List of author's articles, page 11
Slovakia becomes part of ‘Fortress Europe’
ONE MINUTE after midnight on December 21, Slovakia will join the Schengen zone. And its security will be under closer scrutiny as soon as it does.
A year of contradictions
THE PAST year has confirmed that Slovakia is on solid ground as a democracy, political watchers said. Changes that occurred after the 2006 elections have not interfered with the stability of the constitutional system.
STV director general sacked
THE DIRECTOR general of the public Slovak Television (STV) was unexpectedly removed on December 11.
Court upholds abortions in first 12 weeks
WOMEN in Slovakia will still be allowed to get an abortion until the 12th week of pregnancy, but the law on aborting fetuses with genetic defects after the first trimester is still unclear.
Court approves extradition for suspected terrorist
THE REGIONAL Court in Bratislava has ruled that suspected terrorist Mustapha Labsi must be extradited to Algeria.
Opposition walks out, Fico easily survives
LESS than 24 hours after parliament passed a confidence vote in the government of Robert Fico, the opposition filed a motion in parliament to recall Fico as prime minister. But it was swiftly defeated.
Speaker keeps his job
SPEAKER of Parliament Pavol Paška has survived an attempt to have him fired. Fifty-nine MPs voted to oust the speaker, a member of the ruling Smer party, in the non-confidence vote, and 76 voted against it. Six opposition MPs voted against the proposal, which was brought forward by the opposition.
Jureňa lets off steam in a cowshed
MIROSLAV Jureňa became the first minister to be sacked since Prime Minister Robert Fico formed his ruling coalition with the Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) and the Slovak National Party (SNS) in 2006.
Have Fico and Mečiar crossed the Rubicon?
THE TENSIONS between Smer leader Robert Fico and Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) boss Vladimír Mečiar finally erupted into an open conflict, as both leaders spoke publicly about breaking up the ruling coalition.
Kramplová heads Agriculture Ministry
A FORMER ambassador and foreign affairs minister with a colourful political past is the country’s new agriculture minister, appointed the same day Miroslav Jureňa was officially fired from the post.
Kazakh journalist arrested for protest
A KAZAKH journalist is looking for answers after she was arrested and allegedly beaten by police for protesting during her president's visit to Bratislava.
Minister next to go?
PRIME Minister Robert Fico added more fuel to the fire of the ruling coalition crisis when he called on Agriculture Minister Miroslav Jureňa, a nominee of the Movement for a Democratic Slovakia party (HZDS), to step down for what he called an indisputable political responsibility for the land transfer scandal.
Ruling coalition towns get more cash, report shows
IT PAYS to be part of a ruling coalition party if you're the head of a local government, a new report from the Transparency International Slovakia (TIS) anti-corruption NGO has found.
Eighteen years after the revolution, no justice
EIGHTEEN years after the movement that toppled communism started, on November 17, 1989, only one person in Slovakia has been sentenced for crimes committed by the communist regime.One political analyst, who was jailed as a dissident by the communist government, says this is a mistake that must be corrected.
Velvet Revolution did not free people from responsibility: Gál
ON NOVEMBER 17, 1989, the Public Against Violence (VPN) movement led by Fedor Gál started organising demonstrations and meetings every day with the goal of bringing down the totalitarian communist regime. By mid-December, they succeeded.
Fico keeping mum on his mother's flat
PRIME Minister Robert Fico has still not explained how he acquired and financed a Bratislava-area flat for his mother, Emília Ficová.The one-bedroom apartment was constructed by the Ikores company, which recently won several lucrative public orders without any tender.
Omission 'unconstitutional': lawyer
LAWYER Ivan Trimaj is the former head of the legislation department of the President's Office (1993-1998). Before that, he was a judge of the Czechoslovak Federal Constitutional Courtin 1992.He told The Slovak Spectator that Speaker of Parliament Pavol Paška's actions relating to the social insurance act were against the law.
SWAT team raids concert in Nitra
THE NITRA police are under fire after about 30 tactical unit officers raided a concert in Nitra, attacking the flute player onstage and causing at least two women to collapse, according to the owner of the concert venue.
Social insurance fallout keeps spreading
The amendment to the law on social insurance, approved in chaos on October 30, has caused a chain reaction of conflicts through the Slovak political scene.The opposition Christian Democratic Movement (KDH), Slovak Christian-Democratic Union (SDKÚ) and Hungarian Coalition Party (SMK) are filing a proposal to fire Speaker of Parliament Pavol Paška for his role in the matter.
Tycoon released on constitutional grounds
JOZEF Majský, the business tycoon who was taken into custody for his alleged involvement in the notorious pyramid scheme bankruptcies, has been freed from custody. And not everyone is happy with the decision.The Supreme Court released Majský after almost 11 months in custody on October 25, on the instructions of the Constitutional Court.
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- Ambulance hit by Russian drone goes on display in centre of Bratislava
- German shoemaker Lowa joins wave of factory closures in Slovakia
- 3 free things to do in Bratislava in the next seven days
- US giant pulls plug on Slovak factory, axing 137 jobs
- When to shop over Easter: Opening hours for supermarkets in Slovakia
- Danish shoemaker to shut Slovak factory, axing 650 jobs in fresh blow to struggling region
- Hundreds of people ousted from Bratislava’s Volkswagen
- What is Pope Francis’s message to the powerful?
- Slovakia mourns Pope Francis, a shepherd of hope and humility Photo
- Confetti, chants and history: Hejková’s dream goodbye after nearly 40 years at the top
- Slovakia’s public finances remain in deep trouble
- Ambulance hit by Russian drone goes on display in centre of Bratislava
- Why this gorge deserves a spot on your bucket list Photo
- The British Film Institute shines a light on Slovak cinema’s boldest chapter Video
- Bratislava’s embassy-backed events you don’t want to miss More articles ›
