Ask500

Well, not so bad, no depression (or recession) at the moment, historically lowest rate of unemployment, highest rate of GDP growth in the EU and OECD, since january 2009 Slovakia is going to be a member of eurozone; except for Austria and the Czech Republic the highest life standard in the central and eastern european region...Maby its still not one of the most developed countries, but Slovakia made a big progress (only 20 years after the velvet revolution Slovakia is going to be classified as a free market and developed economy).

Yes, I agree. The success of Slovakia is big, even bigger if we consider the political situation between 1993 and 1998 when Slovakia was left in international isolation thanks the former Slovak prime minister Mečiar. So, we should consider as a start line of the Slovak rocket start year 1998. We can see that Slovakia has managed everything in last 10 years. Of course, only thanks the European integration, but also thanks the risky and effective steps made by new government. I think Slovakia was awarded as a most reformed country. Everything has changed, but in a positive way. And I´m still so surprised, when my colleges from western Europe say: hi, where are you from? Slovakia? Really? And do you have electricity there? And what about internet or colour TV? Its incredible, that you can use the microwave or you have an I-pod. Central Europe is considered to be Eastern Europe, but it is not so (historicaly, politicaly, culturaly), and, to be objective, it doesn´t mean that if Czechoslovakia had been a socialistic state for more than 40 years, the life standard and economy had been so bad. Compared to the AUSTRIA (which is one of the most developed state of the EU), Czechoslovakia had been in much better situation before 1945 and 1960s. But, after the invasion of armies of socialistic countries, the process of reforms failed and was stopped. Unfortunately. But it doesn´t mean, that before 1989 there was no electricity or colour TV or underground or microwave or so. Yes, our people missed the freedom, some atributes of life standard, quality of state-managed-everything etc. But it doeasn´t mean that we lived like animals - only to be objective and to explain some characteristics... And - there is still not only gap of wealth but also of mutual knowing. As I visited Switzerland (2 yaers ago), I tried to get to know what do Swiss people know about our state. The result: some older people I met knew that something like Czechoslovakia exists, younger people didn´t know, where Slovakia is (unfortunately, they where limited by Eastern borders of Austria and they really didn´t know, that behind them some state like Slovakia is). That is! Citizens from Western Europe aren´t informed. I´m personally convinced that if there would be a question Do you know where Switzerland is (or if sth like this exists) in Slovakia, the answer would be YES in most of examples. Why? The education structure in both countries is not so different, so why? The answer is: because Slovakia is not presented well (by our governemt and organisations), people from Western Europe aren´t interested in poorer or transformed countries...And, still it is considered to be a part of Eastern Europe (it is a huge misunderstanding), to be a poor country (in some way YES, BUT the things are changing and the thinking of people from Western Europe is not). And what to do? How can such states like Slovakia repair their damaged, laying and deformed image abroad? Is it possible? Thats the question...