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Carolina (English) No 112
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STUDENTS' E-MAIL NEWS FROM CZECH REPUBLIC
School of Social Sciences of Charles University
Smetanovo nabr. 6
110 01 Prague 1
Czech Republic
E-mail address: carolina@n.fsv.cuni.cz
Fax: (+422) 24810987
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
C A R O L I N A No 112, Friday, April 1, 1994.
EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK (March 23 - 30)
Becoming Czech Gets More Expensive
The cost of obtaining Czech citizenship will increase June 1 from
2,000 to 5,000 Czech crowns, following Thursday's passage in Parliament
of changes in the Public Administration Fee Act on Thursday.
Slovak applicants will face the change a month later.
The changes will also increase the cost of marriage. For marriages
taking place outside the hometown, the fee is doubled to 600 crowns.
International couples will pay 1,000 Czech crowns.
Fishing and hunting permits for foreigners will be 3,000 crowns for
anglers and 10,000 for hunters, while Czechs continue to pay 30 crowns.
The cost or obtaining a new passport will remain steady, at 200
crowns for adults and 50 crown for children.
Amendment to Labor Law Accepted Despite Trade Union Protests
Just one day after union protests in the Old Town Square, Parliament
passed the amendment to the labor law that had been the target of
workers' anger.
Deputies of the governing coalition supported the proposal, while
many in the opposition left the hall before voting March 23.
While National Socialistic Liberal Party members voted in favor of
the changes, deputies of the Czech Social Democratic Party were voting
against the proposal.
The focus of debate was abolition of the restriction on pregnant
women working night shifts. Labor and Social Affairs Minister Jindrich
Vodicka said he considered the previous limitations to be at odds with
International Work Organization agreement, which Czech republic is about
to sign. Employers will have to offer day shifts to a pregnant woman or
a mother of a child up to 9 years if she asks for them. Vodicka added
that the government is working on a complete revision of the labor law,
which should be ready this autumn.
Vaclav Klaus Visited Finland Last Week
Czech Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus concluded a three-day trip to
Finland March 27, where he discussed the Scandinavian country's bid to
join the EU.
"The most important experience from the process of accepting Finland
into the EU is the fact that the step into the EU does not heal all the
pains and does not bring just the benefits," Klaus said during
a Helsinki press conference. "It is in particular the long-term
investment, which could also bring losses at the beginning."
Klaus also said that Finland's joining the EU will have a negative
impact on trade with the Czech Republic, which until now has had free
trade with the Finns.
Klaus reported satisfaction with the talks, and with his startling
win in a traditional Finnish contest -- reindeer sleigh races. Klaus
spent the weekend as a guest of his Finnish counterpart Esko Aho in his
native Laponia. The nicest experience was to sit by a fire in the polar
night, Klaus said.
"Uncensored" Editor Petr Cibulka Refuses Presidential Pardon
President Vaclav Havel ordered a halt to the investigation of Petr
Cibulka, editor of the "Uncensored Newspaper", on charges of offending
the president.
Cibulka, a former dissident and a fierce anti-communist, had called
Havel a "swine" during court proceedings last December.
Rude Pravo quoted presidential spokesman, Ladislav Spacek March 28,
saying that one of the reasons Havel pardoned Cibulka is his
reservations about the recently passed Paragraph 103 of the criminal
law, which concerns disgracing the president.
However, Cibulka rejected the amnesty and insists on being put on
the trial. He told CTK he wants "to use the trial to blame the
communistic-velvet oligarchy, at the head of which stands Vaclav Havel,
for covering up innumerable crimes."
If convicted of disgracing president, Petr Cibulka could have been
sentenced to two years in prison.
A New File of the Secret Police Found
On Friday, the Czech Ministry of Interior found one missing file of
the Secret Police Archives. The code-name is Tintera's list and there
are names of underground musicians who by means of their subversive
activity undermined the authority of the socialist regime. Among the
names found were those of the current prime minister, Vaclav Klaus, who
had played harmonica in the jazz and rock group "Milton Friedman's
Melody Boys" the mouth-organ. They played songs such as "Monetar Eyes",
and Beethoven's "Dollar For Joy". (For more information, please see the
end of Carolina.)
Conflict About TV Broadcast Rights For Soccer League
During the nineteenth round of the football league on Sunday crews
of Czech TV (CTV) were not allowed to enter the stadiums, the latest in
a dispute between CTV and the private TV station Nova for football
broadcasting rights.
