http://www.ft.com/reports/slovakia

HEADLINES:

A victim of its own success

Slovakia’s reign as central Europe’s leading tiger economy is over, as exports plunge, unemployment increases and the deficit grows

Economy: Reliance on exports proves a crucial flaw

Zdenko Stefanides, chief economist with Slovakia’s VUB Bank, walks over to his floor-to-ceiling window giving a panoramic view of Bratislava and points to a tract of industrial land

Politics: Glimpse into a murky world

Normally, a public tender worth €120m would be big news in a small place such as Slovakia, but this contract was posted in only one spot

Financial groups: Rival raiders return to lucrative early roots
An economic crisis creates distress for most companies – with the exception of corporate raiders, who flourish in times of misery.

Real estate: Property market holds its breath

Real estate values have taken as much of a beating in Slovakia as anywhere else since January.

Steelmaker starts to step up again

The enormous blue building towering over the highway leading into Kosice houses US Steel’s new $160m galvanising plant and was built to supply Slovakia’s growing car industry.