Stories about Slovakia
Murder of Investigative Journalist Ján Kuciak Shakes Slovak Society
"Judging by the past affairs in Slovakia, as well as experience with similar events in the world, it is very unlikely that we have will see justice. However, in order to keep my own mental health, I remain optimist ..."
Young Slovaks Seem to Have Higher Work Standards Than Previous Generations. Is That Good or Bad?
"...it's not about laziness, but about human dignity if wages for work do not cover the basic costs of the workforce"
Ex-Yugoslavs Mourn Vesna Vulović, Flight Attendant Who Survived Highest Ever Fall Without a Parachute
"Vesna Vulović survived a fall from 10,000 meters, but could not survive the year of 2016. :("
A Postcard from Slovakia’s Vietnamese Community
"Even though in these neighborhoods, more Vietnamese are living, they are mostly not recognized by the municipality."
Balkan Right-Wing Populists Gloat Over #Brexit
While the official reactions by most Balkan governments included expressions of guarded concern for the EU after the Brexit, Europhobic representatives of right-wing parties expressed joy via social networks.
Resentment Against Hungary Grows After Serbia Border Clashes Injure Refugees and Journalists
Many expressed anger at Hungary and the European Union for their handling of the refugee crisis, including the closure of the Hungarian-Serbian border, without consulting their non-EU neighbors.
Slovakia's ‘Batman’ Is Leading the Fight Against Illegal Advertising in Bratislava
The entrepreneur, husband and father is on a mission to destroy unlicensed makeshift billboards in the city of Bratislava, which has become cluttered with outdoor advertisements.
Serbia Arrests 11 Foreign Human Rights Activists Ahead of Protest
Amnesty International has requested that Serbian authorities release eleven activists from Bulgaria, Finland, and Slovakia who were in Serbia to hold peaceful protests during the CEE-China Summit in Belgrade.
European Citizens Call for the Protection of Media Pluralism
“European institutions should safeguard the right to free, independent and pluralistic information”. The quote, from the Media Initiative website, summarizes the main idea behind a pan-European campaign that aims at urging the European Commission to draft a Directive to protect Media Pluralism and Press Freedom. The Media Initiative is running a European Citizens’ Initiative – a tool...
Right-Wing Extremist Enters Second Round of Elections for Governor in Slovakia
Extremist leader of the People’s Party – Our Slovakia (ĽSNS), Marian Kotleba, won enough votes on November 10, 2013, to push through to the second round of the race for governor in the Banská Bystrica region in central Slovakia. The result has come as a surprise to many in the...
One UK Suburb's Un-Neighborly Reaction to Slovakian Roma Immigrants
After a wave of discriminatory statements against Roma communities in France made by French Minister of the Interior Manuel Valls, Slovakian and Romanian Roma in England are now getting the same message from authorities and neighbors. According to an article in the Guardian, Sheffield locals in an area with a high...
Hungary Criticized for Lenient Naturalization Policy
With unemployment and economic concern growing in the European Union, Hungary is among some of the EU member states being criticized by its Union neighbors for more lenient laws passed in 2011 for attaining Hungarian citizenship. Charles Richardson explains why on Crikey's blogs: Hungary has been giving some grief to...
Slovakia's Roma Communities Significantly Bypassed by Development
Despite Slovakia's economic growth and integration into the European Union, the majority of the country's Roma population continues to live in abject poverty, receiving little to no education.
Slovakia, Where Receipts Double as Lottery Tickets
In an attempt to collect more taxes, Slovakia has started a national lottery using purchase receipts to combat under the table deals that skirt around the country's value-added tax.
New Law in Slovakia Would Require Citizens to Report Long Stays Abroad
Slovakia's president has vetoed a controversial new law that would require citizens who plan on leaving the country for more than 90 days to inform the nearest Ministry of Interior office of their intended whereabouts during that time. The legislation has prompted highly visible anger from Slovaks on blogs and social media.
“Wanted Dead or Alive”: Slovak PM Dodges Court Summons
Former Slovak PM Iveta Radičová is suing the current PM Robert Fico, demanding an apology for his offensive statement. Fico, however, has been ignoring the trial for a whole year now, and even the police cannot find the PM's address to serve him court summons. Tibor Blazko reports.
Mercedes for President of Dilapidated Slovak University
Blogger Tomáš Homola blogs [sk] about a new Mercedes Benz E car recently acquired for 63,096 Euros for Professor Karol Mičieta [sk], the Rector/President of Comenius University in Bratislava. Homola describes Mičieta's connection to politics, and also recalls that the Ministry of Education just a short time ago was forced...
The State of Torture in the World in 2013
On January 23, 2013, an excerpt from the annual report of l'ACAT-France, A World of Torture 2013, makes a fresh assessment of the state of torture in the world [fr]: “A report called A World of Torture in 2013, assesses torture practices that continue to be alarming, from Pakistan to...
Green Patrol Cleans Up Slovakia
The area near the main train station in Bratislava doesn't look too neat [sk]. Nor do other neighborhoods. Some people refuse to accept it passively, however. Next month, the Green Patrol (Zelená hliadka; sk) initiative, led by Matúš Čupka, will celebrate its second anniversary. Through targeted cleaning actions, Green Patrol...
Slovakia's Roads: “Adopt a Pothole and Watch It Grow”
This year, the situation on Slovakia's roads isn't very good. in Košice county alone, there are over 37,000 square meters of potholes. Tibor Blazko reports.
Stadiums Vs. Schools: Slovakia's Misplaced Priorities
There is not enough money to provide Slovak teachers with decent salaries, but there is some to build football stadiums all over the country. Tibor Blazko reports on the Slovak government's misplaced funding priorities.