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Meciar Hopes to Again Join Fico in Forming New Slovak Government

Bratislava, May 7 (TASR) - Of the political parties running in the June 12 general election, co-ruling LS-HZDS is the only suitable one for both the country and Smer-SD party, which opinion polls show should emerge as the winner and form the new Government, LS-HZDS Chairman Vladimir Meciar told TASR in an interview Friday. Assessing the prospects of some of the best-placed… read more

SNS Wants to See Death Penalty Re-established

Bratislava, May 7 (TASR) - Co-ruling Slovak National Party (SNS) delegates to the programme conference held on Friday voted to approve its manifesto for the June 12 general election with new proposals in various spheres. SNS showed in what it called the Programme of Responsibility and Opportunity for Slovakia that it continues to want capital punishment in the country… read more

SDKU Remains Opposed to Idea of Slovakia Providing Loan to Greece

Bratislava, May 7 (TASR) - Far it be from us to try to hamper parliaments of fellow eurozone countries in helping debt-ridden Greece, but we continue to be opposed to the idea of Slovakia providing a loan to Athens, election leader of major Opposition SDKU-DS party Iveta Radicova told a press conference on Friday. Her comments came in the wake of a statement made by Prime… read more

Sulik: Judges\' Rulings and Attitudes Make Them Unfit for Their Jobs

Bratislava, May 7 (TASR) - Given their decisions and attitude to their work, judges have rendered themselves unfit for the job, head of the fledgling Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party Richard Sulik told TASR on Friday. "They've shown that as a whole they're inept, and that's why the judiciary is such an abysmal state," said Sulik. He added that his view is based on lawsuit… read more

ZAP: As Predicted Volume of Car Sales Falls Year-on-Year in April

Bratislava, May 7 (TASR) - The number of passenger cars and vans (M1 and N1 categories) registered in Slovakia in April was down 51.75 percent to 5,260 year-on-year in April as expected due to the scrapyard contribution scheme in 2009, when Government stimulated sales with a cash incentive programme. The January-April period saw an annual drop of 27.74 percent to a total… read more

Offenders Beat SDKU Official, Local Politics Might Be Involved

Bratislava, May 7 (TASR) - Unknown offenders on Tuesday beat SDKU-DS local Bratislava councillor Milan Trstensky, who had to be hospitalised following the attack, TASR was told by SDKU-DS Regional Chair Lucia Zitnanska on Friday. In late 2009, an unknown offender set alight a car belonging to Martin Zatovic, chairman of SDKU-DS caucus in the local council in Bratislava's… read more

Slota: Many Gypsies Won\'t Work Even If We Promise Them the Moon

Bratislava, May 7 (TASR) - Slovak National Party (SNS) chairman Jan Slota and his advisor, Slovakia's Roma Parliament head Ladislav Fizik, on Friday agreed that the biggest problem facing the Roma is unemployment. "It's necessary to give work to those who want to work. Unfortunately, however, we observe that there is a large percentage of them who are too lazy to work… read more

Lizak: Austrian Concerns About Mochovce Unjustified, Talks Continue

Bratislava, May 7 (TASR) - At the meeting Friday with Walter Grahammer, general director of the European section of Austrian Foreign Ministry, Slovak Ambassador to Austria Peter Lizak pointed to the forthcoming and transparent manner in which Slovakia has proceeded vis-a-vis the construction of the 3rd and 4th nuclear reactors at Mochovce (Nitra region), TASR was told by Foreign… read more

Fico: Slovakia Will Sign Agreement to Provide Loans to Greece

Bratislava, May 7 (TASR) - Slovakia will sign a General Agreement that will allow eurozone members to provide bilateral loans to Greece, Prime Minister Robert Fico said in Bratislava on Friday before setting out for a Euro Group session in Brussels. Fico, who was speaking after a meeting with representatives of trade unions and employer associations, claimed that providing… read more

Lajcak: We\'re Interested in Discussing Dual Citizenship with Hungary

Bratislava, May 7 (TASR) - Slovakia has indicated to Hungary that it is interested in discussing the topic of dual citizenship, Foreign Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajcak told TASR on Friday. Hungary's incoming Foreign Affairs Minister Janos Martonyi recently stated that ethnic Hungarians living in neighbouring countries may be given dual citizenship following an amendment… read more

RUZ Critical of Alliance Between Smer-SD and KOZ

Bratislava, May 6 (TASR) - An association of employers warned on Thursday that the alliance between the strongest coalition party Smer-SD and trade unions – Confederation of Trade Unions (KOZ) – could lead a further rise in joblessness and a loss of competitiveness for businesses. The Republic Union of Employers was responding to KOZ unions' call on their members… read more

Lajcak to Provide Slovak Aid to Moldova in Its Integration Efforts

Bratislava/Chisinau, May 6 (TASR) - Slovak Foreign Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajcak left on Thursday for a visit to Moldova's capital city Chisinau to provide financial and political aid to his Moldovan partners, TASR learned from Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Peter Stano on the same day. Lajcak will hold talks with his counterpart Iurie Leanca, Prime Minister Vladimir… read more

Wheel of Salary Turns Out Into Highlight of SaS Election Campaign

Zvolen, May 6 (TASR) - The so-called wheel of salary – designed for people to calculate what their net income would be if the party's deduction bonus scheme is introduced – proved to be the highlight of Thursday's campaign stop of Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) in Zvolen (Banska Bystrica region). SaS, led by Richard Sulik (former advisor to Finance Minister Jan Pociatek/Smer-SD),… read more

NDS Admits to Problems in Way Hauliers are Charged Highway Toll

Bratislava, May 6 (TASR) - The National Highway Company (NDS) on Thursday conceded faults in the way the toll is charged for motorway use to trucks over 3.5 tonnes after a group of hauliers filed a complaint with prosecutors over fraud and business data distortion earlier this week. On Tuesday the Union of Hauliers (UNAS) complained, among other things, that they are… read more

SaS: Loan to Greece Will Help Banks and Not Country

Bratislava, May 6 (TASR) - The financial assistance to Greece is a bad solution for the indebted country, as well as for the whole eurozone, said chairman of non-parliamentary party Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) Richard Sulik on Thursday, adding that the loan will only help the banking sector, which has lent so much money to Greece at such high rates. "This system of loans… read more