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26.9.1995 Tesla (Slovakia), light source manufacturer, sold to Osram (Germany) [Access Czech Republic Business Bulletin ]
Tesla (Nove Zamky, Slovakia), light source manufacturer, was sold to Osram (Munich, Germany) as of 01 October 1995. The price was not published. Tesla manufactures primarily classic bulbs for general lighting and car bulbs. It has 800 employees and generates an annual turnover of approximately 25 million DM.

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5.8.1996 Banka Hana, Financial Firm, Opens a New Branch in Slovakia [Access Czech Republic Business Bulletin ]
Banka Hana (BH) (Prostejov, CZ), bank, opened its seventh branch in Slovakia in Nove Zamky in August 1996. The branch will provide complex banking services. BH's commercial network currently includes a total of 122 branches.

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26.11.1998 An estimate of the results of the group of the companies of the concern Siemens in Slovakia in 1998 [Access Czech Republic Business Bulletin ]

Bratislava TE ******

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26.11.1998 Siemens AG develops modern enterprise based on an old tradition and modern directions in Slovakia [Access Czech Republic Business Bulletin ]
Siemens (Germany), electrotechnical firm, expects its 10 Slovak subsidiaries to see a total turnover of 16.2 bil Sk in 1998. Their turnover totalled 12 bil Kc in 1997, 10% more compared to 1996. Siemens Automotive (Michalovce, Slovakia) manufacturer of electromotors and pumps for domestic appliances, and electrical wiring for the car companies Ford, Volvo and Mitsubishi, generates the highest proceeds of all the concern's production subsidiaries. The firm VW Elektricke systemy (Nitra, Slovakia), which has a 50% stake held by Siemens, manufactures cables and instrument panel wiring for Audi, Skoda and VW cars. Osram (Nove
(Bratislava, Slovakia) is a software supplier. Siemens has 6,550 employees in Slovakia currently, 1,300 persons more compared to 1997. The concern has invested a total of about 4.5 bil Sk in Slovakia. More than 1 bil Sk per year were invested in 1997 and 1998. ******

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31.3.1999 Obituary: Lucien Aigner: [FINAL Edition] [Hallett, Michael. The Independent ]
LUCIEN AIGNER'S photographs were of the famous or the unknown, the dramatic or the commonplace.
All of his images - whether a statement about world peace in one of his series at the League of Nations in the Twenties, his coverage of people and life in France, England and the United States in the Thirties, his unforgettable essays on La Guardia's City Hall, Riker's Island Prison, pre-Second World War Harlem, Einstein at work, and prayers on D-Day in the Forties, or his photography of children in the Fifties and Sixties - are meaningful because Aigner committed himself to film only after he had made up his mind what he wanted to say.
His portraits possess an impressive vitality be they of the world's famous - Hitler, Mussolini, Churchill, Gandhi, the Roosevelts, Haile Selassie and other major figures of the time - or of his friends and neighbours in The Berkshires of Massachusetts. He was primarily a thinker and philosopher and only then a photographer.
The seminal German picture magazines of the early Thirties and the invention of a small camera, the Leica, spawned a select group of key photographers: Erich Salomon, Alfred Eisenstaedt, Robert Capa and Henri Cartier-Bresson. Lucien Aigner is of that vintage, but is one of the least known ""pioneers of photojournalism"".
It was the acknowledged ""god- father of photojournalism"", Stefan Lorant, who commented of his fellow countryman: ""What sets him apart from other 'picture takers' is his fervent dedication to his work. He belongs to a minuscule band of camera artists who do not press the button in a mad rush but ponder and think before they let the shutter go.""
Ladislas (Lucien) Aigner was born in Ersekujvr in Hungary, now Nove Zamky, Czechoslovakia, in 1901. He emigrated to the United States in 1939, becoming naturalised in 1945. As with many of his contemporaries photography was not the profession for which he originally trained. He studied at Prague University in 1920; theatre and acting at Friedrich Wilhelm University and Reichersche Dram Hochschule, Berlin, between 1921 and 1922; and then law at the University of Budapest between 1922 and 1924.
Aigner was part of the creative explosion of Hungarian talent that dispersed during the Twenties through the cultural capitals of Europe. He was intrigued as to why the Hungarians were so strong in what was to become photojournalism, and believed that he belonged to a nation of storytellers who learned their trade through spending hours in the coffee houses. Though superficial as an art form, for him photojournalism was only another way of storytelling.
""While I have a great respect for the photographic medium,"" Aigner observed, ""I feel that pictures are not enough to say what needs saying. I have always been suspicious of the cliche about one picture being worth a thousand words."" Perhaps that is why Aigner was equally at home using both photographs and words. He became a writer for Az Est, a Hungarian newspaper group in Budapest, in 1924 even before he had considered using a camera seriously. It was to give him an edge over his contemporaries who were absorbed only in images and visual picture stories. Aigner was interested in the total integration of images and text.
Living in Paris in the Thirties provided opportunity for him to work freelance. This was to be his most prolific period and he contributed features to the Berliner Illustrierte Zeitung, the Munchner Illustrierte Presse, VU, L'Illustration, Weekly Illustrated, Lilliput, and Picture Post.
In 1939 he moved to the heady excitement of New York. He continued to freelance but not always successfully. Technically an ""enemy alien"" and prohibited from photographing war-related subjects, he turned his attention elsewhere.
Talking of his Harlem, New York, photographs he observed, ""I photographed black people when it was not good manners"". For Aigner, these were commercially lean years when he often struggled to make a living. ""I sometimes hated photography. It caused me too much suffering, too many frustrations."" His early work consistently shows a sense of humour, often with a sardonic edge and a remarkable gestural quality that compensates in energy for what is lost in detail. Later photographs of the New York period reflect the more formal style of American magazine photography, indicative of a more conscious relationship between photographer and subject and a more directorial attitude.
By 1947 Aigner's career as a full-time photojournalist was virtually at an end and during the next six years he crafted words again as announcer, scriptwriter and producer-director in the Hungarian section of the Voice of America. For Aigner this was ""a glorious experience"" and ""the discovery of a new world"" which ended in the political backwash of the McCarthy witch-hunts of the Fifties.
Aigner visited Great Barrington, Massachusetts, at the tail-end of the summer of 1954 and found harmony in this region of outstanding natural beauty. The Berkshires had long been the home of well-known figures in the arts. Nearby, Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote Tanglewood Tales, Anslin Phelps Stokes penned his monumental Church and State volumes and Herman Melville wrote Moby Dick. A few miles to the north is Tanglewood, where the Boston Symphony Orchestra gives concerts throughout the summer months. Yet another mid-European's wanderings were over when, the same year, at Great Barrington, he opened his commercial studio consisting of two floodlights and a Rolleiflex.
This peaceful studio was not the end of Aigner's European adventures, rather it became the centre of them. In 1970 he opened a battered old suitcase which had survived the Nazi occupation and been brought out of Paris by his brother, Etienne (better known for his exclusive leather goods), after the Liberation. Inside were about 50,000 negatives, the entire product of Aigner's European career. Finding this treasure trove coincided with an increased awareness and value of the photographic print and he began to develop his entire collection - about 100,000 negatives including his work in the United States - as a major source of historic documentation.
""Pictures produce impact, writing adds meaning. Pictures without words are often ambiguous, words without pictures lame. To gather material for a written story requires painstaking, continuous effort in time while catching situations in pictures requires concentration on the instantaneous."" Uniquely Lucien Aigner did both.
Ladislas (Lucien) Aigner, photojournalist: born Ersekujvr, Hungary 14 September 1901; twice married (two sons, two daughters); died Waltham, Massachusetts 29 March 1999.

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28.4.1999 First NATO train passes through Slovakia's territory [BBC Monitoring European - Political ]
Excerpt from report by the Slovak news agency TASR
Bratislava, 28th April: The first NATO freight train, carrying a field hospital from the Czech Republic, passed through Slovakia en route to the Slovenian harbour town Koper on Tuesday 27th April. At about 3 a.m. {0100 gmt} on Wednesday {28th April} morning, a second train with 20 carriages transporting field hospital supplies arrived at the Czech-Slovak Kuty border crossing heading for Koper.
The train went through Trnava, Sered, Galanta, Nove Zamky and the Slovak-Hungarian border crossing at Komarno, from where it entered Hungary at 10.05 a.m. {0805 gmt}. According to Slovak Railways (ZSR) spokesperson Milos Cikovsky, there has still been no announcement about the transit of NATO military forces and technology...
Credit: TASR news agency, Bratislava, in English 1101 gmt 28 Apr 99

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24.5.1999 Slovak news agency schedule of events for 25 May 99 [BBC Monitoring European - Political ]
Text of report by the Slovak news agency TASR
{This press review has not been edited for content, nor have personal names and party names, abbreviations, etc. been amended. If you have any questions, contact Caversham editors on 008877 245 or 247.}
BRATISLAVA - Slovak Government's Legislation Board, Government Office, 9 a.m.
- Press conference on the results of Pavol Hamzik's visit to Latvia, Slovak Government Office, 9 a.m.
- Slovak Defence Ministry's press conference, Slovak Defence Ministry, 9:30 a.m.
- Slovak Defence Minister Pavol Kanis receives the delegation of OSCE member states' representatives, Slovak Defence Ministry, 10:00 a.m.
- Party of Civic Understanding (SOP) press conference, House of Journalists, 10:00 a.m.
NOVE ZAMKY - Slovak Parliament Vice Chairman Bela Bugar visits Nove Zamky district
BANSKA BYSTRICA - Press conference with presidential candidate Vladimir Meciar, hotel Lux, 2 p.m.
- Press conference for the Slovak premiere of Verdi's opera Ernani, Bohema club-Narodna street, 2 p.m.
Credit: TASR news agency, Bratislava, in English, 0922 gmt 24 May 99

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25.5.1999 Slovak news agency schedule of events for Tuesday, 25 May 99 [BBC Monitoring European - Political ]
Text of report by the Slovak news agency TASR
{This press review has not been edited for content, nor have personal names and party names, abbreviations, etc. been amended. If you have any questions, contact Caversham editors on 008877 245 or 247.}
Scheduled events for Tuesday, 25th May: BRATISLAVA - Slovak Government's Legislation Board, Government Office, 9 a.m.
- Press conference on the results of Pavol Hamzik's visit to Latvia, Slovak Government Office, 9 a.m.
- Slovak Defence Ministry's press conference, Slovak Defence Ministry, 9:30 a.m.
- Slovak Defence Minister Pavol Kanis receives the delegation of OSCE member states' representatives, Slovak Defence Ministry, 10:00 a.m.
- Party of Civic Understanding (SOP) press conference, House of Journalists, 10:00 a.m. NOVE ZAMKY - Slovak Parliament Vice Chairman Bela Bugar visits Nove Zamky district BANSKA BYSTRICA - Press conference with presidential candidate Vladimir Meciar, hotel Lux, 2 p.m.
- Press conference for the Slovak premiere of Verdi's opera Ernani, Bohema club-Narodna street, 2 p.m.
Credit: TASR news agency, Bratislava, in English, 0632 gmt 25 May 99

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9.9.1999 Ethnic Hungarian official set alight in Slovakia attack [BBC Monitoring Newsfile ]
An ethnic Hungarian official in Slovakia was doused with petrol and set alight outside his home in an overnight attack, the Slovak news agency TASR reported on Thursday.
Zoltan Saray, 32, a member of the Hungarian Coalition Party (SMK) district board in Nove Zamky, Nitra region, was attacked at around midnight outside his home in Svodin.
Saray was hospitalized with severe injuries.
SMK Chairman Bela Bugar ruled out any political motive for the incident.
Credit: TASR news agency, Bratislava, in English 9 Sep 99

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10.9.1999 Slovak ethnic Hungarian seriously injured in petrol attack dies [BBC Monitoring European - Political ]
Text of report in English by the Slovak news agency TASR
Svodin, 10th September: After being doused with petrol and set alight by an unidentified assailant on Wednesday {8th September} evening, Zoltan Sarai died on Thursday evening at the specialist burns department of the Ruzinov hospital in Bratislava.
The 32-year old chairman of the cooperative farm in Bruty, Nove Zamky district, and the first deputy chairman of the district executive of the Party of the Hungarian Coalition (SMK {member of the government coalition}), had suffered burns to some 90 per cent of his body. Chairman of the SMK regional executive Jozef Szaraz told the TASR news agency on Friday that only after the criminal or criminals are caught will it be possible to establish a motive for this monstrous crime, though personally he doubted that it was committed because of ethnic or political reasons.
Sarai was not a confrontational character, people liked him, and the SMK had him marked down for promotion to high party office, said Szaraz.
Credit: TASR news agency, Bratislava, in English 1233 gmt 10 Sep 99

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13.10.1999 Slovak news agency schedule of events for Thursday, 14 Oct 99 [BBC Monitoring European - Political ]
Text of report in English by the Slovak news agency TASR
[This press review has not been edited for content, nor have personal names and party names, abbreviations, etc. been amended. If you have any questions, contact Caversham editors on 008877 245 or 247.]
BRATISLAVA - News conference of the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH), Zabotova 2, 9 a.m.
- News conference of Walter Rochel, Head of the EC Delegation and the EC Ambassador to Slovakia, Forum Hotel, Hodzovo square, 10 a.m.
- News conference of the Democratic Party (DS), Sancova 70, 10 a.m.
- News conference of the Democratic Union (DU), Olympia Cafe, 11 a.m.
- International conference 'Current Trends in Management' of the Faculty of Management of the Comenius University (FM UK), FM UK, Odbojarov 10,
1 p.m.
ZEMNE (Nove Zamky district) - News conference of Slovak Vice Premier for Human and Minority Rights and Regional Development Pal Csaky, basic school, 10 a.m.
Credit: TASR news agency, Bratislava, in English 0910 gmt 13 Oct 99

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24.10.1999 Slovak news agency schedule of events for Monday, 25 Oct 99 [BBC Monitoring European - Political ]
Text of report in English by the Slovak news agency TASR
[This press review has not been edited for content, nor have personal names and party names, abbreviations, etc. been amended. If you have any questions, contact Caversham editors on 008877 245 or 247.]
Scheduled events for Monday, 25th October, 1999 BRATISLAVA- Press briefing of SDK, Zabotova 2, 9:30 a.m.
- Press briefing of the Interior Ministry and the national Police Executive, Pribinova, 2, 9:30 a.m.
- Meeting of the Trade Unions Confederation (KOZ), 10 a.m., Odborarske Sq. 3, 10 a.m.
- Press briefing of the Slovak National Party (SNS), Safarikovo Sq. 3, 10:30 a.m.
NOVE ZAMKY- President Rudolf Schuster, accompanied by Culture Minister Milan Knazko, will visit the Ernest Zmetak Gallery, 12 noon.
KOSICE- Press briefing of the Union of Tradesmen, Business People and Farmers, Letna 45, 10 a.m.
BANSKA BYSYTRICA- Press briefing on criminality in the region, Regional Police Headquarters, 1 p.m.
Credit: TASR news agency, Bratislava, in English 1701 gmt 24 Oct 99

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8.11.1999 Slovak news agency schedule of events for 9 Nov 99 [BBC Monitoring European - Political ]
Text of report in English by the Slovak news agency TASR
[This press review has not been edited for content, nor have personal names and party names, abbreviations, etc. been amended. If you have any questions, contact Caversham editors on 008877 245 or 247.]
BRATISLAVA - 43rd session of the Slovak Cabinet's Legislative Council, Cabinet Office, 9 a.m.
- Press conference following the session of the Legislative Council, Cabinet Office, 3 p.m.
- Slovak Culture Ministry: press conference, Culture Ministry, SNP Square, 9 a.m.
- Slovak President Rudolf Schuster will receive new Slovak ambassadors - the Ambassador to Norway Andrej Sokolik and Ambassador to India Ladislav Volko - and will hand them their credentials, Presidential Palace, 10 a.m.
- Foreign Minister Eduard Kukan will hold a joint press briefing with the Japanese Ambassador to Slovakia Sunji Marujama, Hlboka 2, 9:50 a.m.
- Regarding Slovakia's National Programme of Preparation for NATO Membership, Foreign Minister Eduard Kukan will brief the ambassadors, military and air-force attaches and senior representatives of the embassies from NATO member countries in Slovakia, Hlboka 2, 11 a.m.
- Press conference on marking the launch of the new Slovak cable television station TV LUNA, Hotel Forum, 10 a.m.
- Press conference of the Party of Civic Understanding (SOP), House of Journalists, 10 a.m.
REGIONAL CITIES - Protests of trade unions in support of the demands of the Slovak Trade Unions Confederation (KOZ), regional cities, 2:30 p.m.
NOVE ZAMKY - Association of Slovak Towns and Communities (ZMOS): press conference, CK Nabrezie, 3 p.m.
Credit: TASR news agency, Bratislava, in English 1104 gmt 8 Nov 99

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9.11.1999 Slovak news agency schedule of events for Tuesday, 9 Nov 99 [BBC Monitoring European - Political ]
Text of report in English by the Slovak news agency TASR
[This press review has not been edited for content, nor have personal names and party names, abbreviations, etc. been amended. If you have any questions, contact Caversham editors on 008877 245 or 247.]
BRATISLAVA - 43rd session of the Slovak Cabinet's Legislative Council, Cabinet Office, 9 a.m.
- Press conference following the session of the Legislative Council, Cabinet Office, 3 p.m.
- Slovak Culture Ministry: press conference, Culture Ministry, SNP Square, 9 a.m.
- Slovak President Rudolf Schuster will receive new Slovak ambassadors -- the Ambassador to Norway Andrej Sokolik and Ambassador to India Ladislav Volko -- and will hand them their credentials, Presidential Palace, 10 a.m.
- Foreign Minister Eduard Kukan will hold a joint press briefing with the Japanese Ambassador to Slovakia Sunji Marujama, Hlboka 2, 9:50 a.m.
- Regarding Slovakia's National Programme of Preparation for NATO Membership, Foreign Minister Eduard Kukan will brief the ambassadors, military and air-force attaches and senior representatives of the embassies from NATO member countries in Slovakia, Hlboka 2, 11 a.m.
- Press conference on marking the launch of the new Slovak cable television station TV LUNA, Hotel Forum, 10 a.m.
- Press conference of the Party of Civic Understanding (SOP), House of Journalists,
10 a.m.
REGIONAL CITIES - Protests of trade unions in support of the demands of the Slovak Trade Unions Confederation (KOZ), regional cities,
2:30 p.m.
NOVE ZAMKY - Association of Slovak Towns and Communities (ZMOS): press conference, CK Nabrezie, 3 p.m.
Credit: TASR news agency, Bratislava, in English 0733 gmt 9 Nov 99

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9.11.1999 Slovak news agency schedule of events for Wednesday, 10 Nov 99 [BBC Monitoring European - Political ]
Text of report in English by the Slovak news agency TASR
[This press review has not been edited for content, nor have personal names and party names, abbreviations, etc. been amended. If you have any questions, contact Caversham editors on 008877 245 or 247.]
BRATISLAVA - 66th government session, Slovak Government Office, 9am
- Return of Slovak Premier Mikulas Dzurinda from his two-day visit to the US, Milan R. Stefanik airport, 6am
- Hungarian Coalition Party (SMK) press conference, Zabotova 2, 10am
- Slovak Insurance company and the Foundation for Cancer Research: press conference, Cafe Gremium, Gorkeho, 10am
- Slovak Democratic Coalition (SDK): press conference, Slovak Parliament, Mudronova, 10:45am
- Slovak President Rudolf Schuster and his wife Irena will meet with representatives of the Freedom for Animals organisation, Presidential Palace, 11am
- Continuation of the 22nd parliamentary session, Slovak Parliament, 1pm
- Slovak Helsinki Group for Human Rights: round table discussion, Stefanikova 4, 2pm
- Seminar ""Expert Meeting for Resolution of Romany issues in Central and Eastern Europe"": press conference, Drotarska cesta 46, 3:30pm
NOVE ZAMKY - Christian Democratic Movement (KDH): press conference attended by regional KDH leadership, House of Political Parties, 3;30pm
PRESOV - 8th annual international jazz festival: opening concert, Sala Cierneho Orla (Black Eagle Hall), 7:30pm
Credit: TASR news agency, Bratislava, in English 1101 gmt 9 Nov 99

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17.3.2000 Slovak news agency schedule of events for 17 Mar 00 [BBC Monitoring European - Political ]
Text of report in English by the Slovak news agency TASR
[This press review has not been edited for content, nor have personal names and party names, abbreviations, etc. been amended. If you have any questions, contact Caversham editors on 008877 245 or 247.]
BRATISLAVA:
- Continuance of the 28th session of the Slovak parliament, Slovak Parliament - Slovak National Party (SNS): press conference, Safarikovo namestie 3, 9 a.m.
- Slovak Culture Ministry representatives are meeting representatives of Slovak national minorities, Slovak Culture Ministry, Biela 3, 9 a.m.
- Slovak Foreign Ministry state secretary Jan Figel: press conference, Slovak Foreign Ministry, 10 a.m.
- Slovak President Rudolf Schuster is taking part in the opening of the ""Letter for Europe"" exhibition, Presidential Palace, 2 p.m.
ZLATE MORAVCE: - Working visit of Slovak Environment Minister Laszlo Miklos to Zlate Moravce district: - meeting the head of the Zlate Moravce District Office, District Office, 8 a.m.
- meeting the management of the state-owned Lesy Topolcianky (forest company), Lesy Topolcianky, 9 a.m.
NOVE ZAMKY: - working visit of Slovak Supreme Court Chairman Stefan Harabin to Nove Zamky district, District Office, 9 a.m.
CADCA: - Slovak Vice-Chairman Pavol Hamzik: press conference following his meeting with Cadca town office representatives, Town Office, 2:30 p.m.
Credit: TASR news agency, Bratislava, in English 0804 17 Mar 00