TV Nova owns exclusive rights for all the matches of the first and
the second soccer league except for Sparta Praha matches. Nova alleges
its rights to exclusivity were violated by CTV, which has been using
shots for its daily newscasts in the hour-long football program
"Polocas".
Following the complaint by Nova, the TV Broadcast Board of the Czech
and Moravian football Union decided that the photographers of CTV would
be barred from the stadiums, which then made it impossible to shoot
items for the daily newscasts.
Some staffs, however, recorded their contributions in creative ways.
For example, the Bohemians Praha - Slavia Praha match was recorded from
the roof of a neighboring house.
Both sides, CTV and STES (the marketing agency of the Soccer Union,
which prepares football programs for Nova), turned to the courts.
The dispute hangs on the question of how to define news reporting,
which the holder of the exclusive right is supposed to permit. The
procedure of the Czech and Moravian football Union and its marketing
agency STES is, according to a declaration of the Syndicate of
Journalists of the Czech Republic, a deprivation of the constitutionally
guaranteed freedom of press and the basic civil rights.
French-Czech Workshop Held At Faculty Of Social Science In Prague
A workshop focusing on Czech and Romany relations was held March 19
- 27 at the Faculty of Social Sciences, (which publishes Carolina.)
The workshop was attended by journalism students from Paris and from
the faculty in Prague. Students sought information in the housing
estates of Roms in Northern Bohemia and visited Pisek in Southern
Bohemia, where one Rom was killed after skinheads'attack.
The students published a French-Czech magazine, "Romale", containing
portraits of problems of Romany life.
Besides the working contacts, students established friendships and
lived together for a few days. Teachers involved in the workshop were
Barbora Osvaldova, Dominique Vidal and Vaclav Trojan, who prepared the
workshop. The project was financed by the "Tempus" fund of the European
Commission.
Prague Demonstration Goes to the Dogs
In Prague Monday, a demonstration about doggie bathrooms in public
places was held. The group of Praguers gathered in front of the court
house, with slogans like " We've had enough" and "Shovel it!"
They harassed Mayor Jan Koukal, who was walking his four-legged
friend at the time. It is absolutely possible to trip over perfect
samples of doggie doo on Prague. A shot of Prince Charles doing the
same, while taking a walk in historic Prague, was sent around the world.
(For more information, please see the end of Carolina.)
FROM SLOVAKIA
Ex-premier Meciar once again in the fore of HZDS
Vadimir Meciar held on to the top post in the Movement for
a Democratic Slovakia March 27. Out of 210 votes in the party congress,
he won 208. On the stinging address of Slovak President Michal Kovac,
which led to Meciar's government toppling, Meciar said, "I can only say
that political culture isn't strong on the side of the Primacial Palace,
the current seat of the president."
According to Meciar, delegates of the HZDS congress began to whistle
after reading the President's greeting telegram. They invited him, in an
open letter, to reconsider his membership in with HZDS.
Ex-minister for Culture Dusan Slobodnik wins case against Lubomir Feldek
The Slovak High Court decided March 23 in favor of former culture
minister Dusan Slobodnik in his long-running legal dispute with Lubomir
Feldek.
The case concerns Feldek's statements on Slobodnik's alleged past
ties with fascist organizations. Feldek wrote: "Mr. Slobodnik became
minister...and presently his fascist past came to light."
The suit also focused on Feldek's poem "Good Night, My Dear," which
contained the lines "The government of one side is more than law, the SS
man embraced the StB."
The former member of Meciar's cabinet filed his complaint with the
high court right after the Bratislava City Court ruled in favor of
Feldek last November.
Slobodnik does not deny connections with the World War II era
Hlinka's Youth (HM). Hlinka's Youth, a voluntary group, was associated
with the Hlinka's Slovak People's Party. During the world war, HSLS
cooperated with German Nazis.
Writing for the court, JUDr. Jozef Stefanek's said "the case of
Feldek's statements about the fascist past of Slobodnik wasn't just
about damaging the rights of a person, but the interests of all of
Slovakia... Organizations like Hlinka's Youth or the (communist)
Czechoslovak Youth Union were well organized, only politically misused."
Feldek must personally finance and publish an apology in five
newspapers chosen by Slobodnik, and pay him 200,000 Slovak crowns. The
decision was reported in Telegraph Saturday.
The Charter 77 Foundation is organizing a collection in the support
of L. Feldek. (The account number in the Ceskoslovenska Obchodni Banka
of Prague is 128 223/0300.)
