Archive of articles - March 2014, page 9
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Iveta Radičová could re-enter politics
TWO YEARS after her forced departure from the post of prime minister, Iveta Radičová is pondering a return to politics. She is still contemplating on how to do it, she admitted in an interview with the Sme daily on election night on March 15.
March against fascism takes place in capital
ALMOST a hundred mostly young people gathered in SNP Square in Bratislava on March 15 to protest against fascism, racism and xenophobia.
Kňažko pondering mayoral post
AFTER placing fourth in the first round of the March 15 presidential race, garnering a little less than 13 percent of the vote, Milan Kňažko confessed he is considering running for mayor of Bratislava, the Sme daily reported.
Šúchať nohami
“I WILL just shuffle my feet (šúchať nohami) and wait for the results,” was the phrase Prime Minister Robert Fico kept repeating before the first round of the presidential elections. Well, it seems his heel injury has taken its toll, as the shuffling just wasn’t enough. The meagre 28 percent he received must be a bitter disappointment for the PM, who never went below 35 percent in recent polls and whose Smer party received 45 percent in the 2012 parliamentary elections.
Belgian recipes: Cream of watercress soup
Ingredients and preparation.
Riding the green wave
THE SLOVAK population in Ireland, estimated at 20,000 Slovak citizens, has integrated into Irish life and “is very well respected for its strong work ethic”, says Anne-Marie Callan, Ireland’s Ambassador to Slovakia. The Irish-Slovak connection will become even more visible on St Patrick’s Day, when for the first time ever a building in Slovakia will go green as a symbol of friendship with Ireland. The Slovak Spectator spoke to Callan about Ireland’s recent EU-IMF programme exit, business links between the two countries and the contribution Irish nuns are making to the Roma community in Slovakia.
Hauliers remain on strike alert
HAULIERS with the Slovak Union of Motor Carriers (UNAS) will for now refrain from blocking roads around the country. The organisation has halted the general strike it announced on March 4, due to what it called fair promises made by the Transport Ministry and a set of guaranteed solutions.UNAS will, however, remain on strike alert, the TASR newswire reported on March 9.
Unions apply to extend bargained contracts
IN A FIRST since the law was changed last year, the OZ KOVO trade union umbrella group has filed two proposals urging that collectively bargained contracts be extended to include companies that did not originally sign on to such contracts.
Candidates spar in final debates
ON THE last night before the pre-election campaign moratorium went into effect on March 13, the five strongest presidential candidates had a busy schedule, participating in two televised debates on the public service RTVS and the private Markiza television network.
Slovakia faces first deflation
FOR THE first time in its history, prices in Slovakia dropped compared to the previous year. Inflation measured using the national methodology stood at -0.1 percent in February, with core inflation at 0.3 percent and net inflation at 0.2 percent, the Statistics Office informed on March 12.
Countrywide Events
Western SLOVAKIA
Low turnout harms Fico
PRIME MINISTER Robert Fico did not get the result he was expecting in the first round of the presidential election and many, including Fico himself, are linking his lower than expected vote totals to the low voter turnout.
A more civilized and stable country (video included)
"The last time I was in Syria was in 2010. And then the unlucky war began...," said 69-year-old businessman Nabil Trabelssie, a Syrian native. Though he has lived in Slovakia for nearly 40 years, he is still troubled by the conflict in his homeland. For Trabelssie, life in the industrial city of Považská Bystrica was the right choice.
Slovak gold rush at Paralympic games
GOLD diggers is the nickname the Slovak media gave to visually impaired Paralympic alpine skiers Jakub Krako and Henrieta Farkašová after they returned from the 2010 Winter Paralympics in Vancouver, each with three gold and one silver medal. Their early results – two gold and one bronze medal – at the 2014 Winter Paralympics games in Sochi, Russia, should cement their reputation.
Belgian recipes: Flemish beef stew cooked in beer
Ingredients and preparation.
Economic crime on the rise
ECONOMIC crimes have increased in Slovakia by 60 percent since 2011, with roughly one third of companies encountering fraud over the past two years, as indicated by a recent PwC survey. Though this rise seems steep, experts attribute it to improvements in businesses’ ability to uncover fraud, adding that the statistics now better reflect the situation on the global market.
A mutual love of music and dance
QUESTIONS often arise around St Patrick’s Day (on March 17) about the similarities and differences between Slovak and Irish culture, which, despite the two countries’ geographical distance, manage to seem connected.
Agreement reached on election code
INTERIOR Minister Robert Kaliňák and representatives of the opposition agreed on March 11 to establish a permanent 14-member election committee to supervise the elections and the management of parties. The change is part of a new draft law geared toward uniting the rules for all types of elections in Slovakia. The draft law is currently in its second reading.
Belgian ardour for 'liquid bread'
THE BELGIAN passion for beer is neither accidental nor fleeting. A country of 11 million people, spanning 30,000 square kilometres, Belgium has 150 breweries which produce 1,100 varieties of beer, says Christian Lepage, the Belgian ambassador to Slovakia, while preparing his carbonades flamandes, a Flemish beef stew cooked in beer.
Slovakia eager to attract more Irish investors
IN ADDITION to Slovakia’s favourable geographical location and its use of the euro, the country has another asset which Irish investors especially appreciate: a high number of Slovaks living in Ireland, who represent the potential for growing trade and social links between the two countries.
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- Convicted of multiple murders, Slovakia’s mafia boss seeks release from prison
- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
- News digest: Prosecutor seeks jail for NBS Governor Kažimír as his political support wanes
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- 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
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- 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
- Fico praises China and Vietnam as models, says liberal democracy has failed
- He designed Gatwick. But this is his masterpiece
- News digest: Violent gang in Bratislava is under arrest
- The Kremlin’s security agency has a Russian contractor in Slovakia - no one has noticed
- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
- 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
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process More articles ›
