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Carolina (English) No 178
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STUDENT'S E-MAIL NEWS FROM CZECH REPUBLIC
Faculty of Social Science of Charles University
Smetanovo nabr. 6
110 01 Prague 1
Czech Republic
e-mail: CAROLINA@cuni.cz
tel: (+42 2) 24810804, ext. 252, fax: (+42 2) 24810987
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
C A R O L I N A No 178, Friday, November 10, 1995.
FROM THE EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK (November 1 - 8)
Czech Politicians React to Assassination of Israeli Premier
The November 6 funeral of Israel Premier Yitzhak Rabin was attended
by Czech Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus. He and many world political
figures attended the funeral in honor of the memory of the Middle East
peace warrior. The daily Denni Telegraf quoted Klaus, from the telegram
of condolence written to Minister of Foreign Affairs and the new Premier
Shimon Peres, as saying he believes that Rabin's death will "incite
a decisive approach to the realization of existing agreements and
consolidation of new agreements."
Rabin's death deeply touched Czech President Vaclav Havel, who had
recently spoken with Rabin about the prospectives for peace in the
Middle East, at the United Nations General Meeting in New York.
Presidential Spokesman Ladislav Spacek said "Havel is, together with the
Israeli people, shocked by the assassination."
Natasa Hajkova/Alida Kassymova
Doctor's Paper War with Ministry of Health
Since November 2, all health centers and hospitals have restored
their normal regimens. However, the strike caused by doctors'
dissatisfaction with the present state of health care system continues
as an "administrative" strike. Some doctors and hospitals are sending
documents (e.g., disability reports and death certificates) to the
Ministry of Health for further processing.
According to Physicians' Union Club (LOK) Chairman Dr. David Rath,
the administrative strike will be called off only when Minister of
Health Jan Strasky submits to the list of changes requested by doctors.
Jan Palicka/Milan Smid
Parliament Approves Conflict of Interest Law
Parliament approved a law November 2 to keep political
functionaries from exploiting their positions. Under the law, which goes
into effect January 1, functionaries will not be able to have second
jobs, start businesses or be company board members. They will have to
announce gifts and side activities.
Petr Mrzena/Andrea Snyder
Forests Stay Open to Public
Parliament approved a Forest Law November 3, to go into effect
January 1. The law guarantees public access to all privately owned
forests, and, for personal use, the staples they provide.
Owners are not to fence wooded lands, and can limit access only
exceptionally, in the cases defined by law.
Zora Kasikova/Andrea Snyder
Amendment to the Trade-License Law Liberalizes Entrepreneurial Activity
Parliament approved the Ninth Amendment of the Trade-License Law
November 1. Minister of the Economy Karel Dyba said the law is to loosen
up regulations and make starting a business easier. The amendment places
many professions out of the reach of the trade-license law, and
decreases the amount of craft and concession conditioned trades. This
means many entrepreneurial activities will be registered as free trade.
Starting a business will be limited only in the case of a chosen
classical craft, or when public interest requires special regulations.
Something new in the amendment is the category called "operation of
trade in an industrial manner," which makes issuing trade licenses to
large companies simpler. Now a simple trade license for the final
product will be enough, whereas before the company needed a trade
license for every step of production.
Foreigners will also have different conditions to meet before being
granted a trade license. The candidate will have to prove, through
documents from his country of birth or from the country he lived in the
last three years, that he is not under any warrant.
Also, he needs to speak Czech. Within a year, he must prove that he
is capable of giving a summary of and correctly reacting to the contents
of the daily press.
If someone starts a business without the necessary trade license,
the guilty party is to be slapped with a fine of up to 50,000 crowns.
Operating crafts without a license merits a fine of 100,000 crowns, and
concessions can be fined for up to 200,000 crowns.
Matej Huska/Andrea Snyder
Firearm and Ammunition Law
Parliament approved a law November 3 which regulates weapons
ownership. The law is more strict in regards to the registration and
possession of arms. It will go into effect March 1, however, people who
illegally possess weapons will have until the end of 1996 a chance to
legalize their possession and aply for gun licenses.
