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Download this reportSlovakia
Inside this issue
• The very factors that made it a central European Tiger have tripped up the country
• Property prices are high but new projects have been stalled
• View Slovakia map and statistics - -
Content
A victim of its own success
Slovakia’s reign as central Europe’s leading tiger economy is over, as exports plunge, unemployment increases and the deficit grows
Economy: Reliance on exports proves a crucial flaw
Zdenko Stefanides, chief economist with Slovakia’s VUB Bank, walks over to his floor-to-ceiling window giving a panoramic view of Bratislava and points to a tract of industrial land
Politics: Glimpse into a murky world
Normally, a public tender worth €120m would be big news in a small place such as Slovakia, but this contract was posted in only one spot
Financial groups: Rival raiders return to lucrative early roots
An economic crisis creates distress for most companies – with the exception of corporate raiders, who flourish in times of misery.
Real estate: Property market holds its breath
Real estate values have taken as much of a beating in Slovakia as anywhere else since January.
Steelmaker starts to step up again
The enormous blue building towering over the highway leading into Kosice houses US Steel’s new $160m galvanising plant and was built to supply Slovakia’s growing car industry.
