Slovakia - Factors To Watch on March 20

...     
    REPO TENDER 
    The central bank will hold its regular two-week repo tender 
11 a.m. (1000 GMT) 
     
    JOBLESS DATA 
    The Labour Office will release unemployment data for 
February, 10 a.m. (0900 GMT) 
     
    PARLIAMENT SESSION 
    Parliament will open a regular session, 1 p.m. (1200 GMT) 
     
    T-MOBILE RESULTS 
    T-Mobile Slovakia will announce 2006 results. 
    
    C.BANK WARNS ON CROWN RALLY AFTER PEG MOVE 
    The Slovak crown  jumped by more than 3 percent to 
record highs against the euro on Monday after it was revalued 
within the ERM-2 currency grid, prompting repeated central bank 
warnings it had rallied too far. 
    Other central European currencies also firmed after the EU  
announcement late on Friday that the crown's peg in the grid, 
the precursor to euro adoption, had been strengthened by 8.5 
percent to 35.4424 per euro. 
    [ID:nL19416259] [RTRS-FRX-MCE-CEN-SK] 
     
    5-YR BOND DRAWS HIGH DEMAND ON PARITY SHIFT 
    Slovakia's five-year, zero-coupon state bonds attracted high 
demand on Monday, after the crown currency jumped to record 
highs against the euro fuelled by its revaluation within the 
ERM-2 grid, dealers said. 
    The Finance Ministry's Debt and Liquidity Management Agency 
(ARDAL) sold 8.01 billion crowns ($324.8 million) worth of the 
paper, which matures on May 4, 2012. Total demand was 18.088 
billion, the highest for the issue since its first sale in 2005. 
    [ID:nL19492080] [RTRS-SK-GVD-DBT] 
     
    PRESS DIGEST 
    ------------ 
    LABOUR CODE ROW 
    The social affairs ministry and trade unions failed again on 
Monday to reach any compromise with employers on the prepared 
changes to the labour code. The government is proposing to 
tighten the job market rules and strengthen the position of 
trade unions, which are intentions opposed by businesses. 
    Sme, page 6 
     
    SMER KEEPS LEAD IN POLL 
    The Smer party of Prime Minister Robert Fico keeps its lead 
in opnion polls, registering 45.3 percent support in a survey 
conducted by the state-run Statistics Office. The SDKU party of 
former Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda, finished second in the 
poll, with 13.6 percent. 
    Sme, page 2 
     
    For news on upcoming events in the United States and other 
Group of Seven countries, see . 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 
    Reuters Messaging: pater.laca.reuters.com@reuters.net 
     
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