List of author's articles, page 10
Construction firms say limited highway programme not enough
The Slovak Transport Ministry gave the green light to the continuation of motorway construction when they announced on August 16 that over 30 billion Slovak crowns had been allotted to the completion of existing projects and further development. Approximately 1.9 billion has already been used to pay off debts owed to Slovak construction firms, the ministry said.Peter Barek, the director of the Transport Ministry's Road Infrastructure section, said the government had decided to continue the programme because the country was in desperate need of a modernised motorway system which would help it gain access to the European Union. Had the government continued the programme designed by the former government, over 55 billion crowns would be required - a sum, he said, which was out of the question for the cash-strapped state budget.
Young graduate school carving out an international niche
Svätý Jur, a sleepy town just west of Bratislava, is better known among Slovaks for its vineyards than its schools of higher learning. However, according to the folks at Akademia Istropolitana, their "alternative, post-graduate school" is putting Svätý Jur on the international educational map."We offer a unique product," said Chris Klisz, an American economics professor at Istropolitana who used to teach at the University of Pittsburgh. "No one else has the combination of what we have."The school's executive director, Katarina Vajdová, explained that Istropolitana strove to provide an alternative to what she deemed as Slovakia's faltering, sub-par university system - a practical graduate-level education in English.
Cinderella Senec surprises league in its inaugural Superliga season
For the first time in club history, VTJ Koba Senec is this season playing in Slovakia's elite football division, the Mars Superliga. After finshing first in the second division last year and thus qualifying for promotion to the premier league, Senec has played surprisingly well and currently holds down sixth place out of 16 teams after four games.Senec's Superliga promotion almost never occurred. A controversial decision by the Slovak Football Union overturned the results of a match played between ŠKP Devín and Senec in early June. The ruling, which nullified a Senec victory and meant that Devín moved up to the Superliga instead, was based on the argument that one of the Senec players had been ineligible to play in June because he had received a yellow card in 1997 while playing for a different team.
State had little choice in GSM 1800 tender
Harvard-educated Jozef Barta was appointed to the top position at Slovak mobile operator EuroTel Bratislava on February 16, 1999.Barta, who came to EuroTel after six years with the Prague branch of Credit Suisse First Boston, inherited a firm that was coming off the first loss-making year in its nine-year history - a 350 million Slovak crown after tax loss in 1998.Barta also must try to repair a growing clientele gap with his only competitor, Globtel GSM. Globtel reports over 400,000 customers in its GSM net, while EuroTel has around 300,000 in its GSM and NMT nets.
Minister quits after law violations
Telecom Minister Gabriel Palacka resigned "with a clean conscience" on August 8, finally succumbing after weeks of intense political and media pressure. Palacka had been the target of corruption allegations over his role in such cases as the selection of a privatisation advisor for the state-run telecom monopoly Slovenské Telekomunikácie (ST)."In the past few weeks, I have been forced to spend most of my time and energy in countering various attacks and unfounded accusations," Palacka said at a news conference the day he resigned. "Under such conditions it is not possible to lead the ministry responsibly, and concentrate on solving its problems."
New Telecom Law calls for separate market regulator
Slovakia's current Telecommunications Law is set to receive a major overhaul, said Telecom Ministry officials, and a new law should be enacted by the end of this year. The new version is expected to create an independent body to regulate the Slovak telecom market, as well as to update a law that is currently not up to European Union standards.The current law was originally drafted in 1964, and was revised slightly in 1993 following the break-up of the former Czechoslovakia, said Milan Luknár, director of the Telecom Ministry's Post and Telecommunications Section. Since 1995, Luknár said, the ministry has been trying to revise the law with no concrete results.But now, with the privatisation of the state-run telecom monopoly Slovenské Telekomunikácie (ST) drawing ever closer, Luknár said the ministry felt a sense of urgency to have a new law drafted this year and in force before a foreign investor is chosen.
Nature man leads wild life in the Veľká Fatra mountains
Miroslav Saniga loves birds. A field researcher for the Slovak Academy of Science's Institute of Forest Ecology in Staré Hory, Saniga cares so much about birds that he claims to be married to them, and says he has dedicated his life, by the command of God, to their protection.In the process, the 35-year-old has become a minor Slovak nature celebrity, quoted in hundreds of newspaper articles as a source of pithy and interesting wilderness information. He has become a key source of information about what is going on in the forest, on everzthing from when the bears are waking up to bird mating schedules.
