Archive of articles - December 2013, page 12
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Terchová music approved for UNESCO heritage list
The UNESCO committee for protection of intangible cultural heritage approved the traditional music from the Slovak municipality of Terchová for inscription on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on December 5.
Corporate profits in Slovakia decline 6.3 percent y/y in 3Q13
The profits of financial and non-financial corporations in Slovakia in 3Q13 fell by 6.3 percent year-on-year to €2.659 billion. This development was mainly due to a drop in profits of financial corporations by 9.3 percent to €515 million, and those of non-financial corporations by 5.6 percent to €2.143 billion.
Prosecutor files lawsuit against former Police Academy rector
THE FORMER rector of the Police Corps Academy in Bratislava, Václav Krajník, will stand trial, accused of accepting a €5,000 bribe. A prosecutor of the Special Prosecutor’s Office filed a lawsuit against him on December 4.
Statistics Office: Slovaks earned €803 monthly on average in 3Q13
THE AVERAGE nominal salary in the third quarter of 2013 was €803 per month, meaning that growth in salaries accelerated by 0.4 percentage points year-on-year to reach 2.4 percent in the same period, the Slovak Statistics Office (ŠÚ) informed on December 4.
Slovakia was Eurozone's fastest-growing economy in 3Q13
Slovakia achieved the highest economic growth in the eurozone in the third quarter of 2013 on 0.7 percent of GDP year-on-year, the European Union’s statistics office Eurostat announced December 4. “Slovakia’s economic growth [in 3Q13] was 0.2 percent [of GDP] quarter-on-quarter which was the fifth-highest figure in the eurozone," according to a statement from Slovakia’s Finance Ministry. A detailed estimate of the Slovak Statistics Office (ŠÚ) released earlier in the day said that Slovakia’s GDP growth in the third quarter was close to figures from previous quarters. “The main factor behind the positive development of economic activities overall was the contribution of net exports,” said the Finance Ministry, as quoted by the TASR newswire. “This is a result of ongoing growth in exports and a simultaneous decline in imports.”
Activists: Economy ministry shelves Bratislava pipeline debate
The Economy Ministry has again shelved the planned debate involving an oil pipeline connection between Bratislava and the Austrian refinery Schwechat (ÖMV) after several previous delays, now claiming that it doesn’t have enough relevant documents and other necessary information, Miroslav Dragun from the civic association 'No to Pipeline' said at a press conference on December 4. The Economy Ministry has said that the debate will take place one year later, as it needs to prepare all the necessary documents.
Fico says he regrets Ukraine EU decision, Sme daily distorted his words
Prime Minister Robert Fico clearly stated that he regrets that Ukraine decided not to sign an association agreement with the European Union, and the Sme daily twisted his words when saying that the prime minister in his statements backed Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych’s policies, the Government Office press department informed the TASR newswire on December 4. “The agreement between the EU and Ukraine should have been signed, but it wasn't ... I’m sorry about that, but I have to respect the decision that Ukraine has made," Fico said at the Hospodárske Noviny Club conference on December 3, adding that Slovakia’s experience with membership of the EU has been very positive. Leaving out the aforementioned passage, Sme took the premier’s words out of context, suggesting that the prime minister was trying to distance Slovakia from the issue at the diplomatic level, said the press department as quoted by TASR.
Unemployment rises to 14.1 percent in 3Q13
Unemployment in Slovakia grew, albeit more slowly, in the third quarter of 2013. In absolute terms, the number of unemployed people increased by 10,700 y-o-y to 382,000, the Slovak Statistics Office (ŠÚ) announced on December 4. The unemployment rate rose by 0.4 percentage points y-o-y to 14.1 percent. Joblessness among men grew by 0.7 percentage points to 13.7 percent. Unemployment among women remained at 14.5 percent during the third quarter. When seasonal effects are taken into account, unemployment increased by 2,000 people compared to the second quarter of 2013, which is a 0.5 percentage point rise to 389,100, the TASR newswire quoted the ŚÚ. Almost two-thirds (66.3 percent) of all the unemployed in Slovakia in the third quarter were people who had been jobless for more than a year. The figure in this category went up by 7 percent on an annual basis to reach 253,400 people. The number of those who had been unemployed for more than two years grew as well - by 13 percent, to make up 73.7 percent of a total of the long-term unemployed. The biggest group of unemployed were between 25-34 years of age, with 116,400 of them (30.5 percent of all unemployed). The 50-54 year-old age group recorded the highest y-o-y increase of 12.7 percent among all age categories. Unemployment decreased by 6.4 percent only for those aged between 15 and 24 and by 2.8 percent for people aged between 55 and 59. In terms of professions, the highest number of unemployed had worked in industry prior to being laid off (23.2 percent). Meanwhile, the highest relative growth in unemployment was seen in industry, health care and agriculture. Conversely, the number of unemployed decreased most in the financial and insurance sector.
Draft budget discussed
BETTER than originally planned tax revenues are changing the budgetary mathematics even before the state budget law makes it through parliament. Legislators opened the discussion on December 5, which is expected to last for several days as the opposition loudly criticises the draft document.
