidential candidate Radoslav Procházka met with the Party of Hungarian Community (SMK) chairman József Berényi on November 27 to discuss co-operation in the forthcoming presidential election. While SMK won’t support his candidacy as the party plans to run their own presidential candidate, Procházka expressed an interest in having SMK’s support in the second round of the vote – when the two leading candidates compete against one another. Berényi hasn't promised him anything as yet.
Slovakia still world leader in car production per capita
Slovakia has kept its top position in the number of cars produced per citizen – about 171 per capita. This year, carmakers in Slovakia are expected to produce 930,000 cars.
The day after
MARIAN Kotleba is like an unwanted guest who entered the house through the window that someone left open. Even if he has been around for a while with his racist and nationalist baggage, the residents have failed to show him the door even as his presence was incompatible with the house rules. Now as 71,000 people have asked him to stay and govern Banská Bystrica Region, no one can ignore him anymore.
Vrece zemiakov
“EVEN a sack of potatoes (vrece zemiakov) could beat him,” quipped Robert Fico after Marian Kotleba defeated Ľudovít Kaník, the right’s candidate to head Banská Bystrica Region, in the first round of the elections. Two weeks later, when the neo-Nazi crushed Smer’s Vladimír Maňka in the second round, the prime minister was short of metaphors. The PM did manage to blame the right and the media for the result. But that will hardly change the fact that this is a major blow to the ruling party and its chairman.
Parliament passes collective bargaining amendment without changes
PARLIAMENT passed the amendment to the law on collective bargaining, which has been met with criticism from businesses, without accepting the suggestions of President Ivan Gašparovič, who refused to sign the amendment.
Rosatom proposes conditions for new nuclear power plant
IF THE construction of a new nuclear power plant in Jaslovske Bohunice begins, it will provide over 6,000 construction jobs. According to the promises of the Russian company Rosatom, which would like to build the new nuclear facility in cooperation with the state, the new plant could also create 500 new jobs after it goes into operation, the Sme daily reported.
Electronic highway sticker to launch in 2015
AS OF January 2015 drivers on Slovak highways should be able to pay highway tolls using electronic highway stickers, purchased via the internet or their mobile phones. Drivers will thus no longer have to place a physical sticker on their windshields, but will have a virtual sticker instead, which will be connected with the car’s identification number.
Number of Slovak diplomats abroad dropped slightly
SLOVAK representatives in foreign countries currently number 685 people, 399 of whom are diplomats and 286 of whom are administrative and technical employees or contract workers, the SITA newswire informed based on the report on the network of representative offices.
Welfare rules to change
ONLY people who spend 32 hours each month doing communal or voluntary work will get the so-called material need welfare subsidy of €61.60. The rules will change as the MPs broke president’s veto and approved the amendment authored by government proxy for Roma communities Peter Pollák at parliament’s November 26 session.
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- Digital Jarvis is real now. He is coming for your to-do list
- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
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- 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 ›
