OtherOther Economy

Inflation Down to 1 percent Y-o-Y in June, Alcohol and Tobacco Prices Up

Bratislava, July 12 (TASR) - Inflation in Slovakia decelerated from 1.2 percent year-on-year in May to 1 percent in June, the Statistics Office announced on Monday. Core inflation reached 1 percent while net inflation stood at 0.9 percent y-o-y in June. Prices in June didn't change month-on-month. In the first half of 2010, meanwhile, prices rose by 0.8 percent… read more

Dzurinda: I\'ll Always Focus on Slovakia\'s Interests

Bratislava, July 11 (TASR) - Newly appointed Foreign Affairs Minister and former prime minister (1998-2006) Mikulas Dzurinda has said that he'll always focus on Slovakia's national and state interests when it comes to Slovak-Hungarian relations. "I have my moves thought out. There's no need to speculate about intentions, only to speak about the results. I'll always tell… read more

Police Arrest Suspect in Basternak Murder Case

Bratislava, July 11 (TASR) - The police have arrested a person suspected of the murder of former mayor of Hurbanovo and current Nitra regional councillor Laszlo Basternak (SMK), news-portal cas.sk reported on Sunday. The police were unwilling to go into details; Police Corps president Jan Packa would only tell private television channel Markiza that the police will provide… read more

Economy Minister Miskov: Reform of Business Environment Is Priority

Bratislava, July 11 (TASR) - Newly appointed Economy Minister Juraj Miskov (Freedom and Solidarity/SaS) told TASR on Sunday that comprehensive reform of the business environment will be his priority. "More freedom for entrepreneurs and the removal of barriers in business will be the priorities of the ministry," said the former entrepreneur and general director of the… read more

Kollar: Economic Programmes of SaS and SDKU Almost Identical

Bratislava, July 11 (TASR) - The adoption of the most important economic laws will depend heavily on co-operation between the two strongest parties of the new governing Coalition - SDKU-DS and Freedom and Solidarity (SaS), as the Finance Ministry is headed by Ivan Miklos (SDKU) while the parliamentary finance and budget committee is chaired by SaS's Jozef Kollar. "The… read more

SMK Elects Berenyi as New Party Chairman

Dunajska Streda, July 10 (TASR) - An extraordinary congress of the ethnic-Hungarian SMK party in Dunajska Streda (Trnava region) on Saturday elected Jozsef Berenyi as the new chairman that should lead the party until the ordinary congress next year. Before the congress, Berenyi was SMK vice-chairman. He replaced Pal Csaky in the chairman post. SMK, which in June's… read more

Foreign Affairs Ministry Takes Action To Help Stranded Tourists

Bratislava, July 10 (TASR) – Slovak Foreign Affairs Ministry started to act as soon as it was contacted by the Slovak tourists stranded in Turkey after the travel agency Karya Tours announced its bankruptcy earlier this week, TASR learned on Saturday. The Ministry investigated the situation and also called on Turkish hotel managers to be lenient to the Slovak tourists… read more

Schwarzenberg: Slovakia Has Surpassed Us in Forming Gov\'t and Reforms

Bratislava, July 10 (TASR) - Slovakia has outfooted the Czech Republic not only in forming new government but also in necessary economic reforms that were carried out by the two former governments of Mikulas Dzurinda (1998-2006), which the Czechs still haven't managed to introduce, incoming Czech foreign affairs minister Karel Schwarzenberg told at Saturday's informal meeting… read more

Nitra Regional Councillor Murdered, Lipsic Insists on Investigation

Nitra, July 10 (TASR) - Interior Minister Daniel Lipsic said on Saturday that he will insist on a thorough investigation of police activities between the attack on Nitra regional councillor Laszlo Basternak (ethnic-Hungarian SMK) that occurred in March and his murder in Hurbanovo on Friday evening. Basternak was murdered by an unknown perpetrator in front of his house… read more

PM Radicova Spends Day Introducing Her Cabinet Members Into Offices

Bratislava, July 9 (TASR) - After President Ivan Gasparovic appointed the entire new Government on Friday, the new Prime Minister Iveta Radicova embarked on a tour that saw individual members of her Cabinet introduced to their offices. This is the list of Radicova's 12 ministers and deputy premier for minorities, with all of them replacing their predecessors. office… read more

Fico: I Will Stay in Politics as Long as Slovak People Want Me To

Bratislava, July 9 (TASR) - Smer-SD chairman, MP and former premier Robert Fico intends to remain in politics for as long as he is wanted by the public, he said in answer to journalists' questions after being voted in as the fourth deputy chairman of Parliament with the support of 100 votes out of 144 lawmakers present in the chamber. Reminded of his past declarations… read more

PM Radicova to Visit European Commission and Meet Barroso Tuesday

Bratislava/Brussels, July 9 (TASR) - The new Slovak Prime Minister Iveta Radicova is scheduled to meet EC President Jose Manuel Barroso on Thursday, July 13 in Brussels. The information was confirmed by Barroso's spokesperson Ahrenkilde Hansen on Friday; however, she gave no further details as to what the two officials are due to discuss. At any rate, the Union is still… read more

Robert Fico Voted In as Fourth Parliamentary Deputy Chairman

Bratislava, July 9 (TASR) - Head of Smer-SD and former prime minister Robert Fico was chosen in a secret ballot as deputy chairman of Parliament at the Parliament session on Friday, gaining 100 votes, from 144 lawmakers. Fico is the fourth parliamentary vice-chair, with Milan Hort (SDKU-DS), Pavol Hrusovsky (Christian Democrats/KDH) and Bela Bugar (Most-Hid) already… read more

Fico Suggests Premier Take Picture of Herself Now for 2014 Comparison

Bratislava, July 9 (TASR) - MP and former premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) recommended new Premier Iveta Radicova (SDKU-DS) on Friday to take a picture of herself at the beginning of her tenure. Fico reacted this way to the question whether he feels relief that the four strenuous years of his premiership are over. "Maybe it wasn't the most gallant thing in the world… read more

President Gasparovic Promises Co-Operation with Premier Radicova

Bratislava, July 9 (TASR) - Slovak President Ivan Gasparovic promised co-operation with the new Government on Friday in such a way that it won't lose the support of people. "I'd like to ask you for mutual acceptance and respect, then our co-operation will be good," said Gasparovic during the appointment of new ministers. Every state needs political stability and… read more