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Carolina (English) No 189
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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 189, Friday, February 9, 1996.
FROM THE EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK (January 31 to February 7)
Funeral for Olga Havlova
Family members and close friends bid farewell to first lady Olga
Havlova February 3 at the Motol Crematorium. Havlova died January 27
after a long bout with cancer. Catholic priest Vaclav Maly said on
behalf of the family that "she was always a straight-talking woman who
hated pretentiousness." The urn will be placed in the Havel family tomb
at the Vinohrady Cemetary in Prague.
The public was able to view the coffin and sign a condolence book
February 2 at Prague Castle. Thousands of people came, forming a line of
more than one kilometer (.6 mile) long. The room was to have been open
from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., but closed long after midnight. Mourners
continue burning candles and leaving wreaths at the Havels' private
address in Prague's Stresovice neighborhood. By the end of last week the
President had received more than 5,300 condolences. He thanked everyone
during his weekly radio comments "Talks from Lany (Hovory z Lan)."
Michaela Vysoudilova/Andrea Snyder
Klaus Critizes EU's Agricultural Policies
At the World Economic Forum in Davos February 3, Czech Prime
Minister Vaclav Klaus challenged western countries to abandon
stereotypes of central and eastern Europe connected with their communist
past, and accept them as standard political democracies with liberalized
economies and high degree of private enterprise, capable of working
together. Much attention was called to the exchange of opinions between
Klaus and EU Comissioner Hans van den Broek.
Van den Broek had mentioned, while speaking on EU expansion, that
negotiations with central and eastern Europe will begin after the 1998
intergovernmental conference. He said one of the stumbling blocks for
these countries may be their demands on money used for EU agricultural
and regional policies. Klaus disagreed, asking why countries of the
former East Bloc should attain western standards by way of agricultural
grants and emphasized that if anything needs to be changed, it is the
EU's agricultural policy, which devours most of its budget. The prime
minister said, "when our farmers ask me when they'll have the same
funding as their colleagues in the Union, I answer, 'when the Union
lowers it as we have.'" Klaus' performance met with a stormy response
- Van den Broek answered that the "Czech Republic is joining the
European Union, not the other way around," and added that in the Czech
Republic, agriculture employs not even 4 per cent of the population,
while in Poland and Hungary more than 20 per cent.
At the end of the discussion, Klaus declared the EU does not need
to fear the membership of central and eastern European countries; it
should be easier than the transition from Communism, which they have
already managed.
Matej Husek/Andrea Snyder
Admission to European Union Not Dependent on Church Restitutions
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected the February 2 statement
of Cardinal Miloslav Vlk, who said in a radio interview that the Czech
Republic did not fulfill conditions for applying to the European Union,
because it has not returned confiscated church property. According to
Ministry spokesman Vit Kurfurst, the EU resolution to which Vlk had
referred is not legally binding.
A vast majority of political parties criticized Vlk's declaration,
while only the Christian Democratic Union-Czechoslovak People's Party
(KDU-CSL) supported it fully.
Livia Savelkova/Klara Schirova
The Czech-Moravian Union of the Center Coalition Unites into One Party
Parties represented in the Czech-Moravian Union of the Center
Coalition - the former Czechmoravian Party of the Centre, the Agrarian
Party, the Liberal Social Union and the Christian Social Union - decided
to unite into a single political party at their February 3-4 weekend
congress. They will thus try to raise their chances of staying in
Parliament after this year's elections. To enter Parliament, the former
coalition would have needed at least 11 per cent of votes, while only
5 per cent of votes will suffice for the new party.
Jan Jegla, the standing chairman, was voted leader of the party,
which will continue to carry the name Czech-Moravian Union of the
Center. The party platform emphasizes free education, fair evaluation of
work in the budget sphere and support of small and medium-sized
enterprise.
Michaela Vysoudilova/Klara Schirova
Number of University Students up 50 Per Cent from 1989-90
About 50 per cent more students attend Czech universities this year
than they did six years ago. In the 1989-90 school year, 96,000 people
filled the limited university spaces, while October 1995 statistics show
145,000 students.
This numbers correspond with the 1992 recommendation of a group of
experts from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
(OECD). Before November 1989, 15 per cent of high school graduates were
accepted into universities; last year, this number rose to more than 18
per cent. The OECD recommended the percentage raech at least 25 per cent
by the year 2000.
