Archive of articles - January 2014, page 5
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Opposition proposes special session on Dubovcová
THE PARTIES united in the People’s Platform have submitted the necessary signatures to convene a special parliamentary session on Ombudswoman Jana Dubovcová and her report of the June 2013 police raid of a Roma settlement in Moldava nad Bodvou.
New restrictions on journalists covering parliament
IT WILL now be more difficult to tape MPs procuring personal items or attending parliamentary sessions while drunk, as a result of new limitations introduced by the Office of the Speaker of Parliament, Pavol Paška, which will become effective in one month. The opposition has criticised the changes, saying they restrict the freedom of journalists.
Lajčák reacts to Ukraine violence
A SERIES of hastily passed laws seeking to limit the right to protest added fuel to the fire of anti-government protests in the Ukrainian capital Kiev, and after a violent clash with police saw up to five demonstrators killed, the international community, including Ukraine’s western neighbour Slovakia, called for calm.
Through the Small Carpathians
Historical wine cellars, with their distinctive moist smell and walls overgrown by moulds, make all your senses tingle. These entire places are dominated by wine: stacked bottles cram the shelves, barrels line the floor and people quietly chat with glasses in their hands.
Slovak Dominika Cibulková makes it to Australian Open final
Dominika Cibulková is the first Slovak tennis player to make it to the singles’ finals at a Grand Slam tournament. On January 23, she beat Agnieszka Radwaňska of Poland in the semi-finals of the Australian Open in Melbourne. She won in 70 minutes, by a score of 6-1, 6-2, the TASR newswire wrote.
Slovakia falls in “Best for Business” list
In the latest chart of 21 countries of eastern Europe and central Asia by the Bloomberg agency, Slovakia placed 13 (tied with Latvia) – falling in its position against previous rankings.
Interior Ministry to amend citizenship law
The Interior Ministry is preparing an amendment to the Act on State Citizenship that should help people who lost their Slovak passport after they accepted another country’s citizenship.
No postal or internet vote in presidential election
Voters in Slovak presidential elections won’t be able to vote by post, even after the new election rules currently being prepared by the Interior Ministry are introduced. “There's a problem with the second round. There’s too little time [between the first and second rounds], it can’t be managed," Interior Minister Robert Kaliňák told the TASR newswire. Moreover, voters aren’t able to take part via electronic voting. Kaliňák said that he doesn’t intend to there isn’t enough interest in this form of voting to make it worthwhile. “There’s a generation that would like to use the opportunity to vote via the internet, but it still isn’t numerous enough to make it worthwhile investing such an amount of money. If it appears that 90 percent of people are interested, we’ll certainly prepare the hardware," Kaliňák said. The current law stipulates that Slovak citizens who have reached 18 years of age are permitted to vote in presidential elections. This also includes Slovaks without permanent residence in Slovakia, but the condition is that they must be present in Slovakia on the day of the presidential elections. The first round of the presidential elections is set to take place on March 15, while the potential run-off is scheduled for March 29.
Growth in welfare recipients stagnated last year
The annual report of the Central Office for Labour, Social Affairs and Family for the year 2013 was published on January 22, finding just a trivial increase in welfare recipients last year.
Foreign Ministry reacts to developments in Ukraine
The Foreign and European Affairs Ministry appealed to all participants of protests in Ukraine on both sides – protesters and armed forces – to abstain from violence, calling on the country’s bodies and all those involved to respect the right of citizens to assemble in a January 22 statement. The ministry thus reacted in an official statement on January 22. In Ukraine, two protestors were shot and killed.
Maltese President makes two-day visit to Slovakia
George Abela, the President of Malta arrived for a two-day state visit to Slovakia the evening of January 22. Slovak President Ivan Gašparovič will receive his guest at the presidential palace in Bratislava today.