ECONOMY
EXCHAGE RATES OF THE CZECH NATIONAL BANK (valid from March 29)
CHECKS CASH
country Buy Sell Middle Buy Sell
Great Britain 1GBP 43.581 44.019 43.800 42.38 45.22
France 1FRF 5.108 5.160 5.134 4.93 5.33
Italy 1000ITL 17.603 17.779 17.691 16.92 18.46
Canada 1CAD 21.163 21.375 21.269 20.38 22.16
Austria 1ATS 2.488 2.514 2.501 2.44 2.56
Germany 1DEM 17.501 17.677 17.589 17.13 18.05
Switzerland 1CHF 20.564 20.770 20.667 20.17 21.17
USA 1USD 29.083 29.375 29.229 28.53 29.93
Skoda-Plzen Buys German Machine Factory
According to official information released March 26 Skoda
Corporation Plzen will acquire a 90 percent share in the German
Umformtechnik Erfurt company. The buying price hasn't been announced.
The Umformtechnik Erfurt is a longtime trading partner of Skoda. It
manufactures press machines for car bodies, agricultural machines and
some other consumption goods. Last year the company had the turnover of
200 million German marks, however it is heavily indebted.
Skoda would allow the German firm to use the Skoda trade name, the
Skoda sign, and the trading network. In the purchase contract Skoda
agreed to keep at least 1,000 of Umformtechnik Erfurt's 1645 working
places.
The move is a part of the strategic approach of Skoda Plzen to its
trade policy, which is to make Skoda a Central European company with
ties in western Europe.
With a Monday Break the Drop at the Exchange Stock Continues
A two-week drop in stock prices resumed Thursday after a brief pause
on Monday, which posted small gains.
On Thursday, trades for 384 million Czech crowns were closed, from
that the share for the central trade market was 239 million Czech
crowns.
Heaviest traders were Czech Saving Bank, at 85.5 million Czech
crowns and 11,000 crowns per share, CEZ electrical company, at 26.5
million crowns, 2,100 per share, Opatovice's Power Stations, at 11.8
million crowns, 5,950 crowns per share. These were also among the
biggest losers on the day.
On the other hand, Kavalier shares rose 10 percent to 4,625 Czech
crowns.
From 607 stocks traded yesterday, 354 of them showed a raise and
only 212 fell. On the quotation market most of the shares rose.
On the non-quotation market a remarkable raise was noticed in shares
of machinery factories-for example SKODA-PLZEN, up 10 percent to 726
Czech crowns, SKODA Prague, also up 10 percent to 1,210 Czech crowns and
ZPS Zlin, up 9.9 percent to 3,560.
The total amount of Monday's trades was 328.4 million Czech crowns,
from that direct trades were 178.5 million Czech crowns. On Tuesday
share prices started to drop again. From 726 stocks, the prices of 351
dropped.
The Tuesday trade picture was brighter for a number of metallurgies
and machinery factories. Adamovsky, Chabarovsky, Choteborsky,
Krusnohorsky or Unicovsky machinery factory shares all posted 20 percent
or greater gains. Another drop was noticed in the shares of Prerovsky
machinery shares, and also in the shares of SKODA-PLZEN or SKODA Prague.
Yesterday's total amount of trades was 409 million Czech crowns and
was almost exactly divided between the central trade market and the
direct trades.
CULTURE
Bohumil Hrabal nominated for Nobel prize
The Czech center of PEN club nominated the writer Bohumil Hrabal as
a candidate for the Nobel prize. Independently of this organization the
same proposal was given by the Club of Czech writers. Hrabal celebrated
his 80th birthday March 28 amid great attention from the mass media.
Carolina will write his medallion in the next edition.
Prizes Thalie 1993
In Prague's National Theater March 26 were awarded the prizes Thalie
93 for the outstanding stage performances in the field of playacting,
dance and music theater.
In the first year of this event organized by the Actor Association,
Thalie prizes were won by the singer Drahomira Drobkova for the part of
Ebola in Verdi's opera Don Carlos (a production of the National
Theater), the dancer Petr Zuzka for the main part in the ballet Little
Mister Friedmann - Psycho, performed on the stage of the National
Theater, and Peter Pavlovsky from the J.K.Tyl theater in Plzen for the
part of Kerzhencev in the play The Poor Killer, written by Pavel Kohout.
Nelly Gaierova, a long time leading actress of the Musical Theater
in Karlin, Karel Berman, a soloist of the National Theater opera in
Prague, and Josef Kemr, a play member of National Theater were awarded
by the Presidium of Actors Association the Thalie 93 prize for their
lifetime achievements.