Approximately one-fourth of the country's university students are
enrolled solely in three-year bachelor's programs, but no official
recognition exists for this degree as a university qualification in
determining wages. According to Ministry of Education representatives,
technical colleges should be developed in future years. More than 100
such schools should operate next year.
Livia Savelkova/Klara Schirova
FROM SLOVAKIA
Slovak Parliament Passes Law Concerning Illegality of Communist Regime
The Slovak Parliament passed a law February 2 concerning the
immorality and illegality of the Communist regime. The law defines the
regime founded on communist ideology illegal, and restricted communism
to the February 25, 1948 to November 17, 1989. Representatives of the
Christian Democratic Movement and the Movement for a Democratic Slovakia
were amongst the strongest supporters, while opposition was led by the
Party of the Democratic Left (SDL).
The law was changed many times during parliamentary debate. First,
the communist regime was called criminal, illegitimate and despicable.
Also the part stating that the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (KSC)
and the Communist Party of Slovakia (KSS) are responsible for the manner
of government from 1948-1989, was change to read that the parties "did
not stop their members and their assistants from committing crimes."
Chairman of SDL Parlimentary Club R. Fico said his party plans to
take the law to court. Fico says the law is unconstitutional because it
introduces ex-post-facto criminality and breaches the statute of
limitations. He added that the law is in conflict with international
agreements to which Slovakia is bound.
Petr Pabian/Andrea Snyder
Slovakia Interested in Consulting with NATO
In an official letter from the Slovak Ambassador to NATO Jan Lisuch
to General Secretary Javier Solan Janurary 24, Slovakia confirmed its
interest in bilateral consultation with NATO. By doing so, Slovakia
responded to NATO's request to partner countries to announce whether
they were interested in individual talks.
Petr Pabian/Andrea Snyder
ECONOMY
Million-Crown Fines for Gas Cartel
Three major gasoline distributors received fines of more than 60
million crowns (more than 2.3 million USD) for a running a cartel over
gasoline prices. Minister for Economic Competition Stanislav Belehradek
leveled a 50-million-crown fine at the private Benzina company, while
the state-owned Benzina was fined 10 million crowns and the Cepro
company was hit with 250,000 crowns in fines.
Belehradek considered the result of a December 15 meeting of the
three companies with Trade and Industry Minister Vladimir Dlouhy as
a cartel agreement; at the meeting, the distributors agreed to make up
for a tax increase on unleaded gas by raising prices of all brands.
The firms maintain their innocence and are considering an appeal.
Dlouhy and Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus criticized Belehradek's decision.
The goal of the price changes discussed, according to the firms, was to
maintain the lower price of ecologically friendly unleaded gas in spite
of the tax increase.
Radim Wolak/Michael Bluhm
Question Mark Hangs Over Kladno's Poldi Steelworks
Closing an agreement to let Skoda Plzen (Plzen) step into Kladno's
Poldi Steelworks is evidently the last chance to keep Poldi in General
Director Vladimir Stehlik's hands. The February 7 meeting between Skoda
General Director Lubomir Soudek and Stehlik, whose Bohemia Art is
Poldi's majority shareholder, did not produce an agreement. The two men
are scheduled to meet again during the weekend. If an agreement with
Skoda cannot be reached, the state will put the steelworks and its
6,000 employees into a public tender, which should result in payment of
Poldi's debts through finding a new owner. Poldi's debts, which total
approximately 4 billion crowns, are owned to its trading partners, to
Commerce Bank (Komercni banka) to cover loans and to the state in
employee insurance payments.
Carolina first wrote about this in issue no. 178 (released January
26), under the headline "Vladimir Stehlik has not payed yet to increase
his share in Poldi Ocel." Stehlik should have paid the
746.5-million-crown debt by January 19. That date was followed
negotiations with the National Property Fund, which had its bank-run
consolidation program refused by Stehlik.
