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Radicova: Poll Results in Kosovo Show Serious Damage to Democracy

Bratislava, December 14 (TASR) - Results of the general election in Kosovo over the past weekend suggest that democracy in the self-declared Balkans state was given a serious blow, according to Prime Minister Iveta Radicova. "We'll demand that the EU sends a clear signal, at least expressing worries that the democratic institutions in this country have been violated,"… read more

Viktor Orban Chooses to Meet with SMK and Not Most-Hid Reps

Bratislava, December 14 (TASR) - Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban had an opportunity to set right relations between the Hungarian party FIDESZ and Most-Hid (bridge in Slovak and Hungarian) on Tuesday during his official visit to Bratislava, however, he chose not to meet with any Most-Hid representatives. "It's his decision, we take it as such. Apparently, it shows… read more

Fico Allegedly Asks Sulik for Post at General-Prosecutor\'s Office

Bratislava, December 14 (TASR) - Smer-SD chairman Robert Fico allegedly wanted to do a trade with Parliamentary Speaker Richard Sulik (Freedom and Solidarity/SaS) about the Prosecutor-General's election, Most-Hid chairman Bela Bugar said on Tuesday. In return for giving their votes to Coalition candidate Jozef Centes, Smer-SD was asking for the post of "Prosecutor General… read more

Ashton Appoints Lajcak EU Diplomacy Head for Balkans and E. Europe

Brussels, December 14 (TASR) - Chief of the European External Action Service (EEAS) Catherine Ashton on Tuesday appointed Slovak diplomat Miroslav Lajcak as the head of EEAS's department for relations with the Western Balkans, Eastern Partnership and Russia. read more

2011 Ice-hockey World Championships Are Unique Chance for Tourism

Bratislava, December 14 (TASR) - The Ice-hockey World Championships in 2011 will be a unique opportunity for Slovak tourism, said head of the Slovak Tourism Agency (SACR) Peter Belinsky at a press conference on Tuesday. "Our goal is to motivate the expected 330,000-plus foreign visitors to the event to experience the beauties of Slovakia and come back again," said Belinsky.… read more

Figel: No Third Package of PPP on D1 Motorway Construction

Bratislava, December 13 (TASR) - There will be no third package of the public-private partnership (PPP) project on D1 motorway construction, Transport Minister Jan Figel (Christian Democratic Movement/KDH) said after the Coalition Council session on Monday. An almost 30-kilometre D1 section, originally planned to be built by a private consortium, will be constructed gradually… read more

Founder of Slovenska Pospolitost Becomes High-Ranking SNS Member

Bratislava, December 13 (TASR) - Slovak National Party (SNS) chairman Jan Slota appointed founder of Slovenská Pospolitosť (Slovak Togetherness) Ivan Ruzicka to the post of regional party head, the internet website topky.sk reported on Monday. According to topky.sk, Ruzicka is a right-wing extremist and his appointment has filled many SNS members with indignation. Topky.sk… read more

Bugar: We Would Welcome Meeting With Orban, but Won\'t Beg for It

Bratislava, December 13 (TASR) - If Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban isn't interested in meeting representatives of Slovak-Hungarian party Most-Hid during his official visit to Bratislava on Tuesday it means that the Hungarian side is not interested in co-operating with the party, Most-Hid chairman Bela Bugar has said in an interview for TASR, adding that they "won't beg"… read more

Survey: Most Slovaks Not Motivated or Afraid to Report Bribes

Bratislava, December 12 (TASR) - Slovaks who been asked to give a bribe aren't motivated to report such cases of corruption, suggests the latest survey on this issue in Slovakia. Over the past year, one in nine households in Slovakia experienced or have been aware of at least one case of bribery in the public sphere. More than 70 percent of them didn't report it or weren't… read more

MVK Poll: Prime Minister Radicova Most Trustworthy Politician

Bratislava, December 11 (TASR) - Prime Minister Iveta Radicova has registered as the most trustworthy politician in Slovakia in an MVK agency poll released in early December, thus displacing former premier Robert Fico, who has consistently headed such polls over the past decade. Radicova is seen as reliable by 34.5 percent in the survey, carried out on a representative… read more

Radicova: How Six Coalition MPs Voted Was a Shock to All of Us

Bratislava, December 11 (TASR) - The way in which six coalition MPs voted in a second round of election of prosecutor-general, when they didn't support coalition candidate Jozef Centes, was a shock to the rest of the Coalition. "Nobody expected this. We were standing there frozen, all of us, because we'd had no signals that something like this could happen. There were… read more

Bugar: Most-Hid to Discuss Its Future in Coalition on Monday

Bratislava, December 10 (TASR) - The party presidium of Most-Hid (bridge in Slovak and Hungarian) will hold a session on Monday to discuss the party's future in the governing Coalition, Most-Hid chairman Bela Bugar told TASR on Friday. Partners from the Coalition are accusing Most-Hid of dashing their hopes of electing Jozef Centes as prosecutor-general last week. They… read more

Ten Modern Double-deckers to Be Deployed on Slovak Railways

Bratislava, December 9 (TASR) - Railway company Zeleznicna Spolocnost Slovensko (ZSSK) on Thursday unveiled the first of the ten double-decker trains of the 671 (EPJ 671) series that will soon be deployed on Slovak railways. The first train was named Catherine after St. Catherine of Alexandria, the patron saint of railmen. The new trains will have their home station… read more

Smer-SD Calls on PM Radicova to Dismiss Her Interior Minister

Bratislava, December 9 (TASR) - The strongest opposition Smer-SD on Thursday called on Premier Iveta Radicova (SDKU-DS) to immediately dismiss Interior Minister Daniel Lipsic (KDH). According to Smer-SD chairman Robert Fico speaking to the media in Parliament on Thursday afternoon, Lipsic should be erased from the Cabinet due to his alleged interventions into the case… read more

Zitnanska: There\'s Perceived Corruption That Can Be Hardly Proven

Bratislava, December 9 (TASR) - Dilatoriness in court processes isn't the only problem with the Slovak judiciary, it is also "perceived corruption that can hardly be proven", according to Justice Minister Lucia Zitnanska, speaking on the occasion of the International Anti-Corruption Day on Thursday. "There are specific cases hinting at this, such as the case of judge… read more