CENTRAL
SLOVAKIA
On sale now
NEWS
Oppositon rallies
The leaders of all Slovakia's
centre-right opposition
parties shared a joint stage to
criticise the present govern-
ment at a demo in Bratislava.
pg 2
Fico targets ex-minister
The prime minister has at-
tacked former transport min-
ister Pavol Prokopovič for
signing long-term deals after
his party had lost the 2006
election.
pg 3
OPINION
The foul air of prejudice
Tensions between minorities
and the majority population,
instead of dwindling, risk be-
ing inflamed by thoughtless
or mendacious politicians.
The Roma community in
Slovakia and elsewhere is
particularly vulnerable.
BUSINESS FOCUS
pg 5
Žilina Region
The recently re-elected pres-
dient of the Žilina Self-Gov-
erning Region, Juraj Blanár,
talks to The Slovak Spectator
about his priorities.
pg 6
Banská Bystrica Region
Vladimír Maňka, the new
president of the Banská
Bystrica Self-Governing Re-
gion, explains how he plans to
tackle regional disparities.
pg 7
A wealth of attractions
Central Slovakia has huge
tourist potential, boasting an-
cient mining towns, like UN-
ESCO-listed Banská Štiavnica,
mountains, forests, spas and
ski resorts.
pg 8
CULTURE
Foxes on the red carpet
Foxes, a new family drama
about young Slovaks living
and working in Ireand, is
enjoying positive responses at
film festivals around Europe.
pg 11
SELECT FOREX RATES
€ benchmark as of January 28
CANADA CAD 1.48 HUNGARY
CZECH REP. CZK 26.23 JAPAN
RUSSIA RUB 42.47 POLAND
GREAT BRITAIN GBP 0.86 USA
Vol. 16, No. 4 Monday, February 1, 2010 - Sunday, February 7, 2010
Seventy-three athletes will represent Slovakia at this year's Winter Olympics, more than ever before in Slovakia's independent
history. Slovaks will compete in the men's and women's ice hockey, downhill and cross-country skiing, ski jump, biathlon, fig-
ure skating, luge and bobsleigh. On January 27, the athletes met Slovak President Ivan Gašparovič.
Old scandal spells
new trouble for SDKÚ
PRIME Minister Robert Fico’s decision
to dig up a long-dormant case concern-
ing unexplained financing of the op-
position Slovak Democratic and Chris-
tian Union (SDKÚ), and to season it
with some new information about
what he called money laundering, ficti-
tious firms and tax-haven bank ac-
counts, has signalled that the political
fight in the lead-up to this year’s par-
liamentary election will be merciless
and possibly dirty. With the renewed
claims, aired in mid January, Fico now
asserts that the SDKÚ, which has ac-
cused his own ruling coalition of cor-
ruption and theft, channelled money
through foreign accounts supervised by
its officials.
While observers suggest that Fico is
trying to overshadow some of the still-
smoking political scandals generated
by the ruling coalition of Smer, the
Slovak National Party (SNS) and the
Bizarre twist in emissions deal
BY BEATA BALOGOVÁ
Spectator staff
FOR A MOMENT it seemed like some
real, breathing people were emerging
HUF 271.30 from the fog surrounding the US-
JPY 126.36 based garage firm Interblue Group –
PLN 4.07 the company which bought
USD 1.40 Slovakia’s excess emission quotas for
an amount well below the price re-
ceived by neighbouring countries for
their quotas in a deal that has been
heavily criticised for more than a year
and has cost two environment minis-
ters their jobs.
BY BEATA BALOGOVÁ
Spectator staff
Movement for a Democratic Slovakia
(HZDS), the prime minister’s accusa-
tions have prompted SDKÚ leader
Mikuláš Dzurinda to file a criminal
complaint against him.
However, Dzurinda publicly admit-
ted that his party is unable to answer all
the questions that journalists are ask-
ing about the party’s financing
between 2000 and 2004.
“We are sorry about it,” Dzurinda
said shortly after Fico reopened the
SDKÚ party financing issue. The prime
minister called Dzurinda’s confession
“political suicide”. Dzurinda, in de-
fence of his party, said that back in 2000
the law did not oblige political parties
However, the January 20 meeting
between representatives of the Slovak
Environment Ministry and Interblue
Group (Europe), a new Swiss company
that had apparently morphed from the
obscure US-based firm, produced little
in the way of concrete results other
than the resignation of the only pub-
licly-seen representative of Interblue.
That representative, Jana Lütken, said
she did not resign because of the deal
itself, but because of what she called a
serious injury caused to her by a Slov-
ak television crew. A political ethics
watchdog group said that Lutken and
Interblue are merely doing everything
possible to delay resolution of the is-
sues surrounding the contract.
Photo: TASR
to publish annual reports on party fin-
ancing or the names of their donors.
Fico opened up the SDKÚ financing
case on January 22, after a four-and-a-
half-year lacuna. The case involved a
so-far unexplained transaction which
helped the party to clear its then-Sk22
million (approximately €730,000, at
current exchange rates) debt and at the
same time allowed it to sell its Medená
Street property for Sk27 million (ap-
proximately €896,000, at current ex-
change rates). Fico initially suggested
that the unidentified owners of Swiss
bank accounts and shell firms in tax
havens were involved in the deal.
Then, on January 27, Fico claimed
that the SDKÚ is controlled by shell
companies based in London, with CEOs
operating in tax havens and holding
accounts in Swiss banks.
See CASH pg 2
Slovakia has been attempting to
secure a €15 million bonus payment
from Interblue Group for having spent
the original proceeds from the contract
on so-called green projects. The con-
tract with Interblue included a clause
that if Slovakia spent the funds from
the sale of its emissions quotas within
the ‘Green Investment Scheme’ (GIS),
the country would be eligible for a bo-
nus payment of €1 per tonne, or €15
million in total.
The Slovak government has said that
its nationwide thermal insulation pro-
gramme, funded with proceeds from the
contract, falls under the GIS scheme.
See GIS pg 4
from page 6
FOCUS
of this issue
Political poll
raises
eyebrows
SaS ranks third in first
opinion poll of 2010
BY MICHAELA STANKOVÁ
Spectator staff
THE FIRST survey of the New Year, as the June
national elections approach, to ask about the
popularity of Slovakia’s political parties pro-
duced a surprise when its results showed a rel-
atively small newcomer in the political arena,
the Freedom and Solidarity party (SaS), rank-
ing third. At the same time, the poll confirmed
that the dominant party in the ruling coali-
tion, Smer, enjoys widespread public support,
with over 40 percent of those polled saying
they would support it. But poll results released
a few days later by another survey agency sug-
gest that SaS should not become too euphoric.
The MVK polling agency released the res-
ults of its poll on January 25, showing that
Smer would have been preferred by 42 percent
of those polled if the elections had been held in
January. The Slovak Democratic and Christian
Union (SDKÚ) came in second with 9.4 percent
support and SaS, which had previously polled
around 5 percent support, climbed up to 9.2
percent and came out as the third strongest
party according to MVK’s survey.
See UP pg 3
New player
to take to
Slovak skies
BY ADAM VALČEK
Special to the Spectator
THE SKIES over Slovakia are to get a new fam-
ily of metal birds. Beginning May 17 the range
of airlines offering long-haul flights from
Bratislava Airport with just one stopover will
widen. From that date, the Polish national
airline LOT will begin flying to its main hub,
Warsaw, using a 46-seat, turbo-prop plane
every day except Saturday. Later, they plan to
use a jet aeroplane that will be faster and
more comfortable.
“We had a big increase in passengers in the
region,” Jolanta Grala-Bednárčik, head of LOT
for Slovakia and the region, said as she ex-
plained why the company was returning to
the region after a six-year break. “In the Czech
Republic and in Slovakia, our sales increased
by about 15 percent, in spite of the general
market slump.”
Its return to M. R. Štefánik International
Airport in Bratislava is also supported by the
enhanced interest of Slovaks in LOT flights
from Vienna, Krakow and Prague. According
to calculations by the Polish airline, last year
their interest increased by 40 percent when
compared to 2008.
See BIRD pg 4
2 February 1 – 7, 2010
NEWS in short
Slovaks rue social conflict with Roma
SLOVAKS regard ethnic ten-
sions as more powerful than
any other kind of social conflict
in the country, according to the
International Social Survey
Programme (ISSP) 2009-2010
conducted by the sociology de-
partment of the Slovak
Academy of Sciences.
According to the 1,159 re-
spondents surveyed, conflicts
between the majority popula-
tion and the Roma minority are
the most bitter, followed by
tensions between Slovaks and
ethnic Hungarians and those
between well-off people and
those with lower incomes.
Slovaks considered the first
two areas of conflict to be the
most publicised social and
political problems in Slovakia,
the TASR newswire wrote
about the survey results.
Unwitting 'courier' to be compensated
A MAN from Poprad who flew
to Dublin with high explosive
in his luggage after it had been
out there without his know-
ledge by police wants Interior
Minister Robert Kaliňák not to
publish the amount he is to re-
ceive as compensation for the
inconvenience he experienced,
the TASR newswire reported.
“I’m holding talks with the
ministry on this matter and, as
I wish to have my privacy pro-
tected, I’ve asked minister
Kaliňák not to inform the pub-
lic about the amount of
compensation,” Štefan Gonda,
an electrician, wrote in a
statement for the media,
quoted by the TASR newswire.
Ninety grammes of explos-
ive were in Gonda’s luggage
when he arrived in Dublin on a
Danube Wings flight that left
Poprad on January 2. Police at
Guantánamo detainees enter Slovakia
THREE detainees from the US
facility in Guantánamo Bay,
Cuba arrived in Slovakia early
on the morning of January 25,
the spokesman for the Police
Corps Presidium, Martin
Korch, told the TASR newswire.
Contrary to rumours, Korch
said that the three were not in a
convoy that went to the refugee
camp in Humenné, in Prešov
Region, the day before.
“The convoy was part of
cover measures aimed at ensur-
ing their smooth transfer,” said
Korch.
He added that the police
would not provide any further
information about the three
former detainees.
Slovak rescuers save French diplomat
SHORTLY after a rescue team
from Slovakia landed in Port-
au-Prince, Haiti on January 24,
its members were quickly
called into action, with the task
of helping to extinguish a burn-
ing car occupied by the French
ambassador to Haiti.
Slovak rescuers managed to
help the ambassador escape
from the burning car without
any serious injuries, the Slovak
Ministry of Foreign Affairs told
According to Ján Bunčák
from the sociology department
of the Philosophy Faculty of
Bratislava’s Comenius Uni-
versity, who presented the res-
ults of the survey, the tension
between Slovaks and ethnic
Hungarians has been “signific-
antly politicised”.
To support his assertion, he
pointed to the fact that this
kind of tension was reported
most often by people from
Žilina, who he noted are un-
likely be directly affected by in-
teracting with ethnic Hungari-
ans because very few live in
Žilina Region.
Almost two-thirds of
Slovakia’s inhabitants are
happy with their lives; Slovaks
more so than Roma or ethnic
Hungarians, the Sme daily re-
ported.
Poprad Airport had hidden ex-
plosives in the luggage of sev-
eral unsuspecting passengers
as part of a security operation.
However, a package of explos-
ive was stuck in the straps of
Gonda’s bag and was not re-
moved before he boarded the
plane.
The 49-year-old man was
later arrested in Ireland but
then released without charge.
Gonda has recently started talk-
ing to the media and has con-
firmed the interior minister’s
claim that the explosive was
not inside his luggage but
rather stuck on the straps of his
rucksack.
“I checked my backpack
and after a while found a small
plastic bag with a grey sub-
stance in the straps in the
lumbar area,” Gonda said, as
quoted by the SITA newswire.
The Slovak government’s
decision to accept three prison-
ers from the USA's
Guantánamo Bay facility was
announced by Slovak Foreign
Affairs Minister Miroslav
Lajčák on January 19.
The three detainees from
Guantánamo represent no
threat to Slovak citizens, said
Keith Eddins, US charge
d'affaires to Slovakia.
The identity of the three is
being withheld at the request
of the Slovak government.
The US government asked
EU countries to help find places
for detainees that could be jus-
tifiably released from the de-
tention centre.
the media.
Slovakia dispatched an
18-member rescue and health-
care team, along with a field
hospital and humanitarian ma-
terial aid, to Haiti on January
22, via Paris, in cooperation
with the French Interior Min-
istry. Haiti suffered a devastat-
ing earthquake on January 12.
Compiled by Spectator staff
from press reports
NEWS
Opposition rallies at demo
usual event for the Slovak opposi-
tion in recent years.
BY MICHAELA STANKOVÁ “I think it was a kind of suc-
Spectator staff cess to get all those leaders there
on one stage together,” political
analyst Grigorij Mesežnikov told
THE NEARING elections and the The Slovak Spectator. “Because in
accumulating scandals of the rul- that way they are showing that
ing government coalition caused they are close to each other –
at least a little bit of noise in Brat- their programmes and their val-
islava on the afternoon of Sat- ues – and that if they were to get
urday, January 23. A protest the chance of coalition coopera-
demonstration with the theme tion, they would take it.”
“We like this country but we The opposition leaders dished
don’t like this government” re- out some harsh criticism of the
portedly attracted between 500 ruling coalition.
Alojz Hlina speaks to the crowd in Bratislava's SNP Square. Photo: ČTK
and 1,000 people to Bratislava’s “We have a government that
central SNP Square. The crowd is neither national, social nor
was made up of citizen activists tional Party (SNS). They were by reporters from the Plus Jeden popular,” said Mikuláš Dzurinda,
aided by the centre-right opposi- backed by the Civic Democratic Deň daily. the leader of the Slovak Demo-
tion parties. Youth movement. “Fico is taking our money cratic and Christian Union
The organisers of the demon- Hlina said the protest pulled from us, too much of our money, (SDKÚ). “We’ve got a government
stration were two rather well- together people who like Slov- and gives it away to his friends,” that is populist, thievish and
known Slovak activists, Ondrej akia, their country, but are wor- Dostál said. “We are here today incompetent.”
Dostál, the director of the Con- ried about the direction it has because we don’t like that and we Ján Figeľ, head of the Chris-
servative Institute of Milan Ras- taken. Hlina added that he thinks want to change it.” tian Democratic Movement
tislav Štefánik and a vice-chair- Slovakia is headed towards big The protest, originally organ- (KDH), said he likes Slovakia
man of the Civic Conservative problems. He again sharply criti- ised by activists, was later and he wants it to serve its cit-
Party (OKS), and Alojz Hlina, who cised Slota, who the day before presented as a protest by the op- izens through its institutions
has recently become well known the protest had been videotaped position political parties because and not misuse the state’s
as an outspoken critic of Ján in an apparently intoxicated the leaders of all the centre-right power against them.
Slota, the head of the Slovak Na- state in the parliament building parties met on the stage, an un- See SNP pg 5
CASH: Linked to UK firms, Swiss accounts
Continued from pg 1 gust 2000. However, the party has produced current government’s scandals by bringing
neither the loan contract nor information up older issues.
“There is a serious suspicion that the about Allied Wings, SITA wrote. The prime “It now depends on how the SDKÚ pur-
SDKÚ transferred abroad commissions from minister stressed that Allied Wings emerged sues newer cases, which are there but which
privatisation of strategic companies and on January 13, 2000, only a couple of months Fico denies,” said Kusý.
covered them by [using] fictive firms and before it provided the loan to the SDKÚ. The Fico government has still not shed
today is using them to finance its activities,” “It is not possible that a postal box in light on the suspicious sale of Slovakia’s ex-
Fico said. London with a director in Saint Christopher cess emission quotas to an obscure firm, In-
The claims relate to a historical loan of and Nevis [a Caribbean island state] provides terblue Group, whose registered address was
several hundred thousand euros to the SDKÚ a loan worth millions to the SDKÚ without a lock-up garage in the USA, while a scandal
from a London-based firm, Allied Wings, es- having the account of an SDKÚ representat- in which Slovak police planted live explosive
tablished only a few months before the ive with illegal money behind it,” Fico said, in the luggage of an unsuspecting Slovak cit-
transaction. The firm’s basic capital then as quoted by SITA. izen who then carried the explosive to Ire-
stood at Sk350,000 (approximately €11,600, After Fico published the first informa- land is still smoking. Labour Minister Viera
at current exchange rates) and its scope of tion, Dzurinda said that his party had Tomanová, a nominee of Fico’s Smer party, is
business was not loan provision, according already paid the price twice for unanswered also under fire over problems with the func-
to the Sme daily. Fico claimed that the firm questions pertaining to his party’s financing tioning of the so-called ‘social companies’
was dissolved last June, shortly after he sug- between 2000 and 2004: once in 2002, and scheme backed by Smer.
gested that he would disseminate informa- again in 2006, in the parliamentary elec- Kusý also noted that at the time when
tion about money laundering, Sme wrote. tions. Since then, the party’s financing has these cases emerged, the regulations were
According to Fico, Allied Wings is linked been completely transparent, he said. different and publishing information was
to another company, Destor Investments, “We did not hurt or harm anyone,” said not obligatory. Nonetheless, he expects Fico
since both firms are based in London and Dzurinda. “We did not scratch a single to continue stirring the case.
have the same founder and secretary. Destor heller [one hundredth of a Slovak crown] “It is in fact a 6-year old case, which at
Investments is the owner of 100 percent of from this state.” the time when it broke out evoked consider-
