OtherOther Economy

Radicova: Slovak Participation in EFSF Not Open to Question (UPDATE)

Brussels, July 13 (TASR-correspondent) - Slovakia's portion of the eurozone's multi-billion emergency rescue package isn't going to change, said Slovak Prime Minister Iveta Radicova after talks with President of the Eurogroup Jean-Claude Juncker in Brussels on Tuesday. However, Slovakia continues to be committed to finding an agreement on conditions whereby funds from… read more

SaS Wants Control of Social Insurer, Taxman and Labour Office

Bratislava, July 13 (TASR) - Governing party Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) said on Tuesday that the coalition parties at their first meeting after signing the Coalition Agreement will divide up management positions at state enterprises. SaS, first and foremost, wants a say in the institutions that it needs in order to institute tax credit in line with one of its election… read more

Judge Dismisses Fico\'s Libel Case Over X-ray Cartoon

Bratislava, July 13 (TASR) - Bratislava IV District Court on Tuesday threw out ex-prime minister Robert Fico's libel case against SME daily publisher Petit Press over a cartoon published in the newspaper last year. Fico had demanded an apology and €33,194 in damages for the cartoon, which was published on July 9, 2009, when the former premier was off work due to severe… read more

Sulik: President Did His Best to Stymie Referendum

Bratislava, July 13 (TASR) - President Ivan Gasparovic has done all he could to scupper the referendum initiated by the Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party, SaS leader Richard Sulik told a press conference on Tuesday. "He had an opportunity to show that he's a real democrat and that he takes people's opinions into consideration. Unfortunately, he failed to make use of… read more

Cabinet to Discuss Eurozone\'s Emergency Loan Facility on Wednesday

Bratislava, July 13 (TASR) - At its second session following its appointment, the new Government is slated to discuss, inter alia, the issue of the eurozone's emergency loan facility and the loan to Greece, Prime Minister Iveta Radicova's spokesman Rado Bato told TASR on Tuesday. According to the new Cabinet, Slovakia will okay the European Financial Stability Facility… read more

Radicova: Impossible to Decide on EFSF Without Approval of Parliament

Brussels, July 12 (TASR) - I cannot give any consent to allocate resources for the European guarantee mechanism (EFSF/European Financial Stability Facility) without the approval of the Slovak Government and Parliament, Slovak Prime Minister Iveta Radicova said after her meeting with European Council President Herman Van Rompuy on Monday. "The former government gave general… read more

Abrhan: Culture Ministry\'s Turn Now to Act on Press Act, Licence Fees

Bratislava, July 12 (TASR) - It's now up to the Culture Ministry to undertake measures to be included in an amendment to the Press Act and an introduction of fixed payments to state-run media instead of the current practice of licence fees, head of the Parliament's media committee Pavol Abrhan (Christian Democrats/KDH) told TASR on Monday. Referring to moves that have… read more

Ex-President Michal Kovac Hospitalised

Bratislava, July 12 (TASR) - Former Slovak president Michal Kovac has been hospitalised at the Military Hospital in Bratislava on Monday due to nausea and dizziness. Kovac confirmed to TASR that he's about to stay at the hospital until Tuesday for further tests. "The regional operation centre in Bratislava received a distress call from Sturova Street shortly before… read more

Police: Basternak\'s Murderer May Get Life Sentence

Bratislava, July 12 (TASR) - Stefan K., accused of murdering Nitra regional (NSK) councillor Laszlo Basternak (ethnic-Hungarian SMK party), may face a 25-year prison sentence or even life, Police Corps Vice-president Michal Kopcik told a press conference on Monday in Bratislava. He specified that Basternak, formerly also the mayor of the town of Hurbanovo (Nitra region),… read more

Man With Automatic Rifle Kidnaps Police Patrol, But Shot Dead Later

Sala, July 12 (TASR) - An as-yet unnamed man aged 28 kidnapped a two-member police patrol near the town of Sala (Nitra region) on Sunday evening, TASR was told by Nitra Regional Police Directorate spokesperson Renata Cuhakova on Monday. According to a newspaper report, the kidnapper was eventually shot dead by other officers. The incident occurred when the police patrol… read more

Radicova to Leave for Working Trip to Brussels

Bratislava, July 12 (TASR) - Slovakia's new Prime Minister Iveta Radicova is to leave on Monday for a two-day working visit to Brussels for talks with officials of the European Union and NATO, both of which accepted Slovakia as a member in 2004. Later in the day Radicova will meet European Council President Herman van Rompuy, while on Tuesday she will hold talks with… 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

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