THE INSTITUTE for Public Affairs (IVO), a Bratislava think-tank, presented the 11th edition of its annual almanac evaluating the state of society in Slovakia on February 14.
The Slovak language version of the “Global Report” for 2006 identified parliamentary elections and the change of government in Slovakia as having a major impact on Slovak society last year.
According to IVO honorary president Martin Bútora, uncertainty was felt in domestic politics, foreign affairs, and the economy last year, while the influence of the state increased.
Along with the change in government, Slovakia witnessed massive turnover in all important public administration posts.
The academics who contributed to the Global Report noted a phenomenon they termed "the recycling of old cadres", by which some people who made names for themselves during the 1994-1998 Vladimír Mečiar government or even before 1989 had returned to power with the Fico administration.