the shares in another company, Involve, However, on January 26 Dzurinda also able distress,” said Kusý. “Though the public
which owns the SDKÚ party logo. Igor said that he has never really handled the fin- prosecutor closed the case down the prime
Kucej, the main treasurer of the SDKÚ, is ancing of his party and that he deals with minister has now has reopened it.”
the authorised representative of Involve. party financing only once a year. The SDKÚ Fico promised to reveal further inform-
The address of the director of Destor In- chairman has said that the attacks can be at- ation.
vestments is recorded as being in Dubai, ac- tributed to Fico’s efforts to divert attention The director of political ethics watchdog
cording to Fico. from the scandals of the ruling coalition and the Fair-Play Alliance, Zuzana Wienk, told
“The circle is closed,” said Fico, as quoted to intimidate the opposition. The Slovak Spectator that the explanation
by Sme. “If the finance-master of the SDKÚ “If the political party I lead has commit- SDKÚ has provided is not satisfactory at all.
is the authorised representative of a fictive ted a crime, why does a policeman, prosec- However, she also suggested that Fico has
English firm, Destor Investments, he also utor, or the chief of the anti-corruption unit been using very strong words and if he
has a connection with Allied Wings, which not announce the start of criminal proceed- stands behind them, he should have filed a
provided a loan to the SDKÚ. The party ings? Why has the prime minister been sig- criminal complaint.
which is accusing us of theft and corruption nalling this since last June, only to an- “The fact is that the SDKÚ has never ex-
is sending money from foreign accounts un- nounce it at a press conference today [Janu- plained suspicions of non-transparent fin-
der the supervision of SDKÚ people.” ary 22], as a politician?” Dzurinda told the ancing and many open issues remain about
The SDKÚ financing scandal originally public service Slovak Radio. “This is proof why the concealed patrons helped the party;
broke in 2005. Between 2003 and 2004 an- that Fico does not care about the rule of law.” how they were rewarded and whether the
other company, Soul, with basic capital of Shortly after Fico’s January 27 press con- party did not have a whole system of firms
Sk200,000 (approximately €6,600, at cur- ference, the SDKÚ said that it was filing a abroad which helped the party with its fin-
rent exchange rates) took over the party’s criminal complaint against Fico. ancial situation,” Wienk said.
Sk22 million debt and also paid for the However, Sme journalists reported that According to Wienk, if the party wants
party’s building, thus providing Dzurinda’s they had not, so far, received any answers to prevent a loss of public trust and the re-
party with about Sk50 million (approxim- from the SDKÚ about why its logo is owned vival of these scandals it should investigate
ately €1.66 million, at current exchange by Involve, which in turn is owned by a for- the case internally and draw personal re-
rates). Fico suggested that the SDKÚ had eign firm, and not by the party. The paper sponsibility, which would mean replacing
transferred part of the money received from asked why Involve, for which SDKÚ treas- the leadership with new faces and adopting
Soul to an account of Allied Wings held at urer Kucej is the authorised representative, new rules of behaviour.
Credit Suisse, a Swiss bank, the SITA is owned by Destor Investments. Prosecutor General Dobroslav Trnka con-
newswire wrote. Political scientist Miroslav Kusý told The firmed to the financial daily Hospodárske
The SDKÚ claims that this was repay- Slovak Spectator that even if suspicions re- Noviny on January 27 that his office has
ment of a loan of €404,000, with 7 percent main about the SDKÚ’s funding, Fico’s ef- been collecting material regarding the case
interest rate, which they had taken in Au- forts are nothing but an effort to obscure the and has requested material from SDKÚ.
4 February 1 – 7, 2010
BUSINESS in short
Truckers say they will strike again
THE UNION of Slovak Road Car-
riers (UNAS), which recently
organised various protests
against Slovakia’s new e-toll
collection system, has issued a
strike notice for February 1, for
an indefinite period.
The truckers say they have
done so to voice their dissatis-
faction with the 1,400 kilo-
metres of first-class roads on
which a toll is now charged, the
SITA newswire reported.
UNAS says that tolls should
be paid only on 333 kilometres
of first-class roads that run
parallel to highways and dual
carriageways.
The head of UNAS’s organ-
isational committee, Jaroslav
Polaček, said they are still de-
manding suspension of all e-
tolls until the end of June.
The small and medium-
sized trucking firms will re-
main on strike alert until Feb-
ruary 1 and until then they are
prepared to talk about their
demands with competent au-
thorities, SITA wrote.
According to SITA, a truck-
ers’ strike has support from
the National Association of
Employers (RÚZ), the Slovak
Trade Chamber and the Asso-
Cargo Slovakia to reduce one shift
RAILWAY freight company
Cargo Slovakia (ZSSK Cargo)
and its employee representat-
ives agreed to a working week
which will be reduced by one
shift beginning February 1 due
to work obstacles on the
employer’s part, the SITA
newswire reported.
The working week of staff
members who work on a
variable working cycle will
change beginning March 1,
with employees receiving
compensation of 70 percent
of their standard salaries, the
company’s spokeswoman,
Margaréta Grecová, told
SITA.
East-west highway promised 'by 2012'
ECONOMY Minister Ľubomír
Jahnátek told South Korean
Ambassador Seok-soong Seo
that Slovakia’s first highway
connecting Bratislava and
Košice will be finished by late
2012 instead of 2010, the date
first promised by Prime Minis-
ter Robert Fico when he
entered office in June 2006, the
SITA newswire reported.
The minister told the am-
bassador that the highway’s
completion by the end of 2012
would significantly improve
conditions for foreign invest-
ments in eastern Slovakia,
SITA wrote.
However, the 2012 date
offered by the minister appar-
ently does not include comple-
tion of several final sections of
the D1 highway which involve
tunnels and complex engineer-
ing projects that are incldued
in the third public-private
partnership (PPP) highway
construction package.
According to the concession
agreement for D1 construction
in the third PPP package signed
ciation of Entrepreneurs of
Slovakia.
Transport Minister
Ľubomír Vážny has already re-
jected the truckers’ demand to
reduce the size of the network
of first-class roads that are sub-
ject to tolls as well as their de-
mand to pay only for actual
kilometres driven and not for
whole sections.
After the negotiations
Vážny stated that if a vehicle
does not use the whole meas-
ured section of a tolled road and
departs from part of it, the
vehicle will not pay a full toll or
will have a zero toll-rate for
that section.
“This means a certain con-
cession from the state as well as
having to deal with lost reven-
ue for that section,” Vážny said.
Beginning in February,
vehicles are expected to pay e-
tolls on first-class roads for 1,006
modified sections which are 5
kilometres in maximum length
and beginning in April on 1,700
shortened sections with an av-
erage length of 700 metres.
According to Vážny, this is
the maximum concession that
the government can make to-
wards the trucking firms.
The firm expects its cargo
transport this year to increase
by about 10 percent from 2009,
a year in which the company
recorded a drop of about 30 per-
cent in its cargo transport.
Due to the economic crisis
and its subsequent record
slump in performance, Cargo
Slovakia estimates that it
closed 2009 with losses of €120
million, about 10 percent less
than the €133 million loss pro-
jected earlier.
Last year, more than 600
employees left the company on
the basis of employment ter-
mination agreements and re-
ceived severance compensation.
on January 22 by the Transport
Ministry and representatives of
the contractor, Žilinská
Diaľnica, the highway sections
between Hričovské Podhradie
and Lietavská Lúčka, Lietavská
Lúčka and Višňové, Višňové
and Dubná Skala and from
Lietavská Lúčka to Žilina will
be finished only after 2012.
The first two sections will
open for traffic in spring 2013,
according to the agreement’s
timetable. The remaining two
sections, including a tunnel
about 8 kilometres long
between Višňové and Dubná
Skala, are slated for completion
by autumn 2014.
Completion of the entire
highway, which will be
Slovakia's first multi-lane link
between the capital and
Košice, Slovakia's second
largest city, has slipped several
times since Fico made his ori-
ginal election-time pledge to
finish it by this year.
Compiled by Spectator staff
from press reports
BUSINESS / NEWS
GIS: Interblue figure 'resigns'
Continued from pg 1 Wienk also said the Envir-
onment Ministry should have
The US-based Interblue long ago turned to a committee
Group ceased to exist on Decem- within the United Nations,
ber 29, 2009 and the rights and which could assess whether
obligations of the firm were ap- Slovakia met the contract’s con-
parently transferred to Interblue ditions, to submit a report on
Group (Europe), based in Switzer- the use of funds from the emis-
land. When The Slovak Spectator sions sale.
went to print on January 28 the “If this body confirms that
ministry had not released any Slovakia met the conditions, it
relevant documentation showing should immediately start col-
the legal successor to Interblue lecting the debt through ex-
Group LLC, which had been re- ecutors and courts from the
gistered in Washington State in former Interblue Group,” said
the USA. According to Jana Wienk. “Or if it turns out that
Kaplanová, director of the Envir- the Swiss Interblue is the legal
onment Ministry’s communica- successor, then from this firm.
tions department, the parties Jana Lütken faces the media. Photo: TV Markíza The more time that flows by,
agreed on January 20 that this the feebler are the chances of
documentation would be Group (Europe) due to health injury to Lütken caused by the Slovakia to collect this money.”
provided by January 31. reasons. station’s crew. He also rejected any Meanwhile, MP Pavol Frešo
The Environment Ministry According to the text of the attempts to drag the television from the Slovak Democratic and
was otherwise rather tight- letter, which was published by broadcaster into the dispute Christian Union (SDKÚ) said he
lipped about the nature of the the Sme daily on its website, between Interblue and the ministry. will demand that Medveď
discussions at the meeting held Lütken told Medveď that a camera “I think that Lütken and In- provide an explanation in par-
at Slovakia’s general consulate in crew from Slovak broadcaster TV terblue are doing everything pos- liament about the last meeting
Zurich, Switzerland. Markíza had “physically sible to procrastinate and delay with Lütken.
“We want to emphasise that hindered” her at the building some concrete steps taken by the Slovakia may have lost as
fundamental progress has been where the meeting was held. Slovak side,” Zuzana Wienk, dir- much as €66 million on the
made in resolving the issue of “When I was re-entering the ector of the Fair-Play Alliance, a sales price that was negotiated
Slovakia’s emissions quotas,” Slovak consulate these two men political watchdog group, told with Interblue Group, say op-
read an Environment Ministry followed me and hit my head The Slovak Spectator. “It seems position parties. The sale has
statement released on January with the metal door of the consu- absurd to me that our ministry played a part in the sacking of
21. late entrance,” reads the letter. has accepted such tactics. Ms two Slovak environment min-
“In association with the con- Lütken claimed that she had Lütken is not significant at all and isters, Viliam Turský and Ján
tinuation of the cancellation of to call for help from her car driver there are enough legal steps that Chrbet, both of whom were
the legal-trade relationship, the and that several persons had wit- Slovakia could take regardless nominees of the Slovak Na-
authorised representative of the nessed the whole scene, adding whether Lütken wants to discuss tional Party.
group said that Interblue Group that “such behaviour and physic- matters or not.” The Fair-Play Alliance has
Europe will continue negotiation al violence might be normal in According to Wienk, the state published several documents on
only through a legal representat- Slovakia but is unacceptable in should be capable of determining its website such as the initial
ive whose name would be an- Switzerland”. whether Interblue Group certificate of formation of In-
nounced by the end of January,” Her letter continued that in (Europe) is truly the legal suc- terblue Group and the first an-
the ministry also said in the the evening she had to go to the cessor of Interblue Group LLC nual report filed by the firm
statement. emergency room of a hospital which had been registered in with Washington State author-
Kaplanová also said that re- where she was diagnosed with a Washington State in the US. ities. The latter listed the nature
gardless of documentation that “serious brain concussion” and “If the Swiss firm is not the of the business as an “asset
Interblue Group would provide, for that reason Lütken said that legal successor, the contract for holding company”.
the Environment Ministry has she is not permitted to work for the sale of emissions is not valid The state licensing renewal
prepared steps to effectively pro- several weeks and announced and Slovakia should be taking dated July 6, 2009, names the
tect Slovakia’s interests. that she is resigning her position steps in Washington to collect the governing people as Jana
Then in a rather bizarre twist, in Interblue Group (Europe), but €15 million debt through the Lütken and Hans Grop, which
Jana Lütken announced, in a let- perhaps only temporarily. courts there and to eventually file according to Wienk confirms
ter dated January 21 addressed to The editor-in-chief of TV a criminal complaint against the that they were also the owners
Environment Minister Jozef Markíza, Lukáš Diko, denied representatives of the firm for the of the firm not only its author-
Medveď, that she had resigned as Lütken’s accusations and told the crime of damaging the creditor,” ised representatives, as reported
a board member of Interblue Sme daily that there was no physical Wienk said. by the SITA newswire.
BIRD: LOT and airport enter joint deal
Continued from pg 1 LOT says that the price of a roundtrip tick- The cooperation of the Polish airline com-
et to the US should begin at €456 and to pany with Bratislava Airport has another ad-
LOT left the Slovak market in September Canada, it will be €497. However, LOT’s inter- vantage, however. “We decided on a joint
2004 due to strong competition from the net booking system for the route from marketing campaign, as this is crucial for us.
now-defunct SkyEurope Airlines on its route Warsaw currently states a price of €1,500. The We do not have such wide possibilities for ad-
to Warsaw. Polish company will have a competitor in the vertisement and promotion as the airport
“Warsaw is not a destination for two air form of ČSA Czech Airlines, which flies from does. So its offer of a common marketing
carriers,” Grala-Bednárčik told The Slovak Bratislava, Žilina and Košice to Prague. campaign was a big advantage for us,” Grala-
Spectator. According to aviation analyst Vít Last year, about 200,000 people travelled Bednárčik told the Sme daily in an interview.
Doležálek, LOT’s route from Bratislava to by air between Slovakia and the Czech Repub- During the interview, Grala-Bednárčik
Warsaw could be secure if at least 20 people fly lic; LOT would be pleased to have about 20,000 did not rule out the possibility that LOT would
there for an onward connection to America. a year. ČSA terminated its own route from also fly from Košice. She said everything is a
LOT thinks that as many as 60 percent of Prague to New York last year and now only matter of strategic planning. “These are long-
the total number of passengers flying from operates this route in cooperation with Delta term plans that depend on whether this route
Bratislava could be trans-Atlantic clients. Last Airlines, a part of the SkyTeam alliance. A will be profitable,” she said.
year, the Polish air carrier transported almost roundtrip ticket to New York through Prague LOT’s decision to head for Slovakia also
4 million passengers and about 2.4 million of for the end of June 2010 is priced at €1,500, the revealed some new information about the
them travelled to the US or Canada. same as that offered by LOT. privatisation process that was launched at
The Polish capital is a hub from which Švaro expressed his conviction that the the beginning of 2009 for the state-owned
clients can fly to two airports in New York, to final share captured by LOT in the Slovak airline company.
Chicago, or to Toronto in Canada. The Polish market will depend on its marketing activ- She confirmed during the interview that
company says that passengers should wait ities. Currently, the Polish carrier ranks one of the potential bidders for ownership of
no longer than two hours for a connecting fifteenth in the number of tickets sold on LOT is KLM/Air France. “We are striving for it
flight in Warsaw. the Pelikán.sk website. ČSA is among the to become a strategic partner, but not neces-
Passengers will pay €142 for a roundtrip first five. sarily an investor or owner,” she stated in the
Bratislava-Warsaw flight, including airport LOT comes to Bratislava Airport with interview.
fees, which is interesting, especially for busi- modest expectations. It hopes to fly 20,000 She specified that the company has been
ness clients, says Lukáš Švaro from passengers on its line to Warsaw. Its de- negotiating with several airline companies
Pelikán.sk, an internet seller of flight tickets. mands from the airport were modest, also. and with financial groups. “[It is] hard to say
“Prices of tickets are approximately the same Unlike several low-cost air carriers, LOT did whether in the end it will be one of the air-
as with other air carriers, so it will depend not ask for any rebates or concessions from lines or a financial group,” she commented.
mainly on the marketing activities of the Pol- Bratislava Airport. However, it did not She said the Polish government has not in-
ish company whether it will manage to at- commit to transporting a certain number of tervened in a direct way in negotiations with
tract clients,” Švaro told The Slovak Spectator. passengers in its contract. any potential investor.
 NEWS / BUSINESS February 1 – 7, 2010 3

