Latest posts by Tibor Blazko
Slovakia: Stop ACTA Protest
An anti-ACTA rally took place in Bratislava on Feb. 4. On the protest's Facebook page [sk], nearly 7,500 people wrote they would attend, and over 3,800 wrote they'd “maybe” attend. The weather was cold and windy; the recent news from Poland, which has postponed the ratification of ACTA, was good;...
Slovakia: Protesting Corruption, Protesting “Gorilla”
The Economist's Eastern Approaches blog writes about Slovakia's corruption scandal caused by the leaked info from the 2005-06 wiretapping operation codenamed “Gorilla” (more – here). On Friday, Jan. 27, an anti-corruption rally – “Protest Gorila” [sk; Facebook page]- took place in the capital Bratislava (photos are here, videos – here)....
Slovakia: Roma “Apartheid” – and New Housing?
According to this report [en], a US-based Hindu group was shocked by the “maltreatment” of the Roma in Slovakia, calling “to end Roma apartheid.” At the same time, the Slovak government announced [en] a new wave of social housing construction for the Roma, expecting that “the number of illegal Roma...
Slovakia: More News on Overly Expensive Website Design
Aktualne.sk reports [sk] that, following the initial financial inspection by the Ministry of Culture, the Slovak National Gallery is now required to pay 140 euro back, from the 25,000 euro that it reportedly spent on its new website (more on this here and here). Meanwhile, according to the World Association...
Slovakia: Competition to Re-Design the National Gallery's Site
In response to the 25,000-euro “minimalist” website design of the Slovak National Gallery, zajtra.sk started its own competition [sk] for the website's re-design, offering 100 euro to the winner. Authors are mostly students, and they often declare how many hours – and, sometimes, minutes – they spent on their re-design.
Slovakia: TV Show on Corruption Cancelled
The Slovak public TV channel STV cancelled [sk] a scheduled live talk show on the alleged widespread corruption of 2005-2006 [en], which involved many of the country's past and present politicians. Head of RTVS (Radio and TV Slovakia) said [sk] that broadcasting such a program, produced by an external producer...
Slovakia: The “Work vs Money” Dilemma
In East Slovakia, unemployed people were asked to get involved in a public flood protection project. Only four young men agreed. The rest refused, claiming that they'd be poorer if they took this job. Tibor Blazko writes about unemployment in Slovakia and translates the netizens' comments.
Slovakia: Medical Doctors’ Protest
One of the most important Slovak events of 2011 was the protest of over 2,000 medical doctors employed by state hospitals; 1,200 of them (from the total of 6,500) cancelled their job contracts later. Tibor Blazko explains the situation and translates the netizens' opinions on healthcare.
Slovakia: The Most Expensive Apple Computers
University of Economics in Bratislava (EUBA) has recently signed a contract to acquire electronics and software for its Faculty of National Economy for a total price of over 1.8 million euro. Many of the items are overpriced. Tibor Blazko reports.
Slovakia: New Draft Law Threatens Internet Freedom
The Slovak Ministry of Finance has published a draft law that would allow blocking web servers that provide online gambling without a Slovak license. Tibor Blazko reviews netizens' reactions.
Slovakia: Big Money in the Tube
A few weeks ago, the Slovak Performing and Mechanical Rights society (SOZA) - the country's music copyright organization - started billing web servers, typically for young music fans, which were embedding YouTube and Vimeo videos on their pages. Tibor Blazko reports on the Slovak netizens' reactions.
Slovakia, Poland: (Mis)Understanding the Euro Experience
According to a recent poll, the majority of Poles are against joining the Eurozone. One of the reasons may be their (mis)understanding of the Slovak experience.
Slovakia: The People Vs. the Census
Tibor Blazko writes about problems with Slovakia's 2011 Population and Housing Census, which took place in Slovakia on May 21, 2011. Issues include people's unwillingness to fill out complex forms and the reportedly high cost of the census.
Slovakia: Second-Class Customers
Even though customers might expect products from the same brand to be of the same quality worldwide, regional differences in quality and price do exist, depending on whether the products were manufactured for Western European markets or for those in Central and Eastern Europe. Tibor Blazko reports on the reactions of Slovak netizens to a recent study on the issue.
Slovakia: The Roma People, “Livin’ On the Edge”
Tibor Blazko writes about the problems that Slovakia's Roma people are facing and translates some of the Slovak netizens' reactions to the news that an international NGO is planning to file a complaint with the European Commission regarding the country's failure to remove all forms of racial discrimination.
Slovakia: Deaflympics 2011 Controversy
Slovakia may fail to hold a successful Deaflympics this month, due to problems with funding and unfinished facilities, which were known to exist as far back as last spring - and still remain today. Tibor Blazko reports on the Slovak netizens' frustration with the situation.
Haiti: Aid From Slovakia Blocked by Customs for Ten Months
A container with the second shipment of humanitarian aid from Slovakia has been blocked by the customs in Haiti for nearly ten months. Tibor Blazko translates some of the Slovak netizens' views on the problem.
Slovakia: Netizens Discuss Chinese Highway Construction Offer
The Slovak minister of transport is reluctant to let the Chinese companies, which offer extremely low prices, enter Slovakia's highway construction market. Tibor Blazko reviews the Slovak netizens' reactions.
Slovakia: No Money for Greece
Slovakia's refusal to take part in the Greek bailout has "outraged" the European Central Bank. Tibor Blazko translates some of what the Slovak netizens think about the issue.
Slovakia: Charging for Online News, Cable TV Style?
Tibor Blazko writes about plans to introduce shared internet payment system for Slovak websites and translates some of the reactions by netizens.
Slovakia: Hungarian School Trips
Tibor Blazko compiles Slovak netizens' reactions to a new Hungarian law that would bring Hungarian schoolchildren to parts of the neighboring countries that in the past belonged to Hungary.
