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Analysts: Cuts in Public Deficit Ambitious But Feasible Plan

Bratislava, July 20 (TASR) - Slovakia's plan to lower its public finance deficit by 2.5 percent of GDP next year is rather ambitious but still feasible, analysts approached by TASR have concurred. "If the mission to reduce the deficit by 2.5 percent is successful, it will be a positive signal to investors," said Slovenska Sporitelna bank analyst Michal Musak. Finance… read more

Radicova: Relations With Hungary Have Improved

Budapest, July 20 (TASR) - Relations between Slovakia and Hungary have improved, with controversial issues set to be addressed by the re-established Slovak-Hungarian committees, Slovak Prime Minister Iveta Radicova said after meeting her Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban on Tuesday. "We agreed on some fundamental issues. Foremost among these is the restoration of Slovak-Hungarian… read more

Sulik to Publish All Contracts for Reconstruction of Bratislava Castle

Bratislava, July 20 (TASR) - Parliamentary Chairman Richard Sulik said on Tuesday that he will form an expert committee to pass judgement on whether the statue of Svatopluk in the courtyard of Bratislava castle was put in the right place or not. Sulik plans to find out if the statue "wouldn't be better off somewhere else", with the expert committee to be headed by historian… read more

Anna Belousovova May Become SNS Leader as of September

Bratislava, July 20 (TASR) - The Slovak National Party (SNS) could be led by its current vice-chair Anna Belousovova as of the autumn, with the new party chair due to be elected at the party congress in September. The current four-year term of current SNS chairman Jan Slota is set to end that month. According to TASR's information, a number of district and regional party… read more

Responsible Policies in V4 Will Also Strenghten EU (UPDATE)

Budapest, July 20 (TASR-correspondent) - If the Visegrad Four group (Slovakia, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Poland) carries out responsible policies, including fiscal ones, and if the V4 makes joint progress with regional programmes, relaunching economies and providing support for the creation of new jobs - the European Union will be also strengthened, Slovak Premier Iveta… read more

Unemployment Rose to 12.34 percent in June

Bratislava, July 20 (TASR) - Slovakia's unemployment rate rose by 0.1 percentage points month-on-month to 12.34 percent in June, the Labour, Social Affairs and the Family Office (UPSVaR) announced on Tuesday. June's unemployment increase came after falls were recorded for three months in a row. While the number of unemployed in June rose by almost 3,000 compared… read more

Activists Launch Campaign Against Statue of Svatopluk at Castle

Bratislava, July 20 (TASR) - The statue of Prince Svatopluk, who ruled much of the area of what is now Slovakia in the 9th century, has among its detractors a civil association named UM!, which has kicked off a campaign to have the sculpture removed from the courtyard of Bratislava Castle, UM! told TASR on Tuesday. The sculpture, which depicts Svatopluk in full battle… read more

Chudy: KHL in Poprad Would Boost Tourism in High Tatra Region

Poprad, July 20 (TASR) - If Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) matches are played in Poprad (Presov region) during the upcoming season as has been indicated, this will boost tourism not only in the town itself but also in the entire High Tatra mountain region, High Tatra Tourism Association (ZCR) director Peter Chudy told TASR on Tuesday. Until now the KHL has been made… read more

No Less Than 92 percent of Slovaks Going Abroad Take Payment Cards

Bratislava, July 19 (TASR) - The latest consumer survey out on Monday found that payment cards are increasingly popular with Slovaks, who are also using them for purchases abroad. The MasterIndex survey conducted by MasterCard showed that a thumping majority of 92 percent of Slovaks travelling abroad take their payment cards with them, although 16 percent of them never… read more

Zitnanska to Change Way in Which Judges Are Selected

Bratislava, July 19 (TASR) - Justice Minister Lucia Zitnanska (SDKU-DS) plans to change the way in which judges are selected by introducing open competition, TASR learned from Eva Dukatova of the Justice Ministry press department on Monday. According to Dukatova, the first thing that the new minister plans to do is to abolish the selection process for judges' posts.… read more

Radicova to Meet Orban After V4 Summit in Budapest

Budapest/Bratislava, July 19 (TASR) - Evaluating the completed Hungarian presidency of the Visegrad Four grouping (Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Poland) and approving the new programme of the Slovak presidency (July 2010-June 2011) will be the main topics of a meeting of V4 premiers in Budapest on Tuesday, the Slovak Government Office press department told TASR on… read more

Dzurinda Refusing to Confirm or Deny Bid to Remain SDKU Chairman

Bratislava, July 19 (TASR) - It remains unclear who will lead SDKU-DS after the next party congress, as Prime Minister Iveta Radicova and Finance Minister Ivan Miklos have both told SME daily that they won't run for the party chairmanship and current SDKU chair Mikulas Dzurinda hasn't offered any comments. "I'm interested in serving as best I can in the role of Foreign… read more

Radicova: People Can\'t Be Constant Victims of Irresponsible Governments

Bratislava, July 19 (TASR) - Slovakia experienced severe austerity measures in the late 1990s and at the beginning of the new decade, when 10 percent of GDP went to reviving the banking sector and Slovakia was close to bankruptcy. The new Government doesn't want to introduce similar drastic measures in order to consolidate public finances, therefore, Prime Minister Iveta Radicova… read more

IMF: Slovakia\'s Deficit at 7-8 % This Year; Cuts Necessary Next Year

Bratislava, July 19 (TASR) - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates that Slovakia's public finance deficit will reach 7-8 percent of GDP this year. In order to reduce it gradually to 3 percent in 2013, the deficit will have to be cut by 2.5 percent of GDP next year, according to leader of the IMF mission in Slovakia Mark de Broeck. Finance Minister Ivan Miklos… read more

Three Former Guantanamo Detainees to Become Slovak Residents Soon

Bratislava, July 19 (TASR) - The three former Guantanamo Bay inmates currently being held in a detention camp in Medvedov (Trnava region) will be granted permanent residence in Slovakia so they can enjoy the country's protection, TASR learnt on Monday. The procedure should be officially handled by the Interior Ministry's migration office. The former army-base detainees… read more