PM takes potshot at UP: Second poll

halves SaS support
former transport minister Continued from pg 1

Three more parties, cur-

BY TOM NICHOLSON
Special to the Spectator
ALMOST lost in the barrage of ac-
cusations Prime Minister Robert
Fico has recently launched
against the opposition SDKÚ
party was a charge that former
transport minister Pavol
Prokopovič had signed a series of
contracts ceding control of state
land to several business groups in
the last days of his tenure in 2006.
Some of the contracts were
signed even after the parliament-
ary elections in which
Prokopovič’s SDKÚ lost to Fico’s
Smer party.
“In the last few days of his
tenure, he had the gall to sign
lease contracts that are valid for
25 to 50 years and cannot be
cancelled,” Fico claimed at a
January 20 press conference.
The contracts concerned
dozens of hectares of land in the
Danube River harbours of Bratis-
lava and Komárno, as well as
near the Prístavný bridge and
railyards in the Slovak capital.
The lands lie in some of the
country’s most sought-after de-
velopment zones.
While not denying that he
had signed the contracts – which
would have been difficult given
that Fico distributed copies of
each to the media – Prokopovič
called attention to the fact that
the prime minister was making
the charges only five months
ahead of parliamentary elections.
“It’s clearly an attempt on his
part to draw attention away from
his own scandals,” said the
former transport minister for The
Slovak Spectator.
Harbour contracts nothing new
While the facts as Fico
presented them are true, they do
not tell the whole story. Three of
the contracts that Prokopovič
signed were with the shipping
firm Dunaj Petrol Trade (DPT) of
Pavol Prokopovič
Komárno and were extensions of
existing leases signed in 1998
and 2001.
The contracts concern 20 hec-
tares (200,000 square metres) of
harbour land in Bratislava and
Komárno that DPT intends to
turn into transfer stations for fuel
and other goods. The deals were
signed on April 28 and May 15,
2006 and received approval from
Prokopovič on May 2 and June 27.
Elections took place on June 17,
meaning the last approval was
signed as Fico was announcing
his new cabinet.
“All of these unbreakable con-
tracts are causing huge problems
with the development of the pub-
lic harbours in Komárno and
Bratislava,” Fico said.
In fact, the contracts relate to
the same plots of land that had
been under lease to DPT since
2001 (in Bratislava) and 1998
(Komárno). These former con-
tracts were valid through 2011,
but as DPT began the process of
securing financing for the trans-
fer stations, it found that banks
demanded a longer contractual
period to ensure there would be
no problems in securing a long-
term return on the capital.
“The purpose of the new con-
tracts, just like the old ones, is to
build transfer stations for bulk
liquid goods,” said DPT boss
Kamil Szabó in an interview
with The Slovak Spectator. The
Environment Ministry issued
planning approval for his
Photo: SITA
company’s project in 2004, with
overall investments estimated at
€50 million.
“In other words, these con-
tracts were not disadvantageous
for the state, and this project is
not one we came up with at the
end of the previous government’s
tenure,” said Szabó. “These are
not new contracts, but ones that
we had been working on for sev-
eral years before 2006.”
Szabó said he believed that
current Transport Minister
Ľubomír Vážny was behind the
leaking of the contracts. Vážny
opposes DPT’s proposed devel-
opment of the ports. “Immedi-
ately after taking office the min-
ister wrote a letter protesting the
issuance of planning permission
for our project. In the three years
since then he has done nothing
but block our efforts, even though
these contracts are still valid and
this project was already approved
by the previous government in
2001 and again in 2006.”
Without Vážny’s approval,
however, DPT has been unable to
get planning permission and to
break ground meaning that it
has been paying about €200,000
annually in rent on land it can-
not develop. Szabó said he had
decided to stop paying the rent;
the contract was legally chal-
lenged by the Transport Ministry
in 2008, but unsuccessfully.
The day before Fico attacked
the contracts that Prokopovič
signed with DPT, the company
wrote to Vážny that “your refus-
al to approve this project is an
unjustified and unprecedented
barrier to free enterprise. You
are causing our company mil-
lions in damages.”
Contracts linked to J&T
Fico also attacked two land
contracts approved by the outgo-
ing minister in 2006. Both con-
tracts were signed with firms re-
lated to the J&T financial group
of Bratislava.
Roman Veselka, head of the
state ŽSR railways company,
which is under the purview of
the Transport Ministry, signed a
strategic cooperation agreement
on July 7 with the Filiálka com-
pany, owned by developer J&T
Real Estate. Under the agree-
ment, ŽSR promised to lease 15
hectares of land of ŽSR Bratislava
– the Filiálka railyards in sub-
urban Bratislava – above a pro-
jected underground rail station.
J&T wanted to build a shopping
mall and office complex above
the future metro station.
Bratislava’s district 3 had already
given the project its green light.
The rent was set at €3 per square
metre after the project was fin-
ished, compared to less than €3
before then.
The second “strategic” deal
was inked between the
ministry’s highways authority,
Národná Diaľničná Spoločnosť
(NDS), and the Kalos company,
which according to the contract
was “linked to the J&T group”.
Prokopovič gave his written ap-
proval on June 30, two weeks
after he knew he would be leav-
ing office.
The deal concerned 1.7 hec-
tares of land near the Prístavný
bridge in Bratislava that the NDS
owned. The land was to be sold to
Kalos for almost €200 per square
metre. According to the land re-
gistry office, Kalos did eventu-
ally buy the land, but not until
2008 and 2009 – in other words,
during the tenure of the current
transport minister.
rently sitting in parliamentary
opposition, would again return
to parliament. The Christian
Democratic Movement (KDH)
garnered 8.9 percent support
while the poll confirmed a pre-
viously recorded fall in support
for the two primarily ethnic-
Hungarian parties, with 6.7
percent of those polled support-
ing the Hungarian Coalition
Party (SMK) and 6.4 percent
backing the Most-Híd party, es-
tablished last year by SMK
renegades.
Junior members of the gov-
erning coalition, the Move-
ment for a Democratic Slovakia
(HZDS) and the Slovak National
Party (SNS), would also capture
seats in the new parliament,
polling results of 5.4 and 6 per-
cent, respectively.
The director of the MVK
agency, Pavel Haulík, said no
firm conclusions can be drawn
from this single poll and there
is a need for further polls to
either confirm or refute the
trends recorded in January.
Political analyst Grigorij
Mesežnikov agreed with
Haulík, saying that a single poll
can sometimes record a devi-
ation and that a series of polls is
needed to discern real trends.
Indeed, according to the
results of a telephone survey
conducted by the Polis agency
released a few days later, SaS
had the support of only 5.5 per-
cent of those polled, while
SDKÚ polled much closer to its
recent level of preferences, at
over 15 percent, the Sme daily
reported.
Nevertheless, there are ra-
tional explanations for increas-
ing voter support for SaS: the
party’s intensive communica-
tion via all forms of media, but
especially through electronic
media and blogs; a series of
publications released by the
leader of SaS; the attention the
party is receiving with its peti-
tion for a national referendum
on six issues; and its recent re-
jection of pre-election coopera-
tion with the SDKÚ which
brought it into the headlines.
“All this could contribute to
The Focus agency poll pub-
lished on January 28, similarly
to the MVK poll, reported Smer
as the clear leader among
parties with over 41 percent
support of those polled. The
SDKÚ finished second, but
with a considerably higher
level of support than in the
MVK poll, at just over 15 per-
cent, followed by the KDH with
9 percent. SaS would reach par-
liament according to the Focus
poll, but with only slightly
over 5 percent support, about
the same as Most-Híd. Other
parties that would meet the
threshold to get parliamentary
seats were the HZDS on 6.5 per-
cent, the SNS on 6.2 percent
and the SMK on 5.6 percent.
Several sceptical voices
were raised after MVK pub-
lished its poll results, with
some questioning whether
the poll had been manipulated
in favour of SaS, since better
polling results tend to encour-
age undecided voters to vote
for the stronger parties.
Haulík rejected such accusa-
tions as did the leader of SaS,
Richard Sulík.
The Sme daily reported that
two-thirds of the questions in
the MVK poll were marketing
questions – questions asked on
behalf of clients who pay about
€1,200 per question. SaS pur-
chased one question in the
poll, asking whether voters
would approve of the party’s
currently-discussed possibility
of a pre-election coalition with
Most-Híd. The poll indicated
that 30 percent of SaS support-
ers would not be supportive of
such cooperation. SaS appar-
ently based its decision not to
cooperate with Most-Híd on
the results of that poll.
“Our voters want us to work
on our own,” Sulík said, as
quoted by the SITA newswire.
Mesežnikov said SaS’s de-
cision was rather risky because
it might have created the im-
pression among the public that
SaS decides only on the basis of
polls, or in this case of only one
poll which may or may not be
accurate.
“They simply evaluated the
situation on the basis of their
feelings, intuition, knowledge

Slovaks honoured for wartime heroism improving the position of the

FOURTEEN more people were added to the
list of 500 Slovaks who have been awarded
the title ‘Righteous among the Nations’ on
this year’s Holocaust Remembrance Day.
January 27, the date in 1945 when the
Auschwitz concentration and extermination
camp was liberated, was designated Interna-
tional Holocaust Remembrance Day by the
United Nations. Every year on this day, the
State of Israel and the Yad Vashem Holocaust
Museum in Jerusalem award the Righteous
among the Nations title to non-Jewish
people who risked their life, freedom and
safety in order to rescue one or more Jews
from the threat of death or deportation
without exacting monetary compensation or
other rewards.
The Slovaks awarded in memoriam the
title Righteous among the Nations in 2010
were: Vladimír and Jolana Adamík, Jozef and
Eva Borovský, Tomáš and Alžbeta-Magda
Dudášek, Pavel and Anna Krahulec, Jozef
Kurbel, Ján and Mária Porubän, Sister Agáta
Matúšková, and Michal and Barbora Zelenay.
Various deeds of help and courage are
contained in the list of names. For instance,
the Protestant priest Jozef Borovský, togeth-
er with his wife Eva, helped Jews from
Ukraine to get through the Carpathian
mountains to Hungary, which was safer for
Jews than Slovakia at that time. After the
war Borovský was persecuted by the com-
munist regime and was even imprisoned and
sent to a forced labour camp; he never spoke
about the help he gave Jews for fear of re-
prisals by the regime. His relatives only
learned about his actions after his death, the
SITA newswire reported.
Another man, Jozef Korbel, helped his
Jewish neighbour build an emergency hid-
ing place for his family in the mountains
around Prievidza in 1944. It was later used by
many families of Jews. He never disclosed
the secret, even during his cruel interroga-
tion by an SS commando in which he was
tortured, forced him from his home and his
house burnt down.
The names of those receiving the award
this year will be added to those of previous
recipients on the Wall of Honour in the
Garden of the Righteous in Yad Vashem.
People recognised as Righteous among the
Nations are also awarded a specially minted
medal bearing their name and a certificate of
party, but I have a feeling that
the situation can be adequately
about the development of their
electoral support and the last
poll and decided not to enter
honour. The relatives of the 14 Slovaks awar- evaluated only after a certain [the cooperation], and the lead-
ded the honour this year accepted them from time, when the results of other ers of both these parties will
the ambassador of Israel to Slovakia, Zeev polls by other agencies are bear the consequences of this,
Boker, and Israel’s deputy foreign minister, known,” Mesežnikov told The either positive or negative,”
Danny Ayalon. Slovak Spectator. Mesežnikov said.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico atten-
ded the awards ceremony. In his speech to
an audience consisting mainly of relatives of
the recipients as well as survivors of the
Holocaust he stressed the importance of tol-
erance and avoiding stereotypes. He also
pointed to what he called the spread of neo-
fascism in central Europe, SITA reported.
Ambassador Boker in his speech said he
appreciated the Slovak government’s de-
cision to build an educational centre and
Holocaust museum on the site of a former
labour camp in Sereď.
Ayalon said the Holocaust was an attack
on the human soul and during the Holocaust
there was a danger that the human race
would turn into animals and the world
would turn into a jungle. He added that this
did not happen thanks to courageous people
such as those carrying the title of the Right-
eous among the Nations, SITA wrote. Richard Sulík and Béla Bugár's will not go into the national
Compiled by Spectator staff elections as allies. Photo: TASR