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7.6.2000 Slovak news agency schedule of events for Thursday, 8 Jun 00 [BBC Monitoring European - Political ]
Text of report in English by Slovak news agency TASR web site
[This press review has not been edited for content, nor have personal names and party names, abbreviations, etc. been amended. If you have any questions, contact Caversham editors on 008877 245 or 247.]
BRATISLAVA:
- Slovak President Rudolf Schuster will receive at the Presidential Palace:
- Slovak Ambassador-Designates, Magda Vasaryova (Poland) and Jozef Dravecky (Lithuania), 9 a.m.
- Irish Deputy Premier and Minister of Commerce, Entrepreneurship and Employment, Mary Harney, 11 a.m.
- Swiss Vice-President and Minister of Transport, Telecommunications and Energy, Moritz Leuenberger, 6 p.m.
- Christian Democratic Movement (KDH): press conference, Zabotova 2, 9 a.m.
- Defence Minister Pavol Kanis: press conference, Kutuzovova 8, 9:30 a.m.
- Democratic Party (DS): press conference, Sancova 70, 10 a.m.
- Students' Council of Slovak Universities: press conference, Comenius University's Philosophical Faculty, Gondova 2, 10 a.m.
- Democratic Union (DU): press conference, Olympia Cafe, 11 a.m.
- Slovak Minister of Foreign Affairs Eduard Kukan will meet with Irish Minister of Commerce Mary Harney, Hlboka 2, 3:15 p.m. followed by a press briefing at 3:50 p.m.
ROZNAVA: -Slovak Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda will attend court proceedings, District Court, 9 a.m.
LIPTOVSKY MIKULAS: - Visit by Chief of General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces Volodymir Petrovich Skidchenko, Military Academy, 2:50 p.m.
NOVE ZAMKY: - Press conference marking the International Music Festival KLIKK 2000, Klikk Pub, 11 a.m.
MARTIN: - Premier Mikulas Dzurinda on a working visit to Turiec region (geographical area around Martin): press briefing, Martin City Council, 3:30 p.m.
Credit: TASR web site, Bratislava, in English 0953 7 Jun 00

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8.6.2000 Slovak news agency schedule of events for 8 Jun 00 [BBC Monitoring European - Political ]
Text of report in English by Slovak news agency TASR web site
[This press review has not been edited for content, nor have personal names and party names, abbreviations, etc. been amended. If you have any questions, contact Caversham editors on 008877 245 or 247.]
Scheduled events - Thursday, 8th June:
BRATISLAVA: - Slovak President Rudolf Schuster will receive at the Presidential Palace:
- Slovak Ambassador-Designates, Magda Vasaryova (Poland) and Jozef Dravecky (Lithuania), 9 a.m.
- Irish Deputy Premier and Minister of Commerce, Entrepreneurship and Employment, Mary Harney, 11 a.m.
- Swiss Vice-President and Minister of Transport, Telecommunications and Energy, Moritz Leuenberger, 6 p.m.
- Christian Democratic Movement (KDH): press conference, Zabotova 2, 9 a.m.
- Defence Minister Pavol Kanis: press conference, Kutuzovova 8, 9:30 a.m.
- Democratic Party (DS): press conference, Sancova 70, 10 a.m.
- Students' Council of Slovak Universities: press conference, Comenius University's Philosophical Faculty, Gondova 2, 10 a.m.
Democratic Union (DU): press conference, Olympia Cafe, 11 a.m.
- Slovak Minister of Foreign Affairs Eduard Kukan will meet with Irish Minister of Commerce Mary Harney, Hlboka 2, 3:15 p.m. followed by a press briefing at 3:50 p.m.
ROZNAVA:
-Slovak Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda will attend court proceedings, District Court, 9 a.m.
LIPTOVSKY MIKULAS:
- Visit by Chief of General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces Volodymir Petrovich Skidchenko, Military Academy, 2:50 p.m.
NOVE ZAMKY:
- Press conference marking the International Music Festival KLIKK 2000, Klikk Pub, 11 a.m.
MARTIN:
- Premier Mikulas Dzurinda on a working visit to Turiec region (geographical area around Martin): press briefing, Martin City Council, 3:30 p.m.
Credit: TASR web site, Bratislava, in English 0630 8 Jun 00

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7.8.2000 The largest trade chains in Slovakia [Access Czech Republic Business Bulletin ]
Slovakia: The largest trade chains, according to turnover in 1999, in bil Sk

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14.8.2000 Slovakia: New private radio expands broadcast to cover Bratislava [BBC Monitoring Media ]
Text of report in English from Slovak commercial news agency SITA web site
Bratislava, 14th August: New private Radio Express began broadcasting also on the Bratislava [FM] frequency 107.6 MHz on Saturday [12th August]. The new radio station operated by D. Express company with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) as an important creditor started its broadcasts on 1st January 2000.
The radio's speciality in Slovakia is that it broadcasts English news between 0900 hours and 1700 hours [0700 to 1500 gmt].
Programme Director of Radio Express Stanislava Benicka told SITA that the ambition of her radio is to provide high-quality traffic information service, however, they want to address the listeners with objective news reporting and high share of music. The executives of the radio expect that the position of Radio Express on the media market will reflect massive investments into the technology and programming.
The radio presently covers Kosice, Lucenec, Cadca, Povazska Bystrica, Trstena, Rimavska Sobota, Ruzomberok, Banska Bystrica, Martin, Ziar nad Hronom, Trencin, Nove Zamky and Bratislava. By the end of September the radio plans to expand further to cover even more territory of Slovakia.
Credit: SITA news agency web site, Bratislava, in English 1249 14 Aug 00

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14.8.2000 Slovakia: New private radio's expands its broadcast to cover Bratislava [BBC Monitoring European - Political ]
Text of report in English by Slovak commercial news agency SITA web site
Bratislava, 14th August: New private Radio Express began broadcasting also on the Bratislava frequency 107.6 MHz on Saturday [12th August]. The new radio station operated by D. Express company with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) as an important creditor started its broadcasts on 1st January 2000.
The radio's speciality in Slovakia is that it broadcasts English news between 0900 hours and 1700 hours [0700 to 1500 gmt].
Programme Director of Radio Express Stanislava Benicka told SITA that the ambition of her radio is to provide high-quality traffic information service, however, they want to address the listeners with objective news reporting and high share of music. The executives of the radio expect that the position of Radio Express on the media market will reflect massive investments into the technology and programming.
The radio presently covers Kosice, Lucenec, Cadca, Povazska Bystrica, Trstena, Rimavska Sobota, Ruzomberok, Banska Bystrica, Martin, Ziar nad Hronom, Trencin, Nove Zamky and Bratislava. By the end of September the radio plans to expand further to cover even more territory of Slovakia.
Credit: SITA news agency web site, Bratislava, in English 1249 14 Aug 00

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17.8.2000 Hungarian organization backs idea of Hungarian county in Slovakia [BBC Monitoring European - Political ]
Text of report by Slovak radio on 17th August
During its meeting in Dunajska Streda today, the Slovak Committee of the World Association of Hungarian Mayors and Local Government Heads recommended that 13 higher territorial administration units be set up. Thus a Komarno county would be established in addition to the 12 units approved by the government. The Komarno county would comprise the districts of Komarno, Dunajska Streda, Galanta, Sala, Nove Zamky and Levice.
Deputy Chairman of the Party of the Hungarian Coalition Joszef Kvarda did not rule out a petition by Hungarian mayors and local government heads requesting the creation of the Komarno county.
Credit: Slovakia 1 radio, Bratislava, in Slovak 1400 17 Aug 00

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20.8.2000 Slovak premier says experts to decide ethnic Hungarian country issue [BBC Monitoring European - Political ]
Text of report in English by Slovak news agency TASR web site
Kosice, 19th August: Slovak Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda believes that the issue of a possible creation of the 13th higher administration unit (VUC) centred in Komarno, a city on the Slovak- Hungarian border with a majority ethnic Hungarian population, proposed by the coalition Party of the Hungarian Coalition (SMK [partner in the governing coalition]), should be decided only on the grounded matter-of-fact arguments and expertise, he said during his Friday [18th August] visit to Kosice, attending ceremonial opening of the Hungarian General Consulate to Slovakia.
Dzurinda considers transport, geographic, cultural and ecological aspects as those, which should affect the final decision. ""I would not be glad, if we were building entirely ethnic regions at the threshold of the 21st century,"" he added.
In this connection, he pointed to the eastern Slovak city of Kosice as a good example of a long-term coexistence of several nationalities, which makes this city a modern European metropolis.
Asked, if the SMK' s requirement could disintegrate stability of the ruling coalition, Dzurinda said: ""How many problems have we already faced and we managed to get through them! There is no need to dramatize this situation. If there is good will, patience and ability to listen to one another, I have no concerns about it.""
The support of SMK for creation of asymmetric model of regional division suggested by the second major coalition Party of the Democratic Left (SDL), was expressed by SMK MP Jozsef Kvarda on 16th August, on the condition that a Komarno VUC (comprising Komarno, Dunajska Streda, Galanta, Sala, Nove Zamky and Levice districts) is set up. The SMK's requirement has also been backed by the Board of the Slovak Committee section of the World Hungarian Mayors' Union.
On Friday 18th August, SMK Chairman Bela Bugar said that if their condition was not met, his party could even leave the governing coalition.
Credit: TASR web site, Bratislava, in English 1626 19 Aug 00

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28.8.2000 Slovakia: Ethnic Hungarian leader sees chance of compromise over counties [BBC Monitoring European - Political ]
Text of report by Hungarian radio on 28th August
[Presenter] Several leaders of the Party of the Hungarian Coalition [SMK] held talks with the prime minister [Mikulas Dzurinda] today. As is known, SMK will even consider leaving the government coalition if the Bratislava government submits to parliament a new public administration bill which violates the interests of the Hungarian community in Slovakia. After today's talks, there seems to be hope for an agreement. Ildiko Nagy reports from Bratislava:
[Reporter] The danger of leaving the government will be averted only if SMK considers future talks successful and if this is also accepted by the party's national board, SMK chairman Bela Bugar has said in reply to a question by Hungarian radio.
The SMK delegation led by him held talks with the prime minister today on five questions important for the party: a planned amendment to the constitution, a proposal to give the ownership of land currently without owners to the villages, the charter on minority languages, ethnic minority teachers' training and the public administration reform.
The coalition council will take a decision on the minority languages' charter on 12th September. If it sees no obstacle to its approval, its deputies will immediately submit it to parliament for ratification. Impartial talks on ethnic minority teachers' training should be continued.
The question of public administration is still open, therefore the SMK's position might also be asserted. This was said by Mikulas Dzurinda after the talks which lasted more than one and a half hours.
The question of the disputed 13th county, the county of Komarom [Komarno, in southern Slovakia] has also been clarified. The SMK does not insist on a separate region with Hungarian majority. However, it insists that the districts of Dunaszerdahely [Dunajska Streda] Komarom [Komarno], Galanta, Ersekujvar [Nove Zamky] and Leva [Levice] - areas which used to belong to the western Slovak district and in which the proportion of Hungarian population is between 30 and 50 per cent - should belong to one of the planned 11 counties. The government would like to divide this area into two counties, partly to Nagyszombat [Trnava] county, partly to Nyitra [Nitra] county. This is unacceptable to SMK.
Bela Bugar commented on the change in the prime minister's position as follows:
[Bugar] The prime minister's position has changed. So far he has been negative. To date, he has said that this question has been closed, no talks can be held on it. Today, when we asked him about its reasons, he said he thought that we tied the establishment of the county proposed by us to the establishment of a 13th county. We said this was not the case, but should recognize the fact that we are also coalition partners and that we also have ideas, namely the establishment of a county like this.
Credit: Hungarian Radio, Budapest, in Hungarian 1600 28 Aug 00

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10.9.2000 Slovak ethnic Hungarians do not rule out leaving governing coalition [BBC Monitoring European - Political ]
Text of report in English by Slovak news agency TASR web site
Bratislava, 9th September: It is unfortunate that several aspects of the public administration reform were not clarified at the time of drafting of the government manifesto, said Viktor Niznansky, the government proxy for the public administration reform on Saturday [9th September], referring to the demand of the Party of the Hungarian Coalition (SMK), to establish a region where Hungarians would constitute majority area commonly referred to as Komarno region.
""There have been no negotiations on establishing Komarno region yet, which fact makes it difficult to asses whether SMK will agree to a compromise,"" SMK leader Bela Bugar told [commercial] Radio Twist Saturday.
Asked by Radio Twist about possible withdrawal of SMK from the governing coalition in case its demands are not met, Bugar said that if the SMK Council session on 7th October decides to do so, the party will obey the decision.
Bugar claims that despite the fact that the ruling coalition called upon SMK to submit its own proposals regarding the public administration reform, this step met with constant opposition of some politicians.
SMK has been steadily criticizing Dzurinda's cabinet for neglecting demands of the ethnic Hungarians.
Niznansky, for his part, admits that the demand to establish the Komarno region was communicated to him as early as December last year, and has received several SMK-initiated proposals.
The kernel of the dispute, is not the merger of Dunajska Streda, Galanta, Sala, Nove Zamky, Komarno a Levice districts, Niznansky says, but rather the merger of Dunajska Streda and Komarno - two districts divided continuously from 13th century.
Credit: TASR web site, Bratislava, in English 1751 10 Sep 00

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10.9.2000 Slovak premier rejects ethnic principle of administrative units [BBC Monitoring European - Political ]
Text of report in English by Slovak commercial news agency SITA web site
Bratislava, 9th September: Slovak Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda told the press that ethnic principle should not dominate the creation of territorial-administrative units of Slovakia. He was responding to the demands of the Party of the Hungarian Coalition (SMK) that is calling for the formation of Komarno county with the dominance of the ethnic Hungarians. Dzurinda says any solution built on ethnic principle could be dangerous adding that his government is trying to build a civil society.
The SMK says that if the ruling coalition does not meet its demands, the SMK will quit the ruling coalition. This position evokes a wave of criticism mainly from the opposition, but the Party of the Democratic Left also reacted by decisively rejecting to the SMK's demands.
Dzurinda said he would not comment on the demands yet but would talk to SMK boss Bela Bugar first. The conversation is planned for Monday [11th September]. Dzurinda also suggested that the government has already fulfilled some of the SMK demands over the past two years while some others are being still discussed on the level of experts.
According to Dzurinda, minimally 50 per cent of the obligations towards the SMK have been met.
The demands primarily concern transfers of lands with unidentified owners to the municipalities, accession to the European charter of regional and minority languages, and the possibility for Hungarian teachers to be educated in Hungarian at Nitra university.
The Hungarians say their major goal is not to quit the ruling coalition but meeting the cabinet's programme.
Dzurinda already met SMK leaders last week and discussed their demands. He said that a decision on the borders of future administrative territorial units would be made only after the law on these units is adopted.
The SMK promotes creating a territorial-administrative unit that would embrace the Dunajska Streda, Komarno, Nove Zamky, Sala, Levice and Galanta districts. The SMK built its arguments supporting Komarno county on the recommendation of the EU not to change the percentage of the Hungarians on the given territory.
Credit: SITA news agency web site, Bratislava, in English 1437 9 Sep 00

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18.9.2000 Slovaks in southern districts sign petition against ethnic Hungarian county [BBC Monitoring European - Political ]
Text of report by Slovak radio on 18th September
People in southern Slovakia have begun signing a petition which rejects the Party of the Hungarian Coalition's demand that a higher territorial unit be created. This unit would incorporate districts of Galanta, Dunajska Streda, Komarno, Levice, Nove Zamky and Sala.
The initiators of the petition point out that an autonomous unit would be formed within this higher territorial unit and that the Slovaks who do not speak Hungarian would become second class citizens there.
Credit: Radio Slovakia, Bratislava, in Slovak 1000 18 Sep 00

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2.10.2000 Slovak Nationalists circulating petition against Hungarian county plan [BBC Monitoring European - Political ]
Excerpts from report by Slovak commercial Radio Twist on 2nd October
[Announcer] The district council of the [opposition] Slovak National Party [SNS] has started circulating a petition against the planned establishment of the Komarno county [in southern Slovakia where the Hungarian minority forms a substantial proportion of the population]. The council is headed by [former SNS Chairman] Jan Slota:
[Reporter] Chairman of the SNS district council in the Zilina [central Slovakia] district Jan Slota has said that he is strongly opposed to the establishment of the Komarno county, which would consists of the Galanta, Dunajska Streda, Komarno, Levice, Nove Zamky and Sala districts:
[Slota] This is clearly a political step of the Party of the Hungarian Coalition [SMK; member of the government coalition] towards the establishment of a politically-autonomous unit which could very easily and very fast become a part of the Hungarian Republic in the future.
[Reporter] The Nationalists are planning to submit petition sheets [containing signatures of people opposed to the establishment of the Komarno county] to parliament before MPs take a vote on the law on higher administration units...
Jan Slota said the following when asked about the draft law:
[Slota] I perceive this law as the beginning of the end of the Slovak Republic's sovereignty and its administrative unity. This is precisely the aim of those who are behind this dirty business [Slovak: svinstvo].
Credit: Radio Twist, Bratislava, in Slovak 1000 2 Oct 00

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13.10.2000 The Americans are interested in Teslamp [Access Czech Republic Business Bulletin ]
Teslamp (Prague, Czech Republic), lighting source manufacturer, has been under bankruptcy proceedings since Aug 2000. The firm will probably become a part of a foreign manufacturer, Sylvanie (US) or Osram (Germany). Osram has bought the former plant of Tesla Holesovice (Prague, Czech Republic) in Nove Zamky, Slovakia. It is now extending production at the plant. Teslamp has a 15% share on the Czech market and exports 70% of its production.

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23.10.2000 Slovak news agency schedule of events for Tuesday, 24 Oct 00 [BBC Monitoring European - Political ]
Text of report in English by Slovak news agency TASR web site
[This press review has not been edited for content, nor have personal names and party names, abbreviations, etc. been amended.]
Bratislava:
- Official visit of Croatian Defence Minister Jozo Rados, from October 24 to 25:
- meeting Slovak Defence Minister Pavol Kanis, 1:15 p.m.
- Ministry of Culture: news conference, Ministry of Culture, SNP square 33, 9 a.m.
- Appeal hearing of Mikulas Cernak and associates, Detention Facility, Chorvatska street, 9 a.m.
- Party of the Democratic Left (SDL): news conference Gundulicova 12, 9:30 a.m.
- Party of Civic Understanding (SOP): news conference, House of Journalists, 10 a.m.
- Association of Friends of Children from Children Homes: news conference on the 18th annual charity concert 'Usmev ako dar'(a smile as a present), House of Journalists, 10 a.m.
- Foreign Ministry: news conference, Foreign Ministry, Hlboka 2, 11 a.m.
- FOTOFO Association: news conference on the festival 'Month of Photography 2000', Ziciho Palace, Venturska 9, 11 a.m.
BANSKA BYSTRICA:
- International conference 'Participation of Christians in the Anti-Fascist resistance in Europe in 1939-1945', Slovak National Uprising Museum (SNP), 10 a.m.
NOVE ZAMKY:
- Opening of international conference on the education of ethnic minorities, attended by the Education Minister Milan Ftacnik, Cultural Centre, 1 p.m.
Credit: TASR web site, Bratislava, in English 1034 23 Oct 00

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24.10.2000 Slovak news agency schedule of events for Tuesday, 24 Oct 00 [BBC Monitoring European - Political ]
Text of report in English by Slovak news agency TASR web site
[This press review has not been edited for content, nor have personal names and party names, abbreviations, etc. been amended.]
BRATISLAVA:
- Official visit of Croatian Defence Minister Jozo Rados, from October 24 to 25:
- meeting Slovak Defence Minister Pavol Kanis, 1:15 p.m.
- Ministry of Culture: news conference, Ministry of Culture, SNP square 33, 9 a.m.
- Appeal hearing of Mikulas Cernak and associates, Detention Facility, Chorvatska street, 9 a.m.
- Party of the Democratic Left (SDL): news conference Gundulicova 12, 9:30 a.m.
- Party of Civic Understanding (SOP): news conference, House of Journalists, 10 a.m.
- Association of Friends of Children from Children Homes: news conference on the 18th annual charity concert 'Usmev ako dar'(a smile as a present), House of Journalists, 10 a.m.
- Foreign Ministry: news conference, Foreign Ministry, Hlboka 2, 11 a.m.
- FOTOFO Association: news conference on the festival 'Month of Photography 2000', Ziciho Palace, Venturska 9, 11 a.m.
BANSKA BYSTRICA:
- International conference 'Participation of Christians in the Anti-Fascist resistance in Europe in 1939-1945', Slovak National Uprising Museum (SNP), 10 a.m.
NOVE ZAMKY:
- Opening of international conference on the education of ethnic minorities, attended by the Education Minister Milan Ftacnik, Cultural Centre, 1 p.m.
Credit: TASR web site, Bratislava, in English 0630 24 Oct 00

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12.12.2000 Slovakia: Influenza closes schools in south-western district [BBC Monitoring European - Political ]
Excerpt from report by Slovak radio on 11th December
[Presenter] Last week the National Influenza Centre recorded an increase in the occurrence of influenza by as much as 20 per cent, particularly among children of pre-school age. Peter Rohac reports on the situation in the Nove Zamky [south western Slovakia] district:
[Correspondent] Eleven schools, including two kindergartens and nine primary schools, have been temporarily closed down because more than 30 per cent of the pupils are ill. Therefore the State Hygiene Office at Nove Zamky, in coordination with the district office for youth and physical culture, has declared an influenza holiday in these schools. According to Dr Jozef Peczy, secretary of the district anti-influenza committee, the Nove Zamky district, as the first in Slovakia this year, has recorded the occurrence of the influenza type A virus.
At the moment, the occurrence of the illness per 1,000 people does not amount yet to a peaking epidemics because the illness is only beginning to spread...
Credit: Radio Slovakia, Bratislava, in Slovak 1100 11 Dec 00

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9.1.2001 Milk Holding with nearly a one-third share on the Czech market [Access Czech Republic Business Bulletin ]
Milk Holding (MH) (Slovakia), holding milk products firm, should incorporate two new milk products firms in 2001. Then, the number of MH's firms will increase to five. MH will include Senicka mlekarna (Senica, Slovakia) and Laktis Zilinska mlekarna (Zilina, Slovakia). The hitherto three firms, which set up MH in the spring of 2000, are Mliekospol (Nove Zamky, Slovakia), Levicka mlekarna (Levice, Slovakia) and Milsy (Banovce nad Bebravou, Slovakia). MH will be able to process 260-270 mil lt of milk per year and its financial turnover will be about SOK 3.5-3.7 bil per year after the inclusion of the two firms. Then, MH will have nearly a one-third share on the Slovak milk products market.

