Slovakia - Factors To Watch on April 8

                                
 BRATISLAVA, April 8 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Slovak financial
markets on Wednesday.
                                
 
                                
 GOVERNMENT MEETING
                                
 Government will hold its regular weekly meeting, 0800 GMT.
                                
 
                                
 CBANK SEES FIRST EVER CONTRACTION IN 2009
                                
 The Slovak central bank on Tuesday forecast the country
would suffer its first economic contraction in 2009 as the
global economic crisis hits its main export markets in the West.
                                
 [ID:nL7136765] [RTRS-CEN-PLCY-MCE-SK-LEN]
                                
 
                                
 CBANK QUARTERLY ECONOMIC FORECASTS
                                
 Slovakia's central bank published its updated quarterly
economic forecasts on Tuesday. Previous forecasts are in
brackets.
                                
 [ID:nL7672603] [RTRS-CEN-PLCY-MCE-SK-LEN]
                                
 
                                
 HUNGARY OUTPUT PLUNGES, SLOVAKIA SEEN IN RECESSION
                                
 Hungary's industrial output plunged in February while
Slovakia said its economy would slip into recession for the
first time as the global economic crisis took its toll on
central Europe's export-driven economies.
                                
 [ID:nL7562787] [RTRS-EMRG-EUROPE-ECI-SK-LEN]
                                
 
                                
 PRESS DIGEST
                                
 ------------
                                
 DZURINDA TO LEAD SDKU
                                
 Former Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda has confirmed he
wants to remain the chairman of his SDKU party as well as its
leader for the 2010 general election. Iveta Radicova, who lost
in the presidential election but showed strong result, said she
would run for the top party post if she was nominated.
                                
 Sme, page 1
                                
 
                                
 TRANSPETROL CASE
                                
 A Slovak entrepreneur Ignac Ilcisin, who claims to own 34
percent in the oil pipeline company Transpetrol, has called a
shareholders meeting to dismiss the company's board. A court has
approved his request, indicating Ilcisin was a Transpetrol
shareholder, while the government says it holds 100 percent in
the firm.
                                
 Sme, page 1
                                
 
                                
 VOLKSWAGEN MODEL
                                
 The Slovak factory of German carmaker Volkswagen is close to
beeing chosen to produce the new UP! model. The company is
expected to decide on the production site for the new model
within two weeks.
                                
 Sme, page 8
                                
 
                                
 CAR SCRAPPING SUBSIDY
                                
 Slovaks have snapped up the renewed car car scrapping
subsidy in three days, while the first round lasted for three
weeks. The economy ministry has said the scheme might continue
in the future.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 1
                                
 
                                
 FICO'S DEPARTURE
                                
 The Smer party of Prime Minister Robert Fico has debated his
departure from politicis, a party MP said. Fico said on Monday
he would quit politics by 2014.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 2
                                
 
                                
 For news on upcoming events in the United States and other
Group  of Seven countries, see <G7TODAY>. For a diary of
forthcoming Slovak events, double click [SK/DIARY], and a
calendar of east European economic indicators, see [CONV/DIARY].
                                
 News editor of the day: Peter Laca on +421 2 5341 8402; fax:
+421 2 5341 8403
                                
 E-mail: editorial@reuters.sk, peter.laca@thomsonreuters.com,
martin.santa@thomsonreuters.com
                                
 Reuters Messaging: peter.laca.reuters.com@reuters.net
                                
 For real-time index quotes, double click in brackets:
                                
 Warsaw WIG20 <.WIG20>  Budapest BUX <.BUX>  Prague PX50
<.PX50>
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