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
Prime Minister Robert Fico, referring to accusations he has made about the opposition SDKÚ party
To be continued
BY LUKÁŠ FILA
Special to the Spectator
THE TOP Slovak phrase of this
week needs no translation, be-
cause it’s already in English. “To
be continued”, said Prime Min-
ister Fico as he was approaching
the end of his press conference,
where he provided evidence of
shady financing of the opposi-
tion SDKÚ party, and warned
the party of former prime min-
ister Mikuláš Dzurinda that
more damaging revelations are
to come.
It’s not as though Dzurinda
hasn’t had enough. Swiss ac-
counts, Caribbean tax havens,
and foreign firms with names like
“Allied Wings”: all of it sounds
like something you would nor-
mally deal with if you were run-
ning a mafia organisation, not a
political party. It will probably be
difficult to explain to voters in the
upcoming election campaign not
only where the SDKÚ gets its
money, but even the more simple
stuff, such as why the party logo
SNP: Ministers decried as 'scoundrels'
Continued from pg 2
Political rivals Pál Csáky, the leader of the
Hungarian Coalition Party (SMK) and Béla Bugár,
the chairman of Most-Híd, a party founded in
spring 2009 by breakaway SMK renegades, stood
on the stage together.
“I think this is a clear signal that Slovakia
wants a change,” said Csáky as he addressed the
crowd.
“It’s time to say that the emperor is naked, that
the people have been deceived,” Bugár said.
The leader of the Freedom and Solidarity (SaS)
party, Richard Sulík, said his party joined the
protest against the present government also with
its petition calling for a referendum on multiple is-
sues, one of which is the cancellation of mandat-
ory fees for Slovakia’s public-service radio and TV.
The leader of the OKS, Peter Zajac, said that
Slovakia needs educated people, because with
SUBSCRIPTION FORM
Name/Company: ____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Address: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Post code: _________________ City: _______________________ Country: _______________________________________________
Tel.: _______________________ Fax: ________________________ E-mail: ________________________________________________
All subscribers receive our special publications - Spectacular Slovakia Travel Guide, Book of Lists, Career Guide, Real Estate Guide, and Investment Advisory Guide
- for free. throughout the year. Now you will also receive the magazine SPEX and FREE ACCESS to our website www.spectator.sk with your subscription.
Slovakia €
Half year* € 28 (Sk 843.53)❑ € 55 ❑ € 55 ❑ € 65 ❑ € 80 ❑
One year* € 52 (Sk 1566.55)❑ € 95 ❑ € 95 ❑ €125 ❑ €150 ❑
Two years* € 98 (Sk 2952.35)❑ €180 ❑ €180 ❑ €245 ❑ €285 ❑
€ 1 = Sk 30.1260
For more information visit www.spectator.sk/products
Send your order form to: The Rock s.r.o., Circulation Department, Lazaretská 12, 811 08 Bratislava, Slovak Republic, Save time - call: +421 2 59 233 300, fax: +421 2 59 233 319, e-mail: circulation@spectator.sk, or spectator@spectator.sk
OPINION / NEWS February 1 – 7, 2010 5
"How can we talk about a democratic political system if such
a suspicious political party aspires to power in the state?"
Sniffing the foul air of prejudice
THE DWINDLING of prejudices, dominant than any other kind of Slovak National Party, has
stereotypes and tensions social conflict, according to a re- chosen to trot out its old
between minorities and the ma- cent report prepared by the ‘solutions’ for its version of the
jority population should be Slovak Academy of Sciences. The ‘Roma problem’ and begun to
signs of a nation’s society com- sharpest social tension exists disseminate so-called reports
ing of age, say the philosophers
among us when making their
contributions to post-modern
between Roma and non-Roma
citizens, with Slovak-Hungari-
an tensions coming right be-
packed with hackneyed stereo-
types of Roma via its party web-
television. SNS’s ‘reporter’ calls
al charges against Fico, in the discourse. Over the past couple hind, the Academy’s Interna- Roma citizens ‘gypsies’ while its
SLOVAK WORD hope that people will just shrug
their shoulders and move on, is
of years, however, it seems that
some nations are relapsing into
tional Social Survey Programme
2009-2010 found.
deputy chairwoman, Anna Be-
lousovova, promptly rational-
OF THE WEEK ridiculous. childhood rather than advan- ises that this is because “SNS is
The entire situation has two cing toward maturity in erasing not hypocritical and always calls
dire consequences. The first is
that in this crucial, pre-election
period, Fico has managed to shift
prejudices, reducing conflicts
between groups of citizens, and
scouring racism, sexism and
EDITORIAL problems by their right name,”
as quoted by the Sme daily.
With parliamentary elec-
public attention from the many homophobia from society. tions nearing it is quite likely
scandals of his own government. If one of the signs of the that the SNS will keep dirtying
In the last three and a half years, greatness of a nation is how the already grimy political dis-
Slovakia has seen a tender worth well its majority population course with its well-worn ideas.
millions of euros announced on behaves towards its minorities, Belousovova has already sug-
the bulletin board of a locked min- there would not be many ‘great’ gested that regular publication
istry hallway, the sale of emission nations in central Europe right of crime statistics involving
quotas to a mysterious US garage now, especially when looking Roma should be resumed.
firm for half the market price, and at it from the perspective of After some of our politi-
a toll-system tender won by far Roma citizens. cians sniffed the foul air and
belongs to a limited liability com- the highest bid. Much of that will Many surveys have con- decided that ‘doing something
pany owned by a London-based now be forgotten. firmed that ethnic prejudice has about Roma’ is once again safe
firm. But apparently, Dzurinda’s And even those who will not been worsening in the region and sellable because of in-
not in a talkative mood. forget will find it hard to find an and that ‘majority citizens’ creasing tensions within some
The affair is just a sequel, alternative. Sure, there are other squeezed by the global economic towns with a large number of
whose first part came in 2005, opposition parties, but the SDKÚ downturn have too often re- Roma residents, several
when the media initially repor- has long been their leader, so its sponded to their economic in- parties have suddenly declared
ted on the sale of the SDKÚ’s scandals tarnish the opposition as security with more hostility to- that this issue will now be
building. Then, as now, the a whole. And that is the second wards Roma communities. spotlighted on their agendas.
party refused to provide any main result of the SDKÚ scandal – The European Union Agency BY BEATA BALOGOVÁ But if society and the media
specifics on the mysteries of its a morally and politically for Fundamental Rights in a Spectator staff want to find a comprehensive
accounting. Dzurinda’s decision weakened opposition. All of that December 2009 release wrote and sustainable policy for bet-
to not answer any questions, makes the Fico government much that over the past 12 months as ter social inclusion of Roma
and just file unspecified crimin- more likely to be continued. many as 64 percent of Czech The report said 25 percent of citizens, the search must start
Roma were victims of discrimin- those polled consider tension with the third, non-govern-
ation. In Hungary that number between Roma and non-Roma to mental sector because
stood at 62 percent. And accord-
ing to the report, an overwhelm-
be very sharp, while 50 percent
said they perceive it as sharp.
Slovakia’s government offices
and political parties are bereft
ing majority of those surveyed Sociologists involved with the of sensible ideas.
more educated people active in public life, the less had not reported their discrim- survey also stated that Roma cit- The nearing elections are
chance there will be of getting “scoundrels such as ination to any organisation, izens are now starting to be even likely to produce a whole bat-
those who rule us today”. which means that thousands more discontented with their talion of politicians who have
Mesežnikov said that the strong criticism and more incidents of discriminatory unequal status in society. become home-grown sociolo-
rejection of the current government represented a treatment might be invisible. Over the past year, there gists, ethnographers, or experts
significant message flowing from the protest. On January 26, Amnesty In- have been reports about towns on minorities and cultural is-
“After such a manifestation it will be a big ternational lashed out at Ro- toying with the idea of building sues. Weirdly enough, many of
problem [for an opposition party] to consider any manian authorities for that walls to separate non-Roma our politicians think that
cooperation with the ruling parties, to justify co- country’s inhumane treatment and Roma residents and the vil- simply because they joined a
operation with them,” he said, adding that this of its Roma minority and called lage of Ostrovany actually erec- political party and were then
signal to the voters could have an impact on their on officials to cease forcibly ted such a wall. Extremist elected to their seats or party of-
attitudes towards the opposition parties. evicting Roma families and to groups have organised mass fices, they also somehow in-
“I perceive it as them drawing a clear distinc- immediately “relocate those marches in several towns haled sufficient wisdom to
tion [between themselves] and the government of living for years in hazardous while local residents com- know what is best for minority
the ruling coalition,” Mesežnikov said in his ana- conditions next to waste plained via the media about groups. And so often – just for
lysis of the protest. “They are competing among dumps, sewage treatment rising tensions between non- the sake of a snappy statement,
themselves for similar groups of voters, that’s plants or industrial areas on the Roma and Roma in their com- one they think might resonate
true, but [through the protest] they are showing outskirts of cities”. munities. well with voters – these char-
that they are ready to cooperate and they see the And Slovakia? Slovaks re- It is at this point that one of latans risk inciting even more
government as their main enemy.” gard ethnic tensions as more the ruling coalition parties, the tension in society.
JÁN PALLO - Publisher
EDITORIAL
BEATA BALOGOVÁ - Editor - In - Chief
JAMES THOMSON - Assistant Editor
DONALD SPATZ - Assistant Editor
JANA LIPTÁKOVÁ - Staff Writer
MICHAELA STANKOVÁ - Staff Writer
DOMINIKA UHRÍKOVÁ - Staff Writer
ZUZANA VILIKOVSKÁ - News Researcher
LAYOUT, WEB & IT
TATIANA ·TRAUCHOVÁ - Graphic Designer
ROMAN KRÁª - IT
TOMÁ· PALLO - Online Publishing
SALES - FINANCES
Czech Poland Other Other USA, Canada BEATA FOJTÍKOVÁ - Sales Executive
rep. rep. Europe Countries Australia MARTINA ·MATLÁKOVÁ - PR and Marketing Manager
❑ Bank ❑ Postal Order MARTA FUKASOVÁ - Advertising Assistant
$100 ❑ ❑ Credit Card ❑ Personal Check DÁ·A REHÁKOVÁ - Circulation Manager
$190 ❑
$360 ❑ No. _____________ Card expiry date: ____________
The Slovak Spectator is an independent newspaper published every Monday by The Rock, s.r.o.
Subscriptions: Inquiries should be made to The Slovak Spectator’s business office at (+421-2) 59 233 300.
Printing: Petit Press a.s. Distribution: Interpress Slovakia s.r.o., Mediaprint-kapa s.r.o., Slovenská po‰ta a.s.
* prices include VAT and postage Signature ________________ Date: _______________ Mail Distribution: ABOPRESS. Reg. No.: 1200/95. © 2008 The Rock, s.r.o. All rights reserved. Any reproduction
in whole or in part without permission is prohibited by law. The authors of articles published in this issue,
represented by the publisher, reserve the right to give their approval for reproducing and public transmission
of articles marked ©The Slovak Spectator, as well as for the public circulation of reproductions of these articles,
in compliance with the 33rd article and 1st paragraph of the Copyright Law. Media monitoring is provided
by Newton, IT, SMA and Slovakia Online with the approval of the publisher. Advertising material contained herein
is the responsibility of the advertiser and is not a written or implied sponsorship, endorsement or investigation of such
commercial enterprises or ventures by The Slovak Spectator or The Rock s.r.o. ISSN 1335-9843.
Address: The Rock, s.r.o., Lazaretská 12, 811 08 Bratislava
6 February 1 – 7, 2010

BUSINESS FOCUS

CENTRAL SLOVAKIA
Nature, history and other
attractions
Local businesses also
deserve support EASTERN SLOVAKIA

Žilina Region targets EU Žilina Region general facts

Capital: Žilina
Total area: 6,808.7 square kilometres
Population: 696,347 inhabitants (as of December 31, 2008)

funds for development Unemployment rate: 10.89 percent (as of December 31,2009)

Source: The Slovak Statistics Office;

National Labour, Social Affairs and Family Office

money-saving must not affect

BY JANA LIPTÁKOVÁ
Spectator staff
BEING RE-ELECTED as the pres-
ident of the Žilina Self-Governing
Region enables Juraj Blanár to
continue the regional develop-
ment activities he had started in
his previous term. The economic
crisis and its impacts have not
avoided Žilina Region either
while he sees massive spending
of EU funds as a way to combat its
impacts over the region. The
Slovak Spectator spoke to Blanár
about his plans, most urgent is-
sues of the region and solutions
he proposes.
The Slovak Spectator (TSS): In
November 2009 you were re-
elected as the president of the
Žilina Self-Governing Region.
What are your main plans for
the next four years?
Juraj Blanár (JB): I am glad
that we can continue the activit-
ies already launched which will
thus benefit from continuity and
will help improve and enhance
the quality of life in the individu-
al parts of our region. My great
priority is to continue develop-
ing our four hospitals and poly-
clinics. We also have to cope with
a modernisation real estate debt,
got in the property by the self-
governing region, related to the
area of health care, social affairs,
education, transport and culture.
We will continue supporting so-
cial services available to the gen-
eral public, and our goal is to ex-
tend capacities for placing of aid-
dependent people in any of the
facilities under our office.
Juraj Blanár, president of the Žilina Self-Governing Region
Photo: Courtesy of Žilina Self-Governing Region
Another of our priorities is
drawing of European Union
funds. The new EU budgetary
period offers huge opportunit-
ies for development of our re-
gion. So far the Žilina Self-Gov-
erning Region has been success-
ful, especially in drawing of EU
funds for the modernisation of
hospitals and the reconstruc-
tion of roads. In the future we
plan to use this source of fund-
ing as extensively as possible
for the enhancement of social,
educational, and cultural facil-
ities in our region.
TSS: What are the most urgent
problems of the Žilina Self-
Governing Region? What solu-
tions do you propose?
JB: We have experienced the
effects of the economic crisis in
the form of lower income tax
revenue, which has meant that
the budget for 2010 does not cov-
er all the investments that we
would like to carry out. But
the quality of services provided
in health care or the social
sphere, being important and ir-
replaceable ones for people.
In the context of the econom-
ic crisis and the drop in the num-
ber of visitors in the region, we
want to focus more on promotion
of the beauties of our sub-regions
to attract more visitors. What is
important is quality marketing
support, which we are seeking to
provide at tourism fairs and by
managing info-tours for foreign
tour operators. I believe that also
lighting and restoration of our
historical jewels – the castles of
Orava, Strečno and Budatín, all of
which have received new light-
ing recently – will contribute to
an increasing interest in our re-
gion among visitors.
TSS: What impact has the eco-
nomic crisis had on Žilina Re-
gion and the functioning of the
office of the Žilina Self-Govern-
ing Region? What measures do
you propose or have you
already implemented to soften
the impact of the crisis?
JB: The primary goal is to en-
sure a problem-free functioning
of all 126 organisations operating
in the founding scope of the
Žilina Self-Governing Region, as
well as their personnel stability.
The Žilina Self-Governing Region
Office will meet all its responsib-
ilities in order that the public
does not experience the effects of
internal measures aimed at sav-
ing and greater efficiency. Meas-
ures to combat the crisis I see
particularly in a massive spend-
ing of the EU funds.
See JB pg 8
Žilina Region institutions
Žilina Self-Governing Region (Žilinský samosprávny kraj - ŽSK)
www.regionzilina.sk
President of Žilina Self-Governing Region: Juraj Blanár
Some of the companies and
investors in Žilina Region
ECCO Shoes Slovakia, Martin, www.ecco.com
- Footwear producer
Ferona Slovakia, Žilina, www.ferona.sk
- The top seller of metallurgical products in Slovakia
INA Kysuce, Kysucké Nové Mesto, www.schaeffler.sk
- Producer of bearings of all types
Kia Motors Slovakia, Žilina, www.kia.sk
- One of the three major car manufacturers in Slovakia
Metsä Tissue, Žilina, www.metsatissue.com
- A leading paper tissue supplier to households and large-scale
consumers in Europe
Mobis Slovakia, Gbeľany, www.mobis.co.kr
- Automotive components manufacturer
Mondi SCP, Ružomberok, www.mondigroup.com
- Paper producer and member of Mondi Group
OFZ, Istebné, www.ofz.sk
- The largest central European manufacturer of ferroalloys
Panasonic Electronic Devices Slovakia, Trstená,
www.pedeu.panasonic.sk
- Producer of electronic devices with two production units,
in Trstená and Stará Ľubovňa
Stredoslovenská Energetika, Žilina, www.sse.sk
- Regional electricity distributor with over 690,000 customers
in Žilina, Trenčín and Banská Bystrica Regions

