ceres country profile - slovak republic

7/28/2019 CERES Country Profile - Slovak Republic

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Country in a Box:

The Slovak RepublicSlovensk Republika

Slovakias Oravsky Castle

A Teachers GuideCompiled by the Center for Eurasian, Russian and East European StudiesEdmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown Universityhttp://ceres.georgetown.edu

Wo s l 2005
http://www.ceres.georgetown.edu/http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Wojsylhttp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Wojsylhttp://www.ceres.georgetown.edu/


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Slovak Republic in a Box: Table of Contents

Facts at a Glance 3-5

History of Slovakia 6-11

Slovak Culture 12-13

Timeline of Major Events in Modern Slovak History 14

Folklore: Old Bodrk and the Wolf - Traditional Slovak Tale 15-16

Additional Resources 17

Slovensk Bryndza (Sheep Milk Cheese)


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Slovakia: Facts at a Glance_______Text taken directly from Central Intelligence Agency. The World Factbook: Slovak Republic.Available at: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/lo.html

Country Name:The Slovak RepublicCapital:BratislavaBackground: Slovakia's roots can betraced to the 9th century state of GreatMoravia. Subsequently, the Slovaksbecame part of the HungarianKingdom, where they remained for thenext 1,000 years. Following theformation of the dual Austro-Hungarian monarchy in 1867, languageand education policies favoring the use

of Hungarian (Magyarization) resultedin a strengthening of Slovaknationalism and a cultivation of cultural ties with the closely related Czechs, who werethemselves ruled by the Austrians. After the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at theclose of World War I, the Slovaks joined the Czechs to form Czechoslovakia. Following thechaos of World War II, Czechoslovakia became a Communist nation within Soviet-dominatedEastern Europe. Soviet influence collapsed in 1989 and Czechoslovakia once more became free.The Slovaks and the Czechs agreed to separate peacefully on 1 January 1993. Slovakia joinedboth NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004 and the euro area on 1 January 2009.Location: Central Europe, south of PolandArea: Total: 49,035 sq km

Country comparison to the world: 131Land: 48,105 sq kmWater: 930 sq km

Area - Comparative: About twice the size of New HampshireTerrain: Rugged mountains in the central and northern part and lowlands in the southElevation extremes: Lowest point: Bodrok River 94 m

Highest point: Gerlachovsky Stit 2,655 mNatural Resources: Brown coal and lignite; small amounts of iron ore, copper and manganeseore; salt; arable landEnvironment - Current Issues: Air pollution from metallurgical plants presents human healthrisks; acid rain damaging forestsPopulation: 5,443,583 (July 2014 est.)- Country comparison to the world: 117Urbanization: Urban population: 54.7% of total population (2011)Life Expectancy at Birth: Total population: 76.69 years

Country comparison to the world: 75Male: 73.09 yearsFemale: 80.52 years (2014 est.)

Ethnic Groups: Slovak 80.7%, Hungarian 8.5%, Roma 2%, other and unspecified 8.8% (2011est.)


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The first Slovak flag was white-red bi-colorand was waved on 23rd April 1848 inBrezov during a theatre performance. Threeequal horizontal bands of white (top), wereestablished after 1868. The blue, and red

derive from the Pan-Slav colors; theSlovakian coat of arms (consisting of a redshield bordered in white and bearing a whiteCross of Lorraine surmounting three bluehills) is centered over the bands but offsetslightly to the hoist side. note: the Pan-Slavcolors were inspired by the 19th-century flag

of Russia.

Religions: Roman Catholic 62%, Protestant 8.2%, Greek Catholic 3.8%, other or unspecified12.5%, none 13.4% (2011 est.)

Education Expenditures:4.2% of GDP (2010) - Countrycomparison to the world: 103

Government Type: Parliamentary DemocracyIndependence: 1 January 1993 (Czechoslovakia split intothe Czech Republic and Slovakia)Legal System: Civil law system based on Austro-Hungarian codes; note - legal code modified to complywith the obligations of Organization on Security andCooperation in Europe and to expunge Marxist-Leninistlegal system.Executive Branch: Chief of state: President AndrejKISKA (since 15 June 2014)Head of government: Prime Minister Robert FICO (since 4

April 2012); Deputy Prime Ministers Robert KALINAK,Peter KAZIMIR, Miroslav LAJCAK (since 4 April 2012),Lubomir VAZNY (since 26 November 2012)Legislative Branch: Unicameral National Council of theSlovak Republic or Narodna Rada Slovenskej Republiky(150 seats; members elected on the basis of proportionalrepresentation to serve four-year terms)Judicial Branch: Supreme Court (judges are elected bythe National Council); Constitutional Court (judges

