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Radicova and Zitnanska Propose Duty to Go Public With State Contracts

Bratislava, August 13 (TASR) - Prime Minister Iveta Radicova and Justice Minister Lucia Zitnanska have come up with a proposal whereby it would be obligatory to make contracts concerning the use of public funds or state property available to the public as of January 1, 2011, TASR learnt on Friday. The initiative, under which contracts won't come into effect unless they're… read more

Jurcyza: Austerity Measures Won\'t Affect Teachers

Bratislava, August 13 (TASR) - The planned 10-percent cuts in salaries at individual ministries won't affect teachers' pay, Education Minister Eugen Jurcyza said after the Government session on Friday. "This certainly won't have an impact on the salaries of teachers, as that's the agreement concluded among the Coalition. The Government considers education to be a priority,"… read more

Supreme Court Employee Files Against FinMin as Private Individual

Bratislava, August 13 (TASR) - A private individual has filed a criminal complaint against the Finance Ministry with the Prosecutor-General's Office, citing unlawful attempts to carry out a financial audit at the Supreme Court, said Prosecutor-General Dobroslav Trnka on Friday, stopping short of disclosing the name of the complainant. The complainant is an employee but… read more

Chmel to Take Over Support of Ethnic Minority Culture

Bratislava, August 13 (TASR) - Deputy Prime Minister for Human Rights and Minorities Rudolf Chmel (Most-Hid) will acquire the agenda of support for ethnic minority culture, which until now has been overseen by the Culture and Tourism Ministry, the Government decided on Friday. Meanwhile, the Culture and Tourism Ministry will go back to its old name of the Culture Ministry… read more

Smer Would Have Won General Election in June-July on 39.7 percent

Bratislava, August 13 (TASR) - The latest opinion poll out on Friday reveals that the opposition Smer-SD party would have won a general election on 39.7 percent voter-support in July, ahead of the co-ruling SDKU-DS and the Christian Democrats (KDH) on 15.3 percent and 11.7 percent, respectively. The survey, which was conducted between June 21-July 18 by the MEDIAN SK… read more

Fewer People Applying for Certificate of Slovak Living Abroad

Bratislava, August 12 (TASR) - The number of people applying for Slovak living abroad certificates dropped last year to 958, the Office of Slovaks Living Abroad announced on Thursday. The Office explained that this was because of a fall in applications from Slovaks living in Serbia in the third quarter of 2009, due to the expected abolition of the visa duty for those… read more

Horsky: Bill on Reducing MPs Immunity May Have Chance

Bratislava, August 12 (TASR) - The proposal aimed at reducing the immunity of MPs may have a chance of being passed if the immunity of judges is excluded and its wording undergoes considerable changes that would allow the Smer-SD party to support it, political analyst Michal Horsky told TASR on Thursday. "Robert Fico and Smer-SD have to think hard about whether they… read more

Belousovova Urges Lawmakers to Back Salary Reductions

Bratislava, August 12 (TASR) - Opposition Slovak National Party (SNS) vice-chair Anna Belousovova on Thursday urged all members of Parliament to show solidarity with people facing difficult social conditions by agreeing to have their remuneration package cut, as has been proposed by the governing Coalition. It emerged from a Coalition Council meeting that the Government… read more

Miklos to File Criminal Complaint Against Harabin

Bratislava, August 12 (TASR) - Finance Minister Ivan Miklos told journalists on Thursday that he has already signed the documents imposing fines on the Supreme Court and its chairman Stefan Harabin for blocking audits. The fines have been set at €33,000 (the Court) and €1,000 (Harabin). At the same time, the ministry will file a criminal complaint against Harabin… read more

Belousovova Says SNS Not Beholden to Smer-SD

Bratislava, August 11 (TASR) - Slovak National Party (SNS) deputy chair Anna Belousovova rejected accusations from the fellow opposition Smer-SD that her party works with the governing coalition in parliament after she and another SNS MP Igor Stefanov voted on Wednesday to advance the immunity curbing bill to second reading. "We are not beholden to Smer-SD and will not… read more

Parliamentary Committee to Look Into Slap Across Face in Parliament

Bratislava, August 11 (TASR) - The parliamentary immunity and mandate committee will discuss the slap across the face administered on Tuesday by Slovak National Party (SNS) deputy chairwoman Anna Belousovava to co-ruling Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) MP Igor Matovic after receiving a petition to do so from SaS lawmaker Natalia Blahova, committee chief Gabor Gal told TASR the… read more

Fico: Smer May Support Curbing Lawmakers\' Immunity

Bratislava, August 11 (TASR) - The opposition Smer-SD party could back the Government's bill aimed at curbing the immunity of lawmakers and judges in Parliament provided it doesn't include judges, Smer chairman and former premier Robert Fico said after the bill was passed to its second reading in parliament earlier on Wednesday. "We won't support criminalising judges,… read more

Parliament Amends Criminal Code to Make Court Cases Shorter

Bratislava, August 11 (TASR) - As of January, Slovak courts will only be allowed to return criminal cases to the prosecuting authorities if procedural flaws have been identified in a given case, according to an amendment to the Criminal Code that was approved by Parliament on Wednesday. Justice Minister Lucia Zitnanska (SDKU-DS) explained that the amendment is designed… read more

Ministries to Look Into Contracts Concluded Around Election Date

Bratislava, August 11 (TASR) - Ministries and other central public-administration bodies will carry out analyses of contracts worth more €500,000 that were concluded between May 1-July 8, 2010, looking for any high-risk aspects within them, reads a document approved by government ministers on Wednesday. Other inspections should be carried out in 2011. This is how Prime… read more

Environment Ministry to Become Stand-Alone Authority Again

Bratislava, August 11 (TASR) - As of September 1, the Environment Ministry will re-emerge as a separate, stand-alone authority, Parliament decided on Wednesday. This is in line with an amendment to the General Administration Act, which returns to the arrangement in place in the period before July 1 - the day on which the old environment ministry merged with the Agriculture… read more