TFC Cable Assemblies, Námestovo, www.tfcasm.co.uk

Žilina Region moves ahead - Electronics manufacturer producing custom cable

assemblies, cable harnesses, wiring harnesses, etc.

despite economic crunch Váhostav-SK, Žilina, www.vahostav-sk.sk

- One of Slovakia’s biggest construction companies

ation. The incomplete highway system Volkswagen Slovakia, Martin, www.volkswagen.sk

Autos reign supreme
but more diversification
is sought
BY JANA LIPTÁKOVÁ
Spectator staff
ŽILINA Region has successfully recovered
from the collapse of its traditional arma-
ments industry and has recently drawn huge
investments particularly from the automot-
ive industry. But the region’s strong connec-
tion to car production and its related sectors
has shown itself to be not entirely favourable
during the current economic crisis and has
highlighted the need for more economic di-
versification.
Business officials in the region see in-
formation-communication technologies and
transport as important prospective econom-
ic sectors. Attracting more tourists through
A new Hyundai model being produced at the
Kia Motors Slovakia plant. Photo: Reuters
recently established tourism clusters is an-
other promising step toward such diversific-
crossing the region remains a sore point
among local businesses.
“The biggest impulse for revitalisation
and economic growth in Žilina Region,
after the breakdown of the armaments in-
dustry in late 1990s, was brought by the
swiftly developing engineering, eletro-
technical and automotive industries,”
Timea Nemešová, the project manager of
the direct foreign investments section at
the Slovak Investment and Trade Devel-
opment Agency (SARIO) told The Slovak
Spectator. “The investment of Kia Motors
from Korea, along with its dense network
of subcontractors, has become a propelling
engine for growth in the whole region.”
Kia Motors arrived in Slovakia in 2004
and constructed a brand-new plant for as-
sembly of cars and production of engines in
Teplička nad Váhom, close to Žilina. It
launched serial car production in Decem-
ber 2006.
See AUTO pg 9
- The plant produces components for gearboxes, axles and
steering systems
Source: SARIO, The Slovak Spectator database
Industrial parks in Žilina Region
Industrial parks (Priemyselný park - PP) in hectares (ha):
-PP Bytča – total area 7.67 ha (of which 5.75 ha are available)
-PP Martin-Sučany – total area of 436 ha
-PP KIA, located in Teplička nad Váhom, Gbeľany and Nededza –
total area 424 ha
-PP Strečno – total area 60 ha (of which 8 ha are available)
-PP Oravská Jasenica – total area 10 ha (of which 10 ha are
available)
-PP Varín – total area 16.6 ha
-PP CTP Dolný Hričov – total area 36 ha
-PP Horný Hričov – total area 10.8 ha
-PP CTP Martin – total area 30 ha
-PP Gbeľany – total area 30 ha
-PP Punch Námestovo – total area 8 ha
Source: SARIO
 BUSINESS FOCUS February 1 – 7, 2010 7

Overcoming inter-regional Banská Bystrica Region general facts

Capital: Banská Bystrica
Total area: 9,454.7 square kilometres
Population: 653,697 inhabitants (as of December 31, 2008)

disparities is a priority Unemployment rate: 19.19 percent (as of December 31, 2009)

Source: The Slovak Statistics Office; National Labour, Social Affairs and
Family Office

able workplaces can help the re-

BY JANA LIPTÁKOVÁ
Spectator staff
BANSKÁ Bystrica Region is the
most rural region in Slovakia and
even though its labour force
ranks as the second best-edu-
cated among Slovakia’s eight re-
gions, this central part of the
country is seeking to overcome
long-term inter-regional dispar-
ities. New, innovative policies
and differentiated support to dis-
tricts are ways of reducing the
disparities according to Vladimír
Maňka, the newly-elected pres-
ident of the Banská Bystrica Self-
Governing Region. The Slovak
Spectator spoke to Maňka about
his plans as president, the most
pressing problems of the region
and his ideas for solutions.
The Slovak Spectator (TSS): In
November 2009 you were elec-
ted as the president of the
Banská Bystrica Self-Govern-
ing Region. What are your main
plans for the next four years?
Vladimír Maňka (VM): Actu-
ally I have been in the post only
since January of this year. In my
first steps I am analysing the cur-
rent condition of the budget and
problems in the Banská Bystrica
Self-Governing Region, the con-
dition of organisations and facil-
ities under the auspices of our of-
fice, and the situation in drawing
funds from the European Union.
The budget, by far, does not
match the basic needs of our pro-
grammes and facilities and this is
not only because of the financial
and economic crisis.
My priorities lay in two
levels. The first is to keep the
Vladimír Maňka, president of the Banská Bystrica Self-Governing
Region
activities we administer func-
tional, to stabilise the budget, to
develop the quality of services
provided by our organisations
and facilities and to make them
more effective and to finance this
from sources other than our
budget, especially through the
use of EU funds.
The second priority is to bal-
ance deep inter-regional dispar-
ities, to increase employment
and the quality of life of people
living in this region. To accom-
Photo: Courtesy of BBSK
plish this we need to better tap
the potential of our region.
TSS: What are the most urgent
problems of Banská Bystrica
Region? What solutions do you
propose?
VM: Our region tops rankings
of unemployment and risk of
poverty. EU funds will help us
reduce unemployment, increase
economic growth and improve
labour productivity. New in-
vestors who will create sustain-
gion. We have to make better use
of the strong points of Banská
Bystrica Region, which include
rich sources of drinking water as
well as mineral and healing wa-
ters, excellent conditions for
tourism, known sources of geo-
thermal energy, and renewable
energy. The labour force in our
region is the second best-edu-
cated in Slovakia. We also have
appropriate institutions for sci-
ence, research and innovation
and available labour, especially
in the countryside.
When I served as the mayor
of Zvolen, the city actively co-
operated with universities –
which helped us to use local po-
tential and climb to the top of the
ranking of all Slovak towns in
harnessing available sources of
renewable energy.
TSS: What influence has the
economic crisis had on Banská
Bystrica Region and the office
of the Banská Bystrica Self-
Governing Region? What
measures do you propose or
have you already implemented
to soften the impact of the
crisis?
VM: The economic crisis has sig-
nificantly slowed down devel-
opment of the region and
worsened the situation in lag-
ging districts. The unemploy-
ment rate in the districts of
Rimavská Sobota and Revúca ex-
ceeded 30 percent at the end of
2009 and was the highest among
all 79 districts of Slovakia.
Banská Bystrica Region suf-
fers from serious structural prob-
lems and huge inter-regional
disparities.
See MAŇKA pg 11
Banská Bystrica Region institutions
Banská Bystrica Self-Governing Region (Bansko-Bystrický
samosprávny kraj - BBSK)
www.vucbb.sk
President of Banská Bystrica Self-Governing Region:
Vladimír Maňka
Some of the companies and investors
in Banská Bystrica Region
Biotika, Slovenská Ľupča, www.biotika.sk
- Pharmaceutical producer
Bučina DDD, Zvolen, www.bucina-ddd.sk
- One of the largest producers of particleboard in Slovakia
Fermas, Slovenská Ľupča, www.fermas.sk
- Feed producer
Lesy SR, Banská Bystrica, www.lesy.sk
- A state-owned company administering forests and related state
property
SHP Harmanec, Harmanec, www.shpgroup.eu
- Producer of a wide range of sanitary paper products
Slovalco, Žiar nad Hronom, www.slovalco.sk
- Aluminium smelter
Slovenská Pošta, Banská Bystrica, www.posta.sk
- National postal service
Slovenské Magnezitové Závody, Jelšava, www.smzjelsava.sk
- Mining and magnesite manufacturing plant
Smrečina Hofatex, Banská Bystrica, www.hofatex.eu
- Manufacturer of wood-fibre insulation materials
Tauris, Rimavská Sobota, www.tauris.sk
- Producer of meat and meat products
Tlačiarne BB, Banská Bystrica, www.tbb.sk
- Printing house
ZSNP, Žiar nad Hronom, www.zsnp.sk
- Metallurgical company focusing on aluminium processing

Searching for a brighter future Železiarne Podbrezová, Podbrezová, www.zelpo.sk

Banská Bystrica Region
looks beyond its
traditional economic base
BY JANA LIPTÁKOVÁ
Spectator staff
BANSKÁ Bystrica Region is one of the least
developed regions of Slovakia. This is partly
due to a heavy burden from the past when the
collapse of markets in the Eastern Bloc caused
large companies in the region to abruptly
shut down. More recently, the insufficiently
developed highway infrastructure has be-
come a sore point with regional officials, who
say it discourages foreign investors from loc-
ating within the region.
In response to a changed domestic and
global economic situation in which the
region’s traditional raw materials have be-
come less important for its future develop-
ment, local governments and businesses are
focusing on business innovations, research
and development, information technology, bi-
otechnology, and last but not least, tourism as
the harbingers of a brighter economic future.
“The production sector of Banská Bystrica
Region, compared with Slovakia’s other re-
gions, has its specific features, especially due
to considerable differences among our indi-
vidual districts' economic bases and
infrastructure,” Ľubomíra Slobodová, the
Highway construction could help. Photo: Sme
director of the Banská Bystrica regional
chamber of the Slovak Chamber of Commerce
and Industry (BBRK SOPK), told The Slovak
Spectator. “The northern part of the region is
quite highly industrialised. Engineering, me-
tallurgy, wood processing and papermaking,
chemicals, pharmaceuticals, construction
and tourism are the main economic segments
and have the best prospects for further devel-
opment. The southern part of the region has a
base in food production and other segments
complementary to agriculture.”
Emília Kodríková from the office of the
Banská Bystrica Self-Governing Region says
these geographical differences are historical,
with industry traditionally strong in the
north and agriculture and food dominating in
the south.
“The fall of the previous, communist re-
gime and the collapse of markets in the so-
called Eastern Bloc resulted in the closure of
large local companies, leaving thousands of
people jobless,” Kodríková told The Slovak
Spectator. “After 1990 the state also ceased
supporting inefficient production, mostly in
agriculture, which had given employment
to a marginalised and inadaptable labour
force with only basic education, the major-
ity of whom lived in the south-eastern part
of Banská Bystrica Region.”
These factors pushed the region into the
current position of being one of the least de-
veloped of Slovakia’s eight regions.
“The region is reporting the highest un-
employment rate in Slovakia, with it climb-
ing to 19.19 percent at the end of 2009 com-
pared with the national average of 12.66
percent,” said Kodríková. “In districts which
used to focus on agriculture and food pro-
duction, the jobless rate is even higher, ran-
ging between 22 percent and 33 percent. The
region’s share of sales of industrial produc-
tion is decreasing; presently it accounts for
only 5 percent of the country’s total indus-
trial production.”
Insufficient road infrastructure is an-
other key factor influencing the current
economic situation of the region.
“Because of unsuitable road infrastruc-
ture, only very few foreign investors have
decided to locate their investment in
Banská Bystrica Region,” said Vladimír
Brieda from the Banská Bystrica Self-Gov-
erning Region.
See BB pg 8
- One of the oldest metallurgical companies in central Europe,
making steel blooms, seamless tubes, etc.
Source: SARIO, The Slovak Spectator database
Industrial parks
in Banská Bystrica Region
Industrial parks (Priemyselný park - PP) in hectares (ha):
-PP Majer-Šalková, Banská Bystrica – total area 35.7 ha (of which
8 ha are available)
-PP Brezno Rohozná – total area 55 ha
-PP Detva-Trstená – total area 12 ha
-PP Park Detva – premises of PPS – total area 29 ha (of which 16 ha
are available)
-PP Park Vígľaš-Pod Bachtárom – total area 37.8 ha
-PP Krupina Juh – total area 26.6 ha (of which 5.5 ha are
available)
-PP Tomášovce – total area 30 ha (of which 20 ha are available)
-PP Lučenec Juh – total area 70.8 ha
-PP Poltár Jelšoviny – total area 24.5 ha
-PP Rimavská Sobota Sever – total area 12 ha (of which 12 ha are
available)
-PP Gemer – total area 7.1 ha
-PP Malý Krtíš – total area 22 ha (of which 0.2 ha are available)
-PP Hliník nad Hronom – total area 25 ha (of which 23 ha are
available)
-PP Pod Lipou in Žarnovica – total area 18 ha
-PP ZSNP in Žiar nad Hronom – total area 335 ha (of which 10 ha
are available)
-PP Hnúšťa – total area 44 ha (of which 38 ha are available)
-PP Kriváň – total area 30 ha (of which 11 ha are available)
-PP Nová Baňa – total area 22 ha (of which 21 ha are available)
-PP Tornaľa – total area 19.8 ha (of which 5.5 ha are available)
Source: SARIO
8 February 1 – 7, 2010 BUSINESS FOCUS

Nature, history and other attractions

BY JANA LIPTÁKOVÁ
Spectator staff
SLOVAKIA is sometimes dubbed
the tourist destination with
everything but the sea. It has
beautiful flora and fauna, moun-
tains and lakes, as well as histor-
ical and modern sites and is suit-
able for both summer as well as
winter tourism. The regions of
Banská Bystrica and Žilina are no
exception, offering a whole
range of visitor attractions.
The regions, which are both
predominantly mountainous,
boast sites inscribed on the
UNESCO World Heritage List.
Hidden in the Štiavnické Vrchy
(Štiavnica Hills) is the historic
town of Banská Štiavnica,
which along with the technical
monuments in its vicinity has
been on the list since 1993. Vis-
itors to this place can breathe in
its history as a great mining
town with almost every step
they take. The hills all around
are riddled with thousands of
kilometres of mines, while al-
most every one of the local
lakes is man-made. These
lakes, known as ‘tajchy’ and
dating back mostly to the 18th
century, were part of the in-
genious water management
system whose purpose was to
In Žilina Region, tourists can
visit Vlkolínec, a small village
located in the Veľká Fatra na-
tional park. This is a typical
Slovak mountain village whose
almost perfectly-preserved his-
torical wooden architecture put
it on the UNESCO list in 1993.
Those interested in folk archi-
tecture can also go to the village
of Čičmany, known for its dis-
tinctively decorated wooden ar-
chitecture, as well as the open-air
museums in Martin, Pribylina,
Nová Bystrica, and Zuberec.
Three of the eight wooden
churches of the Slovak part of
the Carpathian Mountain Area
that were added to the UNESCO
list in 2008 are located in central
Slovakia: the Catholic church in
Tvrdošín, and the Evangelical
UNESCO listed: Tvrdošín's wooden church. Photo: Jana Liptáková churches in Leštiny, near Dolný
Kubín, and Hronsek, close to
Zvolen.
accumulate water mass to be 1770 by a decree of the Austrian Among historical sites the
used as an energy source Empress Maria Theresa; it in- most popular are Orava and
powering numerous mining spired the subsequent estab- Strečno castles, while the east-
machines and facilities. lishment of the École Polytech- ern part of Banská Bystrica Re-
Banská Štiavnica was nique in Paris. The town now gion offers a number of Gothic
formerly one of the most signi- boasts renaissance palaces, gems along the southern part of
ficant centres for precious 16th-century churches, elegant Slovakia’s Gothic Route. These
metals mining, as well as for squares and castles. include, for example, the an-
the study of mining science, Those interested in the his- cient church in Kraskovo which
technology and education, in tory of mining can visit the was built at the end of the 13th
all Europe. The world's first Open-Air Mining Museum, century in the early Gothic style
technical university, which which provides an overview of and which also features
was devoted to mining, miner- the history of mining in the re- Romanesque elements. Its re-
alogy, physics and chemistry, gion as well as the whole of markably abundant and com-
was established here in around Slovakia. plex decorative paintings were
made by two workshops
between 1360 and 1380.
In winter, the mountains of
the Low and Western Tatras, and
Malá and Veľká Fatra offer a
number of ski resorts, of which
several are among Slovakia’s top
centres, for example Jasná and
Park Snow Donovaly, both in the
Low Tatras, Martinské Hole above
the historic town of Martin, Ski
Park Ružomberok, Vrátna Free
Time Zone and Park Snow Veľká
Rača. In summer, tourists can go
hiking in the same mountains.
Among other summer destina-
tions, the most popular are the
Manínska and Kostolecká
Tiesňava gorges. Those looking
for natural stone creations should
also head to the Súľovské Skaly
mountains or visit the old stone
quarry at Milošová-Megoňky,
close to Čadca. Here they will find
unique spherical stones. And on a
hill above the village of Vyhne is
Slovakia's biggest 'stone sea', a
dramatic cascade of loose
boulders. Central Slovakia is also
home to the highest and best-pre-
served volcano in the country –
Poľana. It is among the Europe’s
biggest extinct volcanoes.
To fully tap the potential of
tourism, different bodies doing
business in this sphere have
created destination manage-
ment organisations, known as
klasters in Slovakia (equivalent
to 'clusters' in English). The
Liptov Klaster was the first one
successfully to link the powers
of firms and individuals as well
as local public administration
bodies to increase their chances
of success. The Orava and Turiec
klasters followed shortly there-
after. Their primary goal is to
pursue joint marketing and
thereby boost the image of their
region and spread information
about its sights and natural at-
tractions, as well as about the
services on offer. Another
cluster, Balnea Cluster Dudince,
was created in Dudince, near
the western border of Banská
Bystrica Region, in June 2008 as
the first spa cluster in Slovakia.
Dudince is not the only spa
in central Slovakia. Others fam-
ous spas can be found in Sliač,
Turčianske Teplice, Sklenené
Teplice, Rajecké Teplice, Lúčky,
Brusno and Číž, providing cur-
ative therapies for an extensive
range of diseases as well as
wellness stays. Water lovers
can also enjoy the attractions at
Meander Park, a thermal
aquapark in Oravice, and
Thermal Park Bešeňová.
There is very much more to
see in central Slovakia. One only
has to keep one’s eyes open and
not be afraid to visit the lesser
known places, which, forgotten
by history, often hide real jew-
els which cannot be found any-
where else.