Irish Pub shooting victim buried
About 400 mourners filled a memorial hall in Bratislava's Slávičie Údolie district to say good-bye to Tomáš Arnold, a 26-year-old "absolute innocent" murdered in a shooting incident at the Dubliner Irish Pub on July 7.Arnold had been celebrating his graduation from university in the Irish Pub on Sedlárska Street, a popular old-town hang out for Slovaks and ex-pats, when an argument at a nearby table erupted into gunfire. Two brothers involved in the argument were shot, one fatally. The gunman then fired a random bullet into the crowded bar that struck Arnold in the left temple, killing him.
Piešťany spa directors to focus on attracting more westerners
First mentioned as having healing powers as early as 1551, Piešťany spas have long attracted visitors to their hot thermal springs and sulphurous mud. When Ľudovít Winter built Thermia Palace on the banks of the Váh and Rameno Váhu rivers in 1912, he envisioned the resort as a getaway for those seeking a relaxing weekend or medical treatment for ailments ranging from nervous system disorder to tendon and ligament trouble.Were Winter alive today, he would find his vision a reality. Since the building of Thermia Palace, five other spas have opened on what is now referred to as 'Spa Island' in Piešťany and all of them have traditionally been a popular vacation getaway for foreigners and Slovaks alike. A glimpse at the pages of Thermia Palace's guest book shows visits by celebrities ranging from Czech hockey star Jaromír Jágr and German super model and highway ribbon-cutter Claudia Schiffer to Slovak opera star Peter Dvorský and the infamous Vladimír Mečiar.
Slovaks travelling less often
The crisis in Kosovo was the main cause of a 33 percent year-on-year decrease of Slovaks vacationing abroad for the period of January through May, said Jana Kozubová, Secretary General of the Slovak Travel Agencies Association (SACK).According to the Ministry of Economy's March "Bulletin of Tourism", the most popular international travel destination for Slovaks is Croatia at 20.8% followed by Greece (14.8%), Italy (14.2%), the Czech Republic (8.2%), Hungary (7.9%) and Spain (7.3%). Kozubová said that Croatia's close proximity to the fighting in Yugoslavia led to the cancellation of many trips to Croatia as well as Turkey.In June, however, travel agencies recorded a surge in demand for Croatian holidays, which they attribute to the end of NATO's bombing campaign. According to Pavol Komora, Satur travel agency director and member of the Slovak Club of Tour Operators, if sales continue to increase, travel agencies could reach levels as high as 75% to 80 % of last year's totals.
Foreign visitors to Slovakia down in 1999
When the new government took office at the end of last October, it pledged to increase tourism. But to date, no additional state money has been pumped into the sector, leaving Slovakia with a mixed bag of tourism statistics - increased tourism revenue but a decrease in foreigner visits.Between January and April 1999, the number of foreigners arriving in Slovakia was down 10.9% from last year to approximately 7.5 million people, according to the Slovak Statistical Office. However, revenues generated through tourism increased by 41%.Tourism representatives called the money influx deceptive, saying it was a result of inflated prices and an abnormally long winter ski season.
Baseball team takes ninth in Prague tournament
A disappointing ninth-place finish at a recent international baseball tournament should not be taken as the true standard of Slovak baseball, according to the nation's players and coaches.The head coach of the Slovak team, Juraj Bunta, said that while he was disappointed with the final outcome of the June 23-27 "Prague Baseball Week" tournament, he was pleased with the play of his young team. With the help of more American coaches and additional funding for proper equipment, he said, the Slovaks would soon be beating teams they are now losing to in close games.
Romanies flee to hesitant Finland
Mass confusion and allegations of conspiracy have followed on the heels of a recent exodus of Slovak Romanies to Finland on the eve of that country's assession to the EU presidency.The arrival of 1,069 Romanies, seeking asylum from unfavourable economic and political conditions and discrimination, resulted in the imposition of a visa requirement for Slovak citizens July 6. Their charges of discrimination and racial attacks are raising questions about Slovakia's EU readiness and may complicate Slovakia efforts at EU fast-track status.