SPORT
Czech Tennis Players Win First Round of Davis Cup in Israel 4:1
In the introductory singles, the number 13 player in the world, Petr
Korda, defeated Gilenda Bloom at 6:1, 6:3, 6:4.
Top Israeli player Amos Mansdorf was successful in the second
singles, beating Karel Novacek 7:6, 6:2, 7:5.
Czech pair Cyril Suk and Petr Korda overcame home team Mansdorf and
Erlich and in the key doubles after sets of 3:6, 7:6, 7:6, and 6:1.
Petr Korda decided the progress of the Czech Republic with the
third-point gain right in the first single in Sunday's program, when he
beat Amos Mansdorf 6:4, 3:6, 6:7, 6:1, 6:1. Karel Novacek ammended the
final result of the match with a win over Bloom, 6:4, 6:3.
Czech players are to meet with Russian in the quarter-finals.
19th Round of Soccer League
Horst Siegl, from Sparta Prague was the best scorer of the
round. He scored a hat trick during an unbelievable 7 minutes against
Dukla Prague.
The seldom seen streak of Liberec, unbeaten in seven rounds, ended
in Zlin. Results: Petra Drnovice - Sigma Olomouc 0:1, Sparta Praha
- Dukla Praha 4:0, Banik Ostrava - FC Vitkovice 5:0, Union Cheb
- Spartak Hradec Kralove 1:0, Svit Zlin - Slovan Liberec 1:0, FK Ceske
Budejovice - Viktoria Plzen 0:0, FC Boby Brno - Viktoria Zizkov 1:1
a Bohemians Praha - Slavia Praha 0:1. Sparta Praha leads the league,
followed by Slavie Praha and Ceske Budejovice. Dukla Praha trails in
last place.
Hockey extra league nears final stage
Two hockey semifinal matches took place last weekend. Kladno at home,
beat Olomouc twice with the same results - 4:1.
Sparta surprisingly was not able to find the way to win at home
against ever-improving Pardubice team. On Saturday Sparta lost 2:3
(after overtime shots), on Sunday the result was 0:1. The third
semifinal matches will take place on Wednesday, March 30. Of the contest
to decided who will play in the extra league next year, is leading team
Vsetin (victories with Slavia 3:0 and Jindrichuv Hradec 7.2), second is
Slavia Praha, which won over Hradec Kralove 4:2. The result of the last
match:Jindrichuv Hradec - Hradec Kralove 2:2.
Slovakia wins Group C of World Hockey Championship
For the right to ascend into Group B of World Hockey Championship
have been struggling hockey players of so called "Russian School"
- Ukraine, Kazahkstan and especially Belorussia - and the domestic team
Slovakia. In the C Group tournament in Poprad and Spisska Nova Ves the
last match decided about the winner. The Slovak team defeated
Belorussia, leading team with no point lost till this time, 2:1. Both
goals were scored by Oto Hascak.
WEATHER
The beginning of this month showed us that the phrase "March --
behind the stove we hide," doesn't lie. The view of a steel crying sky
didn't pleased anyone. The cold lady was making her job mainly in nights
and with her cold breath she dropped the temperature under 0. From this
weekend there is an optimistic forecast of April weather. During the day
the weather is nice and those who were cold yesterday are today feeling
warm (afternoon temperatures even climbed to 20 celsius degrees).
SUPPLEMENT - WHO'S WHO ON CAROLINA'S EDITING STAFF /SECOND PART/
Zbynek Cesnek: At present, I'm studying my first year of the two
year M.A. program in journalism at the Faculty of Social Sciences. In
addition to that I'm still a full-time student of the Faculty of Sports
(majoring in PE) and Philosophical Faculty (English). All together it is
rather a schizophrenic combination. I have been working for Carolina
since October 93, for being too busy I contribute with "only"
translating the English version this semester. As it comes out of my
original focus in the academic program, I devote most of my leisure time
to sports. My No.1 activity is mountaineering and rock-climbing. In
winters I also compete in cross-country skiing or cross-country running
etc. It is just too much. At least I sometimes have such a feeling. But
I believe that it won't harm Carolina translations in any respect!
