Zuzana Gabrizova
Drafting national recovery plans: A laborious exercise for Visegrad countries
The process of drafting national recovery plans under time pressure seems to be a handful for Visegrad countries. Frequent issues include a lack of stakeholder involvement, problems with streamlining different requests and ensuring transparency in the process.
Slovakia struggles to keep pace with rapidly transforming car sector
In at least one global economic ranking, Slovakia consistently occupies first place - car production per capita. The sector accounts for 13% of Slovakia’s GDP, almost 50% of its industrial production, and 46% of the country’s exports, but this reliance is also fraught with risks, particularly in times of growing digitisation and green ambitions.
Fatal Charleroi airport arrest weighs on Belgian authorities
The controversial arrest of a Slovak man at the Charleroi airport in February 2018, which resulted in his death, has come back to haunt the Belgian authorities after fresh video footage recently emerged, prompting Slovakia to voice concern and demand an investigation.
Chief European Prosecutor: We’re ready to start at full speed, safeguard our independence
For the newly established European Public Prosecutor's Office to be a real game-changer, it must have sufficient financial resources and enough full-time European delegated prosecutors to conduct independent investigations in the member states, chief prosecutor Laura Codruța Kövesi said in her first exclusive interview in the new position.
Slovak political map redrawn by unorthodox opposition leader’s victory
The conservative movement Ordinary People (OĽaNO) party won Saturday’s (29 February) parliamentary elections in Slovakia and will be the dominant player in a likely government coalition of opposition parties. Its leader Igor Matovič promises zero tolerance for corruption.
Brexit may create greater support for EU policies in the Council
Without the UK, the EU can expect smoother legislative procedures in most Council configurations and policy areas, especially in justice and home affairs, institutional and budgetary matters as well as foreign policy. The voting weight of Britons will be particularly...
Austria and V4 agree on everything but nuclear
The leaders of the V4 group met on Thursday (16 January) in Prague’s renovated national museum to discuss migration, border security, competitiveness, enlargement and climate. The newly appointed Austrian chancellor Sebastian Kurz, also in attendance, said he wanted to “fight”...
Slovakia still opposes EU accession to Istanbul Convention preventing violence against women
Slovakia will not ratify the Istanbul Convention on preventing and combating violence against women, the country's parliament decided, adding that any decision at EU level needs to be made unanimously. EURACTIV Slovakia reports.
Smart taxation should consider national and consumption realities
States need to be prepared and equipped to tax what cannot be seen, but also to increase the fairness and effectiveness of the collection of tax revenues, a panel of experts has agreed. The Focus Group ‘Smart taxation in a...
Tax policy expert: Closing the tax gap can drive political change
Harmonisation of tax rates across the EU should be conducted cautiously, leaving member states the flexibility of setting rates in order not to jeopardise a healthy competition at the national level, says Grzegorz Poniatowski from the Polish think-tank Centre for Economic and Social Research.
Tatra Summit: EU competitiveness in midst of global ‘crossfire’
Europe’s competitiveness in a world characterised by disruptions has been in the spotlight of the GLOBSEC Tatra Summit. The Green New Deal, sustainable finance and leveraging the EU budget were identified as the keys to help Europe resist the global...
Professor: Marine Le Pen has more red lines than Salvini
Marine Le Pen will be very cautious in doing business with parties who clearly are anti-Semitic and “she probably had even more red lines than [Italy's Matteo] Salvini on this”, Dr Christian Lequesne told EURACTIV Slovakia in an interview.
#EU2019 – Slovakia: Far-right and new parties expected to boost voter turnout
Unlike in the past, surveys in Slovakia suggest that the turnout at the EU election will this time rise to over 20%. However, it’s alarming that some of the increase should be attributed to the mobilisation of extreme right voters.
Sefcovic confirms run at Slovak presidency
European Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič will take an unpaid leave of absence to run in Slovakia’s presidential elections in May, he confirmed in Bratislava on Friday (18 January).
ECR chief: EU27 Brexit unity only on the outside
Some Central and Eastern European leaders are concerned that France and Germany are setting the Brexit agenda and might push for 'no deal', the head of the ECR group in the European Parliament told EURACTIV Slovakia.
Visegrad nations united against mandatory relocation quotas
When it comes to migration and refugees, the Visegrad 4 governments speak with one voice: the EU should abandon any idea of a compulsory mechanism for refugee relocation. EURACTIV's network reports.
Fico blames Soros for provoking instability in Slovakia
A fully-fledged political crisis is evolving in Slovakia after the brutal murder of investigative journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancée.
Slovak state secretary: I am a strong advocate for a communitarian EU
A push towards more intergovernmental decision making in the EU has never been a topic of discussion in the Visegrad format, state secretary for European affairs Ivan Korčok told EURACTIV Slovakia.
Flouting rules boosts German anti-EU cause, warns analyst
If Poland and Hungary are not censured for flouting EU rules, German Euroscepticism is set to rise, weakening public commitment to EU integration, warns foreign policy expert Cornelius Adebahr.
MEP: Western liberals maintain narrative about Hungary as a bad boy
Europe is not taking into account what is really taking place in Hungary -- and there is nothing wrong with the rule of law in the country -- because "the West really needs bad boys" to hold up as a negative example, Hungarian MEP Gyorgy Schopflin told EURACTIV Slovakia.
Study: Cautious Slovaks take EU approach to refugees
Central European member states are reluctant to accept refugees. The Slovak government filed a lawsuit against the relocation scheme, followed by Hungary. The European Court of Justice ruled against Poland and the Czech Republic. EURACTIV Slovakia reports.
Slovakia threatens unilateral action over food quality crisis
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has set an ultimatum for the European Commission to take action over lower quality food products being sold in Eastern member states. EURACTIV.sk reports.
Slovakia works through its authoritarian past
In 1998, Vladimir Mečiar, Slovakia’s authoritarian prime minister, signed amnesties for crimes involving the kidnapping of the son of President Michal Kováč in 1995. On Wednesday (5 April), lawmakers voted to overturn the pardons. EURACTIV Slovakia reports.