Archive of articles - July 2014, page 4
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State debt hits record
SLOVAKIA had the highest state debt in its history, €42.3 billion or 58.4 percent of GDP in late March, based on the Eurostat statistics. The debt increased by 3 percentage points y/y. The Finance Ministry says that the debt increased because the state managed to borrow money from investors for low interests. It expects that the debt will return to near to 55 percent of GDP by year’s end. If the debt were to exceed 57 percent at the end of the year, the so-called debt brake would automatically kick in and force the government to have a balanced budget next year, meaning billions in spending cuts.
AWS investing in Orava region
BRITISH company AWS continues to extend investments and production in northwestern town of Námestovo, the Orava region.
ÚĽUV launches website presenting folk costumes
THE CENTRE for Folk Art Production (ÚĽUV) has opened a new electronic encyclopaedia presenting traditional Slovak folk costumes. It is the first and only document of this kind in Slovakia, the SITA newswire reported.
UK cultural exports a hit with Slovaks
BRITAIN’S culture and lifestyle have found a receptive audience in Slovakia. The year 2013 brought a milestone marking the 20th anniversary of relations between independent Slovakia and the UK, resulting in a range of British cultural events.
Keeping it in the kitchen
THOSE who thought Radoslav Procházka, the right-leaning political star with an inflated ego and lofty ambitions, would bring a new, distinctive political culture to Slovakia, were wrong. His brief performance as caretaker of the non-parliamentary party Sieť suggests that he too believes that whatever is cooking with financing political campaigns is best kept locked away in the kitchen. Voters don’t need to know how the sausage is made so long as they like the taste, the thinking goes.If there were ever a requirement for somebody espousing a new way of doing politics it would be to change this practice. The tradition of an open and transparent political sponsorship is almost non-existent and in Slovakia, the quagmire of campaign finance has dragged down even politicians who actually make contributions to the country’s progress through reforms. But they are always remembered for failing to keep the books of their parties clean and transparent.
Chemical firm seeks record tax relief
THE RECORD tax relief which the chemical company Duslo Šaľa is requesting from the state to keep its production in Slovakia has raised criticism among the opposition as well as economic analysts. They see this state assistance not only as a non-systematic form of aid but also say it points to business connections between current Economy Minister Pavol Pavlis and tycoon and Czech Finance Minister (of Slovak origin) Andrej Babiš, who owns the company. The Pharmaceutical and Chemical Industry Association says the assistance is needed because of the current situation in the chemical market in Europe.
UPDATED: Countrywide Events
Western SLOVAKIA
Hrušovský might fill top NKÚ post
FAILED presidential candidate Pavol Hrušovský might wrap up his political career with the prestigious post as head of the government audit office – a job that has remained vacant for the past two years.
Procházka confirms recording
HALF A million euros. That is the amount Radoslav Procházka quoted when asked by Igor Matovič about the costs of his presidential campaign, on a recording that has been anonymously published on the internet. Officially, Procházka’s campaign costs are half that sum, and the emerging leader of the centre-right denies that it could be otherwise.
Guides and their clients
IT WOULD be interesting to know whether these tourists back in 1937 ventured on a mountain climb with a mountain guide, or on their own. Given the difficult terrain of Východná Vysoká in the High Tatras, it is likely that this group of hikers was led by an experienced mountaineer, and that this photo was taken by the guide himself.
Nová Baňa citizens protest against metal festival
SOME inhabitants of Nová Baňa, Banská Bystrica Region, have been fighting the biggest heavy metal music festival in Slovakia, Gothoom, scheduled for mid-August. After the representatives of the town did not accept their request to stop it, they turned to the district prosecutor’s office in Žiar nad Hronom.
Terchová landslides: Costs to remove damage estimated at €2 million
REMOVING debris and repairing damage caused by Monday’s devastating flood in Vrátna Dolina in Žilina Region will take the Slovak Water Management Company (ŠVP) between two to three months, with the costs estimated at €2 million, Environment Ministry State Secretary Vojtech Ferencz said on July 24.
People in Slovakia work four hours to cover basic shopping expenses
A SLOVAK earning an average wage has to work almost four hours to do common shopping worth €20, according to a Poštová Banka analysis.
Čižnár: My election as general prosecutor was lawful
GENERAL Prosecutor Jaromír Čižnár maintains that his election to his post in June of 2013 was lawful and that Jozef Čentéš’ rights were not violated in the vote. Čižnár’s statements came after a decision by the Constitutional Court, which received a complaint on July 23 by general-prosecutor-elect Čentéš.
Slovak soldiers under fire in Afghanistan; no injuries reported
SLOVAK soldiers in Afghanistan came under fire at the Kandahar Air Field base on the morning of July 24, but none of them suffered injuries.
SDKÚ’s Nesrovnal may run for mayor under Procházka’s Sieť
IVO Nesrovnal, a deputy in the municipal council of Bratislava for the Slovak Christian and Democratic Union (SDKÚ), might run for the post of Bratislava mayor for Radoslav Procházka’s recently founded Sieť party.
Polish tourist died near Terchová
A dead body of a 38-year-old Polish tourist, who likely was struck by lightning, has been found near the municipality of Terchová in the Malá Fatra mountains, Mountain Rescue Service (HZS) reported on its website on July 24.
EuroGas complains about Slovakia violating the EU Treaty
The US company EuroGas filed a complaint with the European Commission (EC) about Slovakia allegedly having violated several provisions of the Treaty on the European Union.
Švecová will be the first candidate for Supreme Court head
Daniela Švecová will be the first of candidates nominated to run for the post of Supreme Court’s chairperson. The Judges’ Council of the Regional Court in Trnava adopted this resolution on July 23, and by the end of this week, it will file the proposal.
MVK poll: Bratislava favours Smer in municipal politics
Ahead of municipal elections in the fall Smer is the most popular party in Bratislava, according to a MVK poll conducted between July 18 and 21 on 802 respondents with permanent residence in the Slovak capital.
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- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners
- News digest: Prosecutor seeks jail for NBS Governor Kažimír as his political support wanes
- Convicted of multiple murders, Slovakia’s mafia boss seeks release from prison
- Slovakia loses another EV model to Spain as Stellantis chooses Zaragoza over Trnava
- Last Week: Slovakia’s central bank governor still faces bribery case verdict
- Slovak female triathlete shatters barriers with historic win at Himalayan event
- No more photos or bank statements? Slovakia moves to ease residence process
- Maria Theresa on the banks of Bratislava
- 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
- 3 free things to do in Bratislava in the next seven days
- The Kremlin’s security agency has a Russian contractor in Slovakia - no one has noticed
- 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 ›