appointed by president from group of nominees approved by the National Council); SpecialCourt (judges elected by a council of judges and appointed by president)Political Parties and Leaders: Parties in the Parliament: Christian Democratic Movement orKDH [Jan FIGEL]; Direction-Social Democracy or Smer-SD [Robert FICO]; Freedom andSolidarity or SaS [Richard SULIK]; Most-Hid or Bridge [Bela BUGAR]; Ordinary People andIndependent Personalities or OLaNO [Igor MATOVIC]; Slovak Democratic and ChristianUnion-Democratic Party or SDKU-DS [Pavol FRESO]National Anthem: Name: "Nad Tatrou sa blyska" (Storm Over the Tatras); Lyrics/music: JankoMATUSKA/traditional;Note: adopted 1993, in use since 1844; the anthem's music is based onthe Slovak folk song "Kopala studienku"Economy - Overview: Slovakia has made significant economic reforms since its separation fromthe Czech Republic in 1993. After a period of relative stagnation in the early and mid 1990s,reforms to the taxation, healthcare, pension, and social welfare systems helped Slovakiaconsolidate its budget, get on track to join the EU in 2004, and adopt the euro in January 2009.Major privatizations are nearly complete, the banking sector is almost entirely in foreign hands,and the government has facilitated a foreign investment boom with business friendly policies.Foreign direct investment (FDI), especially in the automotive and electronic sectors, fueled muchof the growth until 2008. Cheap, skilled labor, low taxes, no dividend taxes, a relatively liberallabor code, and a favorable geographical location are Slovakia's main advantages to foreigninvestors. Growth returned, following a contraction in 2009, but has remained sluggish in largepart due to continued weakness in external demand. In 2012 the government of Prime Minister


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Main motifs on the front side of the banknotes represent

important personalities living in the territory of the presentSlovakia in various historical eras. On the back side of thebanknotes these motifs are completed by depicting placeswhere these personalities lived and were active. The authorof artistic design of all Slovak banknotes is Jozef Bubk.Taken from the National Bank of Slovakia:http://www.nbs.sk/en/banknotes-and-coins/slovak-currency/slovak-banknotes

Robert FICO rolled back some of Slovakia's pro-growth reforms to help shore up publicfinances. Corruption and slow disputeresolution remain key factors constrainingeconomic growth.GDP (Purchasing Power Parity): $133.4

billion (2013 est.)- Country comparison to theworld: 66GDP - Real Growth Rate: 0.8% (2013 est.) -Country comparison to the world: 180GDP - Per Capita (PPP): $24,700 (2013 est.)- Country comparison to the world: 61

GDP - Composition by Sector:

agriculture:3.1%, industry:30.8%,services:47% (2013 est.)Labor Force: 2.727 million (2013 est.)-Country comparison to the world: 108

Agriculture - Products: Grains, potatoes,sugar beets, hops, fruit; pigs, cattle, poultryIndustries: Metal and metal products; foodand beverages; electricity, gas, coke, oil,nuclear fuel; chemicals and manmade fibers;machinery; paper and printing; earthenwareand ceramics; transport vehicles; textiles;electrical and optical apparatus; rubberproductsCurrent Account Balance: $3.315 billion (2013 est.) - Country comparison to the world: 33Exports - Commodities: Machinery and electrical equipment 35.9%, vehicles 21%, base metals11.3%, chemicals and minerals 8.1%, plastics 4.9% (2009 est.)Exports - Partners: Germany 19.5%, Czech Republic 13.4%, France 7.6%, Hungary 7.2%,Poland 7.1%, Austria 6%, Italy 6%, UK 4.5% (2009)Imports - Partners: Germany 22.3%, Czech Republic 14.9%, Poland 8.8%, Hungary 7.8%,Austria 7%, France 5.6%, Italy 4.9%, UK 4.1% (2012)Debt - External: $68.44 billion (31 December 2012 est.)Country comparison to the world:55Exchange Rates: Slovak Koruny (SKK) per US dollar -0.7634 (2013 est.)Military Service Age and Obligation: 18-30 years of age for voluntary military service;conscription in peacetime suspended in 2006; women are eligible to serve (2012)Military expenditures: 1.12% of GDP (2012)- Country comparison to the world: 91
http://www.nbs.sk/en/banknotes-and-coins/slovak-currency/slovak-banknoteshttp://www.nbs.sk/en/banknotes-and-coins/slovak-currency/slovak-banknoteshttp://www.nbs.sk/en/banknotes-and-coins/slovak-currency/slovak-banknoteshttp://www.nbs.sk/en/banknotes-and-coins/slovak-currency/slovak-banknotes


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Cyril and Method (picture from:

http://spectator.sme.sk/articles/view/17648/9/)were two Greek

missionary brothers, who arrived in

Great Moravia on the request of

prince Rastislav, in 863. Cyril,

known also under the name of

Konstantin, invented a Slav writing

'hlaholica' and translated evangelic

readings and other books of worship

for the people. Method was a great

painter, and a lot of his paintings

were with biblical motives.

Both of the brothers were teachers of

the gospel, spreading God's word allaround the country. In 869 both of

the brothers were appointed bishops

by the Pope Hadrian II. Shortly after

being made bishop, Cyril died.

