Mezei István: Urban development in Slovakia (Pécs-Somorja, 2010)
5. Regional organization in Slovakia
Regional organization in Slovakia perhaps also plans to set up euroregions, should be based on existing, everyday relations. Between 2002 and 2005, the three countries only focused on three cities while elaborating their common development strategy: Vienna, Bratislava and Győr were the target areas (JORDES+ 2005). Meanwhile, papers were written on the ’golden triangle’ of Vienna, Bratislava and Győr, but an increasing number of publications called attention to the actual situation, i.e. that Bratislava was developing relations first of all with Vienna. The reason for this is the economic gravitation of Vienna, because thousands of people commute across the border to work to the Austrian capital city every day. As early as in 2001, official data proved that 4,700 Slovak citizens had jobs in Austria, but the estimated number of people working in the black economy was much higher than that (ODPM 2006). Bratislava participated in the competition of European capital cities. It competed first of all with the capitals of the neighbouring countries and the capital city of Germany, the most important commercial partner of Slovakia. Table 36. The population figures of some capital cities, 2001 Country Population of the country Proportion of the population of the selected countries compared with that of Slovakia Capital Population of the capital city Proportion of the residents of the capital within the total population Proportion of the population of selected capital cities compared with that of Bratislava people % people% % Slovakia 5,402,547 100 Bratislava 428,672 7.93 100.0 Austria 8,032,875 148.7 Vienna 1,550,123 19.3 361.6 Czech Republic 10,230,060 189.4 Prague 1,169,106 11.43 272.7 Hungary 10,200,298 188.8 Budapest 1,777,921 17.43 414.8 Poland 38,644,211 715.3 Warsaw 1,609,780 4.17 375.5 Germany 82,259,540 1,522.6 Berlin 3,388,434 4.12 790.4 Source: Eurostat, http://www.urbanaudit.org/CityProfiles 124
