Archive of articles - April 2014, page 3
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Quote of the week
“I do not like soap operas, but this one I started enjoying.”
Piano in Bratislava’s Old Town Hall courtyard open to all
IN MID March, an old piano was placed in the courtyard of the capital’s Town Hall, available to anyone who wishes to play it. It will eventually be moved to nearby Ventúrska Street, near the corner on Zelená, where it will remain throughout the summer. If it survives this tourist season, it will be brought back next year.
Vojtek steps down
PETER Vojtek, chief of the General Staff of the Slovak Armed Forces, has requested to be released from his post due to health problems. Former ground forces supreme commander Milan Maxim, currently serving as defence attaché in the Czech Republic, may substitute him on the post.
Protest planned to support Žáková
RECENT developments in the Hedviga Malinová case have provoked strong reactions. Representatives of the Hungarian minority in Slovakia have planned a protest against the prosecution’s decision to press charges in the case. The Hungarian government has criticised the decision too, while president-elect Andrej Kiska stated that he would pardon Hedviga Žáková if she was found guilty.
Team from Revúca performed best funeral ceremony
THE TEAM of the Body for Citizens’ Affairs (ZPOZ) from the municipality of Revúca in central Slovakia won the area show of funeral ceremonies in Hnúšťa and advanced to the regional show contest in Banská Bystrica. Local administrations use the ZPOZ for almost all events in towns and municipalities, such as weddings, anniversaries, welcoming newborns among citizens, but also funerals.
Expanding to Austria
THE NUMBER of companies, which after establishing themselves in Slovakia, have since successfully expanded abroad, is on the rise. To help Slovak start-ups, young entrepreneurs and bigger companies enter the Austrian market, the Young Entrepreneurs Association of Slovakia (ZMPS) has joined with the Vienna Business Agency and prepared a seminar on how to do business in Austria along with a series of workshops called Twinenterpreneurs.
Global conflict in nobody's interest
A EUROPEAN spirit of solidarity and neighbourly cooperation should prevail in Slovakia’s approach to helping supply gas to Ukraine, says Matej Navrátil, a researcher at the Institute of European Studies and International Relations at Comenius University in Bratislava.
Judicial indiscretion
THE SUPREME Court presidency has turned into quite a personal affair for Štefan Harabin. If it wasn’t, Harabin would have considered what is actually beneficial for the sad state of the judiciary in Slovakia, and would not even be toying with the idea of re-election. Even Prime Minister Robert Fico, who has never been a staunch critic of judicial indiscretion – except briefly during his recent presidential campaign – recommended that Harabin not run for re-election.
Job offers mostly seek qualified workers
THE NUMBER of job offers by employers situated abroad has increased nearly five times since Slovakia joined the European Union. While in 2004 3,470 job offers came from abroad, that figure grew to 15,126 in 2013. Most offers come from neighbouring countries looking mainly for qualified technical workers, the latest data from Profesia.sk job portal showed.
TV news reports on alleged spy
AN OFFICER of the General Staff of Slovakia’s Armed Forces is suspected of engaging in espionage for Russia, private network TV Markíza reported in its primetime newscast on April 17.
Austria: General facts
Political system: federal parliamentary republicCapital: ViennaTotal area: 83,855 square kilometresPopulation: about 8.2 millionOfficial language: GermanCurrency: euro
Construction firms banned over cartel
THE STATE highway company has excluded four construction giants – Doprastav, Strabag, Skanska and Inžinierske Stavby – from the public tender process in the wake of a cartel scandal from 2005 that also involved two other firms.
New home, new life for RKF
THE AUSTRIAN Cultural Forum (Rakúske Kultúrne Fórum, RKF) in Slovakia underwent a big change last year when it moved from a historical palace on Ventúrska Street to the brand new Astoria Palace on Hodžovo Square.
Rotting beauty
WHILE the idea of an exhibition on rotten food may not sound particularly appealing, the photo exhibition of Austrian photographer Klaus Pichler, entitled One Third, found in its subject a strange though decorative type of beauty that made visitors forget what they were seeing.
The European Union: Legitimacy and 'subsidiarity'
THE PROPOSAL of the Government of the Netherlands to take a fresh look into what the European Union should and should not do (“subsidiarity”) has received both support and criticism. Overall, the response from the Slovak Republic has been positive. However, Dutch ideas on this issue have sometimes been misunderstood by some. This article aims at setting the record straight on some of the misconceptions and misunderstandings.
Richter wants to cut unemployment
LABOUR Minister Ján Richter wants to reduce the number of jobless in Slovakia to 11.8 percent by 2016, i.e. the level of the average unemployment rate in the eurozone as recorded in December 2013, the TASR newswire reported on April 22.
Deficit may increase
THOUGH recently published data from the Eurostat statistics office confirmed that Slovakia’s budget deficit for 2013 dropped below 3 percent of GDP, this may change in autumn as Eurostat will probably not accept the roughly €200 million that was moved from the second, private pension pillar. Moreover, the debt has exceeded 55 percent of GDP, which means that the government will have to cut its expenses, the Sme daily reported in its April 24 issue.
Ukraine sets NATO on the move
SLOVAKIA could possibly see an increased presence of NATO troops on its territory after the organisation decided to step up its presence along the country’s eastern border. Meanwhile, the government is still in the midst of reverse gas flow talks.
Austrians prepared for Slovaks
AS IN previous years, Schloss Hof, a Baroque castle, the Carnuntum Archaeological Park and the Donau-Auen National Park, all near Slovak-Austrian borders, have prepared special events for Slovaks for the 2014 summer season, especially on Slovak holidays that are regular working days in Austria.
Co-creator of legendary Babetta moped died
Gustáv Ulický, one of the fathers of the legendary Czechoslovak moped, the Babetta, has passed away. His son Vladimír informed the TASR newswire that Ulický died on April 7, at 82.
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- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- Slovakia loses another EV model to Spain as Stellantis chooses Zaragoza over Trnava
- News digest: Prosecutor seeks jail for NBS Governor Kažimír as his political support wanes
- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava
- News digest: Fico’s bloc wants to save money by restricting electoral access
- Paris leads, Bratislava trails: European cities ranked on safe travel for children
- 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
- News digest: Fico’s bloc wants to save money by restricting electoral access
- 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
- 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
- Weekend: Celebration of fun comes to Malacky Photo
- Digital Jarvis is real now. He is coming for your to-do list
- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners
- 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 ›
