Slovakia's post-Communist porn industry
3.6.2005 - Petr Bokuvka

The fall of communism sixteen years ago meant also the end of censorship. Before 1989, censorship was not just of thoughts and opinions critical of the communist regime. There was also censorship of western cultures and their products, including pornography. Radio Slovakia International explored the pornography industry in post-communist Slovakia:

Before 1989 pornographic materials were smuggled into the country from abroad. Now it is widely available and perfectly legal, not to mention that everything is on the internet. But Slovaks don't seem to be showing their interest publicly. As confirmed by Silvio Veselsky, who is a film producer:

"This industry is not doing as well as in neighboring countries. I think it is because Slovaks are more uptight and shy. I would even say that they are more uptight than they were five or even ten years ago. Young people aged 18 to 20 or 25 are a big group; young men who show up repeatedly to check out new things. Then there is a category aged 30 to 50. And then there are, for which I am very happy, many couples aged 40 to 50. So if I were to consider the percentage of women, I would say that 30 to 40 percent."

The same concern about Slovaks is voiced by people who are "in the middle of the action"; such as porn actress Julie Silver.

"I think that many Slovaks don't want to admit that they like it and that they have something in common with it, even though they would like to admit it, they are humble."

Her Czech colleague Robert Rosenberg compares Slovaks with Czechs:

"I don't know exactly how people feel but in the Czech Republic more people like to see things and be friendly with the stars. Here, the people don't really know who a porn star is or who is active in the business."

In Slovakia there is one big category of potential customers that is still hard to get. Silvio Veselsky specifies it:

"It is not a matter of money anymore. I am talking about successful businesswomen who work in banks or let's say insurance companies. They work hard and they earn pretty good money. In other countries these women realize that they can afford to spend some money on things that would improve their sex life. But here these ladies are afraid that somebody they know would see them."

Sure enough, being seen is the biggest concern of Slovaks. Sex shops in big Slovak cities, like in Bratislava, are not pushed off into some red light districts. They are located on busy streets and intersections, or just a few steps away from supermarkets.

"In Slovakia it is starting to be a bit better and people are beginning to be more open. But, you know, not many people want to show it is there because here it's like a small village."

...says porn star Robert Rosenberg. As for anonymity, internet sales of these products in Slovakia can barely cover the costs related to the website maintenance which is something that people who are in this business really didn't expect. Despite the argument that you can only be seen buying sex toys by a person who probably wants one too, Slovakia is too conservative for any change. Ironically, as of January 1, 2006 the age of consent will be 14 instead of 15.

Phantom Polish plumber poor excuse for "No" to Constitution
3.6.2005 - Rob Cameron

The European Constitution lies in tatters this week after being comprehensively ripped to shreds by voters in France and the Netherlands. The Constitution is fundamentally about adapting the EU to a Union of 25 countries - and for many sceptics, the referendums were an opportunity to express their fears about the recent enlargement. But were they justified in doing so?

There are a multitude of reasons why French and Dutch voters rejected the Constitution this week, but in France, "No" campaigners raised the spectre of the "Polish plumber" - the influx of cheap labour from the new members of Central and Eastern Europe. However many observers say the move was a highly cynical one. Sebestyen Gorka is a Budapest based political scientist.

"There are people who go from Central Europe to the West to work, but in the vast majority of cases, these people go back to the country from whence they came. They earn money and they take it back physically. Few of them actually up sticks and stay in Western Europe. This is not the mentality, this is not the tradition of Central Europe. On the flip side there is the far more burning issue for Western countries that given the demographics, given the low birth rate, the increase in pension age, that the Western nations, especially France, but also Germany and the UK, need to allow immigrant labour in, especially labour that pays taxes. Because otherwise, their welfare states are on a suicide dive to insolvency."

And go out on the streets of Prague, and you'll find dismay and bafflement at the "Polish plumber" argument put forward by the "No" camp.

"It's not true. French and Germans needn't be afraid of this invasion of labour, because especially Czech people are very attached to their country. I don't believe them that many of them would leave the country to work in Germany or in France."

Others told me the Constitution was written in such an obscure way that neither the French nor the Dutch had any real idea what they voting for.

"I think they don't know too much about the Constitution. Because some people speak about the problem of the Polish manufacturers, but the Constitution gives no new rights to these manufacturers - there's no shift, no change under the new Constitution. This is proof that they hadn't read it, and I understand it because it has - in my edition - 250 pages."

So what lessons can be drawn in Brussels from this highly traumatic week? Well, the answer of this woman doing her shopping in the centre of Prague could hold the key.

"I know that in Europe people don't like to hear about America, but I think they have a perfect document. Everyone can understand it. If I can understand it, I can say Yes. But I don't understand it. It's too difficult, so I think the mistake is there. Make a new programme, a new document, and speak about it a lot, and make it not so difficult."

Ljubljana hosts NATO parliamentary assembly meeting
3.6.2005 - Michael Manske

Slovenia has been a NATO member for a year now. During this time, the country has taken on some serious tasks with peace missions to a number of tense areas including Afghanistan and Kosovo. Its role was acknowledged by the NATO parliamentary assembly meeting in Ljubljana this week.

Slovenia was a bit of a latecomer to the NATO alliance, missing the alliance's first wave of expansion into Eastern Europe in 1999, when it took on the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland. But the government was keen on joining NATO, and after the public backed membership in a referendum, Slovenia successfully joined in 2004. The following busy year was topped off this week by a NATO parliamentary assembly in the Slovenian capital, Ljubljana.