Zora Kasikova/Andrea Snyder
Prime Minister Wants to Eliminate Some Ministries
Czech Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus announced he wants to reduce the
Ministry of Privatization, the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of
Industry and Trade and the Ministry for Economic Competition into two
ministries. He has proposed eliminating the Ministry of Culture after
the June elections.
Minister of Culture Pavel Tigrid was surprised by the announcement.
The daily MF DNES quoted him as saying "to end the activities of his
ministry is a process that would take several years." Klaus says it will
be neccesary to incorporate certain activities of the Ministry of
Culture into other areas. Head of the Legislative Advisory Board Jan
Kalvoda and President Vaclav Havel both expressed their doubts.
Michaela Vysoudilova/Andrea Snyder
International Society for Human Rights Talks about Racism
The Czech branch of the International Society for Human Rights held
a three-day seminar entitled Racism, Yesterday and Today. The November
8-10 seminar is organized at the 60th anniversary of the so-called
Nurnberg Law. President Vaclav Havel is overseeing the occasion, which
is being organized by the Prague Mayor's Office, the Charter 77
Foundation and other organizations.
Head of the Czech branch Vaclav Vrabec told Carolina: "Racism is
a monstrous and criminal philosophy which brought suffering to millions
of people in Europe. That is why it is neccesary to draw attention to
discriminatory demonstrations today. I can't come to terms with the fact
that skinhead havoc and Romany discrimination aren't being properly
punished." Lecturers from five European countries are focusing on the
theme of Jewish and Romany genocide during World War II, and on the
theme of limiting these national minorities today.
David Vozdecky/Andrea Snyder
Czech Population to Grow Old during Next 25 Years
The number of inhabitants of the Czech Republic will fall below 10
million in the next 25 years (that is, at least 330,000 less residents
than today), according to a study performed by the Czech Office of
Statistics (CSU) quoted in the daily MF DNES.
The cause of the situation lies in a dramatically low birth rate.
"Last year, less children were born than during the extremely low birth
levels of World War I, and in absolute terms the least since 1785, when
the number of births began to be monitored," said Jan Fisher,
vice-chairman of the CSU. Experts believe the situation was effected by
a change in the population's behavior, given by the economic and social
transformation of society. It is expected that this year, for the first
time in the history, less than 100,000 children will be delivered.
Abortions have decreased as well - 120,000 abortions were performed in
1990, while only 64,640 abortions were recorded in 1994, the least since
1964.
Lifespan continues to lengthen. The average lifespan has risen in
comparison to 1990 - men: 69.5 years, up from 67.5 years, and women:
76.6 years, up from 76 years.
By the year 2020, the number of inhabitants younger than 14 will be
doubled by the number of inhabitants older than 60. There will be one
retiree for every two residents of working age. Experts do not expect
similar development in other European countries.
Jitka Motejzikova/Jitka Motejzikova
KDS Platform Against Merge With ODS
Seven of the Christian Democratic Party's (KDS) 11 regions
represented in Parliament supported the preservation of the KDS
platform, at the the constitutional meeting held November 4 in Prague.
KDS can play an important role on the political scene, so there is no
reason for the dismantling strived for by party leadership, according to
KDS spokesman Rostislav Gargulak. Gargulak doesn't believe an
independent KDS would exceed in future elections the five-percent
barrier required to hold seats in parliament. KDS, a member of the
governing coalition, succeeded in the previous election only thanks to
a common candidacy with the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) and the
Christian Democratic Union - Czechoslovak People's Party (KDU-CSL).
Voter preference for KDS hovers stablely around 1 per cent. KDS never
researched the opinion of its membership base on a potential merger with
ODS. According to daily Svobodne Slovo the KDS chairman Ivan Pilip
reacted thusly to the decision: "There is no sense commenting on this
kind of activity". Pilip realizes that 30 per cent of KDS members are
against the merger, but he believes a majority of delegates will confirm
the leadership's support of the merger at the party congress November
18 in Svitava, where the issue should be decided.