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22.1.2001 Slovak daily reports on a likely victim of ""Balkan syndrome"" [BBC Monitoring European - Political ]
Excerpt from report in English by Slovak news agency TASR web site
According to the daily Novy cas [published on 20 January], the first Slovak victim of so-called Balkans syndrome could be a soldier who died of stomach cancer a year and a half after returning from peacekeeping duties in the Balkans. The 31-year-old soldier from Nove Zamky died on 22 September 1998 at the National Institute of Oncology in Bratislava. He had worked as a driver for the Slovak Unprofor [UN Protection Force]unit from 3 September 1995 till 5 July 1996 and had been sent home for health reasons. It had been recommended that he not be given further duties abroad.
""When he was in a Yugoslav hospital, his commanding officer told me that he might have a peptic ulcer,"" the soldier's mother told Novy cas, adding that her son had left Slovakia in perfect health. Eighteen months later he was diagnosed with cancer. He underwent surgery, but his condition deteriorated, and a second operation revealed the condition to be terminal.
The doctors, though, do not say whether there is a link between the cancer and radiation from depleted uranium munitions. ""The aetiology of tumourous diseases is so complex that the exact cause cannot be stated,"" according to the head of the Surgical Department of the National Institute of Oncology, Lubomir Sepesi.
The Slovak Defence Ministry said no Slovak soldiers had come into contact with the weapons and suggested that in this case the cause of death might be linked rather to a head injury suffered by the victim during his tour and which had left him unconscious for two weeks...
Credit: TASR web site, Bratislava, in English 0910 22 Jan 01

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6.6.2001 Slovak Hungarian party to propose formation of another territorial unit [BBC Monitoring European - Political ]
Text of report by Slovak commercial Radio Twist on 6 June
[Presenter] Following the failure to form the so-called Komarno county, the Party of the Hungarian Coalition [SMK] has decided to propose that another higher territorial unit be set up. This unit would be called Danube County [Slovak: Podunajsko].
SMK expert on public administration report, Jozsef Kvarda:
[Kvarda] As part of second reading, I shall submit to parliament a proposal to set up a higher territorial unit called the Danube County. We shall propose that this higher territorial self- administered unit consist of six districts.
[Presenter] The Danube County would comprise of Komarno, Dunajska Streda, Galanta, Sala, Nove Zamky and Levice districts.
Credit: Radio Twist, Bratislava, in Slovak 1100 6 Jun 01

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1.7.2001 Round-up of Slovak efforts to implement administration reform ahead of crucial parliament session [BBC Monitoring European - Political ]
Text of report in English by Slovak news agency TASR web site
[This press review has not been edited for content, nor have personal names and party names, abbreviations, etc. been amended.]
Bratislava, 30th June: Even though the Slovak Parliament is expected to deal with the bills on new administrative regions (VUCs) and elections to them in a second reading at its 50th session next week, no consensus has been reached among the governing coalition parties mainly on the major sticking point, the number of regions into which Slovakia will be redivided. Several models proposing creation of twelve, eight, or four local authority regions have been submitted to parliament.
The implemented reform is demanded by the European Union (EU) and is a part of the government's manifesto.
The coalition Democratic Left Party (SDL), for instance, opposes the model of 12 regions proposed by the Cabinet and pushes for the formation of 8 VUCs with the same borders as the current regions instead. On the other hand, the Christian Democratic Movement(KDH) executive organ recently recommend that its MPs support the government-proposed model of twelve regions. However, the board said, if a different proposal is submitted, KDH will call on the government to withdraw their proposal. Although the Hungarian Coalition Party (SMK) is inclined to support the government draft, it has declared its intention to propose the creation of a largely ethnic-Hungarian region in southern Slovakia called Podunajsko as a condition for their support for the government proposal. Podunajsko (Danube basin) should include current districts of Dunajska Streda, Komarno, Sala, Galanta, Nove Zamky, and Levice. Also the fourth Coalition party SOP (Party of Civic Understanding) is not unambiguous in its support for the government proposal. In fact, the European Commission does not consider the number of regions an important issue for Slovakia's EU membership. Rather, the EU representatives have said that passing the reform-related laws is a condition of Slovakia's further accession process. Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda recently said the reform completed by the end of current electoral period (1998-2002) was not a prerequisite to entry, maybe preparing the public for the alternative of coalition's failure to achieve a general consensus.
Credit: TASR web site, Bratislava, in English 1425 30 Jun 01

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23.7.2001 Slovak news agency schedule of events for 23 Jul 01 [BBC Monitoring European - Political ]
Text of report in English by Slovak news agency TASR web site
[This press review has not been edited for content, nor have personal names and party names, abbreviations, etc. been amended.]
BRATISLAVA:
- Civic Conservative Society (OKS): press conference, Slovak Parliament, room No.31, 10:30 a.m.
- Slovak Premier Mikulas Dzurinda will receive Croatian ambassador to Slovakia Andrea Gustovic-Ercegovac, Government's Office, 3 p.m.
BANSKA BYSTRICA:
- Banska Bystrica Regional Police Force Directorate: news conference on crime development in the region over the past week, Police Force Regional Directorate, 9 a.m.
KOMARNO:
- World Congress of Hungarians in Slovakia national committee: press conference, Restaurant Platan, 1 p.m.
NOVE ZAMKY:
- Visit of Tibetan spiritual representative - Lama XI. Tarab Tulka Rinpoche (23-24 July): reading of public message 'Close to Each Other, Open to the World', Secondary Training School (SOU) of Engineering
Credit: TASR web site, Bratislava, in English 0630 23 Jul 01

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25.8.2001 Slovak Hungarians deciding whether to leave government coalition [BBC Monitoring European - Political ]
Excerpt from report by Slovak radio on 25 August
[Announcer] The much-expected meeting of the national council of the Party of the Hungarian Coalition [SMK] started in Nove Dvory nad Zitavou in the Nove Zamky district [southern Slovakia] this morning.
Peter Rohac reports:
[Reporter] More than 90 per cent of members of the national council - 90 out of a total of 94 - are attending the meeting, which clearly indicates the importance of today's session.
A proposal to approve the SMK's departure from the government coalition is the only issue on the agenda. Eighteen regional organizations of the SMK, which are represented by their delegates here in Dvory nad Zitavou, have already made their standpoints clear on the suggested departure of the party from the government coalition...
The SMK press secretary, Lidia Pokstallerova, provided more details about the meeting a few minutes ago:
[Pokstallerova] The SMK chairman told the national council what recommendations had been made by the individual regional leaderships of the party. Out of the 18 regional organizations, 10 were in favour of the party's departure [from the coalition], three organizations said that the party should stay in the government coalition and five organizations demanded that conditions be laid down to decide whether to leave or stay.
The SMK chairman stressed that these were mere recommendations and that it was entirely up to the national council to make the final decision.
[Reporter] We will have more information on the outcome of the meeting after 1500 hours [1300 gmt].
Credit: Radio Slovakia, Bratislava, in Slovak 1000 25 Aug 01

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25.8.2001 Slovak opposition MP hospitalized with ""serious brain condition"" [BBC Monitoring European - Political ]
Text of report in English by Slovak news agency TASR web site
Nove Zamky, 25 August: Slovak opposition MP Jozef Zlocha is hospitalized with a serious brain condition in Nove Zamky in western Slovakia, it was disclosed Saturday [25 August].
Zlocha, a member of former Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar's Movement for a Democratic Slovakia [HZDS] party, was admitted on Thursday, said the hospital's duty doctor, Alzbeta Klimasova. His family have requested that no further details be made public.
The daily Novy cas on Saturday reported that Zlocha is already brain-dead after a massive stroke, quoting his friend and HZDS MP, Michal Drobny.
Credit: TASR web site, Bratislava, in English 1405 25 Aug 01

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26.8.2001 Slovak ex-minister, opposition MP dies [BBC Monitoring European - Political ]
Excerpt from report in English by Slovak news agency TASR web site
Bratislava, August 24: Jozef Zlocha, MP for the opposition Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) and former environment minister, died of a serious stroke on Saturday [24 August] evening.
He was 61. Zlocha was taken to hospital in Nove Zamky (Nitra region, southern Slovakia) after suffering a massive stroke on Thursday [22 August] morning while at his cottage...
He was expelled from the Czechoslovak Communist Party (KSC) in 1970 for condemning the invasion of Warsaw Pact to Czechoslovakia in 1968. In the first free election after the collapse of communism, Zlocha was elected MP for the House Of Nations in the Czecho-Slovak federal parliament.
He also worked in a parliamentary committee for the environment. Between June 1992 and March 1994 , Zlocha was the Slovak government member and chairman of the Slovak Commission for Environment. Also from December 1994 to October 1998 he was the environment minister in the cabinet of Vladimir Meciar.
In recent months Zlocha was a MP for the opposition HZDS party and member of the parliamentary committee for environment and nature protection.
Credit: TASR web site, Bratislava, in English 1345 26 Aug 01

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31.8.2001 Alimpex strengthens in Slovakia [Access Czech Republic Business Bulletin ]
Alimpex (Prague, Czech Republic), milk products distributor, has started to assert itself in Slovakia. It bought Sahneboehm (Bratislava, Slovakia) and increased the firm's monthly turnover to SOK 11 mil in Mar 2001. The sum is three times higher compared to the original volume. Alimpex wants to further increase the firm's turnover to nearly SOK 25 mil per month by the end of 2001. The firm has enlarged the warehouse of Sohneboehm in Bratislava and has equipped it with modern cooling equipment. In Slovakia, Alimpex plans to build another three warehouses in Kosice, Zilina and Zvolen. Besides, Alimpex is considering the purchase of milk products firms in Slovakia. Milk products firms in Senica, Trnava, Kezmarok, Presov, Zilina and Nove Zamky, all Slovakia, are for sale. Foreign capital controls 14 of 23 milk products firms in Slovakia and has a 61% share on the Slovak milk sale market.

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19.10.2001 Slovak news agency schedule of events for 20 Oct 01 [BBC Monitoring European - Political ]
Text of report in English by Slovak news agency TASR web site
[This press review has not been edited for content, nor have personal names and party names, abbreviations, etc. been amended.]
Bratislava: - SMER party: board session, followed by a press conference, Sumracna 27, 11 a.m. - ROSA party: founding congress, Kastielska 30, 4 p.m. KOSICE: - last day of official visit of Hungarian President Ferenc Madl NOVE ZAMKY: - Christian Democratic Movement (KDH): congress, Jiraskova 25, 8:30 a.m. TAJOV: - meeting of Roma women-leaders, Lesak Hotel, 9:30 a.m. LIPTOVSKY MIKULAS: - Slovak National Party (SNS): central board session, followed by a press conference, House of Culture, 10 a.m. MARTIN: - Real Slovak National Party (Real SNS): central board session, Grandis Hotel, 10 a.m.
Credit: TASR web site, Bratislava, in English 0939 19 Oct 01

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20.10.2001 EU entry in 2004 Slovakia's great chance - negotiator [BBC Monitoring European - Political ]
Text of report in English by Slovak commercial news agency SITA web site
Nove Zamky, 20 October: On Saturday [20 October], main negotiator of Slovakia's European Union entry Jan Figel said Slovakia has a great chance to complete entry negotiations by the end of 2002.
Slovakia faces the most demanding chapters, Figel admits, but if it manages [to close] them, the country will belong to the EU entry vanguard.
The December summit in Belgian Laeken will decide which countries will enter the European Union in 2004. According to Figel, Slovakia has been keeping good pace in entry talks but must keep working hard as it has no alternative but to enter the European Union in 2004. He explained if the Visegrad Four enters the European Union without Slovakia, the country would face serious difficulties with the customs union and Schengen borders.
Figel does not think that only Slovakia is having difficulties with sluggish reform of public administration, retirement system reform and healing the banking sector. He says 2004 is Slovakia's great chance and it is doubtful that another chance would come that soon if he country misses that one. European Council's Guy Verhofstadt says the European Union might name the countries entering the union in 2004. Verhofstadt, whose country presently holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, said terrorist attacks at the United States has made the enlargement even more urgent.
Credit: SITA news agency web site, Bratislava, in English 1244 20 Oct 01

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20.10.2001 Slovak Christian Democrats to go it alone in 2002 parliamentary elections [BBC Monitoring European - Political ]
Text of report in English by Slovak commercial news agency SITA web site
Nove Zamky, 20 October: On Saturday [20 October], the Christian Democrats (KDH) announced that they plan to run individually during the next parliamentary elections.
At a KDH congress, KDH Chairman Pavol Hrusovsky explained that his party cannot afford further weakening of its credit and authority by political unions. Hrusovsky repeatedly denied any possibility of the KDH entering a coalition with the Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS). He warned that some media even disseminated that the KDH might merge with the HZDS. Hrusovsky marked it a pure nonsense. The KDH chairman says his party does not reject cooperation with rightist parties but would not sign any pre-election cooperation agreement with the Slovak Democratic Christian Union and Pavol Rusko's ANO [New Citizens' Alliance].
According to Hrusovsky, the KDH is not ready for such cooperation. Last year, the KDH was only an uncertain group, but today it is an army ready to fight, Hrusovsky told the delegates of the KDH congress meeting in Nove Zamky. He said conservative politics celebrating values like prosperity, solidarity and safety is what the KDH has been pursuing. He poured hard criticism on Finance Minister Brigita Schmoegnerova accusing her of treating Slovak businessmen as they were thieves. According to Hrusovsky, the Dzurinda cabinet has failed to take the right perspective on the citizen. He admits it will be difficult to address the disappointed public after these failures.
Hrusovsky pledged to win at least 100,000 new voters and said the congress is the beginning of the KDH election campaign. A year ago, the Christian Democrats had left the Slovak Democratic Coalition to set up their own deputy club. However, Hrusovsky promised continuous support for the cabinet. The immediate reaction of ruling coalition partners was that the KDH threatened the stability of the coalition and took risks because of the political vanity of KDH leaders, who feared they would dissolve in the huge coalition stomach that had already digested political preferences of smaller parties. The separation meant a new stage of Christian Democracy in Slovakia.
Credit: SITA news agency web site, Bratislava, in English 1342 20 Oct 01

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21.10.2001 Slovak Christian Democrats define objectives for election year [BBC Monitoring European - Political ]
Excerpt from report by Slovak radio on 20 October
[Presenter] The team of the Christian Democratic Movement [KDH] has confirmed [at its annual congress] in Nove Zamky that this political entity is heading for an independent and clear-cut conservative policy. Almost 400 delegates approved changes to the movement's statutes and elected a chairman and five deputy chairmen of the KDH.
There were no other candidates [to leading posts] at the congress, however, as Peter Rohac reports:
[Reporter] The KDH congress in Nove Zamky has confirmed the orientation on which this political entity embarked at its congress in Trencin a year ago. The current slogan of the KDH is courage, hope and future.
The movement's chairman, Pavol Hrusovsky, today presented the three pillars of the KDH conservative policy: Prosperity, solidarity and security. In his speech Hrusovsky defined his personal objective: To ensure that there is a scope in parliament for KDH conservative policies. At the same time he proposed to the congress that it adopt a statement declaring a whole year before parliamentary elections, that the movement would go it alone in the next year's elections.
The KDH strategy is based on courage and personal responsibility of each member of the movement. Each member should win five new members during the coming year.
The movement's consolidation is reflected, among other things, in the new statutes, which propose that the election period of new [KDH] bodies be extended to two years. This is why there were no other candidates to the post of chairman and five deputy chairmen in the [leadership] election...
Credit: Radio Slovakia, Bratislava, in Slovak 1600 20 Oct 01

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21.10.2001 Slovak Christian Democrats re-elect leadership [BBC Monitoring European - Political ]
Text of report in English by Slovak news agency TASR web site
Nove Zamky, 20 October: Slovakia's Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) will enter the next general election independently, according to a resolution adopted by their national convention in Nove Zamky on Saturday [20 October].
Thus, they denied rumours of a possible cooperation with nonparliamentary SDKU [Slovak Democratic and Christian Union] party, led by Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda.
The delegates of the convention re-elected Pavol Hrusovsky as KDH chairman for further two-year term of office. Hrusovsky said after the vote that KDH cannot count on the opposition HZDS [Movement for a Democratic Slovakia] party as a partner after the upcoming general election. ""This is also the standpoint of KDH leadership,"" he added.
Hrusovsky was first elected last year replacing the founder of KDH and Justice Minister Jan Carnogursky, and outdoing his rival Jan Figel by 17 votes. At the current congress Hrusovsky faced no rivals, and nor did vice chairmen Vladimir Palko, Daniel Lipsic, Julius Brocka, Jan Figel and Pavol Minarik, who were also re-elected.
Credit: TASR web site, Bratislava, in English 1839 20 Oct 01

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29.10.2001 Slovakia says all anthrax-suspected samples negative [BBC Monitoring European - Political ]
Text of report in English by Czech news agency CTK
Banska Bystrica, central Slovakia, 29 October: The bacteriological tests by the National Health Institute (SZU) excluded the presence of anthrax in all of 276 samples analysed, Renata Kissova of the SZU's virus department told CTK today.
The laboratory has so far received 277 suspicious consignments.
""We shall examine the rest as by today,"" Kissova said. The SZU received the last consignment on Friday [26 October]. People may have got to normal again, Kissova said.
The laboratory received only 70 suspicious consignments last week, whereas the week before it received more than 200 of them.
""We should have gone to a normal regime, but we are still working according to an emergency schedule,"" Kissova said.
Most of the consignments were ordinary envelopes. Roughly one- quarter of them contained an unknown white powder. Some envelopes contained meat or just rubbish.
Despite the fact that the number of suspicious consignments has in recent days been declining, the alert is not over yet, mainly due to white powder found in a train on the railway journey between Zvolen- Nove Zamky.
The train is now under police observance and the substance is examined in a chemical laboratory in Nitra, west Slovakia.
Credit: CTK news agency, Prague, in English 1239 29 Oct 01

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7.12.2001 Mliekospol has daring plans for 2002 [Access Czech Republic Business Bulletin ]
Mliekospol (Nove Zamky, Slovakia), milk products firm, wants to increase the quantity of processed milk in 2002. The quantity should increase by 5 mil lt in 2002 compared to 2001, when the firm should process nearly 100 lt of milk. The company's turnover should be SOK 1.5 bil in 2001, SOK 240 mil more compared to 2000. Mliekospol's production covers nearly 11% of the Slovak milk market.

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20.2.2002 The Germans raise Osram Bruntal [Access Czech Republic Business Bulletin ]
Osram Bruntal (OB) (Bruntal, Czech Republic), electrical technology firm, expects proceeds of EUR 25.4 mil in 2002 and double from 2005. In 2002 the firm has 230 employees, planning to raise the number to 570 by 2005. OB will invest in the development of the production of bulb and fluorescent-lamp components. By 2005 its total investments should reach CEK 730 mil, which should be recovered within five years. In 2H 2002 OB will commission a new plant on the premises of the former Hydrometalurgicke zavody (Bruntal, Czech Republic), which it acquired in 2001. A major part of the plant's production will be intended for partner plants, which assemble bulbs and lighting equipment in Germany and the US. OB is also preparing to extend its production base in Bruntal, where component manufacturing should be moved gradually from the US and Germany for the reason of lower production costs. OB is owned by Osram (Germany), which also bought Tesla Nove Zamky (Nove Zamky, Slovakia) recently.