BB: Local businesses also deserve support JB: Decentralisation

Continued from pg 7

Completion of a dual-carriageway road

joining Nitra and Banská Bystrica may im-
prove the situation. The Granvia consorti-
um is building 52 kilometres of dual-car-
riage highway over the next three years as
part of a public-private partnership project.
Slobodová agrees that the absence of
quality transport infrastructure intercon-
necting the region with European transport
corridors has curbed economic development
within Banská Bystrica Region.
“Thus, the completion of the four-lane
dual-carriageway road on the entire stretch
between Nitra and Banská Bystrica is most
important from the viewpoint of prospects
for development of business,” said
Slobodová, adding that after its construc-
tion, usage of the airport in Sliač could also
be more dynamic.
When listing other hindrances to for-
eign investors, Slobodová also mentioned
insufficiently prepared technical infra-
structure for industrial parks or industrial
zones in most of the region’s towns, an ab-
sence of consultancy centres and special-
ised research and development centres
connected with the manufacturing sphere,
and a labour force with a shortage of quali-
fications fitting the needs of local busi-
nesses.
Brieda added a few additional obstacles
which he said are impeding economic de-
velopment: the fact that the regional gov-
ernment does not have direct investment
stimuli at its disposal, for example the cap-
ability to reduce or forgive taxes or to grant a
financial subsidy; the poor condition of local
railways; and airport at Sliač not being on
the list of Schengen-zone airports.
“Support for economic development of
the region on the part of the Banská Bystrica
Self-Governing Region's office focuses espe-
cially on activities which support the devel-
opment of doing business and innovations,”
said Brieda. “These especially include pre-
paration and elaboration of strategic plan-
ning documents, creation of partnerships
and securing flows of information between
the business sphere, supportive educational
institutions and local administration.”
The Slovak Investment and Trade Devel-
opment Agency (SARIO), with the main task
of drawing foreign investors to Slovakia, co-
operates with the regional self-government
as well as the regional chamber of SOPK to
support an inflow of foreign investments into
the region.
“Between 2002 and 2008 SARIO success-
fully carried out 29 investment projects with a
planned investment volume of €684.75 mil-
lion and the prospect of creating between
5,889 and 8,186 jobs in Banská Bystrica
Region,” Timea Nemešová, the project man-
ager of the foreign direct investment section
at SARIO told The Slovak Spectator. “Of this
amount, the largest investment share, 28 per-
cent, was directed into the construction and
wood-processing industries.” These included
investments by Divani Recliner, Rettenmeier
Holding AG, and Knauf Insulation.
She said investment in the engineering
and metal processing industry accounted for
24 percent and included Tubex Holding, Wit-
tur, and Sisme Slovakia; investments ac-
counting for 21 percent of the total flowed to
the chemical industry and involved Trelle-
borg AB and Fermas-Degussa; and that auto-
motive industry investment was only 7 per-
cent of the total, coming from Johnson Con-
trols and Sewon ECS.
Total foreign direct investments (FDI) in
the region amounted to €0.5 billion at the end
of 2007, Slobodová said, citing figures of the
National Bank of Slovakia. Banská Bystrica
Region accounted for only 1.9 percent of
Slovakia’s aggregate FDI. This share was 0.7
percentage points lower than in 2006 and
ranked the region in the second lowest posi-
tion of all eight regions.
But Slobodová believes that not all the
support for economic development should fo-
cus on foreign investments.
“Foreign investments are crucial for Slov-
akia but they should be not supported to the
detriment of the local business sphere,”
Slobodová said. “State assistance is oriented
on large foreign investors and often has con-
tributed to the deepening of regional disparit-
ies. Local companies are forced to finance
their development activities only from their
own resources.”
To support her point, Slobodová high-
lighted the creation of a large industrial park
in the premises of the former Vlkanovské
Strojárne engineering company in Vlkanová.
The industrial park now houses 12 companies
employing roughly 1,000 people.
While the presence of local raw materials
were decisive when creating regional devel-
opment strategies in the past, during this
period of globalisation, characterised by a
sharp rise in information technologies, the
importance of raw material resources has
been decreasing.
“It is necessary to focus on products meet-
ing the needs of the current time,” said
Slobodová. “From this point of view, our re-
gion must orient itself towards IT, biotechno-
logies, research and development, renewable
energy resources, the electro-technical in-
dustry, development of production focusing
on ecologically clean activities which will not
further burden the environment, and secur-
ing as high as possible finalisation of
products.”
Several traditional industrial sectors in
the region also remain prospective, especially
metallurgy, wood processing, engineering,
glass, and agriculture, according to Brieda.
“Mining and its related processing in-
dustry in the so-called silicate zone in the
southern part of the region is also very pro-
spective because of the rich deposits of min-
eral raw materials,” said Brieda.
Both Kodríková and Slobodová also see
tourism, wellness facilities, and other ser-
vices as particularly promising.
“The region has excellent prerequisites
for further tapping of tourism,” said
Kodríková. “In the north are the Low Tatras
which are suitable for summer as well as
winter tourism and to the west are Banská
Štiavnica and Kremnica with their rich min-
ing history. The east is rich in Gothic attrac-
tions which can be found along the Slovak
Gothic Route and the whole region is dotted
with spas, for instance in Brusno, Sliač and
Dudince, to mention just a few.”
should continue
Continued from pg 6
TSS: How do you rate the cur-
rent degree of decentralisa-
tion in Slovakia, along with
the current powers and du-
ties of the self-governing re-
gions?
JB: One of the tools to re-
duce regional disparities, aside
from the measures taken by
the national government, is
also the development policy of
individual regional govern-
ments.
Slovakia had to create self-
governing regions before its
admission into the EU [Ed.
note: Slovakia entered the EU
on May 1, 2004].
Nowadays these adminis-
trations bear responsibility for
helping to remove regional
disparities.
It is necessary to continue
transferring competencies,
and thus also the funds neces-
sary for their performance. It is
also necessary to cancel some
state authorities operating at
the regional level, for example
in the area of education or
transport, because the regional
governments are now fully
substituting them. The aim
should be to facilitate the pub-
lic administration for citizens.
TSS: Slovakia suffers from re-
gional disparities. Does this
problem also affect your re-
gion? In which segments do
you perceive the biggest dis-
parities and what solutions
do you propose?
JB: To reduce regional dis-
parities the Žilina Self-Govern-
ing Region has created its own
mechanisms.
We annually allocate fin-
ancial resources from the re-
gional budget to promote vari-
ous projects covering regional
development, tourism and
culture promotion, etc., while
we put an accent on propor-
tional allocation of funding
packages to all five sub-re-
gions.
Through the rural devel-
opment grant we subsidise
rural areas which are outside
of the centres of innovation
and economic growth.
Another tool of support is
the grant system for culture,
within which we annually se-
lectively allocate grants to
specific culture projects.
Via the tourism develop-
ment promotion grant, we se-
cure the development of tour-
ism in the historical regions of
Kysuce, Orava, Liptov, Turiec
and Horné Považie, each of
which has its own specific
characteristics and attracts a
different tourist clientele. Apart
from municipalities, in addi-
tion entrepreneurs from the
field of tourism can be involved
in this system. We have already
helped and supported hundreds
of projects in this way.
Reducing of regional dis-
parities is also closely connec-
ted with the transport infra-
structure construction.
Following the last year, the
Žilina Self-Governing Region
is continuing the extensive
reconstruction of the second-
and third-category roads in
our region.
 BUSINESS FOCUS February 1 – 7, 2010 9
ADVERTISEMENT

AUTO: Prospects for car industry look good JOB OFFERS

Continued from pg 6
So far, the company has in-
vested €1 billion in its facilities.
It currently assembles three
models and employs 2,800 work-
ers. Thousands more employees
work for its subcontractors in
Slovakia, for example Dong
Wong Metal Industry, Mobis,
and Hysco.
According to Nemešová, the
character of completed invest-
ment projects over the 2002-2008
period confirmed a continuing,
intensive trend in the expansion
of the automotive industry. Of a
total of 36 completed invest-
ment projects, with planned in-
vestments of €1.123 billion and
expected creation of 6,883 to
8,145 new jobs, 36 percent were
in the automotive industry, in-
cluding projects by Kyokutoh,
Faurecia, Glovis Company and
Roadster Automotive.
More than one-fifth of the
total investment (22 percent) in
the region was directed toward
the engineering and metal-pro-
cessing industry (TFC Cable As-
semblies, Gruppo Amaya Teller-
ia) and 17 percent flowed into the
electro-technical industry (SPIN-
tech, Eltec Energy, and TECO).
Firms in the chemical industry
accounted for 8 percent of the
investments (DKI Plast and
Gassman Kunstofftechnik) while
the remaining investments were
in the construction, wood, and
textile industries, according to
Nemešová.
Economic crisis
bites in the region
Due to the openness of its
economy and the fact that car
sales and production have been
one of the hardest hit economic
sectors throughout the world,
Žilina Region has felt some deep
impacts from the crisis, too. At
the end of December 2009, the
unemployment rate in the Žilina
Region was 10.89 percent, ac-
cording to the Labour, Social Af-
fairs and Family Office, nearing
the level from 2004, at 11.12 at the
end of December.
The gross domestic product
generated by industry in the re-
gion decreased by about 20 to 23
percent in 2009 compared with
the previous year while the con-
struction sector registered an
annual drop of about 10 percent,
according to the Žilina regional
chamber of the Slovak Chamber
of Commerce and Industry (ŽRK
SOPK). Transport-generated
Trucks queuing at a Slovak-Polish border crossing.
GDP fell by over one-quarter in
the domestic market and inter-
national transport shrank by
about 17 percent.
Ján Mišura, the head of the
Žilina regional chamber, is dis-
appointed by the lack of a more
favourable attitude by banks
towards helping regional busi-
ness entities.
“Comparing figures from
2008 with those from 2009 shows
that small and medium-sized
companies have had to pay for
turbulences in the financial
sector,” Mišura told The Slovak
Spectator. “Large companies,
with their experience, are more
capable of adapting to the
changed economic situation and
finding a way out. It creates a
hope that they will be able to re-
vitalise the need for small and
medium-sized companies. Un-
fortunately, the banking sector –
in spite of its improved liquidity
resulting from the adoption of
the euro – has acted neutrally, in
the best case. In some cases the
sector has even attempted to in-
crease fees for administration of
accounts and other services. This
is causing problems for local
companies in both industry and
services to finance their launch
of work on new orders for 2010.”
Support for investment
and growth
Along with the already es-
tablished automotive industry,
engineering, information-
communication technologies,
electro-technical, electronics,
paper production, wood pro-
cessing, construction and tour-
ism are seen as good prospects
for the further development of
the region. This is because of
Photo: TASR
the existing, well-educated la-
bour force and the good level of
vocational and higher educa-
tion in the region.
“With regards to the strong
engineering tradition, still relat-
ively high unemployment rate,
which was only a bit below 11
percent in December 2009 and
the renowned Žilina University,
Žilina Region represents a very
suitable location for invest-
ments, especially into the auto-
motive industry,” said
Nemešová. Žilina University has
a strong tradition in higher edu-
cation in the fields of transporta-
tion and communications as
well as in mechanical, electrical
and civil engineering.
“In the future we also expect
an inflow of investment into the
launch of technical service
centres, IT centres, and call
centres,” said Nemešová. “Sim-
ultaneously, Žilina Region cre-
ates a great potential for tourism
investments since the region
boasts top ski resorts, thermal
spas, natural reserves and UN-
ESCO sites.”
To support development of
local business Žilina Self-Govern-
ing Region has prepared a Cata-
logue of the Investment Oppor-
tunities of Žilina Region which is
available in English as well as
Slovak. Via its internet version,
the catalogue provides compre-
hensive information about the
region, its economy and infra-
structure as well as an overview
of existing investment oppor-
tunities in the region.
When listing the activities
that the Žilina regional chamber
has organised to support eco-
nomic development of the re-
gion, Mišura mentioned its pub-
lication of the "Catalogue of Re-
commended Companies in the
Sub-Regions of Liptov, Orava,
Turiec, Považie and Kysuce" for
2009 and 2010. It distributes this
catalogue throughout Žilina re-
gion, across Slovakia, and inter-
nationally as well as at fairs and
within the network of chambers
of industry and commerce.
The Žilina regional chamber,
in cooperation with the Žilina
Self-Governing Region, up-dates
the database of companies and
entrepreneurs available at
www.interbiznis.sk and at
www.viator.sk, the regional
tourism portal. Entrepreneurs
can look for detailed information
on suppliers and offers at the
website of SOPK. The regional
chamber also offers advice to
business entities and will be
providing financial assistance to
companies attending engineer-
ing, electro-technical, construc-
tion and tourism fairs in Poland,
Sweden, Serbia, Romania, Be-
larus, and other countries this
year. It has also organised trade
missions and exhibitions within
Slovakia and abroad, for example
in Russia, Austria, Poland and
China and the so far not fully-
saturated Balkan market.
“Within other activities, we
are fundamentally supporting
acceleration of construction of
the main European E50 and E75
corridors, designed a long time
ago, which cross Žilina Region,
so that they gain the form of true
highways,” said Mišura. He ad-
ded that the recent problems
during the launch of the elec-
tronic toll collection system on
the main European north-south
E75 corridor at Slovakia’s borders
with the Czech Republic and Po-
land have uncovered a weak
point for the region and all of
Slovakia – the incomplete high-
way between Svrčinec near
Čadca and Zwardoň to Warsaw.
According to Mišura, incom-
plete highway infrastructure
continues to be the main
hindrance to further develop-
ment of the business sphere in
the region.
“The biggest hurdle to fur-
ther development of business in
the Žilina region is the construc-
tion of the highway tunnel
between Martin and Žilina that
was halted in 2003,” said Mišura.
“Despite promises, this best-
prepared construction project on
the main European west-east
E50 corridor has been moved into
only the third package of public-
private partnership projects for
highway construction,” he said.
.NET/C# Developer (senior, junior)
PORTHUS SLOVAKIA s.r.o. (Information Technology), Žilina
Min. education: University education (Bachelor‘s degree)
Languages: English - intermediate
Technical Accountant - Claims
Swiss Re Business Services (Slovakia) s.r.o. (Insurance), Bratislava
Min. education: University education (Bachelor‘s degree)
Languages: English - advanced
Assistant Financial and Sales Director
TWOpoint Industry, s.r.o. (Other areas), Košice region, Košice
Min. education: University education (Bachelor‘s degree)
Languages: English - advanced
Transactional Controller
Philips Slovakia s.r.o. (Electrical engineering), Bratislava
Min. education: University education (Master‘s degree)
Languages: English - advanced and Slovak - advanced
Business Operations Manager
New Frontier Finance, s.r.o. (Information Technology), Bratislava
Min. education: University education (Master‘s degree)
Languages: English - expert (interpreting)
Assistant to plant manager
Holcim (Slovensko) a. s. (Construction industry), Rohožník
Min. education: University education (Master‘s degree)
Languages: Slovak - native speaker and English - advanced
Analyst
Accenture, s.r.o. (Information Technology), Bratislava
Min. education: University education (Master‘s degree)
Languages: English - advanced
AMS - Application Developer J2EE
IBM International Services Centre s.r.o. (Information Technology), Bratislava
Min. education: University education (Master‘s degree)
Languages: English - advanced or German - intermediate
Account Executive
Grayling Slovakia s. r. o. (Advertising, promotion, PR), Bratislava
Min. education: University education (Bachelor‘s degree)
Languages: English - advanced
General Affairs Manager
Samsung Electronics LCD Slovakia s.r.o. (Electrical engineering), Trnava,
Voderady
Min. education: University education (Master‘s degree)
Languages: English - advanced
SAP Nuclear
Slovenské elektrárne, a.s. (Production, distribution of electricity), Bratislava
Min. education: University education (Master‘s degree)
Languages: English - intermediate
Financial Manager
STROJKOV ENGINEERING, s.r.o. (Engineering industry), Gelnica
Min. education: University education (Bachelor‘s degree)
Languages: English - advanced
Senior Architect
NESS KDC, s.r.o. (Information Technology), Košice region, Košice
Min. education: University education (Bachelor‘s degree)
Languages: English - advanced
SAP Industrial Specialist
VALEO SLOVAKIA, s.r.o. (Automotive Industry), Košice
Min. education: University education (Master‘s degree)
Languages: English - advanced
Any interesting job offers
listed above? Find out
more at www.profesia.sk
SP90021/5

