Archive of articles - April 2014
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Máj
IT DOESN’T take Freud to see the springtime tradition of putting up large wooden poles as a sign of manly power. And Robert Fico’s decision to make the erection of a máj one of his first public appearances after a humiliating loss in the presidential elections also seems somewhat symbolic.
Slovakia marks 10 years in the EU
WITH Slovakia’s European Union membership reaching the 10-year mark, eurosceptical messages by some of the parties running in the upcoming European Parliament (EP) elections have been on the rise. Yet, analysts maintain that Slovakia’s EU accession is a crucial point in its post-1989 history: not only has it become part of the western world, but as an EU member, its global importance has risen.
Slovakia got €6.75 billion more than it paid to EU
SINCE its accession to the European Union, Slovakia has been in a position of a so-called clear recipient: the country’s income from the EU has so far always exceeded its payments to the common budget. This stems from the Evaluation Report on 10 Years of EU membership, which the cabinet passed at its April 30 session.
V4 supports bolder EU integration plans of eastern partners, Lajčák says
THE VISEGRAD Group will promote a more ambitious plan vis-a-vis the EU integration efforts of the Eastern Partnership countries, which include Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. The foreign affairs ministers of the Visegrad Group (Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Poland) confirmed this at a meeting with ministers from the Eastern Partnership in Budapest on April 29.
Harabin: It does not matter whether I or my friend wins
SUPREME Court President Štefan Harabin is not likely to give up his candidacy for re-election, based on an interview he gave for the Sme daily on April 29.
Digitally divided Slovakia
IN SLOVAKIA a notable digital divide exists along generational lines.
JobExpo opens in Nitra, 13,000 jobs up for grabs
More than 100 Slovak companies and 16 firms from abroad are offering a total of 13,000 jobs at the two-day JobExpo 2014 that opened at the Agrokomplex exhibition facility in Nitra on April 29. The two day job fair is the largest in the country and now in its fourth year. It is also part of European Job Days 2014.
Slovak fugitive caught in Thailand after 15 years on the run
Police in Thailand have apprehended a Slovak national who has been on the run for some 15 years, the TASR newswire learnt from Police Corps Presidium spokeswoman Andrea Dobiášová on Aril 29. The man, referred to only as Dušan K., was detained on April 25 in a village called Wang Nam Khai in the Nakhon Ratchasima province. The Slovak police have been hunting for him since 1999. A respective international arrest warrant was made out in 2000. According to Dobiašová, the arrest was possible thanks to co-operation between the Slovak police, the Interpol National Central Bureau in Slovakia and Thai authorities. The man allegedly used false identification documents and violated Thailand’s immigration laws by residing there without valid travel documents. A financial penalty imposed as a result was settled for him by his Thai girlfriend. While in the country, he made a living by producing meat products. “He denied his identity upon arrest,” Dobiášová said. “He claimed to be a different person who, according to the citizens’ registry, didn’t match his appearance.” She added that the Slovak authorities are currently in intensive contact with their counterparts in Thailand, seeking to have the man brought to Slovakia. Dušan K. was touted as one of the mob bosses in the town of Martin. He is said to have been a member of an organised criminal group involved in serious crimes back in the 1990s. He went on the run in 1998 after the District Court in Žilina decided not to remand him custody awaiting trial. Dušan K. and another person committed themselves to remain in Slovakia while the investigation was ongoing, but Dušan K. failed to respond to police summons on several occasions. When the police attempted to detain him, he escaped in his car and managed to avoid arrest until now.
Bratislava Airport police head indicted for human trafficking
The head of the Bratislava Airport police security, whose name hasn’t been released and who was apprehended by colleagues on April 25, faces charges of human trafficking, Police Presidium spokeswoman Andrea Dobiášová told the TASR newswire on April 29. “The investigator indicted the man on charges of human trafficking, which he supposedly committed in 2008-12,” said Dobiášová. If found guilty, the defendant might face up to eight years in jail. TV JOJ broke the story about the arrest of the Bratislava Airport border and foreign police department director, who allegedly participated in human trafficking activities by helping to legalise the stays of foreigners in Slovakia.