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13.3.2002 Envoy assures Slovaks of US impartiality before elections [BBC Monitoring European - Political ]
Text of report in English by Slovak news agency TASR web site
Nove Zamky, 13 March: During and before the general elections in Slovakia in September, the US will not support any concrete political party, coalition or individual person. The US Ambassador to Slovakia Ronald Weiser said this Wednesday [13 March] to the TASR news agency in Nove Zamky, which he visited as part of his get-to- know-Slovakia-and-its-cities-and-regions programme.
Speaking about Slovakia's integration ambitions, Weiser stressed that Slovak citizens would determine Slovakia's future in the elections. The new government will then decide whether Slovakia still wants to become a NATO member and, in turn, the alliance will say if it will reciprocate, he added. ""Minority rights protection is an important part of democracy.
The Slovak government includes representatives of its largest national minority, several laws maintaining minority rights were passed. These all are the moves in the right direction,"" Weiser said, reacting to question how much importance was placed on national minority policies in terms of Slovakia's integration ambitions. He pointed out that there were still some issues to be resolved in this area but the US hoped that Slovakia succeeds.
Credit: TASR web site, Bratislava, in English 1941 13 Mar 02

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9.5.2002 Slovak cabinet approves privatization of bus companies [BBC Monitoring European - Economic ]
Text of report in English by Slovak news agency TASR web site
Bratislava, 9 May: The Slovak government approved on Thursday [9 May] the sale of 49-per-cent stakes in state-owned bus companies (SADs) of Banska Bystrica, Kosice, Presov and Nove Zamky.
The tender for Nove Zamky SAD [southern Slovakia] was won by Eurobus-Invest (Hungary) with an offer of 90m korunas for a stake nominally valued at 87.372m korunas. Kosice SAD [eastern Slovakia] will be entered by domestic operator Bustrans with an offer of 173m korunas for a stake valued at 172.652m korunas. The tender for Presov SAD [eastern Slovakia] was won by B.K. Presov, whose offer of 84.771m korunas matched the nominal value. Banska Bystrica SAD will be entered by Czech company CSAD Ostrava with an offer of140m korunas for a stake valued at 213.747m korunas.
After the entries, all the SADs will have their registered capital raised in two or three rounds. Under the transaction contracts, the FNM state privatization agency's 51-per-cent stake in the companies, and the investors' 49-per-cent stakes must remain unchanged by the increase.
The government has already approved direct sale of SADs Bratislava and Dunajska Streda [southwestern Slovakia] to Connex Transport AB (Sweden) and domestic DSAD bus transport company, respectively. Connex will pay 401.623m korunas and DSAD 40m korunas.
[One dollar equals 46.13 dollars]
Credit: TASR web site, Bratislava, in English 1439 9 May 02

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7.1.2003 Slovak police break up gang of sex traffickers - press [BBC Monitoring European - Political ]
Text of report in English by Czech news agency CTK
Bratislava, 7 January: The Slovak police succeeded in breaking up a gang of sex traffickers from Nove Zamky, southwestern Slovakia, and arrested seven gang members, the Slovak daily Novy cas reports today.
The gang gained the profit of 5m Slovak korunas at least from prostitution abroad in the past three years. The police suspect that even a couple of public servants were involved in the trafficking, the paper writes.
Within the past eight years, at least 60 prostitutes worked for the gang. They came mostly from children's homes or poor families. The traffickers enticed young women to work for them by promises of high wages. Some of the women were forced to prostitution by violence.
Both pimps and prostitutes sent money to the gang via banks in Germany, France, Austria and Switzerland, the daily adds.
The gang members were telling their victims who had to give them their whole income for months that they had not worked off the alleged sum for necessary documents or travel expenses yet.
The gang's boss was Viola G., 53, who has been repeatedly sentenced for theft and fraud in the past. She served a prison sentence in France for sex trafficking. Besides, she is banned from entering the EU countries for five years, the paper says.
Foreign policemen, for example from Germany, helped their Slovak colleagues with detaining the gang members who face several years in prison if found guilty, Novy cas writes.
(One dollar equals 39.42 Slovak korunas)
Credit: CTK news agency, Prague, in English 1326 7 Jan 03

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25.7.2003 Slovakia: Financial group to invest millions in TV Joj [BBC Monitoring Media ]
Text of report by Slovak newspaper Sme on 24 July
The PPF financial group is planning a massive injection into Joj television. According to a report on the RadioTV Internet server, its owners want to double the channel's market share within a year. According to a so-called log survey, Joj currently has ratings of 13.5 per cent.
They want to increase them by broadcasting blockbuster movies, but also by expanding the number of transmitters on the frequencies that Joj acquired from the licensing council this and last year.
""I envisage that Joj will attain a 20-per-cent share, if not more, within a year,"" said Petr Chajda, financial director of Czech Nova Television, who represents the interests of PPF, to RadioTV. The company intends to make an investment in Joj in the order of tens of millions of korunas.
Joj plans to put into operation three high-power transmitters in Trencin, Uhrovce, and Nove Zamky in September [western and southwestern Slovakia]. ""More than 80 per cent of viewers will be able to watch us, which is half a million more than at the moment,"" said Joj chief Milan Knazko to Sme.
According to Chajda, after attaining a stable position, Joj wants to attempt to attack Markiza.
Joj has a problem with advertising. According to the RadioTV server, Markiza has made use of its position on the market and has cut it off from lucrative clients. ""This was also the main reason why the Ceska Produkcni Invest company decided to sell its 50-per- cent stake in Joj to the influential Grafobal company,"" says RadioTV.
Knazko is convinced that, within two to three years, Joj will be ready to compete for primacy on the Slovak television market. ""Joj's ratings are going up continuously, while the viewer popularity of the competition is going down,"" he said.
Credit: Sme, Bratislava, in Slovak 24 Jul 03

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30.7.2003 Slovak ministry supports small businesses in regions with high unemployment [BBC Monitoring European - Political ]
Excerpt from report in English by Slovak news agency TASR web site
Bratislava, 30 July: The Ministry of Construction and Regional Development has granted small businesses in districts with high unemployment 98.86m Slovak korunas (\2.35m) to help launch new activities this year.
The support for small businesses, namely 115 entities in four regions featuring 32 districts, is being realized under the De Minimis Support Programme for the development of districts with high unemployment. [passage omitted]
The regions include Kosice (28.73m korunas), Presov (26.12m korunas), Nitra (23.17m korunas) and Banska Bystrica (20.84m korunas) - and Nove Zamky (8m korunas) and Trebisov (6.5m korunas) lead the districts. [passage omitted]
The projects have to guarantee at least three new jobs and must stay in business for at least five years.
Credit: TASR web site, Bratislava, in English 1843 30 Jul 03

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30.7.2003 Slovak towns sell emmission quotas to Japan [BBC Monitoring European - Political ]
Excerpt from report in English by Czech news agency CTK
Bratislava, 30 July: Local authorities and businesses will be able to earn easily money in the years to come since the global trend of curbing greenhouse gases gives them the opportunity of selling their ""clean air"" to advanced countries, the daily Sme writes today. Now millions of dollars are at stake, it adds.
The first Slovak firm and two towns, which release to the air less carbon dioxide than allowed by the limit of the Kyoto Protocol, sold the differential to the Japanese Sumimoto firm at the end of last year.
The Japanese economy produced more carbon dioxide than allowed by the limit of the Kyoto Protocol. In order to fulfil their obligations, the Japanese used the superfluous ""clean air"" from Slovakia. According to unofficial information, they paid over half a million dollars for it.
""The wonderful thing is that Slovakia, too, is among the countries which are under the limit, while there is the idea in the world that this can be traded,"" Tibor Baran, the mayor of the south Slovak town of Sala, told the paper. It was Sala which, along with the town of Nove Zamky and the firm Menert, have concluded the deal with the Japanese.
The Netherlands, too, has shown interest in the affair. The Dutch government is planning to put up a tender in Slovakia in September. [passage omitted]
Credit: CTK news agency, Prague, in English 0844 30 Jul 03

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26.9.2003 Slovak nation-wide warning strike ends [BBC Monitoring European ]
Text of report by Slovak radio on 26 September
[Announcer] The one-hour nation-wide warning strike organized by the Confederation of Trade Unions [KOZ] ended an hour ago. Has the expected participation been confirmed? Nora Gubkova put this question to the spokesman of the Central Strike Committee, Eugen Skultety:
[Skultety] The number of those taking part (?was higher) than expected. During that hour we also noted organizations which actively joined those who had been decided in advance. I believe that this was employees and our members' reaction to the deliberations at the extraordinary session [on 24 September] of the Tripartite [representatives of the government, employers and employees] and statements by Mr [Transport Minister] Prokopovic and by Mr [Minister of Labour] Kanik.
[Reporter] It was estimated that the strike will hit hardest at railways. What was the situation there?
[Skultety] In the Bratislava region [southwestern Slovakia] Kuty, Nove Zamky, Nitra and Leopoldov took active part in the strike. In the Zilina [northwestern Slovakia] region 14 railway stations took part and in the Zvolen [central Slovakia] it was the main railway station and the depot.
This is the information available to me right now.
Credit: Radio Slovakia, Bratislava, in Slovak 0800 26 Sep 03

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17.4.2004 Early turnout figures in Slovak presidential election low [BBC Monitoring European ]
Excerpt from report in English by Czech news agency CTK
Bratislava/Trnava/Nova Zamky - west Slovakia, Zvolen - central Slovakia, Kosice - east Slovakia, 17 April: Over 6,000 electoral precincts opened this morning in Slovakia where 4.2m eligible voters could decide between former premier Vladimir Meciar or former parliament head Ivan Gasparovic for president.
Traditionally, older people were the first to vote. Analysts say that if the turnout in this second round of voting is low, Meciar has the greater chance to win, but if the turnout is high, Gasparovic has the better chance.
In Bratislava, those voting early admitted to CTK that they voted the ""lesser evil"", by which they meant Gasparovic, in an effort to avoid the return of Meciar to power. [Passage omitted]
In Trnava, the turnout was slow at the opening as well, as had been the case two weeks ago during the first round of voting. Members of the local election committees said that they expected between 20 and 40 per cent of people to come to the polls. [Passage omitted]
Turnout was also low in Nove Zamky. According to a poll in the town, many people do not plan to vote because their candidates were unsuccessful in the first round. Some, however, said that the plan to vote the ""lesser evil"" in Gasparovic. [Passage omitted]
In Zvolen, the turnout was also low in the early hours of the voting. ""I voted for Gasparovic. I think he's better than Meciar,"" a woman in Zvolen said.
Credit: CTK news agency, Prague, in English 1118 17 Apr 04

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28.7.2004 Woman killed by mail bomb [Anonymous. Irish Examiner ]
AN EXPLOSIVE device that appeared to have been planted in a mailbox in southern Slovakia killed one woman and severely injured another.
The explosion in the city of Nove Zamky killed a 63-year-old woman who lived in an apartment near the mailboxes, regional police spokesman Milos Fabry said.
He said a 38-year-old woman was injured in the blast, and was in stable condition at a hospital in Nove Zamky, 60 miles east of the capital, Bratislava.

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29.7.2004 Highlights: Slovak Economic Issues 16-23 Jul 04 [BBC Monitoring European ]
The following is a Slovak economic update for the period 16-23 July 2004:
(Novy Den, Bratislava, in Slovak 23 Jul 04)
International Trade and Investments
South Korean Firm To Invest Sk20 Million in Bundled Cables Production Plant
The South Korean company Hansung Electronics has decided to invest approximately Sk20 million in a new production plant in Slovakia, Narodna Obroda, quoting the managing director of the SARIO (Slovak Agency for the Development of Investments and Trade) agency, Roman Kuruc, reports. It will employ about 20 people in the region of Nove Zamky (southwestern Slovakia) at the initial stage. The company will supply bundled cables to Samsung Electronics in Hungary and the southwestern Slovak town of Galanta. According to Kuruc, the investor will increase the number of its employees to 50 """"in the near future."""" Viliam Krajci, managing director of Hansung Electronics Slovakia, adds that Hansung Electronics has chosen Slovakia thanks to its qualified and experienced workforce, liberalized market, and the ideal logistical position of Nove Zamky with respect to their main customer, Samsung Electronics.

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18.2.2006 Weekend: THE LONG WAY HOME: In the turmoil of wars and revolutions over the past century, millions of families were forced from their homes. Refugees in turn became usurpers. Adrian Levy and Cathy Scott- Clark follow the shifting fortunes of four families.: [2] [Adrian Levy and Cathy Scott-Clark. The Guardian ]
There is a family home where I have never been, but my grandmother described it to me so lovingly when I was a little boy that whenever I am stuck in some far-flung place, stymied on a story, it is to this house that my mind wanders. In my reverie, the house, with scalloped roof and lime-rendered walls, has gardens running down to a fast-flowing river. Swimmers jackknife into the water. A blanket has been thrown over meadow grass, a china dinner service is arranged for a dozen people: cups filled with bitter coffee, plates laden with goose-liver pate, and a crystal dish bearing an oblong torte, glazed with brittle toffee.
This dream house was my grandmother's childhood home. It was built by her father, a wealthy lawyer in the service of an aristocratic family, and stood in Nove Zamky, a town north-west of Budapest, once a caravanserai in the Austro-Hungarian empire.
In 1939, my grandmother was forced to leave her home in Nove Zamky with such haste that all she could take with her was a diamond, sewn into the lining of her dress. She fled the approaching Nazis and boarded the only liner on which she could get a passage. It should have sailed for Bombay but, as war took hold, the ship was diverted to England, where Anna, her husband Miklos, and their new baby (my Aunt Veronica) were ushered down the gangplank at Tilbury Docks.
Anna and Miklos Klein, who were soon to be naturalised British, surrounded themselves with exiled friends who spoke in Hungarian, Czech and German. They ate goose liver, toffee cake and sipped bitter coffee. But even as they prospered, they always regarded themselves as homeless. Anna could never bring herself to return to her Nove Zamky mansion, with its view over the gymnasium where her handsome brother Laci graduated with honours. She would never know who took over the house where she was born. In truth, I was a shallow, inattentive listener to my grandmother's stories, weary of the suffocating pall of the Holocaust that hung over our family, but I couldn't rid myself of the image of a house-that-was-once-a-home in Nove Zamky.
On my grandmother's windowsill stood a blue-and-white collection box where we put our small change, to finance, we were told, a sanctuary for Jews. The box sported a bleached-out map of Israel with vivid splashes of green - the story it told was of an arid desert, where no one lived before green-fingered Jewish refugees and Holocaust survivors (including a handful of my relatives) arrived and made it bloom.
Home was a persuasive idea that spanned the abandoned shtetls, towns and cities of old Europe from where Jewish refugees fled, and the ""Old-new land"", as they called the biblical land of Israel that was to become their sanctuary. This notion of Home was extremely partial and somehow jarred with me. The fate of the homes and belongings that were left behind in eastern Europe were rarely discussed, and the outcome for those displaced by the Jews when they arrived in Palestine was never even mentioned. This idea of Home did not take account of the way people with little in common, of different faiths, nationalities and competing ambitions, were linked together by the places they once lived.
To chart the history of one chain of homes and their inhabitants, it seemed to us, would be to create a timeline of the 20th century. We decided to begin in the present, to find a Palestinian, one of the millions in exile, who had memories of the home that had been lost. We asked Abbas Shiblak, a Palestinian refugee in London, who has collected many such stories to help us in our search. Initially he was reluctant - ""Home, for me, is no longer a physical place or a country. Home is being in the company of like-minded people,"" he said - but he began emailing fellow exiles and the responses flooded in.
Sari, in Beirut, wrote: ""I cannot help. My mother's Palestinian home was completely destroyed three years ago in Wad Salib, Haifa."" Mansour from Cyprus: ""For my dad it is too long a time ago. He can't go back."" Nadim from Montreal: ""Sorry, but I cannot face returning. Good luck in your work, Salam.""
However, the fragments of two stories began to look possible. The first related to an Arab doctor, Dr Emile Berouti, who as a young boy had fled his family home in the former Palestinian port city of Jaffa in 1947 and made a new life for himself in a devoutly Christian pocket of south-west Germany. The second encapsulated another side of the Palestinian story, a farmer's wife born into a simple rural village that was overrun by the Israeli army in 1948, forcing her and her neighbours to find shelter in what is now a vast, cramped refugee city. Nijma Mahamid had hoped to live out her life surrounded by her great-grandfather's olive groves and the graves of her forebears. Instead, she had spent most of her 65 years as a refugee inside the new Israel.
Birkenfeld in south-west Germany has only four GPs and no visible links to the traumas of the Middle East. Dr Emile Berouti is easy to track down, but he is reluctant to look back. ""My life is here in Germany. I have been here so long that I know nothing any more about the old days in Palestine. I am married to a German. My family speak German. I can barely read Arabic any more. No need to. Palestine is in the past.
""You want to talk about Palestine. Why? Always from Palestine there is terrible news. Only the other day I heard how the Israeli army fired into a school in east Jerusalem."" He shakes his head. ""Shooting at young children. Imagine.""
We broach the subject of his childhood home in Old Jaffa. ""Old Jaffa. Such a beautiful city. A paradise on the Mediterranean. Now it's overshadowed by monstrous Tel Aviv. When I was a boy, Tel Aviv was just a small settlement up the coast where Jews lived. We never had reason to visit. My father was a bank manager in Old Jaffa. Barclays Bank. His was an important position in the community, but it didn't help when the time came."" What about the house itself, we ask. He thinks. He struggles: ""It was enormous. Or maybe not - it seemed that way to a small child. I think it looked out over an olive grove. Or maybe that was a dream. I know that we lived on the ground floor and my grandparents were on the first floor. A balcony. Marble floors. Pillars and tiles."" He pauses. ""Look, I was only seven years old when we packed everything and fled. I recall that we crammed into the back of a small car with our possessions. We were gone from that place long before I was really able to understand anything about the world. . . We were lucky to get out while we could.""
The Berouti family fled Jaffa shortly before the UN voted in 1947 to partition the British Mandate of Palestine, handing more than 50% of the land to the Jews. By the time the Israeli state was proclaimed the following May, Emile Berouti, his parents and brother had crossed over into Lebanon. ""I think that my parents believed that after a few months the Zionists would be routed and it would be safe to return,"" he says. ""But, later on, after we settled in Beirut, it became obvious that we had lost everything we had left behind.""
The Berouti family house in Jaffa - along with 45,000 others - was seized by the new Israel's Absorption Department that took control of all abandoned Palestinian homes and allocated them to Jewish refugees from Europe. Over the next three decades, while the Jewish population of Israel grew to almost 3 million, the Beroutis were among the 9 million Palestinians who sought new homes elsewhere. ""My father died in exile in Beirut. He never recovered from the loss.""
How did Berouti end up in Germany? ""After my father's death, my mother's family decided there was nothing for me in the Middle East and that I should go to Europe. I applied to study medicine at Heidelberg university."" While Berouti studied, fedayeen militia formed the Palestine Liberation Organisation. By the time junior doctor Berouti graduated, he had completed his reorientation by marrying his German girlfriend, Barbara. After finishing his medical training, he settled in Birkenfeld. ""The sole Palestinian for hundreds of miles around,"" he says.
Was Berouti never curious about the life and the home he left behind? ""Why would I want to go back to a place of such suffering and sadness?"" Maybe to see your old home, we suggest. He laughs. ""You don't understand. It's not my home. It belongs to another. She wrote me a letter."" He sees we are nonplussed. ""The new owner of my house, an Israeli woman. It was a big letter. I received it three or four years back. She said she was sorry we had been forced out but that she was only a child when it happened. She was not to blame."" Can we visit your old home, we ask. Berouti shrugs. ""Ask the Israeli,"" he says. But he tells us his house is opposite the old pharmacy in Jaffa.
We fly to Tel Aviv and take a cab to Old Jaffa. Workmen are chipping away at the looping lettering that once ornamented the Arab souk. ""The old pharmacy?"" we ask and we are directed to a bottle- green shop with a sign: Geday & Son, Pharmacist. Inside, a man in a starched, white coat introduces himself as Fakhri Geday. He has been in Jaffa, he says, for ever. ""My family are Christian Arabs and can trace their roots back to the Crusades. Now everything has gone. The Israelis even dug up the manholes that said 'Municipality of Palestine',"" he says. ""Nothing original is left here apart from me.""
Did he know the Berouti family? Geday points across the road to an alley. ""Third house down on the left. They have long gone."" He thumbs through his address book. ""I do everyone's prescriptions. The new owner is an Israeli woman. . . Mrs A Shapiro."" He jots down her telephone number as two Arab boys come into the pharmacy complaining of depression. We walk down the alley and knock on the door. No answer. We leave a message on Mrs Shapiro's voicemail.
We wait for a call. In the meantime we have our second lead to explore. Nijma Mahamid, a three-hour drive away, north-east of Jaffa, has invited us to talk about the past. She lives in Umm al- Faham, an unloved place that hugs the hillside beside the A66 highway, midway between the Mediterranean and the Sea of Galilee, one of the largest Muslim towns in Israel. A forest of minarets and flagpoles flying the red, green and white pennants of Palestine announce the town, a jarring presence amid the other wise uninterrupted blue-and-white Israeli flags.
In the town square, taxi drivers puff on nagilehs and sip sweet Arabic coffee. We climb up several flights of concrete stairs through the souk; Nijma Mahamid, now 75, is waiting outside an angular concrete blockhouse. ""Welcome,"" she says, using the carefully chosen Arabic word beit (house) instead of manzel (home). ""We have been here for more than 50 years but the people of Umm al- Faham still consider us outsiders.""
Nijma pours black tea. She was born in a village 15 miles east of here from which she fled in June 1948. ""It was called al-Lajjun and its farmers were the kings of corn in the whole Jezreel valley,"" she says. ""The corn grew so high that if my oldest brothers stood on either side of the field they could barely see each other. But our Jewish neighbours drove us out. We always respected them and we thought they respected us."" But in June 1948 Israeli soldiers surrounded al-Lajjun. ""They shot at anyone who moved. My father said it was revenge."" The previous month, the Arab armies of Lebanon, Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Jordan had invaded Israel, aided by bands of Arab militia raised by villages such as al- Lajjun.
Nijma says, ""For days the Israeli soldiers watched us from the hills. One commander called down to our village with a loudspeaker: 'If you don't flee there will be a massacre.' My father said we were doomed. He put me on a horse and the bullets flew over our heads. We sought refuge here in Umm Al-Faham. For three nights we slept on the roof of a house.""
The Mahamid family expected to remain only a few weeks but soon many more had joined them, abandoning hundreds of villages across the region. The Israeli minister of agriculture seized abandoned Palestinian fields, declaring them to be uncultivated. By autumn 1949, Jewish refugees from Europe were living in Arab villages and harvesting the Palestinian crop as more than 50,000 Palestinian farmers crammed into Umm al-Faham.
Nijma sips her tea. ""I have never returned to our village. I have never been allowed. Israeli soldiers for years blocked the road that leads there. So we sold our gold jewellery to pay for the foundations of this house,"" she says, pointing to the concrete walls around us. We would like to see your village, we say. ""Please find it,"" she says. ""For us al-Lajjun will always be our home. Our olive groves are a legacy that cannot be traded. Our ancestors are still buried in the village cemetery.""
The village of al-Lajjun does not appear on any document we can find. Old Arab maps and British Mandate era land records have long since disappeared. By the late 1960s the new reality was given a gloss of history, with Golda Meir, Israel's prime minister, pronouncing in 1969 that there had never been a ""Palestinian people in Palestine considering itself as a Palestinian people"".
Eventually, on a map from 1955, we find a reference to the village of al-Lajjun; beneath has been