Kultúra smrti
“IF MAN stands up to God’s order, he introduces a culture of death (kultúra smrti)... The adherents of the culture of death come with a new ‘gender ideology’. In its name, they wish to introduce a so-called ‘gender equality’... They want to convince us that none of us exists by nature as man and woman, and they want to make the God-blessed union of man and woman equal with the union of two men or two women. That creates a sodomite blotch, which contradicts God’s will and brings about God’s wrath… The activists of ‘gender equality’ do not give up, but await an opportunity to control education through legislation and enforce this ‘sodomite ideology’ upon schools and pre-schools. Such education would not only strip the child of its decency, but would also perfectly cripple it morally and psychologically.”
Amazon eyes Slovakia as location for distribution centres
THE BIGGEST internet shop in the world, Amazon, might change its plan to build giant distribution centres in the Czech Republic, the Sme daily reported.
Slovak pupils perform poorly in OECD tests
MASTERY of math, science and reading proved to be lacklustre among 15-year old Slovak pupils who took the OECD tests, as part of the so-called PISA testing.
Fico supports Yanukovych
SLOVAK Prime Minister Robert Fico broke his silence on the events in Ukraine on December 3 and took the side of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.
Prosecutor’s Office appeals €150,000 for Harabin
THE GENERAL Prosecutor’s Office is taking steps to avoid paying the €150,000 awarded to Supreme Court Chairman Štefan Harabin based on a verdict recently confirmed by the Bratislava Regional Court in the case of Harabin’s alleged phone call with drug lord Baki Sadiki.
Amendments to come into force despite president’s rejection
President Ivan Gašparovič has for the second time rejected amendments on a welfare work provision and the controversial law on collective bargaining, but the legislation will still come into effect. Gašparovič stressed in his reasoning, on December 3, that his decision stemmed from parliament failing to incorporate any of his objections to the two laws when debating them after he vetoed both laws. By overriding the veto, legislators ensured that the two pieces of legislation will come into force as of January 2014. The law on a welfare subsistence benefit stipulates that benefit payments of €61.60 will only be paid to those who carry out 32 hours per month of voluntary or minor maintenance work for their municipality. Gašparovič, as quoted by ther TASR newswire, referred to the principle behind the measure as “forced labour”. The act on collective bargaining will extend higher-level collective agreements to all businesses in a given industrial sector that haven’t signed them individually. Only small firms - defined by the amendment as having up to 20 employees - will be exempt from the obligation. The president stated that the measure runs counter to the principle of collective bargaining at the level of individual companies and disregards EU recommendations that the size of a small company should be set at those with up to 50 employees.
Kaliňák: Three new investigations launched in the Gorilla Case
The police team probing the Gorilla Case have launched three new criminal investigations, while also asking for legal help from Cyprus, the UK and Austria, and plans to apply for co-operation to the United States and the Czech Republic and question dozens of new witnesses.
Dzurinda becomes Centre for European Studies president
Former chairman of the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union-SDKÚ and former two-time Prime Minister Mikuláš Dzurinda was elected president of the Centre for European Studies (CES) on December 3. Dzurinda replaces Wilfried Martens, the recently deceased former Belgian prime minister and long-term chairman of the EPP. CES is a political think-tank of the European People’s Party (EPP) which was founded in 2007 to support and promote the political values of Christian Democrats and Conservatives, the TASR newswire wrote. It participates in preparing EPP programmes and policy documents, organises seminars and workshops on EU policies and creates a platform for discussions between experts, politicians and the European public.Martens died on October 10 at 77 years of age.
Slovakia stagnates in fight against corruption
SLOVAKIA’S position in perceiving and fighting corruption improved only slightly over last year. The country scored 47 points and thus placed 61st in the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2013, which is one place up compared to last year. The only European Union countries which reported worse results were Italy, Romania, Bulgaria and Greece, the ethics watchdog Transparency International (TI) which surveyed the situation in 177 countries reported on December 3.
British police discover human trafficking victims from Slovakia
BRITISH police have rescued 17 victims of human trafficking, including children, during an operation held in Leeds, West Yorkshire, on November 30. All of the rescued people came from Slovakia, local police spokesperson Tony Tierney told the Sme daily.
Penta buys three more regional hospitals
PENTA investment group will extend its network of regional hospitals after purchasing facilities in Rimavská Sobota, Banská Štiavnica and Žiar nad Hronom (all in Banská Bystrica Region) from private Nemocnice and Polikliniky company. The acquisition is still pending approval from the Anti-Monopoly Office (PMÚ), the SITA newswire reported on December 2.
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- Legendary captain Zdeno Chára inducted into IIHF Hall of Fame Video
- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava
- 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
- Liberal MP's boxing challenge backfires as far-right MEP seizes the moment
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- From eight to thousands of runners. How Košice marathon rose to prominence 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
- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners
- Slovakia loses another EV model to Spain as Stellantis chooses Zaragoza over Trnava
- 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
- 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
- Fico praises China and Vietnam as models, says liberal democracy has failed
- News digest: Violent gang in Bratislava is under arrest
- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners
- 3 free things to do in Bratislava in the next seven days
- Legendary captain Zdeno Chára inducted into IIHF Hall of Fame Video
- 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 More articles ›
