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Carolina (English) No 114
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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 114, Friday, April 15, 1994.
EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK (April 6-13)
Seven Presidents to Gather in Litomysl
The presidents of seven central European countries - Hungary,
Germany, Poland, Austria, Slovenia, and the Slovak and Czech republics
- are set to meet at an informal meeting April 15th - 16th in eastern
Czech town of Litomysl.
Plans for the meeting, held under the invitation of Czech President
Vaclav Havel, were born during a similar meeting in July 1993.
Meeting participants hope to create a favorable international
climate in Central Europe region and to contribute to good relations
between individual countries. No fundamental political negotiations nor
agreements will come out of the meeting, Havel spokesman Ladislav Spacek
said.
According to the preliminary program, the presidents will hold
common talks Friday afternoon and Saturday.
During the summit, the presidents will tour the city and attend
a performance of Bolek Polivka's play "The Fool and the Queen." Czech
Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus is scheduled to attend a festive dinner
Friday as a guest of the conference.
Katerina
Czech Leader Meets Polish Counterparts in Poland with Waldemar Pawlak
Czech Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus met Sunday with Poland's Waldemar
Pawlak on issues of mutual cooperation, payment of Polish debts to the
Czech Republic, and possible membership of the Czechs and Poles in the
European Union. The two met at the Polish castle Czocha, close to the
Czech border. They agreed that the economic ministers of both countries
will meet in the near future. Natalie
Defamation of Government Law Partially Repealed
The Czech Constitutional Court complied with President Vaclav
Havel's demand that it reject a law prohibiting defamation of the
government, parliament or high court.
Havel called for the court to act last November, when he signed
a package of new criminal laws that included the controversial measure.
Havel could have refused to sign the law and sent it back to Parliament
for more discussion, but didn't. (Please see Carolina issues 95 and 96.)
Havel welcomed the judges action, saying it confirms the important
role of the Constitutional Court in the Czech governmental system.
However, the court ruling does not affect a similar section of the
law dealing with defaming the president. Jiri Hanak, writing in
Wednesday's Lidove Noviny, expressed disappointment that Havel didn't
call on the court to void that measure. Arrests for defamation of the
president and the republic were favorite repressive tactics of the
communist regime, Hanak wrote.
Radim
Havel Signs Amendment to Labor Law
Czech President Havel signed an amendment to the labor law April 6,
(see Carolina issue 112), as was announced on the Sunday, April 10 radio
program "Hovory z Lan" (Talks from Lany).
However, the Castle told the wire agency CTK on Friday April 8 that
Havel had yet to make a final decision on the bill.
The date-fudging is explained by the fact that the presidential
office prefers that Havel's talk concern not only general thoughts but
also topical information which could be published in Monday's newspaper.
Unions Meet, Elect New Chairman
The Czech-Moravian Board of Trade Union Alliances (CMKOS) held its
convention April 8 and 9 in Prague's Palace of Culture. It is the
largest union central, made up of 3.5 million union workers in 38
unions. Nearly 1,500 delegates took part in choosing CKMOS bylaws,
leadership and program.
Richard Falbr, previously vice-chairman, was elected as the new
chairman Friday night. He won 943 votes out of 1,362. After voting, he
said that he must radicalize the union central. The previous chairman,
Vladimir Petrus, was named honorary CMKOS chairman.
On the first day of the convention, Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus
addressed the delegates, telling them the government considers the union
organization "an important element of our democratic society," putting
the main emphasis on union influence in business. Klaus again criticized
the March union demonstration (written about in Carolina 111), as
several delegates whistled and shouted their disagreement.
After thunderous discussion, new CMKOS bylaws were approved on the
first day of the convention. After the vote, a few representatives of
smaller associations, whose influence was decreased by the new rules,
left the room.
Conflict Over People's House Ends
A conflict over ownership of the People's House on Hybernska Street
in Prague between the Czech Social Democratic Party (CSSD) and the
Ministry of Finance ended in favor of CSSD.
The District Court in Prague decided April 8 that the joint share
holding group Cil, largely owned by CSSD, has rights to the house. The
court rejected the Finance Ministry's contention that Cil was
nationalized in 1948, and as a result, the People's House belongs to the
state.
Former Social Democrat chairman Josef Horak, who testified in court,
was pleased with the verdict. But Finance Minister Miroslav Purkyne also
said he was satisfied. Purkyne said he doesn't feel beaten, because the
Ministry of Finance merely wanted to determine who the house's owner
was.