President Gašparovič appoints 12 new judges
President Ivan Gašparovič has appointed 12 judges for an indefinite period of time in a ceremony also attended by Justice Minister Tomáš Borec and Supreme Court Chairman Štefan Harabin. “If you act in line with the law, the Constitution and agreements to which Slovakia is a party, in conjunction with your own sense of responsibility, then you’ll gain the confidence of people as well as in yourself,” he said April 29, as quoted by the TASR newswire. Gašparovič noted that the judiciary continues to lose credibility among the general public. “It’s up to you to get it back, to make people trust judges and courts again, to make sure that Slovakia is viewed as a country with judges who cater to democratic life in Slovakia,” he said. All 12 newly-appointed judges will work at district courts in various parts of the country.
Poll: Smer would win election, ahead of OĽaNO and KDH
If a general election had taken place in March, the ruling Smer would have won with 44.4 percent, followed by the Ordinary People and Independent Personalities (OĽaNO) and the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) with 9.4 percent each, according to a Median SK poll published on April 29. The Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (DKÚ) came fourth at 8.7 percent, followed by Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) - 7.1 percent and Most-Hid - 5.8 percent. No other parties would pass the 5 percent threshold to reach parliament, the TASR newswire wrote. The Slovak National Party (SNS) and Party of the Hungarian Community (SMK), both out of parliament at the moment, would have remained outside, gaining only 4.5 percent and 3.6 percent of votes, respectively. All other parties combined to have just 4.5 percent.
Sustainability of public finances improved
THE LATEST report on the long-term sustainability of public finances issued by the Council for Budgetary Responsibility (RRZ) showed that the year 2013 brought improvement in Slovakia, mainly due to a decrease in the public finance deficit.
Sanctions against Russia could harm Slovakia, says Fico
PRIME Minister Robert Fico warned that sanctions against Russia could hinder the recovery that European Union countries have made since the economic crisis.
Agreement on electronic house arrest monitoring bracelets signed
THE FIRST Slovaks sentenced to house arrest may begin wearing an electronic monitoring bracelet as of 2016, based on an agreement signed between the Justice Ministry and company ICZ Slovakia, the winner of the public procurement. The project is worth €22.04 million without VAT and will be financed through EU structural funds, the SITA newswire reported on April 28.
Most judges reportedly did not support Harabin’s candidacy
MAJORITY of ordinary members of the Slovak Judges’ Association (ZSS) do not support the candidacy of Štefan Harabin for the post of Supreme Court president, according to an open letter by the For Open Justice (ZOJ) initiative.
Barroso: Slovakia went through substantial modernisation process
THE SLOVAK people deserve credit for what the country has achieved over the past 10 years since joining the EU, European Commission President José Manuel Barroso said during his visit to Bratislava on April 28.
Two-thirds of Slovaks approve of EU membership
TEN years after Slovakia joined the EU, nearly two-thirds of the Slovak population think that doing so was the right step.
Three candidates to run for Supreme Court president
AS THE deadline for submitting candidates expired on midnight April 28, there were three candidates for the post of the Supreme Court president, currently held by Judge Štefan Harabin.
Most people believe personal contacts are necessary to secure jobs
ONLY some 6 percent of Slovaks believe they could easily find a job without having the proper connections to help them.
Price hikes exceeded by salary increases over past 10 years
THE PRICES of goods and services have risen by 40 percent over the past 10 years since Slovakia joined the European Union, but this pace of increase has been outperformed by a 70-percent rise in the average salary over the same period, the TASR newswire cited the analysis by Poštová Banka.
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- News digest: Russian link suspected in bomb threats targeting Slovak schools Photo
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- Teenager charged after stabbing incident in central Bratislava
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- German drummer’s stage performance sparks questions about avoiding Slovak court
- News digest: Bratislava’s public transport overhaul as Petržalka tram opens Photo
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- Behind the steam: stories from Žitný ostrov’s thermal tourism pioneers Photo
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- Bratislava, the unsung capital of socialist modernism Audio
- Bratislava Airport to launch direct flights to Bucharest
- “I gave it everything”: Pohánková’s run ends in Wimbledon glory Video
- Supreme Court explains ruling in Kuciak Case
- Deadly bacteria detected in spa hotel after guest dies
- After joint arrest in Ukraine, Slovak and Czech officials clash over Russia’s role
- Ukraine under Russian attack: defending freedom, protecting children, securing Europe’s future
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- Lunch atop a Skyscraper: How a Slovak emmigrant ended up in the iconic photo
- Fico becomes Europe’s nightmare More articles ›