Among the topics discussed: the expansion of the alliance into the western Balkans, of which Slovenia has long been considered a stepping stone. Slovenia's Prime Minister Janez Jansa explained some of the topics discussed at the assembly:

"The topics were bilateral cooperation and NATO expansion. Slovenia is interested in NATO expansion into the West Balkans. We think that this expansion could contribute to a greater stability and a more stable peace in our region. Especially in West Balkans, NATO has had a key role in ensuring stability. We are aware that especially in Kosovo, NATO will have to control stability for some time, including Slovenia's cooperation that is becoming more prominent in this region. With all other factors, lasting solutions must be found to stabilize the situation in Kosovo."

Also in attendance was NATO's secretary general, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, who also stressed the pressing problem of Kosovo and its importance to NATO:

"Kosovo is entering, I think, a very crucial period with the standard evaluation - later perhaps possible status talks. NATO has an important responsibility there, as 18.000 of our troops are in KFOR securing stability in Kosovo, which is so essential for any political process taking place there."

The secretary general also thanked Slovenia for its contributions to trouble spots like Kosovo and Afghanistan, citing it as proof that small countries also have a role to play in the alliance.

He also encouraged members to remain committed to the alliance, whose purpose has increasingly been questioned since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The secretary general stressed that NATO's workload will actually increase in the future:

"I will encourage all allies, including Slovenia, to do as much as they can to participate in NATO's operations and ambitions, because I think the demands on NATO will not diminish. They will grow. This does not mean NATO is the world policeman but it does mean that calls on NATO to project stability will grow stronger instead of weaker."

It remains to be seen how Slovenia and the countries of the former Yugoslavia will handle these future challenges.

Hungary joins forces with Slovenia, Italy and Croatia to protect its tourists
3.6.2005 - Sandor Laczko

Quadrilaterale, as its name suggests, is a cooperation among the governments of four countries - Croatia, Hungary, Italy and Slovenia. It is a forum for coordinating policies and planning in many areas, most recently on tourist protection - making sure visitors have a safe holiday. Experts from these four countries assembled in Siofok by Lake Balaton, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Hungary, to see how holiday stays could be made safer.

Radio Budapest talked to one of the organisers, Major Pal Ban of Hungary's Crime Prevention Department:

"The concrete issues are to lower the fear of crime and increase the tourists' safety, so that there belongings like their cars for example aren't stolen wherever they go, and they aren't driven away from tourist venues because of the fear of crime."

What has the trend been in Hungary, with regards to these crimes?

"On average, every year some 1,500 tourists are victims of crimes in all the tourist areas, especially around the Lake Balaton. The number of crimes has actually decreased with a project that was started three years ago. Since then, the number of stolen cars has reduced by half and there are much fewer burglaries and thefts committed against not only tourists but the locals who are accommodating the tourists too."

How have you managed to achieve this? Through the development of technical devices or more police officers on the streets?

"Putting more police officers on the street is not exactly a solution we can implement because we don't have more personnel. But cooperating with local governments, NGOs and involving students in the summer time to patrol the streets and notify the police officers of any abnormalities. This makes it easier to react faster. We have also set up centres in which people who command foreign languages can assist tourists who were victims of a crime. Through all of this cooperation with partners, statistical data shows that crime is much less of a threat and public security is much stronger now."

So the international cooperation is mainly based on exchanging experiences?

"Exactly so. We are exchanging experience because we have been very successful with this project and this success is needed even on the Croatian seaside where lots of Hungarians spend their summer holidays and we want to help them."

"Towards Freedom" exhibition introduces Poland's history to foreigners and school children
3.6.2005 - Michal Kubicki

Towards Freedom is the slogan of an exhibition which is on in Warsaw. It attracts mainly two groups of visitors: teenagers from schools and foreigners. The exhibition is a resume of Poland's history over the last two centuries, with stress on the Warsaw Uprising of 1944 and the aftermath of World War Two. Addressed primarily to a foreign audience, it was first shown at the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

"That romantic lady is the Motherland of Kosciuszko and Pulaski, Chopin and Curie-Sklodowska, of Paderewski and Pilsudski, John Paul II and Lech Walesa."

...an excerpt from the soundtrack of a film, which accompanies the exhibition Towards Freedom. Its curator Jan Buchwald told me that the idea was to show a line of events in Polish history, culminating in the birth of Solidarity 25 years ago and Poland's membership in the European Union:

"Polish events during the Second World War, the Warsaw Uprising and the occupation of Poland. This exhibition presents a line of Polish history which was a series of events on the road to freedom. It starts in the 18th century when Poland lost its independence. And it ends in the Solidarity movement to freedom."

During the recent Moscow ceremonies of the anniversary of the end of World War Two, Poland was not even mentioned by the Russian president among members of the allied coalition. Small wonder that much is being said these days about the need to promote Poland's view on history for the sake of historical truth. According to Jan Buchwald, the exhibition Towards Freedom is an eye-opener for foreign visitors:

"Our history is unknown abroad and our visit in Strasbourg in February this year, was for many visitors the first meeting with Polish history at all. We decided to show this exhibition in Warsaw to visitors from abroad and they tell us it's a revelation for them."

Zofia came to Warsaw from Israel and she was taken around the exhibition by her Polish friend:

"This exhibition, for me, is something very special because I can see Warsaw before the war and I can see Warsaw now. I have very many emotions about Poland because the big Jewish community lived here and I can see the freedom. This exhibition talks about the freedom. That's very important for me."

Polish friend: "In my opinion it is most important for foreigners because generally we Poles know our history. But it is really important for foreigners, especially, in my opinion, for young foreigners."

The exhibition Towards Freedom is to be shown in London and Washington later this year.