"I have been following The Slovak Spectator since its very beginning, and I have been lucky to know most of its journalists quite closely. It has been fascinating for me to watch how this periodical developed over these five years. I think that the people from The Slovak Spectator have succeeded in creating an independent, serious, well respected and very attractive publication. Good luck for the years to come."
Martin Barto
Chief of Strategy Division,
Slovenská Sporiteľňa state bank
"The Slovak Spectator is a very valuable source of news, information and opinion on contemporary Slovakia, not only for foreigners and English-speaking people living in Slovakia, but as an interesting source of inspiration for Slovaks too. The Slovak Spectator is for us something like a mirror in that it allows us to see our faces represented by this unique newspaper, which is able to combine objectivity of information with the non-conformist opinions of the authors, who are deeply involved in the Slovak reality.
I am grateful to The Slovak Spectator for its engagement in environmental issues, which are ignored by the majority of the Slovak mass media."
Mikuláš Huba
President of the Society for Sustainable Living
Eduard Kukan
"On the occasion of their fifth anniversary I would like to congratulate the team of The Slovak Spectator for the excellent work they have been doing. I wish this unique periodical in the English language in Slovakia, and to the people around Tom Nicholson, many more readers. I also hope they will have no reason to criticise the Foreign Ministry of the Slovak Republic for another five years."
Eduard Kukan, Foreign Minister
"The Slovak Spectator is an important voice, blending the perspectives of the Slovak and international communities. The paper seems to work hard to provide balance to controversial subjects. Like the rest of us, they are working to understand and explain the complexities we find in this new world."
Kevin S. Leahy
Cinergy Global Resources
"I should like to congratulate the owners, editors and staff of The Slovak Spectator on reaching the milestone of their fifth anniversary. The Spectator is essential reading, not only for the expatriate community, but also for Slovaks who want to follow events here in the English language. The coverage of political, economic, cultural and gastronomic affairs is always high quality, and is both lively and stimulating. Your journalistic approach is challenging and provocative, which is just as it should be."
David Lyscom
UK Ambassador to Slovakia
"The mere fact that The Slovak Spectator is celebrating its fifth anniversary means that it has found its place on the market. When we remember how many transformations the Slovak media market has been through, how many titles have disappeared from the market during this period, we realise more the meaning of this anniversary."
Vladimír Masár
Chairman Deloitte & Touche Slovakia
Former Governor of the National Bank of Slovakia
"I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate you on the fifth anniversary of The Slovak Spectator and wish you continued success into the future. As I have stated in the past, The Slovak Spectator is one of my best sources for current and objective information on the Slovak Republic."
John Mica
US Member of Congress
"Congratulations on the fifth anniversary of The Slovak Spectator editorial team, and I want to thank them for the very good work that they carry out in presenting the Slovak Republic, as well as their healthy views which point to problems with the aim of finding solutions."
Peter Mihók
Chair of The Slovak Chamber of Commerce
Ivan Mikloš
"Slovakia has made a big step towards the developed world during the last year and a half. I consider the activities of The Slovak Spectator weekly to be an important part of this process. Information plays a key role in the contemporary world, and for foreign visitors to Slovakia - tourists, diplomats and especially for the foreign investors whom we need so much - The Slovak Spectator provides this information on a highly professional level.
The Slovak Spectator has won a special position on the Slovak media market over the past five years. Despite the fact that the language in which it is written predestines the paper especially to foreigners, with its content it has won many fans even among Slovak readers. Over the next five-year period I wish the team at The Slovak Spectator lots of enthusiasm, energy, good ideas, but mainly a growing number of satisfied readers. I will be doing my best to bring more foreign tourists and investors to Slovakia, and they may also be your potential partners."
Ivan Mikloš
Deputy Prime Minister for Economy
"The Spectator is factual, straightforward, enlightening, interesting and sometimes even irreverent, and a great way for me to keep up with what is happening in Slovakia. Happy fifth birthday and keep up the good work."
Duane Schultz
US trade expert
Maitland, Florida
Rudolf Schuster
"Time indeed flies quickly, and five years passes before we realise it. It would be appropriate to say something about the relativity of time, but let us rather stay with your paper. From its humble beginnings up to its shape today, the paper really has come a long way as a welcome source of information, interviews and commentaries about Slovak life for the undoubtedly influential community of English speaking readers. For the years to come I wish that 'your' weekly becomes ever more 'ours', and in this sense spreads a positive picture about integrating Slovakia and about Slovak politics."
Rudolf Schuster
President of the Slovak Republic
"Contratulations on the fifth anniversary of your publication. I look forward to reading it every week. It is very objective and informative. I only wish that Slovaks in Slovakia could afford it and could read it. By the way, our own Kanadský Slovák newspaper often carries articles from the Spectator for our English-reading subscribers. Good luck in your next five years!"
Mark Stolarik
Professor & Chairholder
Chair in Slovak History & Culture
University of Ottawa
"Congratulations! Not only to your fifth anniversary but to the respectable results. The Slovak Spectator contributes to the overcoming of the historical isolation of this country in two ways. It helps Slovakia to emerge from its information black hole toward the world, and it provides an opportunity for Slovak readers to look at their own country from an outside view. The merit of this perspective is that it reveals our ailments where we are blind to them, but also virtues where we tend to be almost masochistically critical and impatient. It also brings to Slovakia such an important element as the positive Anglo-Saxon thinking and the dynamism of its young editorial staff.
For these reasons I always recommend The Slovak Spectator to my colleagues abroad as a reliable source of fresh information about contemporary events in Slovakia."
Soňa Szomolány
Head of the Political Science Department
Comenius University
"The Slovak Spectator entered the Slovak media scene at a time when every voice was needed to draw public attention to the consequences of the former government led by Vladimír Mečiar. It has been five years since you began, but thank God your efforts to imform people about the state of society in Slovakia continue, and what is more, you do it in an international language and in an objective and interesting style."
Katarína Závacká
Head of the Law Theory department at the Institute of State and Law
Slovak Academy of Sciences