Bloody double murder shocks Dubliner Pub
A gunman opened fire in Bratislava's Dubliner Irish Pub on July 7 at 21:00, killing two men and injuring another, said Bratislava Police spokesman Jaroslav Sahula. One of the victims, 30-year-old Ján Š. of Bratislava, died at the scene while the other, 26-year-old Tomaš A. of Bratislava, died in hospital at noon on July 8. Marian Š., the 33-year-old brother of Ján Š., was shot in the shoulder and was not seriously injured.According to Sahula, the two brothers had been drinking in the Irish Pub when the gunman walked in and sat down at their table. The conversion then became heated and soon erupted into "physical contact. The gunmen then pulled a pistol and fired three shots at the brothers, fatally striking Ján Š. with two bullets and hitting Marian Š with the third.
Tenants' rights often trampled in Slovakia
Jim Gladstone, an American who has lived in Slovakia since 1994, found out the hard way how little protection tenants really enjoy in Slovakia.Gladstone lives in a block of flats on Klemencová Street in Bratislava. When the owner of the building began construction of an extra floor on top of the building, Gladstone protested, feeling that his rights and those of his neighbours were being violated.Gladstone said he was worried about the damage the builders might cause to existing flats. "When they add another level, they're going to have to pull the roof off at some point and eventually it's going to rain," he said. "Similar construction took place on [nearby] Grösslingova Street, and from what I understand, the flats on the top floors are basically ruined."
Petržalka riverfront enjoying minor construction boom
Petražalka is the largest district in Bratislava, and also the most notorious. Nicknamed 'Bratislava's Bronx,' Petržalka has long been renowned for its high rates of drug addiction, alcoholism and suicide. Its 'socialist realism' architecture is ugly, and its aura of human depression palpable.But nowadays, when people look across the river at the sprawl of identical concrete buildings, they are looking at a Petržalka that is doing its best to transform itself into a desirable place to live. Numerous new construction sites, especially in the area closest to Bratislava between Einsteinová Street and the Danube River, are being started and finished with a rapidity that suggests that Petržalka may soon lose its 'wrong side of the river' image.
Construction Minister laments 'transitional' environment
Construction Minister István Harna is one of three Hungarian Party (SMK) members of cabinet. With a degree in Economics, he served as a member of the former Slovak parliament in former Czechoslovakia from 1980 to 1992, and then as a member of parliament in independent Slovakia from 1993 until the present.The Slovak Spectator visited his office on June 29 to find out what the Construction Ministry actually does, and how it is trying to help the Slovak real estate market.
French firm pitches subway plans to city
Plans to construct a 30 billion Slovak crown ($70 million) metro for Bratislava were unveiled by the French-based joint venture Matra Transport International (MTA) on June 25. According to MTA Senior Vice President Antoine Massabki, if all goes according to schedule, the first leg of the metro, stretching from the Bratislava district of Petržalka to the Hotel Forum in downtown Bratislava, could carry its first passengers within six years.The abrupt announcment may have surprised city residents, who were told by Bratislava mayor Jozef Moravčík after his election last December that Bratislava's dreams of a subway would have to be put on hold for at least two years.
Under-21 football team poised for qualification
After six qualifying-round matches, the Slovak Under-21 football team has established itself as a force to be reckoned with at next year's European Championships. Standing at the top of their group, the Slovaks aim not just to qualify for the European competition but to finish in the top five, meaning that they would qualify for the 2000 Olympic games in Sydney, Australia.The qualification round for the European Championships began last August and will conclude in October 1999. The Slovak squad started in impressive fashion by racing out of the gate to win their first four matches, firmly entrenching themselves at the top of their group standings. The Slovak team is now almost assured of qualifying in spite of a recent rash of injuries which has forced them to rely more on inexperienced players and has resulted in a loss and a draw in their last two matches.
Owner: Internet cafés show little or no profit
Internet cafés in Slovakia are becoming a rare breed, even though they fill an educational void for students unable to afford the cost of a home computer and an Internet connection.Peter Kurthy, owner of two Bratislava Internet cafés including "the first Internet café in Slovakia," said his business was being driven into the ground by the high connect rates charged by state telecom monopoly Slovenské Telekuminikácie (ST). Most of his customers, Kurthy said, were unable to afford to foot the entire connection bill, forcing him to subsidize the service out of his own pocket."My monthly expenses for Internet connections are about 60,000 Slovak crowns, while my earnings [at I Café in Dubrávka] are around 15,000 crowns," he said.
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