Slovakia

An international conference Free Market Road Show organized by INESS in cooperation with Austrian Economics Center was held in Bratislava at the Hotel Tatra on March 11, 2016. The Bratislava Free Market Road Show is a part of a unique conference tour which takes place in 45 cities of Europe and Caucasus from March to April every year.

During the past few weeks nothing really new occurred in cryptocurrency’s world. The last two weeks, however, have already brought a change. The discussion related to Mike Hearns’s exit about the future of Bitcoin lead by important developers from the community is contributing to this change.

Over 90% of legislative burden in Slovakia comes from four ministries: the Ministry of Finances, the Ministry of Labor, thr Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Economy. The highest share, about 65% (EUR 1.7 billion) comes from the Ministry of Finances.

Sadly, there are many parties in Slovakia that lack a broader understanding of the topics featured on front pages of the world news. The potential conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran, or the Scottish push for independence are issues which require a clear position, not just a series of empty phrases.

Slovak politicians create rules for entrepreneurship as if for people living on a different planet – and that is the way it has been for many years already. It is the politics of excessive interference in economics, which inherently and often unnecessarily limits enterprise freedoms.

A robot called Baxter truly exists. It takes him one hour to learn simple repetitive movements and then it is able to repeat them with objects which weight no more than 10 kilograms. Baxter costs 22 thousand US dollars. It is less than work costs of one employee with average salary in Slovakia for two years.

We have the pleasure the present you a comparative study that investigates the pensions response of the governments of three CEE countires: Slovakia, Bulgaria and Poland, in an attempt to discuss potential measures, necessary for either financial balancing of the systems or their structural changes. Enjoy your reading!

More than 20 representatives of NGOs, Roma employment organizations, journalists, politicians, embassies’ representatives, among others, attended a seminar organized by INESS on December 15, 2015 devoted to describing the existing barriers on the labor market, which are the result of existing legislation and discuss possibilities of their removal, or change.

Slovakia’s example is emblematic of how a government trying to patch up fiscal loopholes turns to targeting incomes of the most vulnerable, using their limited means to solve societal problems. From the government’s perspective, this is often the easiest way to procure the necessary funding.

Slovakia is experiencing situation common to many European economies. The price of electric energy on the market is falling, so is the overall consumption of electricity. And yet, the final price for consumers, especially in the industrial sector, remains high.