Impact of Key Socio - Economic Disparities on Mi - Gration in Slovakia : Economic Diversification Vs

Twenty years after the ‘velvet revolution’ of 1989, several years after joining the European Union (2004) and NATO (2002), the independent Slovak Republic (since 1st January 1993) has been incorporated into the community of democratic states. The first phase of existence of the independent Slovakia brought in serious tasks including the constitution of basic civil institutions and introducetion of numerous mechanisms necessary for the functioning of the new state. These had to be addressed in situation characterised by lack of foreign investments, loss of social security accompanied by an abrupt decrease of living standard, growth of poverty, social pathology and other problems. Economic reforms introduced after 1998 brought fruit some years after and Slovakia experienced a distinct economic progress including the relatively highest GDP growth (10.4%) in the EU temporarily in 2007. Introduction of the EURO (1st January 2009) became another important factor of country’s economic development. The rising level of regional disparities is typical of countries that implement deeper economic changes. Slovakia is no exception. The situation of the country as a whole improved compared with the EU average (in 1997, SVK reached 51.3% GDP in PPS EU 27, in 2008 it was estimated 72.2%; mean GDP in the 2000–2008 period was 5.6%) but disparities between regions increased. Principal reforms in five key areas – tax system, education, health care, public administration and social security also contributed to negative social cones-