Good evening. Here is theWednesday, January 3 edition of Today in Slovakia - the main news of the day in less than five minutes.
Satisfied Slovaks troubled by money
Twenty-nine percent of Slovak people consider the year 2023 to be worse than they expected at its beginning. (source: Pixabay)
Overall satisfaction with life is high in Slovakia, the Statistics Office said.
On a scale from 1 to 10 points, people in Slovakia rated their satisfaction with life at 7 points. Up to 77 percent of people are more satisfied than dissatisfied with their life. The Statistics Office pointed to the latest available data, which come from 2022.
Seven points aren't bad. The average of the entire EU stands at 7.1 points.
Young Slovaks aged 15 to 24 are the most satisfied (7.8 points). The population over 50 rated their life satisfaction at 6.8 points, and people over 65 at 6.4 points.
Slovaks are the most satisfied with personal relationships (7.9 points). On the contrary, when evaluating their financial situation, they reported less satisfaction, at 5.7 points. Slovaks' satisfaction with the amount of time they have for hobbies also decreased slightly (6.5 points).
Eurobarometer (autumn 2023): Sixty-four percent of Slovaks perceive the overall situation in Slovakia as bad. The negative attitude towards the situation has decreased since the spring. Seventy-five percent of Slovaks perceive the economic situation negatively, but two-thirds consider the financial situation of their household to be good. Slovaks consider rising prices, inflation and the cost of living to be the country's biggest problem. Fifty-nine percent is dissatisfied with the way democracy works in Slovakia. (TASR)
2023: Looking at their personal life, 29 percent of Slovak people consider the year 2023 to be worse than they expected at its beginning, a survey conducted by the Go4insight agency in November 2023 has shown. The number of these people decreased compared to 2022 (48 percent). Young people saw 2023 the most positively, while over 60s perceived it the most negatively. The most common reason for dissatisfaction was economic, followed by the political situation in Slovakia and health problems.
Quote: "When we look at the situation of the Slovak economy through numbers, unemployment in Slovakia was 18 percent in December 2003. In December 2013, it was 14 percent and today, it is 6 percent. Despite this, there is a belief that we are in a deep crisis and in an aggravated social situation. Well, it's not true. The truth is that we have experienced huge shocks that, to some extent, can affect how people perceive their real situation. Objectively, however, we handled these shocks very well," Dublin-based Slovak economist Libor Melioris tells the Denník N daily.
More stories from The Slovak Spectator website
Communism: Terézia Javorská headed the BBC World Service's Slovak section. At the same time, she worked as a spy for the communists, a British daily writes.
Business: A cement mixer with a wheelbarrow and a decorated Christmas tree with Christmas balls - even such consignments are sent by customers via the state post office company Slovenská Pošta.
Transport: Slovakia will issue national visas to bus and lorry drivers from selected third countries in 2024.
Bratislava: The municipal waste management company Odvoz a Likvidácia Odpadu (OLO) will collect cigarette butts at events in Bratislava in 2024.
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FEATURE STORY FOR WEDNESDAY
Expansion of heat pump producers in Slovakia
BDR Thermea is the latest name on a list of companies manufacturing heat pumps in Slovakia. (source: Pixabay)
Heat pumps are among the most energy-efficient heating devices. After Russia's invasion of Ukraine, demand for them has increased in many countries, including Slovakia. With this rising demand has come a wave of new investments in Slovakia.
EVENTS FOR JANUARY
Enjoy music at the Slovak Philharmonic
A concert at the Slovak Philharmonic on January 2, 2024. (source: Facebook/Slovenská Filharmónia-Slovak Philharmonic)
In January, the Slovak Philharmonic will offer two concerts conducted by chief conductor Daniel Raiskin. They will take place on January 11 and 12 at 19:00.
5 other things that happened in Slovakia:
A prosecutor has filed charges against ex-justice minister Gábor Gál with the court in a corruption case (€170,000 and the use of a hunting area) that concerns the approval of leases for land in the Dunajská Streda district by the Slovak Land Fund.
According to a Sanep poll from December 2023, Speaker and Hlas party leader Peter Pellegrini (43.9 percent) would defeat former foreign minister Ivan Korčok (32.3 percent) in the first round of the presidential race. Pellegrini would win the second round, too. (TA3)
The state launched its mortgage-aid schemeon Tuesday. People can apply for the contribution at labour offices.
The minimum healthcare levy for the self-employed increased by €13 for in January, from €84.77 to €97.80.
As of January, the so-called Green Line at the Environment Ministry ceased to exist. People used it to report illegal environmental activities. More than 7,000 reports had been received by the Green Line before it ended. The project started in 2020.
Twenty-five Slovak fire fighters leave for France where they will help people in northwestern regions affected by floods on January 3, 2024. (source: TASR)
WEATHER FOR THURSDAY: Daytime temperatures will range from 4°C to 13°C. Expect cloudy skies and rain in many places. A yellow wind warning will be in effect in Bratislava and the surrounding districts from tomorrow morning until 17:00. (SHMÚ)
JANUARY 4 NAME DAY IN SLOVAKIA: Drahoslav
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