CLASSIFIEDS

RELIGIOUS SERVICES
ENGLISH LANGUAGE WORSHIP
INVESTMENT Advisory Advertising rates for business classifieds
1. Prices of classified ads Ad dition al op tion s
2 . Pric e s fo r b usi nes s cl as si fi ed
ads (according to size):
Bratislava International Church
Sundays, 9:30 at historic
Small Lutheran Church
GUIDE 2009 (according to no. of words) ● Logo or picture insertion
+ 7 (Sk210.88)
1/12 page
91,5 x 87 mm
(Malý evanjelický kostol) in central Bratislava ● Up to 20words - 10 (Sk301.26)
(near Hodzovo namestie);
on Lycejna at intersection
● Bold or capital bold letters 100
● Up to 50 words - 20 (Sk602.52)
with Panenska 26/28. + 0.3/word (Sk9.04) (Sk3,012.60)
Children's Sunday School provided.
Everyone Welcome.
ORDER NOW! ● Up to 70 words - 30 (Sk903.78) ● Box + 3 (Sk90.38)
Information at 02-5443-3263 ● Up to 100 words - 40 (Sk1,200.04) ●
Box with shading + 7 (Sk210.88)
Web Site:
www.bratislavainternationalchurch.org ● Up to 150 words - 60 (Sk1,807.56)
1 = Sk 3 0 . 1 2 6 0
C 3573 Frequency discoun ts:
● 3x - 10x 5%
● 11x - 19x 7,5%
REAL ESTATE 2. Prices for business classified ads (according to size):
Price per copy ● 20x and more 15%
NOTE: Prices do not include value added
Apartments – houses - for RENT! tax (VAT 19%)!

• 2-room furnished apartments -

€4 1/48 page 1/24 page DEADLINE: Wednesday, 12:00,
for publication that week; otherwise, the
Ružinov, Karlove Ves, Vajnorská,... 44 x 41 mm 44 x 87 mm advert will be published the following
• 3-4-room new, furnished apart Friday.
ments – city center, Bôrik, Karlova 91,5 x 41 mm FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Ves,…. 25 email:
• family houses – Kramáre, Polus 50 marta.fukasova@spectator.sk
area, Koliba, Vrakuňa,.....
Contact our Circulation Department: (Sk753.15) (Sk1,506.3) tel: +421 2 59 233-311
fax: +421 2 59 233-319
www.madison.sk, 0905 - 659156, tel: +421 (0)2 59 233 300, fax: +421 (0)2 59 233 319 or write:
madison@nextra.sk e-mail: circulation@spectator.sk, or spectator@spectator.sk or The Slovak Spectator
Lazaretská 12, 811 08 Bratislava, Slovakia.
C 3489
10 February 1 – 7, 2010 CULTURE
Rača’s Lutheran church Western SLOVAKIA

HISTORY TALKS
THE PRESENT-DAY Bratislava district of Rača was
once a separate settlement known as Račišdorf,
and was visited by people from the nearby city
mainly to sample its excellent wine. Račišdorf
used to be ethnically diverse. The majority of its
inhabitants were Slovaks, who lived mostly at the
“Lower End” (Dolný Koniec). The “Upper End”
(Horný Koniec) was inhabited by a large German
community. The range of ethnicities also included
a group of Croatian residents.
In terms of religion, Rača, like most municipal-
ities in Slovakia, was divided principally between
Catholics and Lutheran Protestants. The Luther-
ans built their existing church in 1834; before then,
they had held services wherever the opportunity
arose. When, in the 16th century, the ideas of the
Reformation came to Rača they found a dedicated
supporter in the person of Count Siegfried Ko-
lonich. The formation of new Lutheran bodies at-
tracted mainly local Germans. The first Lutheran
church in Rača was a chapel which used to be part
of Count Kolonich’s mansion. Later during the
Reformation Lutherans took over the Catholic par-
ish church for half a century. This caused great an-
imosity between local Catholics and Lutherans
that continued for decades.
In 1629 the church was returned to the Cathol-
ics, and in 1637 Rača’s new landlord, František
Keglevič, a Catholic, ordered that the Lutheran
preacher Rudolf Mueller be cast out of the village.
During the Counter-Reformation, the Lutherans
lost their property and were forced to meet secretly
in cellars to listen to preachers. Later, after the
Edict of Tolerance was issued by Emperor Jozef II,
the Rača Germans attended services in Bratislava.
Finally, in 1834, they were able to build their own
church. It is shown in this rare photo, dating back
to WWI, in which a soldier is pictured next to it.
By Branislav Chovan
Bratislava
l DESIGN: Twenty after Twenty EVENTS COUNTRYWIDE
- This exhibition presents the
creative approach and ways of
thinking of young architects.
Twenty Czech and twenty Slovak
studios were chosen; but the ex-
hibits presented surprise – dog-
houses in the Czech designs and
bird-boxes in the Slovak ones.
Open: Mon-Fri 10:00-18:00,
Sat-Sun 13:00-18:00; until Febru-
ary 7. Admission: free. Design
Factory, Bottova 2. Tel: 0907
666-718; www.designfactory.sk.
Bratislava
l MUSIC/DANCE: Everest – Mu-
sician Pavol Hammel, choreo-
grapher Mário Radačovský and
director Patrik Lančarič created THE AUSTRIAN Cultural Forum presents an exhibition called Vienna
this musical-dance theatre as a Reloaded in Bratislava that stems from a TV documentary of the
symbol of the struggle to con- same name that illustrated the role of the Austrian capital in advan-
quer one’s own individual cing activities like science, art, and architecture within a united
Mount Everest, day after day. Europe. Six artists and six architects offer their exhibits until February
Starts: February 3, 19:00; Feb- 26 at the Austrian Culture Forum at Zelená 7, Mon-Fri 10:00-17:00; ad-
ruary 6, 19:00. Admission: €8 - mission is free. For more information, call 02/5464-1337 or go to
€16. New building of the Nation- www.rakusko.eu/sk. Photo: Courtesy of RKF
al Theatre, Pribinova 17. Tel:
02/2047-2111, www.snd.sk. Katedrály periférie – Cathedrals eggs from the whole of Slovakia.
of the Periphery. This photo ex- The egg continues to symbolise
Bratislava hibition by a young Trnava au- the spring and fertility.
l CLASSICAL MUSIC: Cappella thor, a student of the Art School Open: February 4 till April 4,
Istropolitana and guests – The of the Brno University of Tech- Mon-Fri 09:00-17:00, Sun
Chamber Orchestra of the City of nology, moves the art of archi- 10:00-17:00. Admission: €0.50 -
Bratislava led by Robert Mareček tecture to objects. €1. Thurzov dom, Nám.
and conducted by Kaspar Open: Tue-Fri 09:00-17:00, SNP 4. Tel.: 048 / 412 58 97;
Zehnder from Switzerland, with Sat-Sun 13:00-18:00, until Febru- www.stredoslovenskemuzeum.sk.
Zehnder, Milan Radič, Eva Arou- ary 14. Admission: €0.60-€1.30.

The winter has come at last tunian, and Radek Barborák

playing, will offer a real delicacy.
Starts: February 7, 17:00. Ad-
Kopplova vila, Zelený kríček 3.
Tel: 033/5511-659; www.gjk.sk.
Žilina
l DANCE: Lord of the Dance –
Michael Flatley returns to Slov-
mission: €4. Primaciálny palác Levice akia with his ensemble of dan-
(Primate's Palace), Primaciál– l MUSEUM: Čaj - nápoj náš cers to once again show the ma-

SKI WINDOW ne nám. Tel: 02/5935-6222;

www.visit.bratislava.sk.
každodenný – Tea - our daily
drink. An exhibition about the
history of a ritual. Put together
gic and universal language of
dance through a traditional Irish
routine that began humbly and
Bratislava by the Museum of Ján Thain in has since captivated thousands
l LIVE MUSIC: Tango Argentino Nové Zámky. of fans all over the world.
FINALLY, the end of January and early February – A unique experience will be Open: Mon-Fri 09:00-16:00, Starts: February 8, 20:00.
has given us a proper winter with freezing tem- offered by Tango Ultimo with Sun 10:00-16:00. Admission: Zimný štadión (Ice Sta–
peratures all day long and frigid conditions at Marcel Palonder, and later by €0.30-€0.60. Kapitánska budova dium) Garmin Aréna, Športo–
night. But we still lack a good measure of snowfall. Alejandro Ziegler from Buenos v hradnom areáli (Captain’s vá 5. Admission: from €30.
For example, the 30 centimetres of natural snow at Aires with his acoustic quartet Building in the castle complex), Tel: 041/5621-676, 02/5293-3321;
Štrbské Pleso and the 85 centimetres at Chopok are playing famous pieces. Before, Sv. Michala 40. Tel.: 036/6312-112; www.ticketportal.sk.
far too little for the beginning of February. A nor- there will be a dance workshop www.muzeumlevice.sk.
mal base of snow would be over 1metre – but we Still not enough snow. Photo: Roman Millan with Paľo Moises, and after- Eastern SLOVAKIA
will probably need to wait a little longer for that. wards a disco with DJ Shantisan. Central SLOVAKIA
In coming days, the snow situation could im- This Saturday, the biggest Slovak snowboard Starts: February 3, 20:00. Košice
prove and on Tuesday and Wednesday it is pos- event will take place – SKOČSY at Štrbské Pleso, Admission: €15. Nu Spirit Banská Bystrica l EXHIBITION: Metamorfózy
sible that 20 to 40 centimetres of new snow could where top European competitors will perform in a Bar, Šafárikovo námestie 7. l EXHIBITION: To vajíčko Starého mesta – The Meta-
fall. That would likely enable resort operators to freestyle show at the snowboard park. Another www.nuspirit.sk. maľovanô – The Decorated Egg is morphoses of the Old Town an
open more slopes, especially in the higher altitude round of SNOW SHOW in the area of Nová Hoľa at an exhibition that runs until exhibition of photographs by
ski resorts that require more snow. In the remain- Donovaly will be organised for the weekend with Trnava Easter and shows the still-living Tibor Kováč, presents a view of
ing days of this week, milder snowfalls are expec- competitions, music, dancing, various skiing l EXHIBITION: Martich Kochan tradition of decorated Easter the city, its history, and the life
ted and as the week ends clear weather is expected presentations and special drinks. of a man brutally changed by the
again, with temperatures sinking to as low as arrival in Czechoslovakia of the
minus 20 in some mountain valleys. By Roman Millan, www.lanovky.sk Soviet Army in 1968.
Open: Mon-Fri 09:00-18:00,
Sat-Sun 10:00-17:00, until February
Ski conditions around Slovakia (as of January 28) 15. Admission: free. Atrium of the
Teologická Fakulta Katolíckej Uni-
verzity Ružomberok, Hlavná 89.
CENTRE SNOW CONDITIONS SKI PASS PRICE IN € LIFTS IN OPERATION
Tel: 055/6836-335; www.ktfke.sk.
Donovaly 40 cm very good €22 7/15
Spišská Nová Ves
Jasná – Sever 80 cm very good €29 10/24 l FOLKLORE/DANCE:
Chopok – Juh 80 cm very good €19 5/7 Fašiangová veselica – The Shrove
Martinské hole 65 cm very good €22 1/6 (or carnival) time means the
period of fun, folklore marches-
Štrbské Pleso 80 cm very good €22 5/6 THE CENTRAL-Slovakian Gallery in Banská Bystrica is showing the and dances that begins after
Lomnické sedlo unsuitable exhibition The Romance of My Young Days, the Future of My Nostal- Christmas and ends by the Lent.
Tatranská Lomnica 90 cm very good €28 9/14 gia Part 2. It includes a case study of the nostalgia and romantic sen- This Shrove Dance is organised
timent connected with the pop-culture of the 1980s in then-commun- by the folklore group Čečina.
Zverovka 60 cm very good €20 4/4
ist eastern Europe, which adopted parts of western pop-culture that Starts: February 5, 19:00. Ad-
Skipark Ružomberok 50 cm very good €22 6/8 filtered through the strict censorship. It also includes the archives of mission: €20. Reštaurácia Tatra.
Vrátna 60 cm very good €22 7/15 The Working Memory and can be seen until February 28, Tue-Sun Tel: 053/4425-652, 053/4423-249,
10:00-17:00 and Sat-Sun 10:00-16:00 at the Praetorium building, S. www.mkc.snv.sk.
Veľká Rača 40 cm very good €22 5/7
Moyses Square 25 for €0.50-€1.33. For more info, call 048/4701-624 or
Kosodrevina - Chopok unsuitable go to www.ssgbb.sk. Photo: Courtesy of SSGBB By Zuzana Vilikovská

