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Lawyer: Dual Citizenship Without Right to Vote Is Weird Idea

Bratislava, May 14 (TASR) - Hungary's intention to grant citizenship to ethnic Hungarians living abroad but withholding the right to vote from them is a weird idea with hardly foreseeable legal consequences, one of Slovakia's most noted lawyers Ernest Valko told TASR on Friday. The lawyer pointed out that the right to vote and to be voted for is among the most basic.… read more

Meciar: Campaign Is Calm, Parties Are Wary in Quest for Power

Zvolen, May 14 (TASR) - The election campaign in Slovakia hasn't been as rough as that in the Czech Republic, for example, as the parties don't know how the future governing coalition will look, and so are wary in their quest for power, LS-HZDS chair Vladimir Meciar said at a press conference in Zvolen (Banska Bystrica region) on Friday. "The parties don't want to get… read more

Fico Not Ruling Out Changes to Constitution vis-a-vis Dual Citizenship

Bratislava, May 14 (TASR) - Commenting on Slovakia's response to Hungary's plans to adopt an amendment to the Dual Citizenship Act, Prime Minister Robert Fico on Friday didn't rule out the possibility that one of his ministers might submit a legislative proposal similar to one valid in the Czech Republic that would serve as a counter-measure. "This is a very serious matter,… read more

Lajcak: Hungary\'s Dual Citizenship Bill Brings Only Legal Uncertainty

Bratislava, May 14 (TASR) - According to Slovak Foreign Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajcak, the amendment to the Dual Citizenship Act that Hungary is planning to adopt offers no advantages to ethnic Hungarians living in Slovakia and will only bring legal uncertainty as regards their citizenship status. "The Act offers nothing to our citizens. It grants them no rights, no… read more

MEDIAN SK Poll: Smer Would Have Won Recent Election on 38.4 percent

Bratislava, May 14 (TASR) - If a general election had been held in April, the winner would have been the main coalition party Smer-SD on 38.4 percent of the vote, according to a poll carried out by MEDIAN SK between March 29-April 25 on 2,117 respondents, Jindrich Bardon of the agency told TASR on Friday. The main opposition party SDKU-DS would have come second on 15.3… read more

Fico to Summon Security Council Over Hungary\'s Dual Citizenship Law

Bratislava, May 14 (TASR) - The Slovak Security Council will be summoned in response to the law on dual citizenship that may well be approved by the Hungarian Parliament on Friday, Prime Minister Robert Fico announced at a press conference after an extraordinary session of the Slovak Government on Friday morning. According to Fico, the law in question will probably have… read more

IVO: Fico\'s Government Has Worsened Socio-economic Situation

Bratislava, May 13 (TASR) - The current Government has worsened the situation in Slovakia since it was sworn in four years ago, according to a Summary Report on State of Society in Slovakia 2009 presented by the Institute for Public Affairs (IVO) on Thursday. "It was the rule of non-liberal populists in conditions of liberal democracy which influenced the quality of the… read more

Gasparovic: Dual Citizenship Isn\'t Only Hungary\'s Matter

Bratislava, May 13 (TASR) - The steps conducted by the Government vis-a-vis Hungary's amendment to the Dual Citizenship Act - declarations by Premier Robert Fico and Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak, and summoning ambassador in Budapest Peter Weiss for talks - are a clear sign that the whole affair doesn't concern only Hungary but also Slovakia, President Ivan Gasparovic told… read more

SDKU-DS: Nothing to Worry About, Slovakia is Strong Enough

Bratislava, May 13 (TASR) - Representatives of the Opposition party SDKU-DS stand convinced that Slovakia will enjoy a measure of protection against the Hungarian law on dual citizenship, as was the case with the Hungarian Status Act, SDKU-DS Chairman Mikulas Dzurinda said at a press conference on Thursday. [Dzurinda was referring to legislation in effect in Hungary as… read more

SNS Wants Extraordinarry Parliamentary Session on Dual Citizenship

Bratislava, May 13 (TASR) - If there is an extraordinary parliamentary session summoned, nationalist SNS will strongly insist on having the Slovak Ambassador to Hungary (Peter Weiss) withdrawn if the Hungarian law on dual citizenship is passed in Budapest, according to SNS leader Jan Slota. "It's fine that we've asked over our ambassador from Budapest to Bratislava, but… read more

SDKU: June Election Will Be Referendum on Slovakia\'s Future Direction

Bratislava, May 13 (TASR) - The parliamentary elections in June will also be a referendum on Slovakia's future direction, said opposition SDKU-DS election leader Iveta Radicova on Thursday in connection with the failed attempt to summon an extraordinary parliamentary session on the Greek rescue package. According to Radicova, there are two alternatives for Slovakia -… read more

Foreign Affairs Committee to Meet to Discuss Dual Citizenship Bill

Bratislava, May 13 (TASR) - The parliamentary committee for foreign affairs said on Thursday that it will discuss a contentious bill on dual citizenship that the Hungarian Parliament plans to begin debating on Friday morning, at the request of its member Pavol Hrusovsky (Christian Democrats/KDH). Hrusovsky asked committee chairman Juraj Horvath (Smer-SD) earlier in the… read more

Opposition Unable to Hold Parliamentary Session on Greek Package

Bratislava, May 13 (TASR) - The Opposition on Thursday was again unable to hold an extraordinary parliamentary session on the Greek rescue package that was summoned earlier this week by Parliamentary Chairman Pavol Paska (Smer) in line with a petition signed by opposition MPs. Too many lawmakers were missing even at the fourth attempt to open the session. Only 62 out… read more

Slovakia Summons Its Ambassador From Hungary for Consultations

Budapest/Bratislava, May 13 (TASR) - Slovakia on Wednesday evening summoned its Ambassador in Hungary Peter Weiss for consultations concerning a legislative amendment on dual citizenship prepared by the Hungarian Parliament, Slovak Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Peter Stano told TASR on Thursday. At a meeting with Slovak Foreign Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajcak in… read more

Fico: We\'ll View Hungarian Dual Citizenship Law as Security Threat

Bratislava, May 13 (TASR) - Slovakia will consider the adoption of an amendment on dual citizenship by the Hungarian Parliament as a security threat that will immediately be submitted to the OCSE High Commissioner for Minorities for assessment, said Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico at a press conference on Thursday morning. According to Fico, if the Hungarian Parliament… read more