Report: Harvests in Slovakia 60 percent below EU average
The government held an away-from-home session in Šenkvice (a municipality near Bratislava) on January 22. Apart from other points of the agenda, it also approved a strategy drawn up by the Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry for 2014-20, according to which harvests in Slovakia are 40-60 percent poorer than in other EU-member states. “A comparison of livestock breeding intensity in Slovakia and other EU-member countries is showing a significantly lower, if not the lowest intensity in the breeding of cattle, sheep and goats,” the TASR newswire quotes the report. “The milk-producing capacity per cow is one of the lowest in the region. A lower level has only been registered in Poland, which is dynamically improving.” Crop production in Slovakia is showing better results than animal-based production. “Slovakia is growing moderately in crop production, while animal production has been deteriorating... The volume of beef production has fallen by as much as one-third since 2002, which is one of the most significant drops in the EU,” said the report, noting that an even worse situation can be seen in pork production, which has fallen by 83 percent over the same period. “While 10.2 percent of all employed people in the country were working in agriculture in 1994, the figure fell to 4.6 percent in 1998, and it currently stands at only 2.2 percent.
Majdan
WHEN you watch the protests in the Ukrainian capital’s Independence Square (majdan) from an office in Bratislava, several things come to mind. The first is how lucky Slovakia is. Robert Fico may have his flaws, the oligarchs have too much say, the judiciary is dysfunctional, teachers are underpaid, unemployment is high and something needs to be done about the Roma. But none of these problems match what you see in Kiev.
Fico dominates first presidential poll
EVEN IF he fails to take a majority of votes during the first round of balloting on March 15, few doubt that Prime Minister Robert Fico will make it to the race’s second-round run-off. If a recent poll that showed Fico is supported by 40 percent of voters is any indication, a second-round test is likely and could prove tough with three of the 15 record candidates running for the office having already pledged to endorse any rival facing Fico in the second round.
Polish trucks paid most in tolls on Slovak roads last year
AMONG foreign transport companies using Slovak roads in 2013, Polish carriers paid the most in tolls, followed by freight companies from the Czech Republic and Hungary, according to the most recent data from SkyToll, the TASR newswire reported.
Presidential poll shows Kiska and Kňažko as most probable rivals for Fico
THE MOST probable opponents for Prime Minister Robert Fico in the run-off of the upcoming presidential race are independent candidates Andrej Kiska and Milan Kňažko, a poll concluded.
Bonanno stories part of attacks on judiciary, former top prosecutor says
THE ARTICLES about the informal meeting of judges and lawyers in the Bonanno bar in 2010 should serve to support the attacks on the judiciary, former Deputy Prosecutor General Ladislav Tichý said in front of the court January 22, as reported by the SITA newswire.
Opposition MP launches petition for historical regions
SLOVAKIA should adopt a historical region model, and be divided into 18 units rather than the current eight self-governing regions, according to MP Zsolt Simon of the Most-Hid party, who recently launched a petition to hold a referendum to this end.
No agreement on election codex
PARLIAMENT will not pass the Election Codex at its January session, with lawmakers unlikely to discuss the matter until March.
TV Markíza: Bardejov District Court chairman suspected of bodily harm, disorderly conduct
CHAIRMAN of the Bardejov District Court Karola Krochta could be stripped of his criminal immunity and prosecuted by the police for causing bodily harm and disorderly conduct.
- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners
- 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
- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
- News digest: Prosecutor seeks jail for NBS Governor Kažimír as his political support wanes
- Slovak female triathlete shatters barriers with historic win at Himalayan event
- Convicted of multiple murders, Slovakia’s mafia boss seeks release from prison
- Slovakia plans to restrict access to new medicines amid funding shortfall
- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners
- Slovakia loses another EV model to Spain as Stellantis chooses Zaragoza over Trnava
- News digest: Fico’s bloc wants to save money by restricting electoral access
- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava
- 3 free things to do in Bratislava in the next seven days
- 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
- 3 free things to do in Bratislava in the next seven days
- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners
- News digest: Violent gang in Bratislava is under arrest
- Digital Jarvis is real now. He is coming for your to-do list
- The Kremlin’s security agency has a Russian contractor in Slovakia - no one has noticed
- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- A mayor resigns over €2.7 million fraud scandal at town hall
- 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
- The Kremlin’s security agency has a Russian contractor in Slovakia - no one has noticed
- 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 ›
