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Slota Won\'t Run for Re-election as SNS Chairman

Bratislava, July 28 (TASR) - Long-standing Slovak National Party (SNS) chairman and lawmaker Jan Slota has decided not to run for re-election at the party congress of September 12, separate sources close to Slota confirmed for TASR on Wednesday. Slota offered to resign his post following the general election on June 12 in which his party only narrowly made it into parliament.… read more

Ordinary People: Sulik\'s Party Has Betrayed Us

Bratislava, July 27 (TASR) - Practically nothing from the programme of the 'Ordinary People' faction within Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party has been included in the draft Government manifesto, the faction's head Igor Matovic told TASR on Tuesday. He also said that the four-member faction is now considering leaving the SaS parliamentary caucus. "It's strange… read more

Razsochy Hospital Won\'t Be Completed in The End

Bratislava, July 27 (TASR) - Completion of the partially built Razsochy Hospital in Bratislava was in the end dropped from the Government Manifesto, two independent sources told TASR on Tuesday. The draft of the Manifesto that leaked to the media from Premier Iveta Radicova's (SDKU-DS) office last week counted on the completion. In addition, Health Minister Ivan Uhliarik… read more

Zitnanska Wants Changes in Judicial Council Architecture

Bratislava, July 27 (TASR) - Sessions of the Judicial Council should be made public, and the decisions it makes should be reasoned. Also, chairmen and vice-chairmen of courts shouldn't be allowed to become members of the council according to a new bill on Judicial Council drafted by Justice Minister Lucia Zitnanska. "Our aim is to clear an open space for independent justice.… read more

Zitnanska: High Salary Bonuses for Former Ministry Officials Immoral

Bratislava, July 27 (TASR) - Justice Minister Lucia Zitnanska said at a briefing on Tuesday that high bonuses for some of the former officials working at the Justice Ministry were okayed immorally. According to her, a group of the privileged emerged at the ministry over the past years. "We're looking into it, and changes need to be made in this for the future. The new… read more

Radicova Submits Amendment to Competences Act for Public Comment

Bratislava, July 27 (TASR) - Premier Iveta Radicova has invited comments from government ministries and the public for her bill to amend the Competences Act, which she posted online on Tuesday. In the bill, proposed to take effect as of November 1, Radicova wants to address issues affecting ethnic minorities by investing the relevant deputy premier with more powers,… read more

Coalition Partners Agree on Government Manifesto

Bratislava, July 27 (TASR) - After almost eight hours, the leaders of the coalition parties (SDKU-DS, Freedom and Solidarity/SaS, the Christian Democratic Movement/KDH and Most-Hid) ended their talks on the Government Manifesto proposal on Tuesday morning. According to Prime Minister Iveta Radicova, the partners reached agreement on all areas of the Manifesto. She pointed… read more

Parliamentary Parties Alone Spent More than €10 million on Campaigns

Bratislava, July 26 (TASR) - The six parties that entered Parliament after the June 12 general election spent a total of €10,206,300, according to a final report on election campaign spending posted by the Finance Ministry on its website Monday. Of that, the then strongest opposition party SDKU-DS invested in €3,120,000, ahead of SNS having spent €2,736,500; and… read more

King of Norway Harald V Along With Queen Sonja to Visit Slovakia

Bratislava, July 26 (TASR) - King of Norway Harald V and Queen Sonja will come to Slovakia in October for a three-day visit. On October 26, the royal couple will be received by Slovak President Ivan Gasparovic along with his wife Silvia at Presidential Palace. During the first day, the royal guests are also scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Iveta Radicova, Parliamentary… read more

Zajac: Trimming of MP\'s Immunity Not Feasible via Referendum

Bratislava, July 26 (TASR) - The hope for the trimming of MP's immunity can only be managed via a Constitutional Act, and not via the planned referendum initiated by Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party, said head of the Civic Conservative Party (OKS) and Most-Hid MP Peter Zajac on Monday. According to Zajac, the September 18 the six-question referendum does not directly… read more

Dzurinda to Participate in Foreign Affairs and General Affairs Councils

Bratislava/Brussels, July 25 (TASR) - Slovak Foreign Affairs Minister Mikulas Dzurinda will for the first time since his appointment take part in sessions of the foreign affairs ministers of EU-member states at the foreign affairs council and general affairs council in Brussels on Monday, TASR was told by ministry spokesman Peter Stano. At the general affairs council,… read more

For Open Justice Initiative Calls on Harabin To Resign

Bratislava, July 25 (TASR) - An initiative called 'For Open Justice' is publicly calling on head of the Judicial Council and the Supreme Court Stefan Harabin, along with members of the Council and some of the chairs of regional and district courts to resign their posts because they are "responsible for the lowest-ever level of trust shown by the public in justice", stated Katarina… read more

Beblavy: Government Manifesto Partly Inspired by Scandinavian Model

Bratislava, July 25 (TASR) - The Government Manifesto that is being drawn up at the moment has certain elements of the Scandinavian model of government and brings more transparency and decency into public life, SDKU-DS MP Miroslav Beblavy has told TASR. Beblavy sees Scandinavian inspiration, for example, in plans to improve the atmosphere in society and in the huge effort… read more

Dzurinda: I Don\'t Have Hit List of Ambassadors to Be Dismissed

Bratislava, July 25 (TASR) - Foreign Affairs Minister Mikulas Dzurinda doesn't know anything about a list of ambassadors who are supposed to be in line for dismissal due to the recent change of government in Slovakia. "I haven't even had such a list drafted," he told TASR, adding that he isn't fond of purges, but likes natural decisions. Former minister Miroslav Lajcak… read more

Duslo Sala Counting Cost After Saturday\'s Gas Explosion

Bratislava, July 25 (TASR) - The clear-up work after the natural gas explosion and subsequent fire at the Duslo chemicals factory in Sala (Nitra region) on Saturday has been fully completed, TASR was told by general director of the factory Marek Strpka on Sunday. The gas exploded shortly after 4.30 p.m. on Saturday during the initiation of an 'ammonium 3' operation, injuring… read more