Established in 1991, Volkswagen Slovakia has developed into the biggest private employer in Slovakia. (source: Courtesy of Volkswagen Slovakia)
Jürgen Knie (source: Courtesy of the Slovak-German Chamber of Commerce)
The murder of investigative journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée, Martina Kušnírová, shocked not only Slovakia but also made headlines abroad. The Slovak-German Chamber of Commerce was one of the organisations that responded to the murders with an official stance. In its statement headlined, The Time for Responsibility, the chamber condemned the murders and called for a more effective fight against corruption and better law enforcement.
“Anti-corruption laws have been tightened and processes to increase transparency and facilitate criminal prosecution have been introduced in Slovakia,” read the stance. “Thus, the shortcomings in rule of law do not lie in legislation but primarily in practical law enforcement.”
Corruption and the fight against it is a topic that repeatedly top lists of barriers for doing business in Slovakia. The Slovak Spectator spoke with the president of the Slovak-German Chamber of Commerce, Jürgen Knie, about this issue, along with Slovak-German business relations, and the operation of the chamber in Slovakia.
The Slovak Spectator (TSS): Why did the Slovak-German Chamber of Commerce respond to the double murder of Ján Kuciak and Martina Kušnírová?
