List of author's articles, page 5
V4 presidents hold summit
AT a press conference following the recent summit between the presidents of the Visegrad Four (V4) countries, Hungarian President László Sólyom declared that his country’s relations with Slovakia had been spoiled by the nationalist rhetoric of one particular member of Slovakia’s governing coalition.
'Hanishar' captures stories of the Holocaust
HANISHAR is a Hebrew word that means “what remains”. It is also the title of a project about the Jewish community in Slovakia, which is still reeling from the devastation of the Holocaust. The project encompasses a photo exhibition by famed Slovak-born Canadian photographer Yuri Dojc and a documentary about Holocaust survivors in Slovakia inspired by his photographs.
Nation sheds tears for bus crash victims
FOURTEEN Slovaks were killed in the early morning of September 7 in what’s been called the worst traffic accident in the history of the country’s travel industry.
Harabin in hot water
IN RECENT days, something more sinister than the usual political rancor has echoed through the halls of parliament. Media reports describe MPs and members of the coalition telling bare-faced lies, spewing profanities, and even uttering anti-Semitic slurs. Such a deterioration of civility has evoked strong condemnation from political experts, non-governmental organisations, and the public. The main players in the recent drama are Justice Minister Štefan Harabin (HZDS), HZDS chairman Vladimír Mečiar, and former justice minister Daniel Lipšic (KDH).
New year brings uncertainty in schools
THE EDUCATION Ministry might be talking optimistically about the launch of its new education reform, which is now coming into force with the arrival of the new academic year, but non-governmental organisations and the opposition say it has left schools in chaos.
The PM, his uncle and the tender
SLOVAK Prime Minister Robert Fico recently said he saw nothing wrong with government tenders being awarded preferentially to people who support the governing coalition. But that didn’t stop him from cancelling a contract which had been awarded to a company which his uncle co-owns. The opposition and political observers say the cancellation was merely intended to divert attention from the prime minister.
Gyurcsány and Fico meet
PRIME Minister Robert Fico and his Hungarian counterpart, Ferenc Gyurcsány, met ahead of a European Union summit in Brussels on September 1 to discuss easing the tension between their countries that has forced them to postpone official visits several times in recent months.
Victims are all around
EXPERTS and non-governmental organisations applauded the National Programme on Combating Human Trafficking when it was approved by the Fico government in April. But those same organisations now argue that the legislation should be amended to improve documentation of cases and provide better protection to victims.
Pezinok dump gets go-ahead
DESPITE a sustained and vocal protest by locals against a proposed new waste dump near the centre of the western-Slovak town of Pezinok, its construction now seems more likely than not. The town of Pezinok is part of Bratislava Region and is the centre of a famous wine-growing area.
Coalition stokes debate on SNP
PRIME Minister Robert Fico repeatedly proclaims the Slovak National Uprising (SNP) indisputably the most important event in Slovak history. Nevertheless, representatives of the Slovak National Party (SNS), also a member of the governing coalition alongside Fico’s party, Smer, have repeatedly played down the significance of the SNP.
NBS: no info leak over parity
ACCORDING to Slovakia’s central bank, the National Bank of Slovakia (NBS), no information concerning revaluation of the central parity of the Slovak crown to the euro leaked earlier this year. Interest in what might otherwise be an arcane economic detail was aroused by suspicions that private financial groups had profited from prior knowledge of the change, which took place in May.
Allegations fly over sacked minister
SACKED former agriculture minister Zdenka Kramplová, says she was fired for refusing to bowing to political pressure when awarding ministerial contracts. But political analysts say that even though there’s some truth in that, she still deserved to lose her job.
Slota attacks NATO ally
THE SLOVAK army should be better trained. But not to deal with the threat of terrorism, or help fulfil Slovakia’s obligations as a member of NATO. Instead, according to Ján Slota, leader of the Slovak National Party (SNS), a junior member of the governing coalition, better military training is needed in order to repel a threat from Hungary.
New ministers face scrutiny
CONTROVERSY has already surfaced about one of the two new ministers appointed to the Robert Fico cabinet, just days into his term in office. Ján Chrbet and Stanislav Becík were appointed on August 18. Chrbet was nominated by the Slovak National Party (SNS) to be the environment minister and Becík was nominated by the Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) to be the agriculture minister.
The fall of the ministers
THE MURKY dealings which have surrounded the recent departure of two members of Prime Minister Robert Fico’s cabinet have led analysts and the opposition to argue that the government has made cronyism its “modus operandi”. But analysts say that despite the administrative disruption caused by the cases, the governing coalition seems unlikely to see much of a fall in its popularity any time soon.
SNS fills empty ministerial post; Chrbet tightlipped
THE SLOVAK National Party (SNS) has nominated Ján Chrbet, one of its MPs, to become the new Environment Minister.Prime Minister Robert Fico has already given his approval to the choice, while environmental organisations have voiced disappointment, citing Chrbet's lack of experience in the field.
Labsi freed, momentarily
FORMER Justice Minister Daniel Lipšic (KDH) and current Justice Minister Štefan Harabin (HZDS) have called a ceasefire in their war of words just long enough to criticise the recent court rulings that overturned the extradition order against suspected terrorist Mustapha Labsi.
Responses to Georgia and Russia differ
THOUGH the Foreign Affairs Ministry has released a rather carefully–worded statement on the recent conflict between Russia and Georgia, representatives of the Slovak National Party (SNS), a junior member of the ruling coalition, have laid the blame for the fighting on the small country in the Caucasus.
Witnesses recall Soviet invasion of August '68
THIS August 21 is the 40th anniversary of the occupation of Czechoslovakia by Russian–led troops.Between the night of August 20 and the early morning hours of August 21, the Russian army and troops from the Warsaw Pact countries rolled onto the streets of what is now the Czech Republic and Slovakia. They had been ordered there to put an end to the Prague Spring, the spate of democratic reforms instituted by the progressive leadership in Prague, led by the charismatic Alexander Dubček.
Shopping around for cash: party funds in SK
THE FAIR Play Alliance, a political watchdog association, has concluded that Slovakia’s party financing system is broken, and it’s citing figures recently published on parliament’s website as proof.According to the annual report of the Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS), it got the most donations of any parliamentary party last year. Annual reports were reviewed by the Parliamentary Committee for Finance, Budget and Currency on June 17, and then published on parliament’s website.
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