Method was appointed archbishop

and returned to Great Moravia,

where he became the head of Slovak

Christianity, until he died in 885.

Text taken from:

(http://www.heartofeurope.co.uk/his

tory_famous6a.htm)

Slovakian History_______

(Text excerpted and summarized from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/149152/Czechoslovak-historyandhttp://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/549008/Slovakia/272077/History)

Origins and Early History: Slovakia was inhabited in the firstcenturies CEby Illyrian, Celtic, and then Germanic tribes. TheSlovaks probably arrived from Silesia in the 6th or 7th century. Fora time they were subject to the Avars, but in the 9th century thearea between the Morava River and the central highlands formedpart of Great Moravia, when the Slovak population acceptedChristianity from Cyril and Methodius. The Moravian state wasdestroyed in the first decade of the 10th century, and, after a periodof disorder in the 11th century, Slovakia fell under the rule ofthe Hungarian crown. When the Turks moved into Budapest in theearly 16th century, Hungarian monarchs took up residence

in Bratislava (known then as Pressburg in German, and Pozsony inHungarian). Slovakia remained under Austro-Hungarian rule until1918, when it became part of the independent state ofCzechoslovakia.

The Establishment of the Republic: World War I deepened theantagonism between the Germans and the Czechs within the CzechLands and led Czechoslovak leaders, including Tom Masaryk,Edvard Beneand Milan tefnik to push for the establishment ofa Czechoslovak state. France, followed by the other Allied states,recognized the Czechoslovak National Council as the supremebody controlling Czechoslovak national interests and agreed tosupport Czechoslovak interests in the postwar peace conference.Despite efforts by Charles I to avert the collapse of the HapsburgEmpire, he had no choice but to accept the terms of the peacetreaty.The new country of Czechoslovakia was proclaimed on Oct. 28,1918 and TomMasaryk was chosen as president on November14. The state soon set about establishing its borders at the ParisPeace Conference, where the historical frontiers separatingBohemia and Moravia from Germany and Austria were approved,with minor rectifications, in favour of the new republic. Severaldisputes soon surfaced, as there was no recognized linguistic

frontier between the Hungarian and Slovak populations in thesouth, and the new frontier had to be redrawn by the force of arms. With Allied help, the Czechmilitary asserted itself in Slovakia as well as in the new province of Subcarpathian Ruthenia.

The Breakup of the Republic:As part of efforts to appease Hitler and avoid the outbreak ofwar, Prague was forced by Paris and London to accept the British plan of ceding the frontierregions that had a German-speaking majoritythe Sudetenlandto Hitler. The Praguegovernment was forced to relinquish to Germany all frontier districts with populations that were
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50 percent or more German by October 10. Bene resigned the presidency on October 5 andwent into his second political exile.

The annexation of the Sudetenland was not Czechoslovakias only territorial loss. Shortlyafter the Munich verdict, Poland sent troops to annex the Teschen region. By the ViennaAward (Nov. 2, 1938), Hungary was granted one-quarter of Slovak and Ruthenian territories. As

the country lost its German, Polish, and Hungarian minorities, the Czechs reluctantly agreed tochange the centralistic constitution into a federalist one.The Slovak Populists, headed by Jozef Tiso, proclaimed full autonomy in Zilina on

October 6, 1938. After confidential negotiations between Hitler and Tiso in Vienna, Bohemiaand Moravia were occupied and proclaimed a protectorate of the German Third Reich, whileSlovakia became a nominally independent state under Tiso as president. Although under Germancontrol and forced to participate in the German attack on the Soviet Union with a token militaryforce, Slovakia was able to retain a certain degree of independence in internal matters. This fact,however, did not stop the authorities from sending Slovakias Jewish citizens to Naziextermination camps; between 1942 and 1944, approximately 70,000 of Slovakias roughly87,000 Jews were deported.

In July 1940 the British government under Winston Churchill granted BeneCzechoslovak National Committee the status of a provisional government in exile. In July 1941the Soviet Union and Britainjointly granted the Bene government in exile full recognition; U.S.recognition arrived only in October 1942. In December 1943 Bene visited Moscow and signed a20-year treaty of alliance, in which the Soviets recognized Czechoslovakias pre-Munichagreement borders. This treaty, as well as agreements made with Czechoslovak communistsexiled in Moscow, determined Benes policies toward the Czech protectorate and Slovakia.

In Slovakia in August 1944 a popular uprising, planned by officers of the Slovak army,broke out following clashes between German troops and Slovak partisans under Sovietcommanders. The Nazis crushed the uprising at the end of October, before Soviet troops wereable to cross the Carpathians. Nevertheless, the advance of the Red Army through Slovakiaseveral months before the Western Allies were able to advance closer to the Czech borderbecame of decisive importance. In March 1945 Bene and his government in exile journeyedfrom London to Moscow to make a final accord with Soviet premier Joseph Stalin and KlementGottwald, the leader of the Czechoslovak communists exiled in Moscow. A program of postwarreconstruction was worked out under decisive communist influence and a new provisionalgovernment was set up at Koicein Slovakia on April 3. The new Koicegovernment exercisedjurisdiction in the eastern portion of Czechoslovakia while fighting continued in Moravia andBohemia until early May 1945. On May 5 an uprising against the German troops concentrated incentral Bohemia started in Prague. Finally, on May 9, Soviet troops under Marshal IvanKonev entered the Czech capital, liberating it from German occupation.

