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Parliament Denounces Hungarian Act, Waiting for Vote in Budapest

Bratislava, May 25 (TASR) - After a four-hour debate on Tuesday, Parliament approved – with 113 votes out of a possible 150 – a resolution expressing concerns about Hungary's proposed dual citizenship legislation. All political parties except for the purely ethnic-Hungarian SMK concurred on the resolution. At the same time, Parliament commissioned its Chairman Pavol… read more

Government Approves Plan Concerning International Development Aid

Bratislava, May 25 (TASR) - The Government on Tuesday approved Slovakia's plan for development aid in 2010-12 as drafted by the Foreign Affairs Ministry. Under the Official Development Assistance (ODA) National Programme for 2010, Slovakia has agreed to provide €6.865 million in development aid to Afghanistan, Kenya and Serbia, and finance development projects in Ethiopia,… read more

Government Suspends Discussion on Dual Citizenship

Bratislava, May 25 (TASR) - The extraordinary Government session dealing with an amendment to the State Citizenship Act was interrupted on Tuesday morning because some of the members of the Government wanted to leave in order to attend an extraordinary parliamentary session. The Government will continue its discussion of the amendment and the related fast-tracked legislative… read more

Radicova: SDKU-DS Welcomes KDH Saying No to Coalition with Smer-SD

Bratislava, May 24 (TASR) - SDKU-DS welcomes Monday's decision from the Christian Democratic Movement's (KDH) camp to not co-operate with Smer-SD after the June 12 parliamentary election, SDKU-DS election leader Iveta Radicova told TASR on the same day. "We're glad to receive a positive reaction (from KDH) to our appeal (made over the weekend at the SDKU-DS Central Committee's… read more

Figel: KDH Won\'t Form Government with Smer-SD After Election

Bratislava, May 24 (TASR) - Dubious financial dealings of Smer-SD party and its reluctance to provide an explanation led the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) to decide that Smer-SD has been ruled out of any possible post-election co-operation, KDH Chairman Jan Figel said after the session of the party leadership held on Monday. He described the decision as being for… read more

Meciar: Someone Is Planning Conflict in Central Europe

Bratislava, May 24 (TASR) - The latest steps taken by political representation in Hungary vis-a-vis the planned adoption of dual-citizenship legislation indicate that someone has made plans to change the political situation in central Europe, and is plotting a conflict, co-ruling LS-HZDS leader Vladimir Meciar said on Monday. "We want a fixed peace. The clash that can… read more

Minister Lajcak to Meet OSCE Commissioner Over Hungarian Law

Bratislava, May 24 (TASR) - Slovak Foreign Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajcak will meet with OSCE High Commissioner for Minorities Knut Vollebaek to discuss the amendment to the Hungarian Law on Dual Citizenship, TASR learned from the ministry spokesman Peter Stano on Monday. At the meeting, set for Tuesday (May 25) in the Hague, Lajcak will communicate the concerns of… read more

Fico: Brown Plague Coming from Hungarian Parliament

Bratislava, May 24 (TASR) - Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico described the statements of Hungarian MPs during the discussions concerning the amendment to the Dual Citizenship Act concerning ethnic Hungarians living outside the country as "atrocious talk", and he said Slovakia has to deal with the Hungarian MPs as well as deal with the amendment itself. "How should Slovakia… read more

Gay Pride March Organisers Condemn Politicians\' Silence

Bratislava, May 24 (TASR) - Romana Schlesinger, organiser of the Rainbow Pride gay parade in Bratislava at the weekend, accused Interior Minister Robert Kalinak of not telling the truth on TV Markiza's programme "Na telo" when he said that the organisers themselves chose to cancel the original route of the march through the Old Town area. Conversely, she said, the police… read more

Radicova Calls on Fico to Attend Round-table Discussion on Hot Issues

Bratislava, May 24 (TASR) - The main opposition SDKU-DS party has called on Prime Minister Robert Fico to attend a round-table discussion to deal with key problems in Slovakia, SDKU election leader Iveta Radicova said at a press conference on Monday. "The time has come to stop to cover the real problems of the country, and openly exchange opinions, stances and solutions,… read more

SaS: Fico Should Withdraw From Smer Slate Over Shady Funding

Bratislava, May 24 (TASR) - Chairman of the extra-parliamentary Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party Richard Sulik on Monday called for Prime Minister Robert Fico to take his name off the Smer-SD slate for the general election on June 12 over the suspicious funding of his party. "We'd want to remind people that (SDKU-DS chairman) Mikulas Dzurinda renounced his place on… read more

Paska: Extraordinary Session on Dual Citizenship to Be Held on Tuesday

Bratislava, May 24 (TASR) - An extraordinary parliamentary session to discuss Hungary's proposed amendment to the Dual Citizenship Act concerning ethnic Hungarians living outside the country will take place on Tuesday starting from 11 a.m., Parliamentary Chairman Pavol Paska announced on Monday. Speaking after a Coalition Council session, Paska added that all three governing-coalition… read more

SMK: To Grant Dual Citizenship Is to Recognise Human Rights

Bratislava, May 23 (TASR) - The ethnic-Hungarian SMK party views the act of granting second citizenship as an act of recognition of the human right to claim dual identity in terms of being a citizen, SMK spokesperson Eva Dunajska told TASR on Sunday. According to SMK, emphasizing that counter-measures might be taken in response to Hungary's plans to adopt an amendment… read more

Political Analysts Describe Party Electioneering So Far as Low-key

Bratislava, May 23 (TASR) - Leading political analysts concur that the pre-election activities of the country's mainstream political parties, which on Saturday began the official campaign prior to polling day on June 12, have so far been rather low-key apart from those of the strongest ruling party Smer-SD. While the Slovak National Party (SNS) is more noticeable for… read more

Interior Minister Praises Police for Being Prepared for Gay Pride Parade

(TV Markiza, May 23, 'Na Telo') Interior Minister Robert Kalinak, speaking on TV Markiza's 'Na Telo' weekly politics programme on Sunday, praised the police as being well prepared for Slovakia's first-ever gay and lesbian parade, which began under the name Rainbow Pride on Hviezdoslavovo Square in Bratislava a day earlier. The police are responsible for law and… read more