|
Right at the heart of Europe and with a history intertwined with that of its neighbours, Slovakia has proudly preserved its own language and distinct cultural traditions. It was part of Czechoslovakia until the "velvet divorce" in January 1993. The subsequent independence years can be divided into several chapters.
Overview
The story in chapter one revolved around frosty relations with the European Union and Nato combined with rejection of economic reform. Chapter two saw a complete change of direction and moves to embrace all three, culminating in EU and Nato membership in 2004. For the first five years after independence, there was growing international criticism of the lack of respect for minority rights and the democratic process shown by the authoritarian prime minister, Vladimir Meciar. He led a string of coalition governments, pursuing nationalist and populist policies until October 1998 when an alliance of liberals, centrists, left-wingers and ethnic Hungarians ousted him, forming a new coalition with Mikulas Dzurinda as prime minister. During Mr Dzurinda's term of office (1998-2006), Slovakia forged ahead with an economic reform programme and saw a boost in foreign investment. His government also tried to improve the lot of minorities. Slovakia's ethnic Hungarian community constitutes about a tenth of the country's population, and the status of this substantial minority has long been a source of tension between Slovakia and Hungary. The premiership of Mr Dzurinda's successor, Robert Fico, has been marred by regular sparring over the treatment of the Hungarian minority. Slovakia also has a significant Romany population which suffers disproportionately high levels of poverty and social deprivation. The post-war Benes decrees, which called for the expulsion of 3 million ethnic Germans and 600,000 ethnic Hungarians from then-Czechoslovakia and the confiscation of their property, remain a sensitive issue in relations with neighbours.
Facts
- Full name: Slovak Republic
- Population: 5.4 million (UN, 2010)
- Capital: Bratislava
- Area: 49,033 sq km (18,932 sq miles)
- Major language: Slovak
- Major religion: Christianity
- Life expectancy: 72 years (men), 79 years (women) (UN)
- Monetary unit: 1 euro = 100 cents
- Main exports: Manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment
- GNI per capita: US $16,130 (World Bank, 2009)
- Internet domain: .sk
- International dialling code: +421
Leaders
President: Ivan Gasparovic Ivan Gasparovic defeated former Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar in the second round of the presidential elections in April 2004 on the eve of EU entry. During his election campaign he supported EU accession but criticised the minority government's EU-oriented economic reforms. In April 2009 Mr Gasparovic became the first president of Slovakia to win re-election, when he defeated his centre-right challenger, Iveta Radicova, in the second round of voting by more than ten percentage points. He received more than 55% of the vote. The president appoints the prime minister. However, parliament exercises legislative power. Prime minister: Iveta Radicova Iveta Radicova became Slovakia's first female prime minister following elections in June 2010. She was appointed to head a four-party centre-right government, replacing a centre-left coalition led by Robert Fico.
Ms Radicova aims to repair Slovakia's battered public finances
|
The former sociologist made restoring the country's public finances, under strain as a result of the 2008 global financial crisis, her government's main priority. She also promised to return Slovakia to the high growth rates it enjoyed in the years before the crisis. Her style is seen as one of listening and persuasion rather than confrontation - a trait said to derive from her experience as a social worker with Slovakia's disadvantaged Roma minority and the handicapped. Along with Ms Radicova's conservative Slovakian Democratic and Christian Union (SDKU) party, her coalition includes the liberal Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party, the mostly ethnic Hungarian Most-Hid and the Christian Democrat Movement (KDH). Together, four parties won a majority in parliament, even though the centre-left Smer party of incumbent PM Fico emerged as the largest grouping. Born in Bratislava in 1956, Ms Radicova graduated in sociology, going on to become a lecturer in the field. She entered politics in 2005 as labour, social affairs and family minister in the centre-right government of Mikulas Dzurinda, Robert Fico's predecessor as PM. Elected to parliament for the SDKU in 2006, Ms Radicova resigned from the role after voting for an absent colleague in parliament. In 2009, she stood for the presidency, losing to Ivan Gasparovic in the second-round run-off. Mr Dzurinda's government oversaw Slovakia's entry into the EU and Nato, but its economic reforms made it unpopular with voters, and it was replaced by Mr Fico's centre-left coalition after elections in 2006. Mr Fico made strengthening social welfare measures his main priority, reversing some of the Dzurinda cabinet's policies.
Media
Private network Markiza has the highest share of the TV audience. Public TV has a relatively small audience. Cable and satellite TV are widely watched, as are channels from the neighbouring Czech Republic and Hungary. All major newspapers are privately-owned; the best-selling daily is the tabloid Novy Cas. Privately-owned Radio Expres and the first channel of public Slovak Radio are prominent players in the radio market. Azet.sk is a leading online portal. The constitution guarantees a free press. However, the Press Act, which obliges newspapers to publish responses from individuals who say their reputation has been harmed by an article, has introduced "the dangerous concept of an automatic right of response", Reporters Without Borders said in 2010. By June 2010 there were 4.1 million internet users (Internetworldstats). The press
Television
Radio
News agency/internet
- TASR - partly state-funded
- Azet - popular portal, operates news site Aktuality
|
~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~52~RS~)
© 2011
One-Minute World News
E-mail this to a friend
Printable version
Timeline: Slovakia
Timeline: Czechoslovakia
Physicist vows to 'eat shorts' over light speed claims
Bookmark with:
What are these?