Petra Rubesova/Arsen Kocarjan
Ministry of Education Supports Teacher Certification
"Certification will be a voluntary thing, by which good teachers
will prove their abilities, for which they will then be compensated with
higher salaries," said Minister of Education Ivan Pilip, according to MF
DNES. After five years of work teachers could apply for the first level
of certification, and the second level would be attainable after 10 more
years. Certification would mean the possibility of claiming a higher
salary progress and of selecting their position from a range of
educational functions.
Certification commissions will probably start working next year,
while the Ministry of Education will decide on the commissions' make-up.
Zbynek Vicar/Katerina Zachovalova
German and English the Most Wanted Languages in Czech Schools
While German is the predominant foreign language taught in
elementary schools and technical high schools, English is the prevailing
foreign language in elementary-level language schools and high schools.
Those interested in using the language immediately after school prefer
German, while those interested in continuing their studies are choosing
English.
The statistics of the European Commissison for Education show the
favorite language in elementary schools to be English, followed by
French, German, Spanish and Italian.
Viktorie Reschova/Sofia Karakeva
TV and Radio Advertisement for Medicine Possibly Illegal
The Ministry of Health has taken legal action against the TV
station Nova because of the broadcasting of an advertisement for
medicine. Current Czech law allows only print advertisement of
over-the-counter medicines, and Nova's fine for not following the law
could reach 2 million crowns. In relation to the same case, legal action
was also taken against Czech TV. If Parliament approves the new
advertisement law proposed by former Minister of Health and deputy Ludek
Rubas, the whole affair could end without any fines.
Pharmaceutical firms might pay up to 300 million crowns in
advertising. The advertisement of over-the-counter medicines is common
in European countries, according to Commission for Advertising Director
Juraj Podkonicky.
Livia Savelkova/Sofia Karakeva
NEWS IN BRIEF
* Minister of Industry and Trade, and the Civic Democratic Alliance
(ODA) Deputy Chairman Vladimir Dlouhy was released from Bulovka Hospital
November 2, after being treated for hepatitis.
* TV Bingo lost about 50 per cent to 60 per cent of its participants
after recent accusations of fraud in TV Bingo's related game "New
Chance".
* The 10-centimeter stauette of Vestonice Venus, whose origins date
back approximately 25,000 years, was displayed at the Moravian Museum in
Brno from November 2 to November 5.
* Deputy Prime Minister and Civic Democratic Alliance (ODA) Chairman
Jan Kalvoda accused state and police officials for deliberately leaking
secret information, on the November 5 TV program "Seven days".
* The last of more than 1,100 Czech tanks to be destroyed in
accordance with the European Conventional Forces Treaty was demolished
November 7.
Jitka Hejtmanova, Radim Volak/Milan Smid
FROM SLOVAKIA
President Kovac Criticizes Government Coalition Policy
Slovak President Michal Kovac strongly criticized the domestic
policy of the present Slovak government in connection with the EU and
U.S. demarche, in a radio speech November 1.
Kovac rejected Premier Vladmir Meciar's attitude to the demarche,
and denied that he ordered the demarche. The demarche springs from
Western countries' unease regarding the political situation in Slovakia.
"The thing that should be changed is not the president, but the way of
handling internal policy matters." Kovac acccused the Cabinet of
centralizing power and disrespect to the law. These facts are to be
covered up by the "dirty campaign" for removing the president from
office, Kovac said.
"A number of problematic steps of the current government coalition
have not only damaged our international credibility, but have cast doubt
on our direction toward European and transatlantic structures," he said.
These steps are leading Slovakia into international isolation, Kovac
said.
In the conclusion of his speech, Kovac again challenged the
government to a dialogue, saying he has long been prepared for
cooperation. "It would be useful to give up plans for usurpation and the
concentration of power, and concentrate on strengthening a democratic
government and rights and laws," he said in closing.
