RFE/RL NEWSLINE 
Vol. 2, No. 9, 15 January 1998

SLOVAK POLL SHOWS OPPOSITION AHEAD. A public
opinion survey conducted by the Institute for Public Affairs
confirms the 1997 trend in which  Premier Vladimir Meciar's
Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) lost much of its
former political backing, Reuters reported. The HZDS, with 25.7
percent support, is trailing the opposition Slovak Democratic
Coalition (31.1 percent). The HZDS's coalition partners are not
faring well either. The far-right Slovak National Party is
supported by 6.8 percent, while the far-left Workers Party
would fail to pass the 5 percent threshold for parliamentary
representation if elections were held now. The opposition Party
of the Democratic Left and the Hungarian Coalition are backed
by 11 percent each. MS

SLOVAKIA SEEKS TO MEND TIES WITH HUNGARY.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Milan Tokar on 14 January said
Bratislava has proposed that the foreign ministers of the two
countries meet in Budapest on 22 January, Reuters reported.
One day earlier, citing unidentified Slovak sources, the
Hungarian daily "Nepszabadsag" reported that Slovak Foreign
Minister Zdenka Kramplova was due in Budapest on 22
January. MS

GABCIKOVO-NAGYMAROS SETTLEMENT STILLS HANGS
IN BALANCE. Government commissioner Janos Nemcsok on 14
January told the parliamentary Environment Commission that
Hungary has not committed itself to the construction of a new
hydroelectric power plant to replace the abandoned project. He
added that it would not do so before the completion of studies
showing the likely impact of the new project on the
environment and its economic costs, the daily "Nepszava"
reported on 15 January. But a source close to the negotiations
told an RFE/RL correspondent in Bratislava on 14 January that
the sides are nearing an agreement. The source said Hungary is
proposing to build a power plant between Szob and Budapest
instead of completing the originally planned dam (see also
"RFE/RL Newsline,"  13 January 1998). MS

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