Stock image. (source: SME - Marko Erd)
When the government announced in summer of 2015 that Jaguar Land Rover was coming to Slovakia, questions abounded in the east part of Slovakia. Would a carmaker finally come? People were not disappointed when it did not, as they were used to it. They just assumed that it had been decades since the state had done anything for them.
Nevertheless, many continued to have faith. This spring, locals intensively discussed the rumors that a carmaker would finally come to the east.
"Sulík is trying to settle a deal with a carmaker. When it arrives, I'll go work there," said 40-year-old Peter, who currently works in education. He was not the only one thinking along those lines.
After decades of waiting, people in the east finally got their carmaker; Volvo will build its factory near Košice. However, the following months and years will be turbulent as a time of speculation approaches.
The disgraced east
When INDEX Magazine looked at the number of carmakers promised to the east, it amounted to 12. This started back in 1997 with the Japanese carmaker Toyota, which was supposed to be "delivered" by then head of VSŽ (now U. S. Steel Košice), Alexander Rezeš, before the parliamentary elections.