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25.4.2006 Scientists seek link between solar flares and strokes [The Hindustan Times ]
Bratislava, April 25 -- Scientists are seeking a possible link between solar energy surges and the occurrence of strokes in human beings.
Neurologists who traced about 6,800 strokes and related cerebral attacks in a region of Slovakia are studying whether solar cycles, solar wind and geomagnetic storms on Earth may be somehow connected to human health.
Michal Kovac and a colleague at a neurology clinic in the city of Nove Zamky, southwest Slovakia, found that the number of strokes among local residents rose significantly every 10.5 years and 7.04 years - time periods that correspond to solar-flare cycles that impact on Earth.
Their report, published recently in the Bratislava Medical Journal, provided fresh research for the field of chronobiology - the study of biological cycles such as the circadian rhythms that affect human sleep.
Kovac used a time graph to trace three kinds of cerebral attacks over a 16-year period between January 1989 and December 2004 among the 180,000 people living in the Nove Zamky area. He wanted to know whether the population's stroke rates rose and ebbed according to a regular pattern.
The study found that the solar flare cycles of 10.5 years, the average period between peak sunspot activity and quiet, as well as the seven-year cycles for geomagnetic activity ""were significant in all three clinical diagnoses"".
Energy generated by solar flares travels through space with solar wind and causes geomagnetic storms when it reaches Earth, according to the American Geophysical Union.
Kovac's study raised questions similar to those stemming from previous studies of biological cycles in Slovakia and the neighbouring Czech Republic.
A group of scientists in 1992 discovered a seven-year cycle for intestinal worm attacks in humans, while other scientists in 1993 found tapeworms occurring in seven-year and 12-year rhythms in swine as well as sheep.
Another study found abortions among girls occurring in 10-year cycles in Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
Kovac wrote that his and other theories linking human health and time cycles in nature are ""so far generally ignored due to insufficient understanding of inferential statistics and chronobiology among doctors"".
However, ""It is possible that such variables will in the future be monitored from the point of view of prevention of diseases"", he added.
In reviewing Kovac's work, scientists with the Halberg Chronobiology Centre at the University of Minnesota in the US said it showed that ""magneto-periodic mechanisms remain to be investigated.""
They also called it ""a plea for worldwide access to morbidity, mortality and natality data that constitute a largely unexploited treasure"" for the chronobiology field.
Published by HT Syndication with permission from Indo-Asian News Service.

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13.9.2006 Slovak ethnic-Hungarian student confirms racially-motivated attack [BBC Monitoring European ]
Hedviga Malinova, a Slovak female student of Hungarian ethnic origin, confirmed in a public statement that on 25 August she was indeed verbally and physically attacked by two youths. Her statement contradicts the one made by Slovak Interior Minister Robert Kalinak on 12 September, according to which the student pretended to have been attacked. This racially-motivated attack led to the escalation of tension on Slovakia's domestic political scene as well as in relations with Hungary.
The student, accompanied by her lawyer MP Gabor Gal, said in her statement: ""On 25 [August] I was going [to the Faculty of Central European Studies of Nitra University] to take part in an Hungarian- language end-term exam...I was first approached in English, asked whether I could speak English. I said no. Then German. I said yes, I can speak German but I also speak Hungarian. They asked how to get to Nove Zamky [a town in southern Slovakia]. I gave them the information...I continued on my way. Suddenly I heard somebody shouting at me ""In Slovakia speak Slovak"". And then again, ""Slovak in Slovakia"". I turned round and I saw two boys, young boys. They were around 20-22 years old. They came up to me and asked me whether I had not heard what they told me, whether I am deaf or stupid or whether I cannot speak or hear. I told them that yes, I did hear and I did understand what they had told me and that they should leave me alone as I did not do anything to them. They asked me where I was going. I told them that I was going to the faculty to pass and exam. They told me: You will no longer go anywhere today. They pulled at my hair and that is probably when I also received a blow [in face]. My nose started bleeding...I do not remember all they told me but I remember clearly that they ordered me to take off my jacket, tights and to take off my earrings. I was very scared and I did all they ordered me to do. Then I felt a kick in the belly. And before that they slapped me several times. I fell to the ground... I remember laying in the grass, being terribly cold...Then [I remember] running. I do not know where, I just keep running...My blouse is torn, I have blood all over me, on my chest...""
The statements by Hedviga Malinova and her lawyer were made at a joint news conference relayed live by TA3 news channel.
Credit: TA3 TV, Bratislava, in Slovak 1208 13 Sep 06

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14.7.2007 Big Duddy' to go twelve rounds in front of home fans [Anonymous. Irish Examiner ]
HE HAS taken the US by storm.
He has sold out Madison Square and tonight John Duddy will parade his boxing talents before the home fans for the very first time as a professional.
His opponent for tonight's showpiece at the National Stadium will be a 30-year-old weather-beaten Italian, Alessio Forlan, whose last public appearance was over 12 rounds against the current European champion.
There is no title at stake tonight but to Duddy there is something much more important to be fought for -- the hard earned reputation he has developed around an unblemished 20 fight record that he has hammered out on the other side of the Atlantic.
""The victory is more important than any title here,"" he insisted at last evening's weigh in at the Tara Towers Hotel. ""We are on a journey and it's not just to try and win every fight -- it is try and be the best in the world at some stage and every step into the ring is a stepping stone closer to that goal.""
But he admits that this is extra special -- another dream among the many that he has turned into spectacular realities.
""The fact that I am back here fighting in Ireland again and seeing the attention that it is generating is exciting,"" he said. ""I think I owe an awful lot to Bernard Dunne because it is all thanks to him that I am here right now. He has put boxing back on the map again in Ireland. He has been so professional and he has heightened the profile and the level of boxing by becoming European champion.
""Because of him not only are the fans coming to watch a fight any more -- they are coming to watch exciting fights and I am looking forward to performing and the opportunity to box again at the National Stadium.""
He has great memories of the National Stadium -- even the nights when he struggled unsuccessfully to come to grips with Cork's elusive Olympic southpaw, Michael Roche.
Since then things have changed dramatically. While others went to the US with plenty of profile he took the scenic route battling it out in the gyms of New York where he grabbed the attention of the McLoughlin brothers who now protect his interests.
""When I went to The States I went alone,"" he recalled. ""People have often asked me why I did not turn pro in Ireland but was a dime-a-dozen fighter on the amateur scene. There have been a lot of great fighters in Irish boxing but they just never got the opportunity.
""I had the opportunity of going to America and I jumped at it. I went out there on a wing and a prayer and fortunately things have worked out for me.""
His career took another jump in the past month when the legendary Don Turner turned his back on a more peaceful retirement after spotting something special. The man who trained 19 world champions including the undisputed world heavyweight champ, Evander Holyfield, admitted yesterday that he now wants to take John Duddy to a world championship and Duddy is chuffed.
""We work very well together,"" he said. ""We have generated a good working relationship in the gym and all the information that comes out of his mouth is just fantastic. What I like about him is he is a straight shooter. Whatever I am doing wrong he is on top of me. Every now and then if I do something right he lets me know that too.
""I never in my wildest dreams thought I would be working with a legend like him but then I never dreamt I would be selling out Madison Square Garden. Dreams come true but it all comes down to the hard work I have been doing in gym. To be working with world class Hall of Fame coaches is unbelievable. Hopefully it will improve me as a fighter and that I can make the dream of being a world champion become a reality as well.""
He described Furlan as a good opponent who is not just happy to make up the number.
""He went 12 rounds with the current European champion a few months so he has a good track record,"" he said. ""He has five draws on his record as well so he knows how to spoil fights.
""I am looking forward to going in and putting down my game play and looking to see how the cookie crumbles. But I know I won't have to go looking for him and he sure won't have to come looking for me. It is going to be exciting.
""The fans are going to settle for just one result and that's the only result I am going to settle for and that's a victory.""
The Programme: Middleweight 10. x 3 min Rounds: John Duddy (Derry City0 v Alessio Furlan (Rivarolo Canavesse, Italy)
Light Welter 10 x 3 min Rounds: Paul McCloskey (Dungiven, Co. Derry) v Ivan Orlando Bustos (Buenos Aires).
Light Welter 8 x 3 mins Rounds: Stephen Haughian (Lurgan) v Gary O'Connor (Manchester).
Super Bantamweight 8 x 3 min Rounds: Eugene Heagney (Huddersfield) v Colin Moffett (Belfast).
Super Featherweight 4 x 3 min Rounds: Patrick Hyland (Tallaght) v Roman Rafael (Komarno, Slovakia).
Heavyweight 4 x 3 min Rounds: Declan Timlin (Rossport, Co. Mayo) v Peter Szabo (Nove Zamky, Slovakia).

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14.7.2007 Hungarian association in Slovakia wants referendum on autonomy [BBC Monitoring European ]
Text of report in English by Czech news agency CTK
Bratislava, 14 July: The newly established nongovernmental organization Southern Council for Autonomy wants in the future to collect signatures on a petition for a referendum on establishing territorial autonomy in southern Slovakia where the Hungarian minority of about 500,000 lives, association head Janos Bosza told CTK today.
The association wants to apply for official registration with the Interior Ministry and to start to discuss autonomy with people, said Bosza, a businessman from Komarno. ""Our priority now is to go among people and to explain to them the term autonomy. A long and hard path is ahead of us, but we are doing nothing unlawful,"" Bosza said. He said a referendum on territorial autonomy could be held in one or two years.
Under the respective law, a referendum can be launched if 350,000 signatures for it are collected.
The association's general assembly, that started in Moca near Komarno on Friday [13 July], brought together about 20 members.
Bosza said that the autonomous territory would have its own parliament and that it would be linked with the rest of Slovakia by joint foreign and defence policies.
Slovakia has more than 5m inhabitants.
The association's controversial plan does not probably have any greater chance of success. Not even the opposition Hungarian Coalition Party (SMK), that represents the ethnic Hungarians' interests, seeks territorial autonomy.
""We do not want to compete with the SMK. We want to start up a discussion on self-determination on the civic basis,"" Bosza said. According to the association's internet page, the autonomy would spread on the territory that Hungary occupied after the Vienna Award in November 1938. It embraces for instance Senec and Nove Zamky in the west of Slovakia, as well as the east Slovak capital of Kosice.
The SMK pushed in the past for a partial autonomy, for instance, in culture and education. A broader autonomy has been mentioned more openly several times by the controversial SMK deputy Miklos Duray. Duray's position in the SMK was recently strengthened with the replacement of SMK years-long chairman Bela Bugar with Pal Csaky.
Bosza collected signatures for autonomy already during the SMK congress in Komarno this year, but he attracted attention of only few delegates, according to SMK members.
Credit: CTK news agency, Prague, in English 1340 14 Jul 07

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13.9.2007 Slovak deputy minister condemns Romanies' eviction as ""racially motivated"" [BBC Monitoring European ]
Text of report in English by Czech news agency CTK
Bratislava, 13 September: The removal of Romanies from some Slovak towns is racially motivated, Slovak Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs, Human Rights and Minorities Dusan Caplovic told journalists today.
The buildings that had been inhabited by tens, mostly Romany, rent-defaulters were sold by the southern Slovak town of Nove Zamky in the past days.
The new owner is trying to evict them, the daily Sme writes today.
Other town halls want to resolve the problem with Romanies in the same way, it adds.
""Some methods of eviction remind me of the sad years 1938-1945 in southern Slovakia, occupied by Hungary under the Horthy regime, and the first, war-time Slovakia,"" Caplovic said in a press release.
The new owner of the houses in Nove Zamky has offered housing in the neighbouring Levice district to the Romanies. However, they are opposed to the solution as they are to live in devastated houses without water, electricity and toilets.
According to the media, the occupants of the sold houses who had no debts have received alternative flats in the town.
Caplovic says the Romanies were immediately evicted without having received the notice under the compulsory three-month deadline.
""This state of affairs was caused by the failure of the town hall in the sphere of comprehensive solution to the issue of Romanies,"" Caplovic said.
In 2004, Nove Zamky had received half a million korunas from the government commissioner for Romany communities for projects for Romanies such as the construction of low-standard flats.
However, the town hall did not secure the construction or any other projects, Caplovic said.
Sme writes that town halls have evicted Romanies also from the towns of Komarno, Kezmarok and Tornala.
Credit: CTK news agency, Prague, in English 1700 13 Sep 07

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15.9.2007 Slovak party proposes moving district authority from ethnic Hungarian area [BBC Monitoring European ]
Text of report by Slovak newspaper Sme website on 12 September
[Report by Jozef Cavojec: ""SNS Wants To Move Administrative District Office Away From Southern Slovakia""]
Bratislava -- The Slovak National Party [SNS] has submitted to Parliament a proposal that the administrative district office in Sturovo, where the majority population is of Hungarian nationality, be moved to Zlate Moravce, inhabited largely by Slovaks.
Provocation?
""We view this as a provocation by the SNS against citizens living in the region of Sturovo,"" was how Hungarian Coalition Party [SMK; MKP in Hungarian] Deputy Chairman Ivan Farkas reacted to the proposal.
Parliament was supposed to discuss the proposal at its current session. Eventually, however, it was not put on the agenda of the session at the request of the SNS. ""This was not because of [ethnic] Hungarians, but because we agreed at a meeting of the Coalition Council that this issue should not concern a single administrative district office, but should instead lead to a comprehensive proposal,"" SNS Chairman Jan Slota told the SITA agency. However, he added that ""in any case, (...) we will request the relocation of the administrative district office from Sturovo to Zlate Moravce.""
Administrative district offices [obvodne urady in Slovak] carry out the tasks of previous district offices [okresne urady in Slovak]. For example, they issue business licenses to licensed traders.
The former government coalition has changed 79 districts [okresy in Slovak] into 50 administrative districts [obvody in Slovak]. Some districts have only been renamed, while others have been grouped together to form administrative districts. Only the district of Nove Zamky has been divided into two administrative districts and Sturovo has become the seat of one of them. This ""has led to an undesirable situation,"" where an administrative district does not consist of a ""complete district,"" but only certain municipalities, is how SNS deputies explain their proposal.
According to political analyst Miroslav Kusy, this has only removed ""injustice from the past,"" when ""certain anti-Hungarian policy"" was carried out. He thinks that Slota wants administration to be in ""Slovak hands.""
The Local Council in Sturovo views this proposal as ""another step toward centralization of state administration,"" which would be ""in evident contradiction to the interests of citizens of our town and region,"" said Deputy Mayor Rudolf Szep. If the office were abolished, citizens would have to go to the Administrative District Office in Nove Zamky.
Personal Interest
Marta Damborska from the SNS, who has signed the proposal, is from Zlate Moravce. ""We perceive a certain personal interest there,"" said Farkas. ""I have submitted this on behalf of our region,"" admitted deputy Damborska.
Credit: Sme website, Bratislava, in Slovak 12 Sep 07

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15.9.2007 Slovak Romanies resume protests against eviction [BBC Monitoring European ]
Text of report in English by Czech news agency CTK
Nove Zamky, South Slovakia, 14 September: Tens of Slovak Romanies who were evicted from two houses in Nove Zamky resumed their protests against the measure outside the local town hall today, head of the municipal office Peter Agh told CTK.
However, the town hall does not feel responsibility for their situation, referring to the new owner to whom the town hall had sold the buildings for one koruna some time ago, Agh said.
Government commissioner for Romany communities Anina Botosova said the eviction of the Romanies had violated the laws.
""In transferring the houses in the two streets in question to new private owners, the town hall of Nove Zamky has shed the responsibility for the fate of the evicted Romanies,"" Botosova said.
Botosova said similar situations occurred increasingly in other towns of Slovakia, too.
The Central Slovak town Puchov recently tried to resolve the problem with rent-defaulters, mostly of Romany origin, by moving them to a different town.
Agh said the town hall did not shoulder any responsibility for the Romanies' removal.
He said that debts for rent in the flats had reached 3.5 million crowns, while the town hall was spending further money on the surrounding area.
The eviction of Romanies from Nove Zamky was criticized by Slovak Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs, Human Rights and Minorities Dusan Caplovic on Thursday [13 September].
The Romanies started to be removed from the devastated flats on Tuesday. The new owners have offered them accommodation in the houses in the towns of Salov, Tekovske Luzany and Cata.
However, the Romanies dislike the offered housing and are returning to Nove Zamky.
Agh said the town hall had allotted alternative flats to the eight families that owed nothing for rent.
Credit: CTK news agency, Prague, in English 1542 14 Sep 07

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21.9.2007 Slovak deputy PM indignant over Romany eviction [BBC Monitoring European ]
Text of report by Slovak newspaper Sme on 18 September
[Report by Michal Pisko: ""Parties Do Not Check on Regions; MKP, Direction, HZDS voted for conditions under which building was sold; Party of Hungarian Coalition presents self mainly as advocate of ethnic minorities' rights, but approved controversial method of selling building where primarily Roma rent-defaulters were living""]
NOVE ZAMKY, BRATISLAVA -- The conduct of the Nove Zamky municipal deputies, who sold two of the town's apartment buildings inhabited by rent defaulters to a private firm, has met with the disapproval of some of the local deputies' mother parties.
The conditions of the tender in which the town sold the apartment buildings to the firm Mediation KMCH Nitra for one koruna were approved in a vote by deputies from the SMK [Party of the Hungarian Coalition; MKP in Hungarian], Direction, as well as the HZDS [People's Party-Movement for a Democratic Slovakia].
Now some of the rent defaulters, mostly Roma, have been occupying the space in front of Nove Zamky's Municipal Office building for the fourth day in a row. In this way, they remind the town that they are its inhabitants and demand alternative housing.
By yesterday, the former deputy prime minister for human rights and minorities and incumbent SMK chairman, Pal Csaky, did not have enough time to acquaint himself with the crisis situation in detail.
""The national [party] presidency does not deal with local issues, so I do not know exactly what it is that the local deputies approved."" The SMK will deal with the matter, though.
Political analyst Laszlo Oelloes does not think that the SMK is a party of just one minority. He believes, however, that its leadership should deal with the situation in Nove Zamky precisely because of the sensitive fact that a minority is involved.
Direction's Dusan Caplovic, deputy prime minister for human rights and minorities, is angry with his fellow party members in Nove Zamky, who voted for the sale. ""Our deputies did not inform me about that. It makes me angry when I see some people acting as if they are infallible. They could consult the Office of the Government Plenipotentiary for Roma Communities or me on some issues.""
""We are not a party that will dictate to the local deputies what to do. They deal with local interests and often put them before the interests of society or the party. That is what local politics is about,"" says HZDS Deputy Chairman Milan Urbani.
By moving a problematic community out of town, the deputies are, in his view, trying to score political points with the majority population, ""which is inhumane.""
Caplovic Criticizes Csaky
Caplovic criticizes his predecessor and current SMK Chairman, Pal Csaky, for what is happening in connection with the Roma's eviction.
He points out that incidents like those in Nove Zamky have previously happened in towns with mixed, Slovak-Hungarian population and mentions Komarno and Tornala.
""In the previous [election] term, the problems of the largest minority were being addressed, while other minorities were not of much interest to former Deputy Prime Minister Csaky,"" Caplovic believes.
The SMK's Laszlo Nagy, chairman of the parliamentary Human Rights Committee, speaks of ""unnecessary politicizing."" ""The eviction of Roma in the Povazie region or in northeastern Slovakia was just as painful. It would never occur to me to associate it with a specific political party.""
Orgovanova: Parties Also Have Responsibilities in Regions
The former government plenipotentiary for Roma communities, Klara Orgovanova, believes that top politicians should not disclaim responsibility for their parties' decisions at the municipal level. ""Nearly all political parties' manifestos talk about dealing with poverty and the municipal level is where this can be done. So, parties should not wash their hands of it,"" she believes.
Political analyst Miroslav Kusy says that this is a serious problem that concerns the whole of Slovakia and political parties cannot act as if they were saying ""let those at the local level deal with it."" In his view, parties should also be able to sort things out at the municipal level.
Credit: Sme, Bratislava, in Slovak 18 Sep 07