Conference of the People's Democratic Alliance Confirm the Status Quo
In addition to economics, transformations in Czech society must have
a deeper impact on the areas of education, housing and social politics,
said Daniel Kroupa, vice-chairman of ODA, during a weekend coalition
conference in Brno.
The conference focused mainly on questions of security, pushing the
Czech Republic's entrance into the EU and NATO, decentralizing state
control, and supporting in the establishment of regional authorities.
The last issue addressed was the cause of attitude polarization within
the governmental coalition.
Foreign Minister Josef Zieleniec Lectures at Faculty of Law
Josef Zieleniec spoke April 7 at the Faculty of Law on the delicate
topic of Czech entry to European economic and security structures.
Although Zieleniec did not deny the Czech Republic's goal to be the
first former communist country to be admitted to Western organizations,
he emphasized throughout his hour-long Czech Foreign Politics lecture
the need for other Visegrad countries to be included.
It is vitally important for Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and even
Austria to be united in economic and security organizations, he said.
Zieleniec also emphasized that NATO membership carries great
obligations. Besides finances, there is the fact that "our soldiers may
have to fight in a foreign country, in a seemingly foreign conflict," he
said.
In discussion, questions concerning foreign affairs dominated. When
questioned about Russian opposition to central European countries being
joining NATO, Zieleniec emphasized Czech independence.
Anti-Romany Racism Called Worst in Czech and Slovak Republics
The highest number of racially-motivated attacks against Romanies in
the past few years took place in the former Czechoslovakia, said the
president of the International Association of Romanies, Rajko Djuric, at
a meeting of the association's presidium last week in Brno.
The International Association of Romanies is a non-governmental
organization associated with United Nations. It is making an effort to
gain recognition of the Romany, or Gypsy, minority in 26 countries in
which it operates. Currently, only Italy, Austria, Slovenia and
Macedonia grant such recognition.
The presidium called the United Nations to declare 1995 a Year of
Peace, to call a peace conference in Sarajevo and to create a European
peace prize named for Willy Brandt, the late former chancellor of West
Germany.
Viktor
New Miss Czech Republic Chosen
20-year-old Brno university student Eva Kotulanova was chosen Miss
Czech Republic April 9 in Brno. The first runner-up was 18-year-old
Katerina Vondrova, a student from Lovosice, and second runner-up was
21-year-old Lenka Belickova, a chef from Karlovy Vary.
The title of Miss Press 1994 belongs to Dagmar Vranova, a producer
from Zlin. She won in a reader's competition from 13 Czech periodicals.
More than 500 women from the republic competed for the title of beauty
queen. The auction of crown, slippers, and sash of the new Miss brought
about 313,000 Czech crowns. The money will be donated to the Foundation
Against Breast Cancer for purchase of a mammograf machine.
Eleven Million Crowns for Foundation called Children's Brains
The Helena Mysakova Foundation has given more than 11 eleven million
Czech crowns to Jindrich Vodicka, minister of Work and Social Affairs in
order to support the organization Children's Brains.
The money will be used to provide home treatment and to help family
work with children, teenagers and other persons with disorders of the
central nervous system.
Helena Mysakova is very ill, and since April 6 has been receiving
hospital treatment in a neurological clinic in Prague.
Her husband and other relatives gained a former shop in Prague as
part of the restitution program, but because of their old age they sold
it and in 1992 they gave 6 million crowns to buy equipment for
children's neurology, epileptic treatment, and to make the basis for
Children's Brains.
In the Czech Republic there are several tens of thousands of
handicapped children. Private financial support helps them when money
from medical services and health insurances are not enough.
The couple made that donation with the term that they remain
anonymous. Only now did Mysakova agree to release of their names and the
proposal that financial support will be named after her husband.
Fatema
Interest in Charles University Study Steady
Interest in studying at the Charles University stayed at the same
level as last year, so the university decided to accept 5 percent more
students over 1993.
The university cannot accept more students due to lack of audience
halls and funding, which it will receive from the national budget.
Karel Maly, rector of Charles University, said the biggest interest
is in the Philosophical Faculty of Charles University. Last year 4,823
people applied for it, compared to 7,500 this year. Almost the same
amount of interest was shown in the Pedagogical Faculty. On the
contrary, the Faculty of Social Sciences of Charles University (FSV UK)
received of 500 applications less than the other faculties, where
approximately every tenth applicant was admitted in 1993.
