Slovakia - Factors To Watch on Feb 2

                                
 BRATISLAVA, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Slovak financial
markets on Wednesday.
                                
 
                                
 PARLIAMENT SESSION
                                
 The parliament will continue its regular monthly session, no
major economic items on agenda, 0800 GMT.
                                
 
                                
 WEEKLY GOVERNMENT MEETING
                                
 The government will meet on current political and economic
issues, 0900 GMT, to debate possible sales of selected state-run
companies, such as heating firms. French investors, including
Dalkia, said were interested in buying.
                                
 
                                
 PRESIDENT MEETS BUSINESSES, UNIONS
                                
 The President Ivan Gasparovic will meet with business' and
unions' official to talk about planned changes to the labour
code and other political agenda.
                                
 
                                
 SLOVAKIA STARTS LAW REFORM, PRIORITY FOR INVESTORS
                                
 The Slovak parliament broke a presidential veto to amend a
law on judges on Tuesday, the first step in a judicial reform
designed to increase the transparency of a system long
criticised by the public and investors.
                                
 [ID:nLDE71026S] related news [RTRS-JUDIC-LAW-EU-SK-LEN]
                                
 
                                
 BELGIUM'S PRAET AHEAD IN ECB BOARD SEAT RACE -SOURCES
                                
 Support is growing for Belgium's Peter Praet to replace
Gertrude Tumpel-Gugerell on the European Central Bank's
Executive Board, European Parliament sources said, although
pressure for diversity may favour a female candidate from
eastern Europe.
                                
 [ID:nLDE71018S] related news [RTRS-ECB-EZC-EUROPE-SK-LEN]
                                
 
                                
 STATE BUDGET DEFICIT EUR 18 MLN IN JAN
                                
 The Slovak central state budget showed a 17.7 million euro
deficit ($24.31 million) in January, compared with a 22.8
million euro surplus in the same period last year, finance
ministry data showed on Tuesday.
 [ID:nLDE7100PS] related news [RTRS-GVD-DBT-ISU-SK-LEN]
                                
 
======================== ECONOMIC DATA ========================
  Real-time economic data releases....................<ECONSK>
  Previous stories on Slovak data.............[SK-RTRS-LEN-ECI]
  Overview of economic data and forecasts.......... <SK/ECON04>
======================== PRESS DIGEST =========================
                                
 
                                
 COALITION SPLIT ON LABOUR CODE
                                
 Coalition deputies were split over proposed changes to the
labour code, saying more adjustments were needed to gain full
support in the parliament. A planned shorter probation period
for low-skilled workers was seen as one of key obstacles.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 4
                                
 
                                
 PSA SLOVAKIA PRODUCTION BOOST
                                
 Slovak unit of French car-maker PSA Peugeot Citroen
<PEUP.PA> said will prolong its production boost until the end
of March. The assembly plants increased its daily production to
924 cars from previous 868 vehicles.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 13
                                
 
                                
 Reuters has not verified the media reports, nor does it
vouch for their accuracy.
                                
 News editor of the day: Martin Santa on +421 905 602 845
fax: +421 5341 8403 e-mail: martin.santa@thomsonreuters.com,
martin.santa@thomsonreuters.com, Reuters Messaging:
matin.santa.reuters.com@reuters.net
                                
 
                                
 For real-time index quotes, double click in brackets:
Warsaw WIG20 <.WIG20>  Budapest BUX <.BUX>  Prague PX50 <.PX50>
                                
 Other related news:
Slovak equities  [SK-E]  E.Europe equities    [.CEE]
Slovak money     [SK-M]  Czech debt           [CZ-D]
Slovak Indicators  [SK-ECI]  Emerging forex   [EMRG/FRX]
Eastern European  [EEU]   All emerging markets [EMRG]
Hot stocks        [HOT]   Stock markets        [STX]
Market debt news  [DBT]   Forex news           [FRX]
TOP NEWS -- Emerging markets     [TOP/EMRG]
TOP NEWS -- Convergence watch    [TOP/EAST]
                                
  
                                
 (Compiled by Martin Santa in Bratislava)