N A M E D A Y F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 0
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
Weather updates and forecasts from across Slovakia Tatiana Erik BlaÏej Veronika Agáta Dorota Vanda
Erika
can now be found at www.spectator.sk.
February 1 February 2 February 3 February 4 February 5 February 6 February 7
A Slovak’s name day (meniny) is as important as his or her birthday. It is traditional to present friends or co-workers with a small gift,
In cooperation with the Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute such as chocolates or flowers, and to wish them Všetko najlepšie k meninám (Happy name day)

Slovak actress Reka Derzsi, who plays the heroine of Líštičky, with Jitka Josková (far left) and Aaron Monaghan.
Foxes steal the show
Family drama
about Slovaks
living in Ireland
receives positive
response
BY DOMINIKA UHRÍKOVÁ
Spectator staff
ALŽBETA, a Slovak girl in her
early twenties, desperately seeks
a new life in Dublin where she
wants to work as au-pair. Too
proud and jealous, she con-
stantly refuses any help from her
older sister Tina, who is engaged
to a local, Steve. Only after the
two sisters decide to discuss a
long-buried secret can their rela-
tionship finally be restored.
This is the plotline of Foxes
(Líštičky), Slovak director Mira
Fornay’s debut feature, now be-
ing screened in domestic
cinemas. The first Slovak movie
to have been premiered in
Venice for a quarter of a century,
this character-driven drama
about Slovak immigrants in Ire-
land has, since its domestic
premiere shortly before the end
of 2009, attracted several thou-
sand cinemagoers.
And this is only the begin-
ning, its authors say. It is now
being presented at the Rotter-
dam Film Festival, and the film
will then head to the Berlinale
next week, the Jameson Dublin
Film Festival at the end of Febru-
ary, and, very shortly, also to
cinema screens around Europe.
The 32-year-old director,
who before Foxes had made
around a dozen short films,
graduated from Prague’s
Academy of Performing Arts and
London’s National Film and
Television School. It was during
her studies in the UK that she
realised that no one had ever
portrayed the intimate stories of
Slovak economic migrants.
“The film market is saturated
with movies representing im-
migrants as victims of their host
countries who have been abused
by the majority society, such as
Lilya 4-ever or Import Export,”
Fornay told The Slovak Spectator.
“What I am interested in is a
more realistic and perhaps a
more detached view of how this
system can equally be exploited
Foxes' creators, including director Mira Fornay (centre), at the film's premiere.
and how immigrants can survive
this struggle.”
This also explains the title
of the film. Dublin is well
known for its high population
of urban foxes strolling down
public roads and Fornay sees a
parallel between these half-
domesticated animals and
people working abroad.
“Urban foxes have an incred-
ible survival instinct,” she said.
“Moreover, they survive on
leftovers just like immigrants
and though they cannot return
to the woods anymore, every-
body looks at them as if they
were aliens, which once again
reminds me of immigrants.”
What Fornay herself calls “a
seemingly raw, docu-style mise
en scene” supported by
shoulder-mounted camerawork
and a darkish atmosphere is used
to explore the protagonists’
minds “without falling into
moralistic sermonising”.
This was important for the
director as she wanted to take
distance of the topic. Though
there are no autobiographical
episodes in Foxes, Fornay feels
personally involved with the
characters.
“The movie ripened over a
period of more than five years
and it shows my subjective per-
spective of the world I was then
living in,” she remarked. “It is
not my personal story, but there
is a piece of myself in virtually
every character of Foxes, since I
also look for love, a sense of se-
curity and happiness.”
CULTURE / BUSINESS FOCUS
Satisfaction despite
tight budget
To ensure maximum realism,
the film was shot entirely in Ire-
land, which naturally increased
the costs. Though the budget was
tight, the producers managed to
make ends meet thanks to an in-
ternational co-production.
“We obtained grants from Ir-
ish, Czech as well as Slovak insti-
tutions, so we gathered a sum
sufficient for a low-cost debut,”
said Juraj Buzalka, one of the
film’s producers. “Despite the
comparatively limited resources
and very few shooting days, we
are extremely satisfied with the
result. I think Mira Fornay offers
a very fresh perspective of wo-
men in this ‘age of migration’.
She really does not spare her
protagonists and she wants to
provoke discussion. That is, in
my opinion, why Foxes goes to so
many prestigious festivals.”
Ľubica Orechovská, PR man-
ager of Foxes, also expressed her
contentment with the final
shape of the film, and especially
with its reception.
“During just the first week
after its release in Slovakia more
than 1,000 people saw the movie
and around 4,000 tickets have
been sold to this day, which is, I
believe, a remarkable figure giv-
en the local context,” she said.
According to Aaron Mon-
aghan, the Irish actor who
played the role of Tina’s fiancé
Steve, the greatest asset of Foxes
was a good script.
Photo: Courtesy of Miras
Photo: Courtesy of Miras
“Foxes was such a great
script, it dealt with such sens-
itive and topical issues…; the
biggest challenge was work-
ing to help turn a great script
into a great film,” he told The
Slovak Spectator.
Monaghan also praised the
topicality of Foxes.
“Everyone in Ireland has
some experience of immigrants
in the country and the issue of
immigrants is a hot topic of de-
bate here,” he stated. “There are
good opportunities and incent-
ives from our government,
though there is sometimes some
hostility towards [immigrants]
from Irish people themselves.
There is a diverse range of issues
about the immigrant situation
in Ireland which I think Foxes
captures perfectly.”
In spite of the positive re-
sponse, Fornay, who currently
divides her time between
Prague and Berlin, does not
plan to continue developing the
topic of immigration in her fu-
ture projects.
One of these is already un-
derway, but the director is keep-
ing the details secret.
“The script has recently re-
ceived a Tibor Vichta Award, it
has also been shortlisted for the
2011 Krzysztof Kieslowski
Award in Cannes, and it has
been chosen from among 400
projects for a presentation at
this year’s co-production mar-
ket at the Berlinale, but this is
all I can tell you for the
moment,” Fornay concluded.
MAŇKA: Schools should
reflect market needs
Continued from pg 7
To reverse its decline, start
up its growth and balance dis-
parities across the whole re-
gion the state administration
and the self-government must
carry out fundamental trans-
formation projects to equip
this region with the necessary
infrastructure related to trans-
port, social security, educa-
tion, health care, environ-
ment, and innovations via pro-
duction technologies, research
and development, education,
informatisation, and so forth.
There are currently three
main financial resources avail-
able to undertake the required
changes: the budget of the
Banská Bystrica Self-Govern-
ing Region, the National Stra-
tegic Reference Framework
and investments.
The biggest problem in the
functioning of the Banská
Bystrica Self-Governing Region
office itself is bad financial
management during previous
years and its high indebted-
ness. Lower collection of taxes
caused by increasing unem-
ployment is also having a neg-
ative impact on the operation
of the office. The actual collec-
tion of taxes [ed. note: which is
one of the primary sources of
income for self-governing re-
gions], is even significantly
lower than the original
planned budget.
During my first days in of-
fice we have identified four ba-
sic groups of risk.
The first one is a lack of
funds to cover valid obliga-
tions. The second group is re-
lated to a lack of funds to secure
performance of basic functions
of the office in maintaining so-
cial standards. The sectors of
social security, education,
transport and culture do not
have funds, especially to cover
wages and operating costs.
Funds in the budget will have
to be either increased or some
basic functions of the Banská
Bystrica Self-Governing Region
may need to be limited and
some investments related to
maintenance and development
of infrastructure under the
auspices of our office may need
to be postponed. A combina-
tion of the last two is also pos-
sible. The third risk is a lack of
money for obligatory co-finan-
cing of projects under the Na-
tional Strategic Reference
Framework.
The last, but not least im-
portant, risk is ineffective use
of funds because of duplication
within some projects. On the
basis of a deeper analysis we
will identify any such projects
and secure the active participa-
tion of our office in them. Af-
terwards, we will halt or fun-
damentally alter any such
projects financed doubly from
our budget.
TSS: How do you perceive the
current extent of decentral-
isation in Slovakia, along
with the current powers and
duties of self-governing re-
gions?
VM: Even though as a
former mayor I have experi-
ence in self-government, my
perception of the powers and
February 1 – 7, 2010 11
obligations of the regional self-
governments will be more ob-
jective once I have served in
my current post for more than
just a few days.
The powers and responsib-
ilities of the self-governing
regions significantly influ-
ence the day-to-day lives of
citizens in the regions. I see it
as important to increase the
powers of the offices of self-
governing regions to draw EU
funds via regional operational
programmes so that people
who have detailed informa-
tion about what is happening
in a region can directly decide
on funds.
Self-governing regions
have significant powers in the
field of secondary school edu-
cation by setting the number
of classes and authorising and
cancelling fields of study. I see
huge possibilities in optim-
ising the network of second-
ary schools with a stress on
prospective fields of study
linked to the regional labour
market’s needs.
We cannot open fields of
studies from which graduates,
after completing their studies,
go directly to unemployment
offices.
TSS: Slovakia suffers from re-
gional disparities. Does this
problem affect your region?
In which areas do you per-
ceive the biggest disparities
and what solutions do you
propose?
VM: Banská Bystrica Re-
gion is the most rural region of
Slovakia and simultaneously
the region with the biggest re-
gional disparities within it.
We have districts in our
region in which unemploy-
ment is below 10 percent, for
example in Banská Bystrica
and Zvolen, but we also have
districts like Rimavská Sobota
and Revúca in which it ex-
ceeds 30 percent.
More than half of the dis-
tricts in our region are signi-
ficantly lagging behind, or
even marginalised. This is
why it is necessary to come up
with new, innovative, region-
al policies. We have to support
the competitiveness of devel-
oping areas especially
through concentration of
support for science, research,
innovations and education.
Support for their development
programmes based on their
needs and priorities are the
key to higher employment in
lagging districts.
So far the Banská Bystrica
Self-Governing Region has not
created any special instru-
ments for effective policy for
balancing inter-regional dis-
parities. The same support in-
struments were applied for
lagging as well as more de-
veloped districts. This has
shown itself to be ineffective
and inter-regional disparities
kept deepening because smal-
ler, less-developed districts
were not able to fairly compete
in grant competitions with
more-developed districts.
Thus, it is necessary to cre-
ate instruments which will
specifically focus support to in-
crease the competitiveness of
lagging districts.
12 February 1 – 7, 2010
AROUND SLOVAKIA compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
Bear census postponed after
agreement is delayed
A PROJECT to count all the bears
in Slovakia has been delayed and
may only be launched fully this
spring. State Nature Protection
(ŠOP), the body in charge of the
project, had intended for it to
begin in the autumn but instead
waited for the signing of an
agreement with the Environ-
ment Ministry that was only
completed in mid December.
Both Vladimír Antal of ŠOP and
ministry spokesperson Jana
Kaplanová confirmed the details
to the ČTK newswire. The min-
istry is waiting for the census
results in order to resolve an ar-
gument about the number of
bears living in Slovakia: envir-
onmentalists claim there are too
few of them, while forest man-
agers claim there are too many.
A tender will be held to
choose a company that will
Still snowing: Bears sometimes wake early from their winter hibernation.
Fair attracts gourmands
BRATISLAVA'S
1
Incheba Expo
centre hosted two
big fairs on Janu-
ary 23 and 24: the
ITF Slovakiatour
tourism and travel fair, and
Danubius Gastro 2010, a gastro-
nomy fair.
“In spite of the crisis, both
fairs and their related exhibitions
and events were successful. The
rate of visitors increased year-on-
year by five percent,” Incheba
spokesperson Martina Sekulová
told the TASR newswire, adding
that the 34,500 square metres of
exhibition area were filled by 768
exhibitors, both domestic and
foreign, from 31 countries.
The ITF was attended by tour-
operators, foreign embassies,
travel agencies, Slovak and for-
eign regions, and tourism ser-
vices providers.
then take about 3,000 excre-
ment specimens, Antal ex-
plained. Based on the droppings
and their analysis, the forest
managers also want to find out
about the health, population
structure, population density
and genetic fitness of Slovakia’s
bears. Fifteen animals will also
be caught and given a transmit-
ter. The ŠOP will, however,
have to prolong the project and
its outcome for one year, until
the end of 2013, as the monitor-
ing and research of large wild
animals in Slovakia, costing
€2.1 million, will be financed
from EU funds. The ŠOP now
has to wait until spring, as
bears hibernate during winter.
On January 25, according to
an old Slovak saying, bears turn
over in their sleep. January 25 is
the Christian holiday of the
Exquisite exhibits at Danubius Gastro 2010.
Meanwhile, the Danubius
Gastro presented products and
services related to gastronomy,
the food-processing industry
and the hotel trade. The public
showed an interest in gastro-
nomy technology, viticulture
and food, and in particular in
competitions to bake desserts
and prepare various drinks.
Both fairs ended with spe-
cial events. The 16th Slovakia-
FEATURE
Hardly any other instrument has so influenced the development of mobility as the wind tunnel. With
the use of the wind tunnel, since the beginning of the previous century, scientists have continuously
developed the aerodynamic and aeroacoustic quality of motor cars, airships and buildings. Today,
excellent values ensure low consumption and longer useful life – Excellence Creating Value.
“Reversing of St. Paul” when
bears are supposed to turn from
one side to the other. According
to Miroslav Saniga from the Re-
search Branch of the Institute of
Forest Ecology of the Slovak
Academy of Sciences, this say-
ing is hard to prove ‘on site’, but
might be true since the end of
January usually marks the half-
way point in the bears’ hiberna-
tion. If left undisturbed, bears
typically sleep until March, the
TASR newswire wrote.
However, this winter, with
its rapid changes in weather and
both freezing temperatures and
quite warm periods, could prove
very difficult for the bears, and
some might already have taken
a break. Two bears in the Veľká
Fatra mountain range and one
near Staré Hory awoke during
mild weather at the end of 2009.
BERLIN
Noerr BRATISLAVA
EXCELLENCE BUCHAREST
BUDAPEST
DRESDEN
CREATING
DÜSSELDORF
FRANKFURT/M.
KIEV
MOSCOW
VALUE MUNICH
NEW YORK
PRAGUE
WARSAW
Noerr is one of the leading European commercial law NOERR.COM
firms – with 13 offices and over 450 professionals. Our
core business is excellent legal and tax advice.
- in selected areas of commercial law
Photo: Sme - Ján Krošlák - practice-oriented and on solid academic foundations
- with focus on sectors
- in close cooperation between partners and clients
- with strategic vision
Together with our cooperation partners management
consultants and auditors, we develop comprehensive
legal, tax, finance and management solutions.
Networked thinking and innovation for the benefit of
our clients.
Zuzana Wohlmuth
Noerr s.r.o.
AC Diplomat
Photo: SITA Palisády 29/A
811 06 Bratislava
tour concluded with the first Slovensko
year of the International Fest- T +421-(0)2-59 10 10 10
ival of Travel Films Camera F +421-(0)2-59 10 10 11
Slovakia. Danubiana Gastro recepciaba@noerr.com
ended by holding, for the first
time, a national round of the
prestigious Bocuse D’Or
‘culinary olympics’. This was www.noerr.com
won by Martin Korbelič, fol-
lowed by Peter Duranský and
Marcel Ihnačák, all of them
from Bratislava. SP90174/2