The Provisional Regime:It was thus with Soviet assistance that President Bene and hisgovernment returned to Prague on May 16, 1945, after nearly seven years of exile. On May 26,1946, the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia won a great victory in the general election,polling 2,695,293 votes38.7 percent of the total. Although the political parties formed acoalition called the National Front, collaboration between the communists and noncommunistswas difficult from the beginning. The tension between the two factions developed into a crisisover the question of who was to control the police. In protest, most of the noncommunistministers resigned on Feb. 20, 1948; they hoped the government paralysis would force Gottwald


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and the communist ministers to resign as well. Instead, the communists seized the ministries heldby the resigning ministers as well as the headquarters of the parties now in opposition.

On February 25, President Beneyielded to pressure and allowed the formation of a newgovernment, in which the communists and left-wing Social Democrats held the key posts. Mostof the noncommunist political leaders fled the country; they were joined by many ordinary

people who headed to the West to avoid living under communism. As a sign of their triumphantstrength, the communists retained Masaryk as foreign minister, but on March 10 his body wasfound beneath a window of the foreign ministry. Overnight the Communist Party had become theonly organized body left to run the country.

Stalinism in Czechoslovakia:After February 1948 Czechoslovakia belonged to the CommunistParty apparatus. The economy was subject to further nationalization, and all agricultural landbecame state or collective farms. When a new constitution declaring the country to be apeoples republic (i.e., a communist state) was promulgated on May 9,Benefinally displayedsigns of resistance; he refused to undersign the constitution and resigned as president. Under anew electoral law and with a single list of candidates, a general election was held on May 30, andthe new National Assembly elected Gottwald president. Antonn Zpotock succeeded him as

premier. With the communists firmly in power, the will of Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin wassoon imposed on Czechoslovakia. The communists began purging the armed forces of officerssuspected of being pro-Western and targeted religious leaders as well as noncommunistpoliticians for imprisonment and execution.

In March 1953, a few days after Stalins funeral,Gottwald unexpectedly died.Zpotock was elected president, while Vilim irok, a Slovak, became premier; the powerfulpost of the partys first secretary went toAntonn Novotn, who had played a very active role inconducting the purges. That May a monetary reform, which effectively deprived the farmers andbetter-paid workers of all their savings, led to sporadic riots against the communist authorities.The riots gave Novotn, backed by Moscow, an excuse to check any attempt by Zpotock andirok to ease government repression. In 1957, when Zpotock died, Novotn combined theparty secretaryship with the presidency. His factionmostly mediocre apparatchiksbecamesupreme and remained so until 1968. Novotn kept Stalinism alive. Show trials continued until1955, after which administrative sanctions began to be employed.

By the early 1960s Novotn faced acute economic problems. In September 1964 thegovernment was forced to accept a new set of economic principles put forward by a group ofreformers who had advanced through the party ranks. Pressure from Slovak leadership as well asunrest in the public and cultural spheres, particularly among students and writers, underminedNovotny and ultimately led to his downfall. In January 1968 Novotn himself recommended ashis successor his Slovak opponent Alexander Dubek, who was elected unanimously after theCentral Committee failed to agree on the other candidates.

The Prague Spring of 1968:As the new first secretary of the Communist Party ofCzechoslovakia, Dubek was propelled into the role of chief reformer. The crown achievementof the new reformist government was the Action Program, adopted by the partys CentralCommittee in April 1968. Among its most important points were the promotion of Slovakia tofull parity within a new Czechoslovak federation, long overdue industrial and agriculturalreforms, a revised constitution that would guarantee civil rights and liberties, and completerehabilitation of all citizens whose rights had been infringed in the past.


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The effect of the liberalization movementwhich became known as the Prague Springon the Czechoslovak public was unprecedented and quite unexpected. On the evening of Aug.20, 1968, Soviet-led armed forces invaded the country. The Soviet authorities seized several

leaders and secretly took them to Moscow. Meanwhile, thepopulation spontaneously reacted against the invasion through

acts of passive resistance and improvisation. But by August 27the Czechoslovaks had been compelled to yield to the Sovietsdemands in an agreement known as the Moscow Protocol.Soviet troops were going to stay in Czechoslovakia for the timebeing, and the leaders had agreed to tighter controls overpolitical and cultural activities.