Tonda Koci: Along with my studies in journalism I'm finishing this
year my teacher's studies at the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport
(FTVS UK) and in the Philosophy Faculty were I study the English
language. I enjoy using my knowledge of English in the foreign
broadcasting. I also enjoy operating the Sorbonna club that I and my
friend opened this year in FTVS. There is no spare time left. Only in
the summer I'm trying to take out of the dust my knowledge in languages
CC U.S.A-Summer 92. I understand those who gobble all information about
their country.
Evzen Martinek: Born in April 1975 in Brno. Until now my life is the
same as a nomad, who cannot stand living in the same place for a long
time. After a five year dreamy life in the South Moravian metropolis
I moved to South Moravia. After spending seven years of my life in small
towns like Hranice and Novy Jicin I moved to Prague. "Plushy," as some
people used to call the 1989 Velvet Revolution, happened during my first
year studies in high school. The nature of my parents drove me to the
cavestoned Litomeric in the northern part of the Czech Republic. In
spring 1993, I graduated from high school there and was accepted in
Charles University in the Faculty of Social Sciences in the section of
journalism.
Pavel Poulicek: I was born 20 years ago in Prague where I still live
part-time with my parents. I have always had the wish to be able to
manage both the work of a film editor and of a journalist. Now I have
the chance of doing exactly the half of it. After some time spent in RTL
and Europe 2 radio stations I succeeded in the competition for the
position of TV sport newscaster at the private television station NOVA,
which is a very interesting job and a hobby of mine. I like also
exercise myself (tennis, hockey, football, basketball etc) I'm half
vegetarian, choleric, unsatisfied with something all the time, love
movies (I'm trying to write a screenplay and eventually make a movie out
of it with the help of a professional). Dirt, punctuality and stereotype
are things that tear me apart.
Radim Prochazka: My birthplace offered the world two popular natives
- Klement Gottwald and Radim Prochazka. The first worker's president was
writing to the Czechoslovak communist newspaper Rude Pravo in his young
days. I am participating on the edition of CAROLINA now. Nevertheless,
I reject any other analogies between these two personalities than the
local ones. For letting you see my personality in proper light I am
using my e-mail account:
Prochazk@n.fsv.cuni.cz
Katerina Prindova: Studying journalism was since my childhood
a dream of mine and I'm happy that dream was coming true. For Carolina
I prefer to write sport news because I have the close relation to this
subject. For some years now I do cross-country orientation running (and
I was not bad), I play tennis and do cross-country skiing. I come from
Liberec so I'm still a little bit lost in Prague. I hope that time will
heal it. I mostly miss Lukas, my brother and Rinn, which is my crazy
dog. I will be 20 this September and one day I hope I will become
a famous journalist. For the time being I work part-time for Arteria,
the private press agency, concerned mostly with political news.
Zuzana Seminova: Born on the same day as Marie Stuart and on the
same day as John Lennon died, but 21 years ago. Student of Philosophical
faculty UK, section Czech-english, obsessed with literature. I meet
a lot of wise and nice people at school, directly or through books and
I am delighted with it. I would like to share my enthusiasms with other
people. I hope to learn how to do it during my journalistic training.
(I wish somebody would be interested in it!).
Honza Sliva: Born 20 years ago in Olomouc, I have been foretold to
become a translator. I started this career in 1974 after moving to
Prague and I continue with it up today, from which results that I am
a Carolina translator. Besides the studies at the FSV UK I study also at
the Philosophical faculty, section English and I work as a cultural
editor in the English mutation of magazine Prognosis.
Daniela Stanikova: I was born 21 years ago in Plana. After
graduating from the common school education I was accepted to the
Philosophical faculty, section English. During my studies I started to
work in the newspaper, firstly as a translator and then in the foreign
desk of the Czech daily Cesky denik. Newspapers interested me and
I enjoyed working for them, so here I am.
Martin Salek: I am 24 years old. I live in the capital city of the
south-Czech region - in Ceske Budejovice. I have a brother five years
older than me who works as a head of the Information center of the
nuclear power station Temelin. My father works in the Research Institute
of Aviation and mother is an accountant. I graduated from the secondary
school and I was accepted to the Construction faculty at the College of
Technology, section Water construction. I left this school after two
years and I transferred to the Faculty of Social Sciences, section
journalism and sociology. My biggest hobby is sport. I played in the
extra league of volley-ball but unfortunately I had to stop because of
lack of time. Nowadays I do this sport as a free time activity only.
SPECIAL APRIL 1 NOTICE
Dear readers
Please do not take the fifth and eighth news seriously (April Fools
Day! an old and honored Czech publishing tradition.) The rest of service
is true.
The editors wish you a very happy Easter.
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