The main difficulty being accepted at FSV UK will be for students
wishing to study journalism. The school received 780 applications for
55 places.
This old and famous university celebrated April 7 the anniversary of
foundation in 1348.
Fatema
Vaclav Wallis Sentenced
Vaclav Wallis, a former employee of the national security and
counter-espionage services was sentenced by the Parliamentary Court
April 8 to 37 months in prison.
Wallis was convicted of illegally selling information to Victor
Kozeny, president of Harvard privatization funds.
The security agencies had asked for especially stern punishment, but
the court ruled that the crimes did not cause significant damage to the
agencies.
Wallis has been in prison 14 months.
Evzen
Deadly accident involves 50 cars
Heavy fog and eight centimeters of fresh snow lead to a fatal
late-morning accident on the Prague-Brno motorway April 11 involving
nearly 50 vehicles.
Two people were killed, five severely injured and many slightly
injured in the pile-up of 48 cars and trucks ended with light injuries.
Towing services were pulling away demolished cars until four hours after
the crash.
The accident happened shortly after 11 a.m. 15 kilometers from
Prague.
Police are examining the cause of the accident but according to the
information from the scene a truck skidded and other cars crashed into
it.
Repairs on Old Town's Horlogue
According to Michaela Kucharova, press assistant to Prague's major,
general repairs on the Old Town Horlogue, the ancient clock in the
center of Prague, will last from April 5 to June 30.
Hainz, Czech Watch Firm, has been caring for the monument since
1865. After seven years, academic painters will renovate the facade.
The final reconstruction of the Old Town's Town Hall should also
finish along with the repairs of the horlogue so that it will be open to
tourists in the tourism season.
Sofi
CULTURE
Honored Milan Kundera Is Impossible To Be Caught
Last week, author Milan Kundera marked his 65th birthday, as usual,
away from the public eye. But a review of his work is still in order.
Kundera was born in April 1, 1929, in Brno. After the high school
he graduated from the Film Faculty of the Academy of Art in Prague where
he started in 1952 to give lectures on world literature, writing the
book of essays "The Art of the Novel," while there.
He debuted his literature work with his book of poems "Monologs" in
the fifties and went on with the novel "The Joke," and the book of
stories "Laughable Loves."
His dramas "The Owners of Keys" and "Jacques and His Master" were
performed in theaters but these were the last things he did in
Czechoslovakia. In 1970, he lost his job, and emigrated to France,
losing his Czech citizenship.
The new country accepted him. Kundera became a university professor
of the world literature and continued his literary work. He wrote the
novels "Life Is Elswhere," "A Farewell Party," "The Book of Laughter and
Forgetting," and "The Unbearable Lightness of Being," which was made
into a film in America. His most recent novel is "Immortality."
Unlikely a number of Czech writers living abroad, Kundera did not
return to his home country after the revolution. His latest works are
written in French and then translated into Czech and other languages.
Kundera is probably the best-known Czech writer abroad and his work
is well discussed. He himself says: "The only thing I care about from
all I wrote are my novels."
Zuzana/Zuzana
Spanish Opera Stars in Prague
The famous Jose Carreras, tenor, and Montserrat Caballe, sopranist,
both from the world of Spanish opera, will perform in the exclusive Maj
concert in Prague's Rudolfinum.
Carrera and Caballe will perform melodies from Gaetan Donizettih's,
Giocchin Rossini's and Guiseppe Verdi's operas and other opera melodies.
Tickets will cost about 1,OOO Czech crowns, according to
information. Aram
ECONOMICS
Stock Exchange Marks First Year
The Prague Stock Exchange celebrated its first year Wednesday, April
6.
The year saw 70 trading periods with 54 billions Czech crowns
traded. The share of direct deals is 69 percent, which is 36 billion
crowns, and buying in the central market represented 16 billions. There
are now 1,007 stocks offered. Best performers of the year included Ceska
sporitelna, CS First Boston, Komercni banka, Raxer and Komero.
Fight For the Coupons Starts
The most important part of the second wave of coupon privatization,
when people and funds book shares of companies, started Monday, April
11.
During the second round investors can choose a stake in 861
companies.