The continued presence of Soviet troops helped thecommunist hard-liners, who were joined by Slovak CommunistGustav Husk, to defeat Dubek and the reformers.Czechoslovakia was proclaimed a federal republic, with twoautonomous units: the Czech Socialist Republic and the Slovak

Socialist Republic, each with national parliaments andgovernments. On April 17, 1969, Husk replaced Dubek asfirst secretary. The victorious Husk declared the Dubekexperiment to be finished and promptly initiated a process ofnormalization.Normalization and Political Dissidence:As firstsecretary, Husk tried to persuade Soviet leaders thatCzechoslovakia was a loyal member of the Warsaw Pact. Hehad the constitution amended to embody the newly proclaimedBrezhnev Doctrine, which asserted the right of the Soviet Unionto intervene militarily if it perceived socialism anywhere to beunder threat. Having purged the reformists during 196971,Husk concentrated almost exclusively on the economy.However, he blocked the industrial and agricultural reformsfrom the Action Program and so failed to cure the countryslong-term economic problems. By the early 1980sCzechoslovakia was experiencing a serious economic downturn,caused by a decline in markets for its products, burdensometerms of trade with several of its supplier countries, and asurplus of outdated machinery and technology.

Although Husk had avoided the bloodletting of his predecessors, his party purges haddamaged Czechoslovak cultural and scientific life, since positions in these two areas dependedon membership in the party. Though these trials could not be compared to the Stalinist showtrials, they kept discontent among the intellectuals simmering, even if the mass of the populationwas indifferent. Intellectual discontent gathered strength in January 1977, when a group ofintellectuals signed a petition, known as Charter 77, in which they urged the government toobserve human rights as outlined in the Helsinki Accords of 1975. Many intellectuals andactivists who signed the petition subsequently were arrested and detained, but their effortscontinued throughout the following decade.

Alexander Dubcek was born inUhrovec, Western Slovakia. Dubcek

first came to the attention of people inthe West when he created his ownbrand of a limited democracy, called'Socialism with a human face', whenleader of Communist Czechoslovakiain 1968. Moscows reaction was oneof force, sending in tanks from theSoviet Union, as well as fromHungary, to restore 'order' back to thehard-line communists.Following the Prague Spring, Dubcekwas ousted and was sent into internalexile, as a forestry commissioner.However, almost 20 years later, after

the Velvet Revolution, in 1989, hereturned once more into the publiceye, becoming the Chairman of theFederal Assembly. Tragically, Dubcekdied in a car crash in 1992, aged 70.(Text taken from:http://www.heartofeurope.co.uk/history_famous4.htm)


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Velvet Revolution and Velvet Divorce:In 1989 a wave of protests against communist ruleerupted in eastern Europe. On November 16, students in Bratislava gathered for a peacefuldemonstration; the next day a student march, approved by the authorities, took place in Prague.When the students began criticizing the regime, the police reacted with brutality. This incidentset off a nationwide protest movementdubbed the Velvet Revolutionthat gained particular

strength in the countrys industrial centres. Daily mass gatherings culminated in a general strikeon November 27, during which the people demanded free elections and an end to one-party rule.The communist authorities were forced to negotiate with the opposition, and, as a result, atransition government incorporating members of the Civic Forum and Public Against Violencewas formed. Husk resigned in December 1989, and Vaclav Havel was chosen to succeed him asCzechoslovakias first noncommunist president in more than 40 years. The former partyleader Alexander Dubekreturned to political life as the new speaker of the Federal Assembly.

The last Soviet troops were withdrawn from Czechoslovakia in June 1991, and theWarsaw Pact was disbanded the following month, thus completing Czechoslovakias separationfrom the Soviet bloc. However, the drafting of a new constitution was hindered by differencesbetween political parties, Czech-Slovak tensions, and power struggles.

The Czechoslovak federation began to appear increasingly fragile in 199192, andseparatism became a momentous issue. After Havels resignation on July 20, 1992, no suitablecandidate for the federal presidency emerged; Czechoslovakia now lacked a symbol of unity aswell as a convincing advocate. The assumption was made in political circles that theCzechoslovak state would have to be divided, despite little evidence of public enthusiasm for thesplit. The two republics proceeded with separation negotiations in an atmosphere of peace andcooperation. By late November, members of the National Assembly had voted Czechoslovakiaout of existence. Both republics promulgated new constitutions, and at midnight on Dec. 31,1992, after 74 years of joint existence disrupted only by World War II, Czechoslovakia wasformally dissolved.

The Slovak Republic came into being on January 1, 1993, with the completion of the so-called Velvet Divorce. Although a renewed sense of national pride welled up in Slovakia, so,too, did a feeling of apprehension about the republics future. Slovakia generally had beenperceived as the junior partner in the federation, but that arrangement also had provided therepublic with a degree of political security and economic stability that became less certain withindependence. Long-standing political differences and tensions with neighbouring countries thathad been suppressed during the period of Soviet hegemony reemerged; notable among thesewere Hungarys concerns about the future of the large Hungarian minority in southern Slovakia.In addition, economic forecasts for Slovakia generally were less optimistic than those forthe Czech Republic. Slovakia inherited an economy dependent on large-scale but obsolete heavyindustry, and the country faced rising unemployment and poor prospects for foreign investment.Furthermore, since Czechs had long dominated the federal leadership of Czechoslovakia, theSlovak regional leaders lacked experience at the national level.