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22.9.2007 Slovak Romanies end eviction protest after police warning [BBC Monitoring European ]
Text of report in English by Czech news agency CTK
Bratislava, 22 September: Evicted Slovak Romany rent-defaulters on Friday [21 September] ended their protest at the square in Nove Zamky after they were told by the municipal police to leave it, the dailies Sme and Pravda write today.
The whole families spent nights at the square in the past days after they had been evicted from two houses in the town.
""People complained about disorder before the town hall. Besides, the rent-defaulters illegally occupied a public place. As a result, I asked them to leave it,"" local police chief Robert Major told Sme.
""No violence was used,"" Major said.
The Romanies started to be removed from the devastated flats earlier this month. The new owners offered them accommodation in the houses in the towns of Salov, Tekovske Luzany and Cata.
However, the Romanies disliked the offered housing and returned to Nove Zamky.
The mayors of some of the villages refused to grant permanent stay to the evicted rent-defaulters and in one of the villages their furniture was burnt.
The eviction of Romanies from Nove Zamky was criticized as racially-motivated by Slovak Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs, Human Rights and Minorities Dusan Caplovic.
The town hall said that debts for their rent had reached 3.5m korunas and the houses were so devastated that no-one could occupy them.
Credit: CTK news agency, Prague, in English 1124 22 Sep 07

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30.10.2007 Slovak commissioner criticizes another eviction of Romanies [BBC Monitoring European ]
Text of report in English by Czech news agency CTK
Bratislava, 30 October: The Slovak government commissioner for Romany communities, Anina Botosova, has criticized another case of alleged forceful eviction of Romanies from their homes, her office told CTK today.
About 30 Romany rent-defaulters were recently evicted against their will in Kremnica, central Slovakia, by which law and international agreements were violated, the office said.
The Romanies were evicted by a private house owner with the assistance of security service's employees, allegedly throwing the Romanies's furniture and clothes out of the windows.
""They thereby committed a crime,"" Botosova said.
CTK has not succeeded in obtaining a reaction by the house's owner and the town.
The house's owner later agreed with the tenants' return, but he said they could stay in the house only until next April.
""Though most of the people did not pay rent, the human and ethical approach must not disappear. One person on wheelchair and eight children, two of them visually impaired, were among the 26 house inhabitants,"" Botosova's office added.
Botosova along with Deputy Prime Minister Dusan Caplovic previously criticized similar cases of Romanies' eviction in other Slovak towns.
In Nove Zamky, west Slovakia, evicted Romany rent-defaulters recently protested at the square outside the Town Hall. In the end the police terminated the demonstration.
Credit: CTK news agency, Prague, in English 1709 30 Oct 07

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24.1.2008 Slovak ministry probes video of men shooting, shouting name of student [BBC Monitoring European ]
Text of report by Slovak privately-owned independent newspaper Sme website, on 22 January
[Report by ""odu"": ""Someone is shooting and shouting 'Hedviga' on video""]
Bratislava - Men in imprinted black T-shirts with ""Police"" on them are shooting at targets in a firing range with Czechoslovak army machine guns and repeatedly shouting: ""Hedviga, Hedviga!"" [possibly referring to ethnic Hungarian student Hedviga Malinova, charged with giving false testimony about an alleged ethnically motivated attack on her in 2006] This video has been on the youtube.com website for several months, among others published by the same author from real police operations and real exercises.
Interior Minister Robert Kalinak began investigating the case yesterday. The ministry is examining whether real police officers are shooting on the video. Ministry spokesman Erik Tomas denied that the pictures were from the official police firing range. ""The way of shooting also does not correspond to standard police training. We are investigating whether these are police officers and where they are from and are trying to identify those people,"" said Erik Tomas.
According to the police, the video recording was made at the private firing range in Zemne in the district of Nove Zamky. Zoltan Priskin, deputy mayor of Zemne, says that they have two firing ranges, one for hunters and the other for paintball. The firing range on the video recording is the one for hunters; it is possible to shoot, for example, at clay pigeons there. ""I do not know the men on the video,"" says Priskin.
Jozef Illes, hunter and administrator of the firing range, explains that police officers sometimes come there, but only on private time during weekends or afternoons when they are off-duty. ""I do not remember the guys on the video. We are rather visited by ordinary people; no police officers certainly carried out regular exercises in our firing range last year,"" he says.
According to Hungarian Coalition Party [SMK; MKP in Hungarian] deputy Gabor Gal, if the shooters who are shouting the first name of ethnic Hungarian student Hedviga Malinova are police officers, this constitutes the reason for Minister Kalinak's resignation. ""If police training is on those pictures, as seems to be the case, then I do not know where this country is heading,"" he added.
The machine gun model 58 is not a standard weapon that could be obtained by an ordinary civilian possessing a firearm license. ""It is a machine gun and is used primarily by the army; however, the police have it in their arsenal as well,"" said Police Presidium spokesman Martin Korch. This means that it is likely that the person holding the weapon is a soldier or police officer. Or the weapon may be a dummy that can be obtained for a few korunas by those who possess a firearm license, but it is only able to shoot one bullet at a time; it is not an automatic weapon. The person on the video recording shoots with the weapon repeatedly. It is also relatively easy to buy a black T-shirt with ""Police"" written on it.
Credit: Sme website, Bratislava, in Slovak 22 Jan 08

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4.7.2008 Party protests new rules weakening ethnic Hungarians in Slovak region - paper [Anonymous. BBC Monitoring European ]
Text of report by Slovak privately-owned independent newspaper Sme website, on 2 July
[Report by ""bej, pm"": ""Hungarian Coalition Party in Nitra Fears for Deputies; Hungarians Say That Deputies of Regional Parliament Changed Rules So As To Obtain More Seats""]
Nitra - The Hungarian Coalition Party [SMK; MKP in Hungarian] asserts that deputies to the regional parliament in Nitra expediently changed constituencies for next year's regional election so that fewer Hungarian deputies would get into the regional parliament. At the same time they changed the number of regional parliament deputies from 52 to 54.
The Slovak Coalition in Nitra region voted to divide the Nove Zamky constituency with 11 deputies into two separate constituencies: Nove Zamky and Sturovo. The Nove Zamky constituency will send 8 and the Sturovo constituency 3 deputies to the regional parliament. The regional parliament also added to the Sturovo constituency three overwhelmingly Hungarian municipalities from Nove Zamky district - Ruban, Strekov, and Dubnik.
Three Out of Five
In the last election the SMK won five seats in the united Nove Zamky constituency. It is afraid that, under the new setup, it will win the three seats for Sturovo but, given the current majority electoral system, not a single seat in Nove Zamky. The total number of its deputies in the regional parliament will thus decline.
""I am asking whether Slovak deputies objected to the fact that we had five deputies in the Nove Zamky constituency and whether this measure is not intended to reduce the number of our deputies. They transferred overwhelmingly Hungarian municipalities to the Sturovo constituency and kept mixed or Slovak municipalities in the Nove Zamky constituency,"" says Laszlo Forro, chief of the SMK deputies' group in Nitra.
""The Sturovo constituency is a separate constituency also in elections to the National Council and in local elections. It is also an administrative district with its own district office. We could have given the SMK just two deputies but we are generous and they were given three deputies. They can be certain of having those three seats in the next regional parliament,"" says Lydia Ferrova on behalf of the majority KDH [Christian Democratic Movement]-SDKU [Slovak Democratic and Christian Union]-HZDS [Movement for a Democratic Slovakia]-Direction coalition.
Ferro, on the other hand, draws attention to the difference between parliamentary and local elections. Moreover, the Sturovo District Office has only limited powers and the three villages that have been added to the Sturovo constituency do not even fall under the jurisdiction of the Sturovo District Office.
Slovaks Gave Themselves More Seats
The coalition also pushed through a change, under which two constituencies with mostly Slovak voters, Nitra and Topolcany, will both be able to send to the regional parliament one extra deputy. Topolcany will be represented by 6 deputies in lieu of 5 and Nitra by 13 in lieu of 12.
The SMK has practically no chance to win a seat in those two constituencies. It therefore regards the change as an artificial increase in the number of Slovak regional parliament deputies. The Slovak Coalition justified the changes with growth of population but the SMK says that there were no legal grounds for the increase.
SMK deputies, who are a minority in the regional assembly, regard the changes as disadvantageous and walked out of the meeting in protest. They accuse the Slovak Coalition of having taken up the war hatchet.
Credit: Sme website, Bratislava, in Slovak 2 Jul 08

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6.8.2008 Ethnic Hungarian leader sees Slovak premier seeking to win nationalist voters [Anonymous. BBC Monitoring European ]
Excerpt from report by Slovak privately-owned independent newspaper Sme, on 4 August
[Report by Daniel Vrazda and Monika Todova: ""Fico sends the Slovak Heritage Foundation to the south; Direction and SNS chairmen use the Slovak Heritage Foundation celebrations to fire people up against Hungarians""]
Jan Slota [chairman of the Slovak National Party; SNS] vulgarly offended Hungarians. Robert Fico sent the Slovak Heritage Foundation to southern districts. Deputy Prime Minister Caplovic says that he did not mean it against Hungarians.
Bratislava/Martin - The Hungarian Embassy also paid homage to the [145th] anniversary of the Slovak Heritage Foundation in Martin on Saturday [2 August]. A representative of the ambassador brought a wreath.
Deputy Prime Minister Dusan Caplovic said that this was a likeable gesture, but he had to explain the vulgarisms of SNS Chairman Jan Slota immediately afterwards. In his fiery speech, he admonished Hungarian chauvinism and ethnic autonomist separatism.
""Today, some crazy chauvinists are trying to convince the world that they [Hungarians], and not the Slovaks, are allegedly the autochthonous nation of the Carpathian Basin,"" shouted Slota. He went on to say that no specific Hungarian politicians wanted to ""say that their homeland is probably the Gobi desert in Mongolia"". The SNS chairman received a great round of applause for these words.
Caplovic said that such assessments should not be coming from the mouth of a politician. ""It has already been said, I took note of it, so what should I say about it?"" According to Caplovic, democracy and freedom of speech are among the highest values. No one can allegedly be prevented from speaking out.
However, the prime minister also spoke out against Hungarians. ""I already asked you in 2007 that you should focus your cultural work more on southern Slovakia. We must take care of the integrity of our territory,"" he told the Slovak Heritage Foundation.
Caplovic says that this was not aimed against Hungarians. He likened it to what Csemadok [umbrella cultural organization of Slovakia's ethnic Hungarians] was doing for the Hungarian minority. [repetitive passage omitted]
""Turn your activities to Nove Zamky, Levice, Komarno, Lucenec, and Rimavska Sobota,"" Prime Minister Robert Fico recommended to the Slovak Heritage Foundation at the celebration of its 145th anniversary on Saturday.
""Perhaps these August celebrations would not have to take place in Martin every time. Let us go to the people who need encouragement and spiritual support,"" said Fico.
Movement for a Democratic Slovakia [HZDS] Chairman Vladimir Meciar did not take part in the Slovak Heritage Foundation celebrations, even though he had considered it closest to his heart in the past, similarly to SNS Chairman Jan Slota, who ensured state money for this year's celebrations.
Csaky: They are old-fashioned
Hungarian Coalition Party [SMK; MKP in Hungarian] Chairman Pal Csaky thinks that Fico's conduct, which he considers a greater problem than Slota's vulgarisms, shows confusion in the heads of government officials.
""They have no vision of how to build a modern European society in the 21st century,"" says Csaky. He believes that the worst thing is that ""they rely on negativist and outdated methods produced by the Slovak Heritage Foundation"".
He thinks that Fico's conduct does not bode well for Slovak-Hungarian relations and shows how he wants to win over SNS voters. ""I do not consider it good to compete in who is more old-fashioned,"" said Csaky. ""Neither the Slovak Heritage Foundation nor the SNS have a background in southern districts. Slovaks living there are much more normal; they are living with Hungarians in peace.""
According to Csaky, the HZDS is thus becoming the smallest problem for this government coalition, which ""sounds funny coming from me, because I am a big critic of the HZDS"".
Reconciliation?
Dusan Caplovic, deputy prime minister and deputy chairman of Direction [Smer], says that ""relations cannot be undermined or fail to develop because of a single politician"". According to Caplovic, this is a matter for the majority and the majority of people ""want these relations to be standard"".
He said that he ""extremely appreciates"" the fact that a representative of the Hungarian ambassador arrived. The ambassador is on vacation. ""This is a great step and I see certain forms of reconciliation taking place, step be step, even though this is really difficult,"" believes Caplovic.
Anything is too little for the Slovak Heritage Foundation
Slota said on Friday [ 1 August] that he had secured 10 million [currency not specified, presumably Slovak korunas throughout] from state institutions controlled by the SNS for the celebrations. The Construction Ministry provided six million and the Slovak Post also gave a sponsorship gift, but it is keeping its amount secret.
""Are you asking whether this was enough? I think that nothing is enough for the Slovak Heritage Foundation; we could have given more,"" stated Slota.
Fico does not consider this arrangement nonstandard, because the ""building of national conscience"" is in the government's programme.
Caplovic was also satisfied with the financing. ""This needed to be done as fast as possible. Mr Slota did it in a transparent manner, no one concealed it; others are concealing things.""
Atheist Fico tells the Slovak Heritage Foundation: God likes you
The programme of the celebrations of the Slovak Heritage Foundation's anniversary resembled a rally of the SNS at times. Its chairman, Jan Slota, was the biggest star of the celebrations until Prime Minister Robert Fico arrived. SNS flags were flying everywhere and hundreds of its supporters were wearing T-shirts with the party logo.
Slota read his fiery comments from a prepared speech, saying that the apolitical character of the Slovak Heritage Foundation did not mean that it is non-political. ""The Slovak Heritage Foundation is working in the nation as a watchtower,"" said Slota. His supporters chanted ""Long live Slota"" and ""You said it well"".
The prime minister arrived in Martin approximately two hours later than expected and missed the laying of the wreaths. However, the organizers were dutifully waiting for him.
Fico won over the audience right at the beginning of his speech. They applauded when he said that God liked the Slovak Heritage Foundation, because it was pouring down rain all over Slovakia, but the sun was shining in Martin, so that they could celebrate.
In an interview for Domino Forum in December 2000, in reply to a question of whether he trusted in God, Fico said: ""If you put it this way, I do not.""
Deputy Prime Minister Dusan Caplovic said that other parties could have easily come to Martin as well and their flags could have been flying there, too. [passage omitted]
Credit: Sme, Bratislava, in Slovak 4 Aug 08; pp 1, 2

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3.12.2008 Slovak, Hungarian presidents to meet on 6 December [Anonymous. BBC Monitoring European ]
Text of report in English by Czech national public-service news agency CTK
Bratislava, 2 December: Slovak President Ivan Gasparovic and his Hungarian counterpart Laszlo Solyom will meet in Nove Zamky, south Slovakia, on Saturday, 6 December, a few weeks after the two countries' prime ministers met to discuss rising tension between their countries, Gasparovic's office told CTK today.
Originally, Hungary announced that the meeting would take place in the Hungarian border city Esztergom.
The meeting is organized in the period of increased tension in Slovak-Hungarian relations.
In November, the two countries' prime ministers, Robert Fico and Ferenc Gyurcsany, met in Komarno, west Slovakia.
Although they condemned extremism and signed a joint statement on the fight against it and support of ethnic minorities, at the following press conference Fico and Gyurcsany expressed different views on the causes of the tension and on the problems existing between Slovakia and Hungary.
On Wednesday a meeting of Slovak Parliament chairman Pavol Paska and his Hungarian counterpart Katalin Szili will be held in the Hungarian town of Komarom.
The traditionally complicated relations between Slovakia and Hungary worsened last months after Slovak police intervention against ethnic Hungarian football fans in Dunajska Streda, west Slovakia, during which 50 people were injured and 30 people arrested.
Dunajska Streda is one of the centres of ethnic Hungarians who make up about 10 per cent of Slovakia's five-million population.
While the Hungarians criticised the Slovak police action as inappropriate, the Slovak government said it was legal.
After the football incident, nationalist forces demonstrated outside the Slovak embassy in Budapest and signposts in two ethnic Slovak villages were blackened.
Later, Hungarian extremists turned up in Kralovsky Chlmec, east Slovakia, wearing copies of Nazi uniforms.
Credit: CTK news agency, Prague, in English 1929 2 Dec 08

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10.12.2008 Hungarian president dismisses allegations of separatism in southern Slovakia [Anonymous. BBC Monitoring European ]
Text of report by Hungarian privately-owned liberal newspaper Nepszabadsag website, on 8 December
[Report by Jozsef Szilvassy: ""'No' to Hungarian Proposals - Solyom, Gasparovic Regard Talks Open and Constructive""]
The talks between Hungarian President Laszlo Solyom and Slovak President Ivan Gasparovic in Ersekujvar (Nove Zamky) on Saturday [ 6 December] lasted one hour longer than planned. At their joint news conference following the meeting, Solyom stated: ""We also agreed that the present political tensions are fuelled by extremists on both sides. But we have to differentiate between statements made on the periphery of society and at government level.
""We do not express anti-Slovak sentiment, neither against the neighbouring state, nor against the minority that live in our country, which is proven by sociological surveys and other data. Hungary did not question Trianon [peace treaty after World War I which reduced the territory and population of Hungary by about two-thirds] before the regime change and has not done so since then. Therefore, it is particularly incomprehensible for us to be able to hear voices in Slovakia saying that Hungary and Hungarians threaten the territorial integrity of their country, and Jan Slota [chairman of the Slovak National Party] hammering into Slovak public opinion's head that Hungarians question the present borders, even though his allegation is not based on facts. It is also thought-provoking why ethnic Hungarians in Slovakia feel that the situation in terms of their minority education, culture, and also general feeling have been worsening since 2006,"" the Hungarian head of state stated. After this, Solyom announced that he put a proposal to his Slovak colleague to initiate the drafting of a minority law in parliament, which ethnic Hungarians in Slovakia had been encouraging for a long time and which would summarize their rights set forth in the Constitution and other laws.
Solyom also requested [Gasparovic] to consider the foundation of a minority ombudsman's office, and called for the preparation and publication of a common history book, which had been in the plans for a long time. He encouraged it because that publication could promote learning more about each other's views and positions, and respecting our common history.
Gasparovic also regarded their Saturday meeting as important and successful. He immediately rejected his Hungarian counterpart's two proposals, however. He explained that Slovakia had an ombudsman who was also in charge of the protection of minority rights and because of this, there was no need for another office. With regard to the minority law, he said that it was beyond his powers to initiate it. He also expressed the view that disputed questions should be discussed and settled within the possibilities and by the means of the Basic Treaty between the two countries. He went on to say: ""We are sending a positive message with today's meeting, which we very much need since we could feel some kind of nervousness in our relations, which could easily infiltrate into citizens. We still have rather different opinions on the assessment of our common past, and this will hardly change in the short run. This, however, cannot prevent our multifaceted neighbourly relations from further developing, for which primarily our common EU membership offers possibilities. We are responsible for our present and future, and to this end we have to build on what connects us,"" the Slovak president stressed.
Shortly after the presidential summit, Prime Minister Robert Fico stated that Laszlo Solyom also knew well that ethnic Hungarians in Slovakia had more rights than the European average and consequently nothing justified granting them more rights. Slota immediately had something to say, claiming that the Hungarian head of state distorted the facts when he said that the present situation of ethnic Slovaks in Hungary was favourable.
Nepszabadag contacted Pal Csaky [chairman of the Hungarian Coalition Party; MKP], who said that ethnic Hungarians in Slovakia considered it a good sign and a promising act that Hungarian and Slovak public dignitaries had finally sat down at the negotiating table and talked openly about their assessment of the situation. By this alone they had already alleviated Slovak social tensions, which had been felt more strongly. It also became obvious that the tactic that Slovak Government politicians had been using so far did not work. For moths, they had been attempting to make us and Europe believe that the actions of Hungarian nationalists and other extremists had caused political tensions between the two countries. It was revealed during the meetings of the three public dignitaries [the presidents, prime ministers, and house speakers of the two countries] that the situation was totally different. A benevolent partner proposing a solution to concrete problems represented the Hungarian side in all three cases and negotiated with a Slovak political leadership that rejected the Hungarian ""peace pipe"" without hesitation. As a consequence, Csaky thought that the time of small steps had arrived. Such a step could be the renovation of the Ipoly Bridge as soon as possible, which could be followed by other rebuilt bridges, he told Nepszabadsag.
Credit: Nepszabadsag website, Budapest, in Hungarian 8 Dec 08

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30.4.2009 Slovak police seize 860 kg of heroin ingredient [Anonymous. BBC Monitoring European ]
Text of report in English by Czech national public-service news agency CTK
Nove Zamky, West Slovakia, 30 April: Slovak customs officers this week seized in Nove Zamky, in cooperation with the anti-drug police, 860 kg of acetic anhydride which is used for the production of heroin from morphine, Slovak Customs Authority told CTK today.
The substance was probably headed for Turkey. Four Slovaks whom the police suspect of drug production and trafficking were allegedly connected to an international criminal gang.
""At least 400 kg of heroin can be produced from the seized substance,"" Customs Authority spokesman Vojtech Jakab said.
The men face criminal charges and would receive up to 20 years in prison if found guilty.
A court is expected to decide on whether they will be taken into custody.
Acetic anhydride is legally used in industry but there is a shortage of it on the black market thanks to successful police operations.
""Several hundred tonnes of this substance have been seized,"" Jakab said.
Drug producers have thus started using other chemicals for the production of heroin but this has lowered its quality.
Credit: CTK news agency, Prague, in English 1105 30 Apr 09

