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Central Europe TodaySlovak general elections
Politicians in the Czech Republic as well as in the rest of post-Communist
Central Europe have welcomed the results of the general elections that
took place in Slovakia on September 20 and 21st, despite the fact that the
nationalist former Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar's Movement for
Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) at the start of the campaign originally looked
like it would have a chance of retaking power. Meciar gained 19.5 percent
of the vote but although he received most votes in the Slovak
parliamentary elections his chances of forming a majority coalition
government are low as he remains isolated. The governing pro-European
parties, on the other hand, view the elections as a victory since their
coalition would have a majority in parliament. Here are the final election
results: the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKU) received 15.09
percent and the Smer party received 13.46 percent. The Hungarian Coalition
Party (SMK) received 11.16 percent, the Christian Democrats (KDH) 8.25
percent, the Alliance of New Citizens (ANO) 8.01 percent and the
Communists (KSS) 6.32 percent. After the election results were final, the
Slovak President Rudolf Schuster said that he would appoint the person who
will give him the majority in parliament as Prime Minister. Whilst it
seems most probable that the current Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda has a
better chance of forming such a government, his four-party coalition would
have 78 seats in the 150 seat parliament, Vladimir Meciar has been given
until Friday to attempt to form a coalition himself - a chance that
political analysts believe to be just a formal gesture, finding it
virtually impossible for Mr Meciar to get the support he needs. In today's
CET, Dita Asiedu speaks with Olga Gyarfasova, sociologist and programme
director at the Institute for Public Affairs in Bratislava, about the
election results and what they mean for Slovakia's relations with its
partners in the Visegrad Group (the Czech Republic, Poland, and Hungary).
Of the more than 4.1 million eligible voters, 70.07 percent took part in
the general elections. So, Dita Asiedu started off by asking Mrs
Gyarfasova whether the Slovak people were surprised by the election
results:
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Current AffairsSlovakia's way to EU and NATO open after general elections
The victory of centre-right parties in the weekend's general election in Slovakia has boosted the country's chances of EU and NATO accession, although ex-Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar's Movement for Democratic Slovakia at the start of the campaign originally looked like it would have a chance of retaking power - Meciar eventually gained 19.5 percent of the vote. But even a majority in votes will not be enough for the isolated politician to form a coalition. Prior to the elections, EU and NATO diplomats had warned that the return by nationalist-oriented Meciar would kill Slovakia's accession bids. But with the current Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda's Slovak Democratic and Christian Union gaining 15 percent of the vote and thanks to the gains of his centre-right coalition partners, Slovakia's way to Europe appears to be open now. Alena Skodova reports.
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Central Europe Today What is the future for regional cooperation in Central Europe?
If you don't know anything about the Visegrad Group and which countries it represents, you can be forgiven. When I asked people in the streets around the radio building here in Prague whether they had heard of Visegrad, almost all gave the same answer: a very firm "No". I asked around fifteen people, and only one, a smartly dressed young man from Slovakia, gave me the precise answer.
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Current AffairsVisegrad summit overshadowed by the floods
On Wednesday the presidents of the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary held a Visegrad summit in the east Bohemia town of Castolovice. Of the Visegrad four, which also includes Slovakia, only the Slovak president Rudolf Schuster was absent, due to illness.
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Current AffairsBritish Czech and Slovak Association Competition
And now some news about a writing competition that listeners here in the Czech Republic or in Britain might be interested in taking part in. But you'll have to be quick, because the deadline is in just ten days. It has been organised by the British Czech and Slovak Association, based in London, which tries to foster understanding between the British and the Czech and Slovak nations. Barbara Day from the Prague Society for International Cooperation told David Vaughan about the competition. More
Current AffairsHistorians on Czech-Slovak divorce
Czechs are preparing to vote in June's general elections. Ten years ago - at about this time - people were also getting ready to vote in general elections -elections which would inevitably lead to the break up of the Czechoslovak federation in 1993. A few days ago the Czech Academy of Sciences organized a round table debate in which historians could consider the matter with hindsight. One of the prominent Czech historians present was Jan Rychlik, who was a senior government advisor at the time of the break up, and I asked him whether the Czech-Slovak divorce had indeed been inevitable.
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Current Affairs Increasing number of young Slovaks moving to Prague
On Sunday evenings trains and buses going from Bratislava to Prague are crammed with young Slovaks. An increasing number of them are working and living in the Czech Republic and heading home only on weekends. What is behind this migration wave and why are so many Slovaks choosing to settle in Prague?
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