In June 1997 a European UnionSlovakia parliamentary committee made it clear that, inorder for Slovakia to qualify for EU membership, the government would have to makeadjustments in its policy toward the opposition and its treatment of minorities. President MichalKov and Prime Minister Vladimir Meiar agreed to the stipulations in October. Slovakiaeventually joined the EU in 2004, the same year it joined NATO. In 2009, Slovakia became thesecond former communist bloc country (after Slovenia) to adopt the euro. A significant issueleading up to the June 2010 parliamentary elections was the question of Slovakias role in the


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bailout of debt-laden euro zone countries. The four-party centre-right coalition government thatemerged from those elections was headed by Iveta Radiov of the Slovak Democratic andChristian Union (SDKU), who became the first woman to serve as Slovakias prime minister. InAugust 2010 the Slovak parliament refused to pay the 816 million ($1.1 billion) that constitutedthe countrys share of the bailout fund for Greece organized by the EU and the International

Monetary Fund. Slovak politicians argued that their country was one of the poorest in the eurozone and should not be expected to finance the mismanagement of its richer neighbours. Thissentiment came to the fore in October 2011, when a no-confidence vote over the expansion ofthe European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF), the euro zones primary bailout mechanism,toppled the Radiov government. After the governments collapse, Radiov opened talks withSmer, and Fico pledged his support for the EFSF in exchange for early elections.

When Slovaks headed to the polls in March 2012, they resoundingly rejected theRadiov coalition. Smer, with Fico at its head, collected 83 of 150 seats, becoming the fi rstsingle party to win a clear majority in the Slovak parliament since the fall of communism.Allegations of corruption against centre-right politicians, as well as frustration with austeritymeasures, soured voters on the SDKU, and the party barely obtained the number of votes

necessary for representation in the parliament. Fico pledged that his government would adhere tothe deficit-control regulations of the EUs new fiscal compact by raising the tax rates of wealthyindividuals and corporations. Although Fico was forced to shelve a plan that would havenationalized two private insurance companies to create a single government-run health careprovider, he remained a broadly popular if polarizing figure. Political and economic stabilitybuoyed Ficos approval ratings, but voters resoundingly rejected his bid to become president inMarch 2014. A win would have given Smer control of parliament, the judiciary, and thepresidency; instead, voters chose entrepreneur and first-time politician Andrej Kiska to fill thelargely ceremonial role.


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Bryndzove Halushky

Gulash Soup

Slovak Culture

Text and Pictures Taken Directly from: http://www.slovakiasite.com/slovak-cuisine.php

Slovak Cuisine

Slovak cuisine was greatly influenced by the food of two neighboring countries -Hungary and Austria and to add to the spice of life, the dishes vary from one region to the next.

The Slovak dishes use items such as pork, poultry, cabbage, wheat and potato flour,cheese from cows and sheep, potatoes, onions and garlic. Although rice does not grow inSlovakia, it is widely-used and incorporated in Slovakian homes and restaurants. Beans, corn onthe cob, lentils, parsley, carrots and other vegetables are often used to create soup dishes andother dishes in all Slovakia. Fruit like apples, plums, apricots, peaches, plums and cherries areoffered as a side dish alongside the main meal in Slovakia.

Pork, beef and chicken are the three most popular meats used in Slovakian food. Meatfrom wild animals such as rabbit and venison are widely used in Slovak restaurants and alsoappear now and again in private Slovakian households. Lamb, duck or goose are not quite so

popular in Slovaka cuisine but Goose Feasts (husacie hody) are held in some restaurants inSlovakia. Slovensky Grob is one the most famous restaurants offering Goose Feasts. Bread iswell-known in Slovakia. Black bread (rye bread) is a direct influence from Austria and manySlovaks eat bread for breakfast or for lunch with soup and very frequently for their evening meal.

Traditional Slovakian Food:

Bryndzove Halushky - potato dumplings with sheep cheese(bryndza) and roasted baconZemiakov Placky - potato pancakes fried in oil with garlic andflourRyzovy Nkyp - sweet baked rise cake

Zemlovka - white bread baked with fruit and eggsParene Buchty - steamed dumplings filled with jam with sweettopingSisky - fried dumplings

Slovakian soup dishes:

Kapustnica - soup made of sour cabbage and smoked porksausage, variations can be by adding mushrooms or plumsBean soup - beans and various root vegetables such as carrots andparsleyGarlic soup - usually cooked in chicken brothGoulash soup - using beef, paprika, marjoram and potatoes


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The Fujara is a sheperdsfipple flute whichoriginated in the Detvaregion. (Photo:http://www.flickr.com/photos/nikkojazz/favorites/page10/?view=md)

Slovak Arts

The first person to standardise the literary Slovak language was Anton Bernolak (1762-1813), aSlovak priest and linguist. Jozef Ignac Bajza (1755-1836) wrote the first Slovakian novel "TheAdventures and Experiences of the Young Man Rene, 1783-5". Jan Holly (1785-1849) is known

as the father of Slovakian poetry and Pavol Orszagh-Hviezdoslav (1849-1921) is consideredSlovakia's greatest poet.