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6.6.2009 Slovakia's ethnic Hungarians accuses ""renegades"" of luring members to new party [Anonymous. BBC Monitoring European ]
Text of report in English by privately-owned Slovak SITA news agency website
[""SMK Accuses Renegades of Luring its Members to New Party"" - SITA headline]
Bratislava, 4 June: Deputy chairman of the opposition SMK [Hungarian Coalition Party; MKP in Hungarian] Laszlo Szigeti blames his former party friend Zsolt Simon that he is trying to win over SMK members to join a new party that he wants to establish. Mr Szigeti claims to have information that Mr Simon will visit the Nove Zamky district on Thursday [4 June] where he will meet with local deputies and maybe also with current SMK members. Mr Szigeti believes that he is probably recruiting people. However, Mr Szigeti does not know any details on establishing a new party. He added that the SMK does not prepare any measures to prevent outflow of members. However, the leadership will call on municipal and district organizations to remain in the party, as the party is going forward. ""If somebody had a plan and the will create a new political party, then it is probably difficult to prevent it,"" he said.
Mr Simon, however dismissed these accusations. He said that the accusation that he is recruiting members for a nonexistent party is the biggest stupidity. He, however, refused to say whether or when he would establish a new party. He said that the question is premature at the moment.
News channel TA3 informed earlier this week that power conflicts inside the SMK will probably end up in the formation of a new political party. SMK Deputy Chairman Miklos Duray told the news channel that Zsolt Simon is behind these efforts. According to TA3, preparations for the establishment of the new party should intensify after European Parliament elections. Zsolt Simon was the first SMK official to leave the SMK after its leadership changed following the defeat of Bela Bugar who had led the party since its establishment. Recently Bela Bugar, Gabor Gal and Laszlo Nagy quit the SMK deputy club stating dissatisfaction with the party leadership as the reason. Mr Bugar said last week they will definitively decide whether they will quit the party or stay after the euro-race. The SMK, representing interests of Slovak Hungarians, has radicalized after new chairman Pal Csaky and his people took power, leaving more space for autonomy calls and more intensive cooperation with radical parties in Hungary.
Credit: SITA website, Bratislava, in English 4 Jun 09

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9.7.2009 Slovak premier not to attend cabinet meetings due to health problems - agency [Anonymous. BBC Monitoring European ]
Text of report in English by privately-owned Slovak SITA news agency website
Bratislava, 7 July: Prime Minister Robert Fico is having problems with his cervical spine and his schedule has been completely cancelled until Sunday [12 July]. Mr. Fico will also be absent from the Cabinet's session on Wednesday [ 8 July] in Banov, district of Nove Zamky, as well, where he was to open the wheat harvest for this season. The Cabinet Office informed that the prime minister is suffering from acute cervical spine pain.
The prime minister had health problems shortly after he took up his post in October 2006, when he admitted that his health condition was allowing him to work at only half speed. He, however, did not specify these problems, saying that his health is a private matter. In April 2007, he cut off his visit to Latin America because he developed flu. In November 2007, he cancelled his program due to angina and fever. In February 2008, he cancelled his visit to Luxembourg due to the flu.
This January, the tabloid Novy Cas alleged that the prime minister continually suffers from health problems. Mr. Fico admitted to having pain in his right hand and an inflamed nerve near his spine. He blamed his problems on the cold weather.
Credit: SITA website, Bratislava, in English 7 Jul 09

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23.8.2009 Osram löscht das Glühlicht [Hartmann, Jens; Hildebrand, Jan; Wuepper, Gesche. Welt am Sonntag]
Für den Lampenkonzern Osram ist das Glühbirnen-Verbot ein Segen. Er verdient sein Geld längst mit LED- und Energiesparlampen. Doch nicht jeder bei Osram freut sich über das Aus der Birne
Blau-rote Flammen züngeln um zwei Glasröhrchen und formen sie mit ihrer Hitze zu Bogen. Der Leuchtkörper, das Herz der Energiesparlampe, ist fertig. Fehlt noch der Edison-Sockel, auf den die Bogen gesteckt werden. 20 Minuten dauert es, bis aus dem Glasrohr, das im Glaswerk nebenan aus Sand, Pottasche und Soda entsteht, eine Energiesparlampe geworden ist.
Wenig erinnert in dem Augsburger Osram-Werk an eine Hightech-Schmiede. Wer eine Roboterwelt wie in der Autoindustrie erwartet, reibt sich die Augen. Das Gebäude stammt aus den 50er-Jahren, die Maschinen sind Marke Eigenbau, die 1100 Mitarbeiter, die Energiesparlampen herstellen, noch viel mit Handarbeit beschäftigt.
Sie werden mehr zu tun bekommen. Denn zum 1. September verbietet die Europäische Union in einem ersten Schritt die klassische Glühbirne - 100-Watt-Lampen und alle matten Lampen. Die übrigen folgen bis Herbst 2012. Für Osram ist die Direktive aus Brüssel eher Segen als Bedrohung. Die Siemens-Tochter setzt auf neue, energiesparende Produkte. Die sind technisch ausgefeilter - und gewinnträchtiger als die alten Lampen.
Osram ist ein leuchtender Gigant. Das Unternehmen, vor 100 Jahren gegründet, beschäftigt heute 43 000 Mitarbeiter in aller Welt und setzte im vergangenen Geschäftsjahr 4,6 Milliarden Euro um. Die klassische Glühlampe machte zuletzt nur noch fünf Prozent des Umsatzes aus. Ob auf dem Platz des Himmlischen Friedens, dem Dach des Sony Centers in Berlin, in acht der zehn Fußballstadien der Weltmeisterschaft 2010 in Südafrika, in Millionen Haushalten und Autos: Osram leuchtet weltweit.
Gerhard Steeger, Chef des Standorts Augsburg, ist einer der Profiteure des Glühbirnenverbots. Sein Werk ist die einzige Fabrik in Deutschland, die im großen Stil Energiesparlampen für den europäischen Markt produziert. ""Ich hätte niemals gedacht, dass das Ende der Glühlampe so viele Emotionen freisetzt"", sagt Steeger. ""Wer rechnen kann, bleibt doch ohnehin nicht mehr bei der Glühlampe."" Dann spricht er vom niedrigen Wirkungsgrad der Glühbirne und ihrer geringen Lebensdauer.
Dass der promovierte Ingenieur ein Licht-Fetischist ist, merkt man schnell, wenn er liebevoll von Lumen und Kelvin, Consumer Lighting und Niederdruck-Entladung spricht. Zu Hause habe er seit Längerem keine einzige Glühbirne mehr. Dafür bewerte seine Frau, die er ironisch als sein ""Experimentierfeld"" bezeichnet, welche Lichtfarbe der Energiesparlampen für ausreichend Gemütlichkeit sorgt.
Steeger arbeitete schon in den 70er-Jahren in einem Entwicklerteam für Osram an Energiesparlampen. Der Ölschock habe damals die Faszination für solche Technologien verstärkt, erzählt er. Die Lampen erinnerten allerdings eher an Marmeladegläser. Die klassische Glühbirne konnten sie bis zum EU-Verbot nicht verdrängen. Die Glühbirne gilt als klimaschädlich, da sie nur fünf Prozent der Energie in Licht umwandelt. Der Rest verpufft als Wärme. Australien hat die Glühlampe bereits verboten, nun folgt Europa, die USA und Japan haben ebenfalls entsprechende Gesetze in Planung.
München, Osram-Zentrale. ""Tippsen-Silo"" nennt der Volksmund das Hauptquartier des Lichtkonzerns, da dort in den 60er-Jahren die ersten Großraumbüros für Schreibkräfte in Deutschland entstanden. Im Eingangsbereich mit Marmorfußboden stehen in einer Vitrine zwei Oscar-Figuren, Lohn für die Beleuchtung am Set in Hollywood. Einen überreichte Arnold Schwarzenegger persönlich. Im Keller des Osram-Hauses ist das Licht-Studio untergebracht. Alfred Haas steht vor einem Tisch mit drei Glaszylindern, die von innen leuchten: ""Was glauben Sie, unter welchem brennt die Glühlampe?"" Die Zuschauer tippen auf den Zylinder ganz rechts. Haas, der bei Osram das europäische Konsumentengeschäft leitet, ist zufrieden. In Manier eines siegessicheren Hütchenspielers hebt er den rechten Zylinder an. Dort brennt - eine Energiesparlampe. ""Sehen Sie, was die für ein schönes warmes Licht macht?"" Die Glühbirne leuchtet hingegen, anders als vermutet, unter dem Zylinder links.
Für Haas ist das ein kleiner Triumph. Er kämpft für die Anerkennung der Energiesparlampen. Keine leichte Aufgabe in diesen Wochen. Denn ihnen schlägt in Deutschland Misstrauen entgegen. Ihr Licht sei zu kühl. Sie seien wegen ihres Quecksilbergehalts umweltschädlich. Und die Lebensdauer viel geringer als angegeben. Auch der Preis schreckt erst einmal ab: Eine Glühlampe von Osram kostet durchschnittlich einen Euro, eine Halogenlampe zwei Euro, eine Energiesparlampe ist für sechs bis 15 Euro zu haben. Und die LED-Lampe Paratom für 35 Euro.
Dass sich der höhere Preis durch eine längere Lebensdauer auszahlen könnte - diese Rechnung ist vielen Lampenkäufern noch nicht einleuchtend. Deshalb horten die Deutschen Glühlampen. In den vergangenen Monaten stieg der Verkauf um 15 Prozent an. ""Der Bedarf liegt über unseren Erwartungen"", sagt Osram-Chef Martin Goetzeler im Gespräch mit der ""Welt am Sonntag"". ""Wir hatten mit einem deutlichen Rückgang gerechnet."" Nach Schätzung des Zentralverbandes Elektrotechnik- und Elektroindustrie (ZVEI) werden hierzulande jährlich 200 Millionen Glühlampen verkauft, dem stehen 40 Millionen Energiesparlampen gegenüber. Auch weltweit liegt das Verhältnis noch bei eins zu fünf.
Osram hat sich im Gegensatz zu den Kunden aber längst mit der Direktive aus Brüssel arrangiert. Denn richtig Geld verdient die Siemens-Tochter mittlerweile vor allem mit Energiesparlampen und LED-Leuchten. Die Fertigungskapazitäten bei Glühlampen senkte das Unternehmen in den vergangenen vier Jahren bereits um die Hälfte, den Markt überließ man Billiganbietern aus China. Dabei hatte Osram die längste Zeit von der Birne gelebt. ""Mit Glühlicht ist jetzt alles möglich"", schwärmte einst Werner von Siemens. ""Wahrscheinlich werden die Glühlichter bald alle anderen totschlagen."" Einige Jahre später, 1919, wurde Osram gegründet, Siemens war Haupteigner. Seinen Namen verdankt Osram ebenfalls der Glühlampe: Es ist eine Wortschöpfung aus den Hauptmaterialien Osmium und Wolfram.
Und ausgerechnet der Chef dieses Unternehmens verabschiedet die Glühlampe ohne Trauer: ""Wir werden in den kommenden Jahren erleben, dass die Glühlampe nach und nach verschwindet"", sagt Goetzeler. ""Das ist ein globaler Trend."" Osram hat ihn mit befeuert. Bereits 1985 erfand der Konzern seine Energiesparlampe Dulux EL. Die wuchtige, rechteckige Leuchte dürfte sich jedoch kaum ein Privatkunde zu Hause in die Fassung geschraubt haben. ""Es gab natürlich den Wunsch nach formschönen Lampen, die der Glühbirne ähneln"", sagt Haas. Deshalb bekommen Energiesparlampen, die Osram heute verkauft, noch eine birnenförmige Hülle. Auch wenn diese technisch überhaupt nicht notwendig ist, sogar Licht frisst.
Neben der Form störten sich die Kunden vor allem am grellen Licht der Energiesparlampen. ""Wir haben mit dem Image zu kämpfen, dass Energiesparlampen immer noch mit Neonlicht gleichgesetzt werden"", sagt Osram-Boss Goetzeler. Nun will das Unternehmen die Antwort geben. Warm Comfort Light nennt Osram seine neue Energiesparlampe. Die leuchtet, wie der Hütchenspieler-Test ergab, schön wie eine herkömmliche Glühbirne. Licht ist nicht gleich Licht. Keiner weiß das besser als Haas, der Geschmäcker der Kunden in Europa studiert. ""Wir Mitteleuropäer sind geprägt vom Höhlenlicht"", sagt er. Rötlich heimelig solle es leuchten. Das erklärt auch die panische Reaktion der deutschen Verbraucher. Während in Europa der Verkauf von Glühlampen in den ersten Monaten um zehn Prozent zurückging, stieg er in Deutschland um 15 bis 20 Prozent. Im Mittelmeerraum hat man kein Problem mit kühlen Energiesparlampen oder Halogenlicht. ""Regionen mit viel Sonne wollen weißes Licht"", sagt Haas. ""Dort locken wir mit Warm Comfort Light niemand hinterm Ofen hervor.""
Allerdings können sich nicht alle im Osram-Reich mit den neuen Zeiten anfreunden. Etwa die Mitarbeiter im elsässischen Molsheim. Wo der Edel-Autobauer Bugatti zu Hause ist, hat Osram ein Glühbirnenwerk. Daneben gibt es noch im slowakischen Nove Zamky eine Fabrik und einen Mini-Standort in Wipperfürth in Nordrhein-Westfalen. Nur rund 1000 Osram-Mitarbeiter sind in Europa noch in der Glühlampenfertigung tätig. In Molsheim wird es ungemütlich, seit Osram den 600 Mitarbeitern pauschal eine Lohnkürzung um 12,5 Prozent anbot, da anders der Standort nicht zu halten sei. Nach dem Aus der Glühlampe soll hier ein Logistikzentrum entstehen und die Produktion von Halogenlampen aufgenommen werden. Mehr als 100 Osram-Mitarbeitern, die sich gegen die Lohnkürzung wehrten, wurde kurzerhand betriebsbedingt gekündigt. ""Ich arbeite seit 30 Jahren für Osram und verdiene 1240 Euro im Monat"", sagt Betriebsrätin Isabelle Astié. ""Was wollen Sie denn da noch großartig kürzen?""
Nun hat ein französisches Gericht Bernard Bruhnes als Schlichter eingesetzt. Der Mann hat Erfahrung, vermittelte schon bei einem Konflikt zwischen dem französischen Staat und Asylbewerbern, die in Hungerstreik getreten waren. Ein erstes Treffen von Bruhnes mit der Werksleitung und den Arbeitnehmern ist für den 2. September geplant. Anwalt Ralph Blindauer, der die Arbeitnehmervertreter der Gewerkschaft Force ouvrière (FO) vertritt, wirft Osram vor, bei der Lohnkürzung den Betriebsrat umgangen und gegen französisches Arbeitsrecht verstoßen zu haben. Bei Osram sieht man das anders, will sich jedoch während des Schlichtungsverfahrens nicht äußern.
Was viele Mitarbeiter empört: Osram, erzählt eine Arbeiterin, habe jenen, die mit weniger Lohn nicht einverstanden waren, angeboten, in den Werken in China oder Malaysia anzuheuern. Osram sagt dazu, allen habe die Siemens-Jobbörse offengestanden. Dort fänden sich Stellen etwa in Frankreich, aber eben auch Jobs in Fernost.
Während in Molsheim noch über den Übergang von der Glühlampen- zur Halogenlampenfertigung gestritten wird, ist Manager Haas im Keller der Münchner Osram-Zentrale schon weiter. Im Licht-Studio leuchtet in einer Ecke die Zukunft: organische Leuchtdioden, OLED abgekürzt. Mit dem hauchdünnen Material werden bald ganze Wände oder Fenster als Lichtquelle strahlen.
Das wäre dann der endgültige Abschied von der Birnenform. Erhalten bliebe die dann nur an einer Stelle: im Firmenlogo von Osram.

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3.3.2011 AAA Auto to try to break through in Russia this year [Anonymous. Access Czech Republic Business Bulletin ]
AAA Auto (Czech Republic), used car shops network, plans to start its long-awaited expansion to the Russian market in 2011. It may also return to the Hungarian market. In 2011, it will leave the Romanian market. AAA Auto also plans to extend its networks in the Czech Republic and Slovakia by seven subsidiaries to the total 32 subsidiaries from 25 subsidiaries at the beginning of 2011. It plans to open new subsidiaries in Liberec, Most, Jihlava, Opava and Mlada-Boleslav in the Czech Republic and in Nove-Zamky and Presov in Slovakia till the middle of 2012. AAA Auto increased its sales by 7.3% to 39,531 used cars in 2010 compared to 2009.

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9.3.2011 Familie wegen Frauenhandels vor Gericht [Herder, Daniel. Hamburger Abendblatt ]
Funf Verwandte sollen slowakische Frauen zur Prostitution gezwungen und ausgebeutet haben. Doch sie konnten mit milden Strafen davonkommen
Neustadt Besonders schlimm hat es laut Ermittlungen Marian B. getrieben. Der 45-Jährige steht vor Gericht, weil er Frauen zur Prostitution gezwungen, vergewaltigt und misshandelt haben soll. Verunsichert schaut der bärtige Mann mit der schlabberigen Jogginghose im Hochsicherheitssaal des Landgerichts in die Runde. Ein Blick, der suggeriert: Was soll ich hier eigentlich?
Seine slowakische Familie wiedersehen, zum Beispiel, denn die betritt nach und nach den Saal: die Mutter Julia B., 64, eine knorrige Frau von gedrungener Gestalt mit weißblonden Haaren unterm geblumten Kopftuch. Dann die Bruder Stefan, 44, und Jozef, 36, und schließlich die Jungste im Bunde: Martina B., 26, verheiratet mit dem gleichfalls angeklagten Stefan B. Zwei Polizisten geleiten die junge Frau mit den verweinten Augen in den Saal. Sie sind zu ihrem Schutz da, denn Martina B. will uber die Machenschaften der Familie sprechen - und steckt deshalb im Zeugenschutzprogramm.
Acht lange Jahre soll die Familien-Bande slowakische Frauen mit falschen Versprechungen nach Hamburg gelockt und zur Prostitution auf dem Straßenstrich in St. Georg gezwungen haben. Einnahmen von wochentlich bis zu 2000 Euro sollen sie ihren Opfern abgeknopft haben. Zu ihnen, den Opfern, gehorte auch die 26-jährige Martina B.: Auch sie musste jahrelang anschaffen, und einmal wurde sie laut Anklage von ihrem Schwager Jozef verprugelt - weil sie ihren Hurenlohn nicht herausgeben wollte. Gleichwohl sitzt sie auch auf der Anklagebank: Sie soll durch Kontrollanrufe sichergestellt haben, dass die Frauen täglich 16 Stunden an der Straße standen und Freier bedienten.
Die Frauen stammten aus dem ländlichen Gebiet nahe der slowakischen Stadt Nove Zamky. Es waren Frauen ohne Perspektive, ohne Arbeit, ohne Bildung, ""mittellos und einfach strukturiert"", so der Staatsanwalt. Nicht selten handelte es sich um junge oder werdende Mutter, die nie ein Bordell von innen gesehen hatten und mit der Aussicht auf ein besseres Leben gekodert wurden. Als sie in Hamburg ihres Schicksals gewahr wurden, fugten sich die meisten, gezwungenermaßen. ""Sie waren von ihrem Zuhälter finanziell abhängig und hatten keine Chance, aus eigener Kraft in ihre Heimat zuruckzukehren"", sagt der Anklagevertreter.
Und wenn jemand nicht spurte, setzte es Prugel. Oder plotzlich turmten sich Schulden auf, wo vorher keine waren. Eine Slowakin, der ein Job als Kellnerin angedient worden war, wollte gleich wieder nach Hause, als sie erfuhr, weshalb sie nach Hamburg gebracht worden war. Da soll ihr Julia B., mutmaßliche Geldverwalterin der Bande, erklärt haben: Zunächst musse sie die 300 Euro Schulden fur die Anreise nach Deutschland zahlen, bevor sie uberhaupt zuruckkehren durfe. Eine andere Frau war zu einem Freier gefluchtet. Von ihm, so die Anklage, habe die Familie gleich 10 000 Euro ""Ablose"" verlangt, andernfalls gebe es ""Krieg"". Und Marian B. soll einer jungen Mutter gedroht haben: Wenn sie nicht auf den Strich gehe, werde er ihr das Kind wegnehmen. Offenbar war der 45-Jährige noch skrupelloser als der Rest der Sippe, wenn die Anklage zutrifft: Ein Tatopfer soll er mit einem Antennenkabel verprugelt, eine der Frauen dreimal vergewaltigt und misshandelt haben.
Raub, Diebstahl, Korperverletzung, Menschenhandel, Vergewaltigung - jede einzelne dieser Straftaten konnte die mutmaßlichen Täter fur Jahre hinter Gitter bringen. Doch das Gericht hat ihnen auf dem Verständigungswege bereits großzugige Strafobergrenzen in Aussicht gestellt: Ein Geständnis vorausgesetzt, kämen Stefan B., Julia B., Jozef B. und Martina B. mit Bewährungsstrafen davon. Und der Hauptangeklagte Marian B. mit funf Jahren Gefängnis. Die Gerichts-Pressestelle wollte die Modalitäten dieses ""Deals"" auf Abendblatt-Anfrage nicht kommentieren.
""Offensichtlich ist die Beweislage der Staatsanwaltschaft so dunn, dass ein derartiges Angebot gemacht wird"", sagt der Verteidiger von Jozef B. Sein Mandant jedenfalls habe sich ""nichts vorzuwerfen"". Auch der Anwalt von Marian B. stapelt nicht tief. ""Mein Mandant ist unschuldig."" Julia B. und Martina B. indes wollen auf den Deal eingehen. Stefan B. vermutlich auch, sagt sein Verteidiger. Er sei seit sechs Monaten in U-Haft und habe ""Angst, seine Frau zu verlieren"", wenn er nicht schnell wieder auf freien Fuß käme.
""Sie waren vom Zuhälter abhängig, hatten keine Chance, aus eigener Kraft in ihre Heimat zuruckzukehren."" Der Staatsanwalt