Meciar reacted to Kovac's speech with an announcement that the
conflict between the government and the president must soon end. "There
are three ways. The president may step down on his own, but he lacks the
personal bravery for that. Parliament may negotiate, and in the end the
citizen as well, in a referendum," said Meciar in the November 4 edition
of the daily MF DNES. Petr Pabian/Michael Bluhm
Journalist Investigating Kidnap of Michal Kovac Jr. Attacked
Peter Toth, a reporter from the Slovak daily SME, was attacked and
beaten up in front of his house on the evening of October 31. After
recieving an anonymous phone call promising further information about
the Michal Kovac Jr. kidnapping case, Toth left for promised meeting,
but no one came to meet him. While returning home he was assaulted by
the unknown attacker.
The Slovak PEN club protested, declaring its fear that violence
against journalists could lead to political murders. "The case of Peter
Toth is a planned and cold-blooded criminal act, which is alarming,"
said the PEN club proclamation, according to Czech press.
Petr Pabian/Katerina Zachovalova
BUSINESS/ECONOMICS
Motoinvest Strengthens Position in Pilsen Bank
The Motoinvest group, which undertook the advertising campaign
encompassing every Czech household in search of investment shares,
announced November 7 it succeeded in ending the battle for control of
Pilsen Bank with the Czech Insurance Company. The Czech Insurance
Company, which at one time owned about 26 per cent of the bank, promised
to sell to Motoinvest the remaining 12.5 per cent that it holds in the
bank. Thus Motoinvest gains a majority of shares in the bank.
Motoinvest this week also reinforced its position in Agrobanka.
Representatives of Agrobanka, the fifth-largest Czech financial
institution and the largest private bank, publicly acknowledged November
7 its part in the financial activities of Pilsen Bank, which has
undertaken hostile buyouts of the country's largest investment funds.
Agrobanka's Vice-Chairman of the Board Pavel Janda announced that Pilsen
Bank recently tried to gain control over Agrobanka's investment funds.
"When we noted these attempts, negotiations began which did not end in
a fight over the funds, but on the contrary in cooperation among our
institutions," Janda told daily MF DNES. He added that Agrobanka is
planning to support Pilsen Bank further in its activities.
Darina Coufalova/Katerina Rus
Budget Surplus At October's End
At the end of October the Czech budget reached a surplus of 12.3
billion crowns. According to Minister of Finance Ivan Kocarnik, the
state of the budget is satisfactory.
Seventy-nine per cent of budget expenditures have been paid out, as
have 85 per cent of investment expenditures, by October 31. The ratio of
Gross National Product to the budget dropped by 0.5 per cent from year,
en exactly half of GNP was distributed by the state.
Lucie Chytrackova/Alida Kassymova
Czech Foreign Trade Increasing
According to information from the Czech Statistical Office, foreign
trade over the first three quarters is up 19.3 per cent from 1994's
first nine months. Imports during ther first three quarters increased by
29 per cent, and exports by 9.3 per cent. Imports most often went to
Germany (26 per cent) and Slovakia (13.2 per cent).
Lucie Chytrackova/Alida Kassymova
Exchange Rates at the Czech National Bank
(valid from Nov. 10)
country currency
------------------------------------------
Australia 1 AUD 19.586
Belgium 100 BEF 90.304
Great Britain 1 GBP 41.703
Danemark 1 DKK 4.791
Finland 1 FIM 6.188
France 1 FRF 5.394
Ireland 1 IEP 42.682
Italy 1000 ITL 16.583
Japan 100 JPY 25.840
Canada 1 CAD 19.508
Luxemburg 100 LUF 90.304
Netherlands 1 NLG 16.580
Norway 1 NOK 4.218
New Zealand 1 NZD 17.190
Portugal 100 PTE 17.682
Austria 1 ATS 2.638
Greece 100 GRD 11.279
Slovakia 100 SKK 89.388
Germany 1 DEM 18.567
Spain 100 ESP 21.557
Sweden 1 SEK 3.946
Switzerland 1 CHF 23.027
USA 1 USD 26.414
ECU 1 XEU 34.143
SDR 1 XDR 39.478
CULTURE
After Nitra, Pilsen
The international theater festival Divadlo 95 took place in
Pilsen's Tyl Theater from November 2 through 5. The opera performance of
Kriticka noc (Critical Night) by a group from Ceske Budejovice opened
the program.