The Slovak National Theatre was built in Bratislavia in 1920. The firstSlovak actors joined the Theatre in 1921. Opera and ballet are performedat the SNT.

Despite the modern style of life Slovakia's folklore traditions have beenpreserved. Thanks to the creativity of numerous devotees of Slovakia'scolorful and dynamic folklore, traditions and heritage are kept alive.Every year, especially during the summer months, dozens of folk

festivals take place in open-air theatres. There the performing folkensembles present the songs, dances and customs as well as musicalinstruments, and folk costumes typical for individual regions ofSlovakia.

Dance

Cepovy: This is a folk dance full of energy and quite typical forthe Low Orava Region. The dance represents the old traditional way ofthreshing cereals with flails.

The Saris: The Saris is an energetic dance performed by a couple,

which is typical for the Saris region, in Eastern Slovakia. The routines includes the followingdance elements: the Karicka, Bottle Dance, and Sarispolka.

Sport

Soccer is a popular team game in the Slovak Republic. Ice hockey is also a favorite sport and anumber of Slovak players are members of US teams.

Holidays

1 January - New Year's Day and the Establishment of the Slovak Republic, 6 January - Epiphany(Three Magi, Orthodox Christmas), Good Friday, Easter Monday, 1 May - May Day, 8 May -Victory Day (the end of the Second World War), 5 July - The Holiday of St. Cyril and St.

Methodius, 29 August - The anniversary of the Slovak National Uprising, 1 September - TheDay of the Constitution of the Slovak Republic, 15 September - Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows,1 November - All Saints' Day, 24 December - Christmas Eve, 25 December - Christmas Day, 26December - Boxing Day.


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Timeline of Major Events in Modern Slovak HistoryText taken directly from BBC News. Timeline: Slovakia. Available at:http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-17848213

1993 January- Independence after Czechoslovakia splits. Parliament elects Michal Kovac of

the Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (MDS) president. Vladimir Meciar, also of the MDS,

is prime minister in coalition government.

1995 March- Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation with Hungary signed, guaranteeing the

existing border and ethnic minority rights.

1995 November- New law restricting official use of any language other than Slovak gives rise

to international condemnation.

1998 March- Constitutional stalemate as President Kovac ends term and parliament fails to

agree on a successor.

1999 January- Parliament ends nearly a year of constitutional crisis by passing a new law

allowing for president to be directly elected by the people.

1999 May- Pro-Western candidate Rudolf Schuster wins country's first direct presidential

elections.

2002 December- EU summit in Copenhagen formally invites Slovakia to join in 2004.

2003 May- Slovaks vote in referendum in favor of EU membership. Turnout is just over the

required 50 per cent.

2004 March- Slovakia admitted to Nato.

2004 May- Slovakia is one of 10 new states to join the EU.

2005 May- Parliament ratifies EU constitution.

2006 October- Robert Fico announces withdrawal of troops in Iraq by the end of 2007.

2008 July- EU gives formal approval for Slovakia to adopt the euro in January 2009.

2009 January- Slovakia adopts the euro.

2011 October - Ruling coalition collapses when one of the four governing parties refuses to

back Slovak ratification of an expanded eurozone bailout fund. Two days later, parliamentratifies the eurozone bailout plan after the government agrees to hold an early general election in

March 2012.

2014 October - Slovakia reports reduced Russian gas deliveries amid Russia/EU tensions over

Ukraine. PM Robert Fico says the move is part of a political fight.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-17848213http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-17848213http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-17848213http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-17848213http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-17848213http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-17848213


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Folklore: Old Bodrk and the Wolf - A Traditional Slovak Tale_______Text taken directly from: http://www.wolvesandhumans.org/articles/old_bodrik_wolf.html

A shepherd (baa) had a white dog called Bodrk that had been guarding the shepherd's sheep

for many years, both day and night, so that no wolf could approach the sheepfold. But what wasto be done when old Bodrik's leg became lame and the dog had noteeth? "An old dog is good only for the rubbish heap!" said the baa."Why keep an old dog if it is good for nothing?"

So a new young dog was brought and fed, and put outside in thesheepfold. Old Bodrk was lying at the rubbish heap, hungry and sadabout what had happened to him. Darkness fell on the country. Theyoung dog crawled into its doghouse and stretched out on his bed.

Old Bodrk had always slept vigilantly, and did so now. He sensed a

wolf. Bodrk wanted to jump over the fence, but his legs could notmove because he was very hungry. He lay down sadly again andthought to himself, "While I have nothing to eat, a wolf can havesomething for its teeth!" And he did not even bark.