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9.3.2011 Ganze Familie wegen Menschenhandel angeklagt [Anonymous. Welt Kompakt ]
Die Vorwurfe der Staatsanwaltschaft klingen ekelhaft. Über mehrere Jahre soll eine Familie aus der Slowakei junge Frauen aus ihrer Heimat im Hamburger Stadtteil St. Georg auf den Straßenstrich geschickt und ausgebeutet haben. Am Dienstag wurde gegen Familienmitglieder vor dem Landgericht der Prozess eroffnet. Auf der Anklagebank sitzen neben Mutter Julia B. (64) ihre drei Sohne Marian (45), Stefan (44) und Jozef (36) sowie ihre Schwiegertochter Martina (26). Neben ""schwerem Menschenhandel"" wird dem ältesten Sohn Marian auch noch Vergewaltigung vorgeworfen.
Geschnappt wurde die Zuhälterbande, die aus der kleinen Stadt Nové Zámky im Suden der Slowakei stammt, am 21. September vergangenen Jahres während einer Razzia im Rotlichtdistrikt von St. Georg. In einem Billighotel in der Ellmenreichstraße soll die Familie ihr Hauptquartier gehabt haben.
Ihre Opfer waren Frauen im Alter zwischen 17 und 35 Jahren. Auch sie stammten aus der ärmlichen Gegend um Nové Zámky. Die Zuhälter sollen die Frauen mit dem Versprechen, sie konnten in der Hansestadt als Putzfrauen arbeiten, nach Hamburg gelockt haben. Anschließend wurde die Hilflosigkeit der Frauen, die in Deutschland der Sprache nicht mächtig waren und keine Ansprechpartner hatten, ausgenutzt. Sie sollen gezwungen worden sein, auf den Straßen rund um den Hansaplatz auf den Strich zu gehen. Den großten Teil ihrer Einkunfte mussten sie abliefern. Teilweise sollen die Frauen zwischen acht Uhr morgens und 24 Uhr gearbeitet haben. Eine der Frauen soll sogar schwanger gewesen sein, während sie in St. Georg anschaffen musste.
Als Kopf der Bande gilt Marian B., dem insgesamt zehn Straftaten vorgeworfen werden. Sein jungerer Bruder Stefan, der mit Martina verheiratet ist, soll auch seine Frau gezwungen haben, sich zu prostituieren. Als sie etwa 300 Euro abzweigen wollte, soll er sie geschlagen haben.
Seit der Festnahme im September sitzen die Familienmitglieder in Untersuchungshaft. Der Vorsitzende Richter teilte mit, dass es Vorgespräche mit der Staatsanwaltschaft und den Verteidigern gegeben habe. Bei umfangreichen Geständnissen konnten Mutter Julia und Martina mit Bewährungsstrafen davonkommen. Ebenso die Bruder Stefan und Jozef. Lediglich Marian musste fur funf Jahre ins Gefängnis. Die moglicherweise milden Strafen sind nach Ansicht der Verteidiger darauf zuruckzufuhren, dass die Beweislage gegen ihre Mandanten durftig ist.

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9.3.2011 Straßenstrich statt Kellnerjob [KAI VON APPEN. Die Tageszeitung ]
Dass der Prozessauftakt von der Großen Strafkammer 12 des Landgerichts Hamburg ausgerechnet auf den Internationalen Frauentag gelegt worden ist, war wohl Zufall. Dass Zwangsprostitution ein globales Problem ist, zeigt sich aber einmal mehr: Wegen schweren Menschenhandels, Zuhälterei und Vergewaltigung stehen fünf Mitglieder der slowakischen Großfamilie B. seit Dienstag vor Gericht.
20 Straftaten im Zeitraum zwischen Dezember 2002 und September 2010 hat die Staatsanwaltschaft aufgelistet, in die die Familie in unterschiedlicher Zusammensetzung verstrickt gewesen sein soll. 20 vornehmlich junge slowakische Frauen aus dem ländlichen Umkreis der Stadt Nove Zamky soll der Familienclan ""bandenmäßig"" angesprochen und nach Hamburg gelockt oder transportiert haben - Frauen unter 21 Jahren oder junge und alleinerziehende Mütter, die in ihrer Heimat kaum eine Chance hatten, einen Job zu finden.
Einigen von ihnen ist in Hamburg ein Job als Kellnerin versprochen worden, stattdessen wurden sie von der Familie zur Prostitution auf dem Straßenstrich in St. Georg gezwungen. ""Dabei wurde Ort und Ausmaß der sexuellen Ausbeutung überwacht und bestimmt"", so die Anklage.
Unter Androhung von Gewalt hätten die Frauen von acht bis 24 Uhr ihre sexuelle Dienstleistungen anbieten und die Einnahmen von bis zu 400 Euro entweder bei Julia B. - einer 64-jährigen Frau, die im Gerichtsaal mit bäuerlichen Gewand und Kopftuch erschien - oder bei ihren Söhnen abliefern müssen. Diese hätten die Frauen auch mit Gewalt zu sexuellen Handlungen gezwungen. ""Ihre Zwangslage wurde ausgenutzt, da die Frauen sich wegen Sprachproblemen nicht an die zuständigen Behörden wenden konnten"", so der Staatsanwalt.
Es sei sogar gedroht worden, ihnen die Kinder wegzunehmen, wenn sie sich der Prostitution widersetzten. In die Prostitution eingewiesen wurden die Frauen von der Schwiegertochter der Familie, der heute 24-jährigen Martina B., die selbst für den Clan auf dem Straßenstrich in St. Georg arbeiten musste. Als sie vor wenigen Jahren aussteigen wollte, sei sie mit Gewalt weiter zur Prostitution gezwungen worden.
Der Vorsitzende Richter Hartmut Loth kündigte gleich zu Verfahrensbeginn einen Deal an. Für den Fall, dass die Angeklagten - die natürlich zu den Vorwürfen schweigen dürfen - ein umfassendes Geständnis ablegten, kämen bis auf Meran und Stefan B. alle mit Bewährungsstrafen von zwei Jahren davon. Martina B., die sich aussagewillig im Zeugenschutzprogramm befindet, stellte er eine Strafe von einem Jahr und drei Monaten in Aussicht.
Einige der Verteidiger sehen den Handel skeptisch. ""Die Staatsanwaltschaft hat zwar aufwendig ermittelt, richtige Beweise kann sie allerdings nicht präsentieren"", sagt einer von ihnen. Er sei zuversichtlich, dass seinem Mandanten keine Straftat nachzuweisen ist. Die Familie sei überhaupt nicht im Rotlicht-Milieu tätig gewesen. Er werde daher empfehlen, den Deal abzulehnen, obwohl sein Mandant von der Untersuchungshaft gezeichnet sei.
Die Schwiegertochter der Familie musste selbst für den Clan auf dem Straßenstrich in St. Georg arbeiten

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22.6.2011 Schmuggelware [WOELLER, MARCUS. Die Tageszeitung ]
Würde er heute leben, hätte er die magische Grenze von 5.000 Freunden wohl ausgeschöpft. Lajos Kassák würde vermutlich seine eigene Fanpage verwalten, mehrere Gruppen mit Themen wie ""Kunst oder/und Politik"", ""Wie lebt man Avantgarde"" oder ""Lyrik zwischen Typografie und Expression"" organisieren. Er würde sicher leidenschaftlich twittern und Social Media als Machbarkeitsmedium der Verschränkung von Kunst, Literatur und Leben verstehen. Doch Kassák ist kein Kind unserer Zeit, sondern des frühen 20. Jahrhunderts: geprägt von politischen Umschwüngen in seiner Heimat Ungarn und der Formulierung progressiver Ideen in aus heutiger Sicht sehr langsamen Medien. Trotzdem war Kassák ein Netzwerker par excellence.
Eine kleine Ausstellung in der Berlinischen Galerie präsentiert den Künstler, der 1887 im damalig ungarischen, heute slowakischen Érsekújvár bzw. Nové Zámky geboren wurde und 1967 in Budapest starb, als ""Botschafter der Avantgarde"". Die Fähigkeit, zu vermitteln, die kleinen Zellen avantgardistischer Kunst zu organisieren und über Länder- und Sprachgrenzen hinweg zu vernetzen, waren ihm wichtiger, als selbst als Künstler oder Literat wahrgenommen zu werden. János Can Togay vom Collegium Hungaricum in Berlin zitiert ihn mit den Worten: ""Die Dichter kennen die Wahrheit, und ich bin ja fast ein Dichter. Aber auch ein Spaten und ein Kran.""
Kassák wollte die Dinge nicht nur von allen Seiten betrachten, er wollte sie angehen und anschieben. Darüber wurde er vom Schlosser zum politischen Aktivisten und selbst zum Zensor für Plakatkunst in der nur ein knappes Jahr bestehenden ungarischen Räterepublik. Schnell geriet er mit den kommunistischen Führern in Konflikt, weil er die Kunst nicht vor den Karren der Parteipolitik spannen wollte. Dafür ging er ein paar Monate ins Gefängnis und emigrierte 1920 nach Wien.
Kassáks Begeisterung für die überall in Europa aufkeimenden Avantgarden, ob sie nun Dada, Futurismus, Expressionismus oder Konstruktivismus hießen, formierte sich schon früh. Nach seiner Lehre war er zu Fuß von Budapest nach Paris gelaufen, wo er unter anderen Guillaume Apollinaire, Sonia und Robert Delaunay kennen lernte. Als Autodidakt mit Working-Class-Hintergrund begann er, mit expressiven Texten die Dichter seiner Generation herauszufordern.
Produktion im Exil
Kurz vor Beginn des Ersten Weltkriegs kehrte er in seine Heimat zurück und gründete die aktionistische Zeitschrift A Tett (Die Tat). Das Folgeprojekt Ma (Heute) produzierte er ab 1916 und nach kurzer Pause auch aus dem österreichischen Exil bis 1926 weiter, seine Ehefrau musste die Ausgaben nach Ungarn schmuggeln, weil er dort auch nach der Restauration der Monarchie nicht gut gelitten war.
Eine eigenständige Bildsprache fand Kassák mit kleinen typografischen Collagen konkreter Poesie, die man als Bindeglied zwischen Literatur und bildender Kunst verstehen kann. Formal verstand sich Kassák aber auch in der Tradition der Konstruktivisten. Seine ""Bildarchitekturen"" vermitteln zwischen plastischer Baukunst und freier Abstraktion und stehen in direkter Verbindung zur Malerei des Bauhaus-Schülers Sándor Bortnyiks. Die Kuratorinnen Edit Sasvári vom Budapester Kassák-Museum und Veronika Baksa-Soós von der Moholy-Nagy-Galerie des Collegium Hungaricum recherchierten für die Ausstellung in vielen Privatsammlungen, doch vom schmalen Ouevre Kassáks bleiben viele Arbeiten verschollen.
Medienwissenschaftliche Leistung
In ihrer Konzentration macht die Ausstellung deutlich, dass es Kassák einerseits um die Verlegertätigkeit in Augenhöhe mit seinen Kollegen ging, andererseits aber besonders darum, die verschiedenen Avantgarde-Magazine miteinander zu vernetzen. Dazu gehörten De Stijl aus Leiden, Zenit aus Zagreb, Broom mit wechselnden Standorten undDer Gegner aus Berlin, 2 x 2 aus Wien,Contimporanul "" aus Bukarest oder L'esprit nouveau aus Paris. Mit den jeweiligen Herausgebern und Künstlern wie László Moholy-Nagy, El Lissitzky, Tristan Tzara, Viking Eggeling oder Hans Richter tauschte er Manuskripte, Artikel und Bildklischees aus und wurde so nicht nur zum Vater der ungarischen Avantgarde des 20. Jahrhunderts, sondern forcierte die Kopräsenz dieser Künstler europaweit in den Kunstzeitschriften. Insofern ist ""Lajos Kassák. Botschafter der Avantgarde 1915-1927"" nicht nur als kunsthistorische, sondern vor allem als medienwissenschaftliche Forschungsleistung zu sehen.
-- ""Lajos Kassák. Botschafter der ungarischen Avantgarde. 1915-1927"", Berlinische Galerie, bis zum 17. November
-- Moholy-Nagy-Galerie des CHB: ""Manifest: KassÁk! Eine intermediale Annäherung"" bis zum 25. September

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27.8.2011 Police bust organized crime groups operating in south-western Slovakia [Anonymous. BBC Monitoring European ]
Text of report in English by privately-owned Slovak SITA news agency website
[""Police Disband Organized Crime Groups From Southern Slovakia"" - SITA headline]
Bratislava, 25 August: Police Corps President Jaroslav Spisiak announced that the police managed to disband organized crime groups, which operated in the towns of Sered, Galanta, Nove Zamky and Sala in south-western Slovakia. Spisiak told a news conference on Thursday [25 August] that the Office to Fight Organized Crime arrested four persons, who have for long been listed as active persons in organized crime in districts of Galanta, Nove Zamky and Sala, which for some time has been assessed as the highest risk area with regard to organized crime.
Spisiak further announced that all important members of organized crime in this area are currently under investigation or have already been charged, while one is on the run. ""Only insignificant articles of the remainder of organized criminality remain, which we gradually manage to keep within the legal boundaries with the use of classic police methods,"" Spisiak added.
The four detained men are suspected of committing murders in the environment of organized crime in the years of 2000, 2001 and 2010, the police chief added.
Credit: SITA website, Bratislava, in English 1341 25 Aug 11

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28.2.2012 Slovakia, Hungary sign accord on construction of two new road bridges on border [BBC Monitoring European ]
Text of report in English by privately-owned Slovak SITA news agency website
[""Two New Road Bridges Over Ipel River To Connect Slovakia and Hungary"" - SITA headline]
BRATISLAVA, February 27, (SITA) -Two new road bridges between Slovakia and Hungary will be built over the Ipel river (Hungarian Ipoly). In Bratislava on Monday [ 27 February], Transport Minister Jan Figel (KDH [Christian Democratic Movement]) and State Secretary at the Hungarian Ministry of National Development Pal Volner signed intergovernmental agreements on construction of bridges and connecting roads on the joint border between the villages of Chlaba in Nove Zamky district and Ipolydamasd and between and villages of Pastovce in Levice district and Vamosmikola. The roads are intended for passenger and cargo transportation up to 12 tons. The two partners further signed an intergovernmental agreement on the transportation character of the roads passing through the common state border.
Transport Minister Jan Figel told the media after the meeting that based on the signed agreements, Slovakia and Hungary will be able to draw finances from the European Development Fund. The construction of bridges between the two countries is to help Slovak transport, tourism, as well as employment. The minister estimates that following the approval of administrative processes, both bridges should be built in 2013. ""We are able to use European funds for the construction. We hope that we will deliver the bridges in a short time"", Volner said, adding that cooperation in transport between the two countries is flawless.
The construction of each bridge will cost more than five million euros and will be co-financed from EU funds within the Slovak-Hungarian cross-border cooperation programme for 2007-2013. 85 per cent of the costs will be from the European Regional Development Fund, 10 per cent from state budgets, and the Nitra County will contribute five per cent.
Credit: SITA website, Bratislava, in English 1212 27 Feb 12

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29.9.2012 My dinner with Opapa [Pataki, Amy. Toronto Star ]
Prague European Kitchen** 1/2 (out of 4)
Address: 638 Queen
St. W. (near Bathurst St.), 416-504-5787, pragueto.wordpress.com
Chef: Jake Paradis
Hours: Monday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Tuesday to Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Thursday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Reservations: Dinner only
Wheelchair access: No
Price: Dinner for two with beer, tax and tip: $65
I call to invite my 96-year-old grandfather for dinner. It's the usual shtick.
""Hi, Opapa, it's Amy. Want to go out on a date with me? But don't tell your wife.""
""Sure,"" he chuckles. ""It will be our secret. I don't want her to be jealous I'm going out with a younger woman.""
This is how we've been talking for most of my 43 years. We kibbitz, tease and tell each other outrageous fibs. ""It's too bad I hate you,"" he'll say, which I know means the opposite. Mushy-gushy is not how this Holocaust survivor rolls.
I take Opapa to eat at Prague European Kitchen, a reboot of the Prague Deli. The Kral family, who opened the deli in 1968, sold it three months ago.
Opapa used to shop at the deli. Both he and my 84-year-old grandmother, Omama, are from what is now Slovakia, neighbours to the Czechs. He was born in Nove Zamky, she in Kosice, cities in a mixed Hungarian-Slovak region once part of the Austro-Hungarian empire. My grandparents grew up bilingual but Hungarian remains their home language.
What I'm really after, besides the rib-sticking meal I get, is a chance to be alone with my grandfather, something I can't do during loud family gatherings. Because I have questions.
My mother's father is mentally sharp and impressively active for his years; he lifts weights at the YMCA three times a week and keeps up a Wednesday poker game. He stopped driving a couple of years ago and complains about his short-term memory and shrunken posture, but to me he is the Energizer Bunny.
When I drive up to his North York condo, he's waiting outside, his cane at the ready, his windbreaker zipped. He grumbles when I open his door. ""I don't need you to do that. Now I'll have to give you a bigger tip.""
I've printed the menu for him to study on the drive down. New chef Jake Paradis (ex-Jump) subtly updates Czech classics.
""There are foods I haven't eaten in years,"" sighs Opapa, registering the sauerbraten and knedliky. ""Like tripe. They don't have tripe in Canadian restaurants.""
My grandfather arrived in Canada in 1953, a 37-year-old farmer with his wife and 6-year-old daughter; a second daughter, my aunt, came later. He'd rebuilt his war-shattered life first by marrying in Kosice, then moving to France and Venezuela. He farmed tobacco in Tillsonburg until he was 84.
The new Prague is unrecognizable except for the telltale smell of smoked meat. The deli counter, which keeps shorter hours than the all-day dining room, is hidden in a back room. The dining area is bare save for shelves of mustard and pickles.
We had cousins in Prague. Opapa tells me of one who shot his wife, suspecting adultery.
""She didn't die. They stayed together,"" he says.
Luckily I have a pillowy pair of potato pancakes ($10) to catch my dropped jaw. They've been fried in what tastes like bacon fat and come with supple smoked salmon and gently pickled beets.
Opapa has ordered the paprika-flavoured tripe ($6).
""It's a typical Czech soup,"" he says, finishing the bowl.
I'm enjoying his company. I used to ask a million questions when he talked about his wartime experiences as a forced labourer or going undercover with non-Jewish identity papers.
Now, though, I want to tackle specific subjects.
Around the time his Reuben sandwich ($8.50) arrives, I ask him what he learned from his parents. He removes the top layer of marble rye and eats the shredded pork hock, sauerkraut and smoked Edam with a fork and knife.
Between bites, Opapa tells me his father taught him to break the rules. My great-grandfather used what I would call questionable business practices. This contrary streak came in handy when the Hungarians began putting anti-Jewish measures in place in 1938.
""None of us thought for a second to follow the dictates and go to the ghetto,"" Opapa says. Instead, the family bought false papers and lived as Christians.
""What was your life like when you were my age?"" is my next question.
He quickly calculates. ""I was 43 in 1959. We had been in Canada for a few years. It felt like home. I had no problem with English. I knew I would live the rest of my life here. I was saving for my old age already.""
I can't imagine starting over as many times as my grandparents did. They survived systematic extermination, physical and emotional damage. Where does the determination come from?
""I was always optimistic,"" Opapa says.
For me, that's a teachable moment. I've also been learning that Czech food, or at least the version at Prague European Kitchen, relies heavily on caraway seeds and pork fat for flavour. Also, that palachinky ($18) are way thicker than the Hungarian crepes I grew up with. The palachinky is folded around tender roast suckling pig and braised cabbage lapped by smoky jus. It's delicious, as is the homemade applesauce alongside.
After a dessert of doughy strawberry dumplings ($5.50), I pay the bill. This offends Opapa, who usually reaches for his wallet as fast as Gary Cooper draws his gun in High Noon.
""I'm supposed to pay. I'm older,"" he protests.
""I'm prettier,"" I answer.
I drive Opapa home and accompany him upstairs. Omama wants to know how the food was.
""It was okay, not excellent,"" he shrugs. I concur.
Would he go back?
""Sure,"" he says.
I'm happy to take him anytime.
apataki@thestar.ca
www.twitter.com/amypataki
Credit: Amy Pataki, Toronto Star; apataki@thestar.ca; www.twitter.com/amypataki

2014-02-22 08:48:45 Admin
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