Stock Exchange Report
Between March 31 and April 12, total selling was 2 billion Czech
crowns, with a high April 7 of 720.5 million crowns.
On April 7, began the official stock exchange list,
commemorating one year of existence of the stock exchange. Its name is
"PX 50", i.e. Prague Index 50. There are 50 shares on it, the ones most
often traded. These 50 shares represent about 92 per cent of total
trading on Prague's stock exchange.
EXCHAGE RATES OF THE CZECH NATIONAL BANK (valid from April 14)
CHECKS CASH
country Buy Sell Middle Buy Sell
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Australia 1 AUD 21.428 21.644 21.536 20.47 22.61
Belgium 100 BEF 84.110 84.956 84.533 81.83 87.23
Great Britain 1 GBP 43.792 44.232 44.012 42.59 45.43
Denmark 1 DKK 4.420 4.464 4.442 4.24 4.64
Finland 1 FIM 5.381 5.435 5.408 4.91 5.91
France 1 FRF 5.061 5.111 5.086 4.89 5.29
Ireland 1 IEP 42.301 42.727 42.514 40.51 44.51
Italy 1000 ITL 18.129 18.311 18.220 17.45 18.99
Japan 100 JPY 28.686 28.974 28.830 27.53 30.13
Canada 1 CAD 21.587 21.803 21.695 20.81 22.59
Luxemburg 100 LUF 84.110 84.956 84.533 81.53 87.53
Netherland 1 NLG 15.412 15.566 15.489 15.01 15.97
Norway 1 NOK 3.995 4.035 4.015 3.87 4.17
New Zealand 1 NZD 16.866 17.036 16.951 16.20 17.70
Portugal 100 PTE 16.964 17.134 17.049 15.87 18.23
Austria 1 ATS 2.459 2.483 2.471 2.41 2.53
Greece 100 GRD 11.818 11.936 11.877 11.17 12.59
Germany 1 DEM 17.290 17.464 17.377 16.92 17.84
Spain 100 ESP 21.371 21.585 21.478 20.48 22.48
Sweden 1 SEK 3.757 3.795 3.776 3.62 3.94
Switzerland 1 CHF 20.564 20.770 20.667 20.17 21.17
USA 1 USD 29.704 30.002 29.853 29.15 30.55
EC-ECU 1 XEU 33.500 33.836 33.668 -- --
IMF-SDR 1 XDR 41.509 41.927 41.718 -- --
Slovakia 1 XCU -- -- 33.668 -- --
SPORT
Olomouc Is The Winner Of The Hockey League
For the first time, Olomouc has won the first league. Even though in
the first part their team was in seventh place, they won the play-off.
The last match was played on Monday, April 11th against the team
from Pardubice. Olomouc beat them 2 to 1. The champion team coach Josef
Augusta said he started believing in victory "just four second before
the end."
2Oth Round Of The Soccer League
First-place Sparta Praha gained two points in Vitkovice, but the
victory was very lucky. Second-place Slavia Praha beat dangerous Banik
Ostrava 1:0, and moved from the third Ceske Budejovice, which lost to
Viktorie Zizkov. The others results are: surprisingly high victory of
Slovan Liberec over Bohemians Praha (4:0) and Viktorie Plzen over Svit
Zlin (4:1), while the loss of Dukla was predictable. Dukla Praha - Petra
Drnovice 0:2, Sigma Olomouc - nion Cheb 1:1, SKP Hradec Kralove - Boby
Brno 1:0.
21st round Of The Soccer League
The most attractive match was undoubtedly the "derby" of the
Prague's "S". Ten thousand spectators could see Slavia leading, but
after that because of better experience and well-shooting Horst Siegel
Sparta change the score to 4:1 and moved forward to the title. Clear
enough is the situation in the back of the race, with Vitkovice loosing
seven points and Dukla Praha twelve. Bohemians Praha - Viktoria Plzen
0:0, Banik Ostrava - Slovan Liberec 2:0, Union Cheb - Dukla Praha 2:1,
SKP Hradec Kralove - Viktoria Zizkov 3:2, Svit Zlin - Ceske Budejovice
1:0, Boby Brno - Sigma Olomouc 0:1, Petra Drnovice - Vitkovice 2:0.
WEATHER
This week we got back into winter with cloudy skies, heavy rains and
a bit of snow. Daytime temperatures were between 5 and 9 degrees
centigrades and by night slightly over zero. Sofi
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