In the morning, the baa went to milk the sheep and he noticed that a sheep was missing. At thevery moment, an idea arose in his head, "Oh, if old Bodrk had guarded the flock, the wolf wouldnot have taken the sheep away!"

The baa called old Bodrk back and fed him well. Old Bodrk clung to the baa's legs andsprang for joy. In the evening, Bodrk did not lie at the rubbish heap anymore. He circled around

the sheepfold because he knew that where the wolf had once found a delicacy for his teeth, therehe would return. The wolf returned, as if everything had been prepared for him.

Bodrk stood up against the wolf and said, "What do you want here?" "What do I want? I want asheep!" the wolf answered. "Go away, you, scoundrel! I won't let you steal any sheep!" Bodrksnarled at the wolf. "Just give me a sheep. We will share it. Your farmer has not fed you well."

"Making a deal with a wolf - sheep and bulls will be taken away!" answered old Bodrk. "Iwasn't fed by my baa yesterday and I was hungry and weak. It was easy for you to steal a sheep,but today, I was fed well. I am strong again and I won't let you steal a sheep." "If you won't letme steal a sheep, prepare for a fight." the wolf said angrily. "Oh, if you want, prepare for a fight!

After I finish my guard around the sheepfold, I will come in the morning and fight with you inthe forest. Do you understand me?"

Hearing that, the wolf snarled and ran to the forest to find some help. He really wanted to venthis wrath on old Bodrk. He asked a bear and a fox to help him.

The dog knew the wolf's habits very well and he did not go to the forest alone. He invited apregnant sow and an old tomcat to accompany him. Bodrk limped on one leg. His companions


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were not young, however, they were faithful and experienced friends. When the bear and the foxsaw the approaching trio, they became very frightened. "Look, brethren," the bear exclaimed,"look at the first one. He is stooping all the time. He may be collecting stones to kill us!"

Bodrk limped, and the bear thought that when he stooped, he was also collecting stones. "Look

at the second one," screamed the fox, "he is brandishing a sword around his hips!" Since thetomcat moved with his tail up, indeed, the fox thought that he was brandishing a sword! Andwhen they heard the sow grumble, they recognized by her voice that it was a pregnant pig. Theyknew very well that such a swine knew no jokes. That is why they took her threat very seriouslyand did not want to joke either. The bear climbed up a tree, and the fox jumped into somethornbush.

When our friends came to the forest, the tomcat snarled joyfully, "Vrni-vrni-vrni"(buzz-buzz-buzz)." The fox understood, "V trni, v trni, v trni" (in the thornbush). The fox thought that thetomcat wanted to attack so he did not wait, jumped out of the thornbush, and ran away!

The swine began to grumble under the tree where the bear was hiding. "Hr-hr-hr." The bearunderstood, "Hor-hor" (up-up). The bear thought that the swine knew that he was up in the treeand that she wanted to uproot the tree where he was hiding. And the swine dug with her snout.The bear did not wait, jumped down, and ran away - beyond the mountains and valleys. The wolfstood alone, but was glad, at last, to be able to escape without being hurt.

Old Bodrk barked so strongly that it echoed throughout the whole forest. He was glad that hisfriends had helped him and that they had driven those wild beasts away. After that, Old Bodrklived well in the sheepfold for the rest of his life.


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Select Bibliography of Sources on Slovakia

Csergo, Zsuzsa. Talk of the Nation : Language and Conflict in Romania and Slovakia. Ithaca :Cornell University Press, 2007

Cravens, Craig Stephen. Culture and Customs of the Czech Republic and Slovakia Westport,Conn., Greenwood Press, 2006

Dobsinsky, Pavol and David Cooper. Traditional Slovak Folktales M.E. Sharpe Inc., 2001

Drobna, Olga; Eduard Drobny and Magdalena Gocnikova. Slovakia: The Heart of Europe.Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers, 1996 (for young adults)

Teich; Mikul, Duan Kov, and Martin D. Brown (editors). Slovakia in History CambridgeUniversity Press, 2011

Henderson, Karen. Slovakia : The Escape from Invisibility London ; New York : Routledge,2002

Hacker, Paul. Slovakia on the Road to Independence : an American Diplomat's EyewitnessAccount University Park, Pa. : Pennsylvania State University Press, 2010

Judge, Sean M. Slovakia 1944: The Forgotten Uprising Air University Press, 2008

Kirschbaum, Stanislav. A History of Slovakia : The Struggle for Survival New York, N.Y.Palgrave Macmillan, 2005

Maxwell, Alexander. Slavic Hungary, the Czechoslovak language and accidental nationalism /Alexander Maxwell London : Tauris Academic Studies, 2009

Miku, Joseph A. Slovakia and the Slovaks Washington : Three Continents Press, 1977

Toma, Peter A. Slovakia : From Samo to Dzurinda Stanford, CA : Hoover Institution Press, 2001

ceres country profile - slovak republic

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