Russian works were popular, expecially the immortal Chekhov:
Slovenian Mestno Gledalisce Ljublansko presented The Seagull and the
Theater Na zabradli presented The Inspector-general, in a stage adaption
by Petr Lebl. Theater afficionados had the chance to see some of these
plays at the festival in Nitra, Slovakia. One of the biggest enticements
of the festival was the performance of The President by Werner Schwab,
realized by the Vienna Burgtheater. The Wilma Theater from Philadelphia
and Theatre Cryptic from Glasgow provided further foreign
representation.
Klara Schirova/Jitka Motejzikova
A World Disappeared in Pictures
Roman Vishniac's exhibit depicting pre-war ghettos in Eastern
Europe opened in the Theresian Wing of Prague Castle November 2.
The exhibit, named A World Disappeared, contains 60 photographs
from Poland, Transcarpathian Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania and
Czechoslovakia. The photographs, which Jewish doctor Vishniac took with
a hidden camera in the years 1935-1940, show Jewish lifestyle in
portraits of grocers, rabbis and schoolmasters. Only a few of the
original 16,000 negatives were preserved. The large exhibit was made
from negatives saved in the USA in the 1970's. The Prague exhibition
lasts till January 7.
Klara Schirova/Jitka Motejzikova
SPORTS
Stop for Hradec Kralove in Cup Winners' Cup
Despite a heroic performance at home, and a victory 1-0 in the
return match with the Russian team Dynamo Moskva, the Czech soccer team
Hradec Kralove did not advance to the third round of the European Cup
Winners' Cup November 2. Because the overall result ended in a tie
- Hradec Kralove was defeated 0-1 in the first match in Moscow - the
match went into overtime. After no overtime goals were scored, penalty
kicks proved decisive. Hradec Kralove did not score in three tries.
Karel Bartek
Who Meets Whom in European Cup Competitions?
In the third round of the UEFA Cup, Sparta will play one of the
best Italian teams, AC Milan. Slavia will meet the Racing Lens, the
third-place team in the French soccer standings. Karel Bartek
Sparta Again at the Top of Standings
After defeating Brno, Sparta climbed on the top of the standings
again in the 13th round of the premier soccer league. Liberec lost the
leading position after a draw in Drnovice.
Results of the 13th round: Drnovice-Liberec 0-0, Jablonec-Cheb
0-0, Ceske Budejovice-Opava 1-1, Uherske Hradiste-Zlin 1-1,
Plzen-Zizkov 1-0, Sparta-Brno 4-0, Ostrava-Olomouc 3-1. David Sprincl
Czech Hockey Team Lost in Finals of German Cup
The Czech national hockey team couldn't repeat last year's victory
in the German Hockey Cup, losing in the finals to the Germans 1-2.
Results in the group: CR-Finland 6-7 (1-3, 2-1, 3-3), CR-Sweden
3-0 (0-0, 0-0, 3-0). Finals: Germany-CR 2-1 in overtime (0-0, 0-1, 1-0
- 1-0). David Sprincl
Results of Ice Hockey Extraleague
18th round: Zlin-Pardubice 1-4, Plzen-Olomouc 4-2,
Kladno-Vitkovice 3-2, Slavia-Ceske Budejovice 4-2, Trinec-Sparta 7-5,
Jihlava-Litvinov 2-6, Brno-Vsetin 4-10.
Standings: 1. Vsetin 31, 2. Litvinov 28, 3.Sparta 25, ... 13. Plzen
10, 14. Brno 10. David Sprincl
WEATHER
Last week the first snow fell throughout the whole country. In the
mountains, skiing has already begun.
Edited by Michael Bluhm
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