Radim Wolak/Petra Sevcikova
Exchange Rates at the Czech National Bank
(valid from February 9)
country currency
------------------------------------------
Australia 1 AUD 20.608
Belgium 100 BEF 89.340
Great Britain 1 GBP 41.709
Denmark 1 DKK 4.746
Finland 1 FIM 5.922
France 1 FRF 5.347
Ireland 1 IEP 42.938
Italy 1000 ITL 17.249
Japan 100 JPY 25.447
Canada 1 CAD 19.904
Luxemburg 100 LUF 89.340
Netherlands 1 NLG 16.403
Norway 1 NOK 4.212
New Zealand 1 NZD 18.338
Portugal 100 PTE 17.707
Austria 1 ATS 2.612
Greece 100 GRD 11.121
Slovakia 100 SKK 90.139
Germany 1 DEM 18.365
Spain 100 ESP 21.826
Sweden 1 SEK 3.870
Switzerland 1 CHF 22.464
USA 1 USD 27.195
ECU 1 XEU 33.749
SDR 1 XDR 39.776
CULTURE
Czech Philharmonic Leadership Agrees to Albrecht's Resignation
The management of the Czech Philmarmonic Orchestra accepts the
decision of Gerd Albrecht to resign from his position as general
conductor and braek off immediately all contacts with the orchestra,
quotes the press February 1 from an orchestra statement signed by
General Director Jiri Kovar.
Livia Savelkova/Petra Sevcikova
David Bowie Performs in Prague
British singer David Bowie introduced himself February 3 to
a Prague Sport hall filled by about 6,000 spectators. on Sat., Feb.3. It
was in the Prague's sport Arena where came about 6.000 visitors. The
concert, part of Bowie's European tour, favored songs from his new album
Outside, though it also included older songs.
Bowie also used his Prague stay to record some shots at Barrandov
Studios for his new video Hello Spaceboy.
Michaela Vysoudilova/Petra Sevcikova
SPORT
Hockey: Extraleague Regular Season Ends
The last and 40th round of the regular season, played February 4,
decided that Sparta, Vsetin, Ceske Budejovice and Litvinov (the top four
teams) will have a bye in the first round of playoffs. The two
last-place teams - Pardubice and Brno - will play for their
first-league lives against the top two teams from the second league.
The remaining teams will meet in the first playoff round
(best-of-five format): Zlin - Trinec, Slavia - Plzen, Olomouc - Jihlava,
Kladno - Vitkovice.
Results of the 39th round: Pardubice - Zlin 0-5, Trinec - C.
Budejovice 1-1, Brno - Sparta 2-4, Jihlava - Vitkovice 7-8, Plzen
- Kladno 3-10, Litvinov - Vsetin 4-4, Slavia - Olomouc 2-5.
Results of the 40th round: Sparta - Brno 8-1, Zlin - Pardubice
8-4, C. Budejovice - Trinec 5-1, Vitkovice - Jihlava 1-4, Olomouc
- Slavia 4-2, Kladno - Plzen 4-2, Vsetin - Litvinov 6-4.
Final Standings: 1. Sparta, 2. Vsetin, 3. C. Budejovice, 4.
Litvinov, 5. Zlin, 6. Slavia, 7. Olomouc, 8. Kladno, 9. Vitkovice, 10.
Jihlava, 11. Plzen, 12. Trinec, 13. Pardubice, 14. Brno.
Karel Bartek/Klara Schirova
SPORTS IN BRIEF
* Czech Zdenek Mlynar won the bronze medal in the under-22 category
in the Cyclocross World Championship in Montreuil, France. In the main
race, the top Czech finisher was Radomir Simunek (11th).
* Frantisek Jez became the Czech ski jumping double champion in
Jested near Liberec last weekend.
* The markedly weakened Czech Republic soccer representation (Drulak,
Berger, Nemecek, Kuka, Nemec and Latal were missing) lost a preparation
game against the German Bundesleague's Kaiserlautern 1:2. Poborsky
scored the lone Czech goal.
* Czech soccer representation Coach Dusan Uhrin and under-21 Coach
Ivan Kopecky extended their contract with the Czech-Moravian Soccer
Federation for another two years.
Karel Bartek/Petra Sevcikova
TV Premiera Wins NOVA CUP 96
On February 4 the second annual soccer tournament NOVA CUP 96
began. TV Nova, the most popular television station in the country,
organized the contest to mark its two-year broadcasting anniversary.
Eight teams met in two groups: the Nova star team (celebrities),
Parliament, radio Bonton, TV Premiera and Nova (technicians), Czech TV,
Radio Nova Alfa, and the national women's representation squad. The
teams were strengthened by allotted international players. For example,
1976 European champion Antonin Panenka played for Parliament, as did
deputy members of government parties Jiri Payne, from the Civic
Democratic Movement (ODS), and Marek Benda from the Christian Democratic
Party (KDS), while opposition parties were represented by Stanislav
Gross of the Social Democrats (CSSD) and Jiri Ortman of the Left Bloc
(LB). In the final, TV Premiera defeated the Nova technician team 3:1 in
a shootout after a 0:0 regulation tie. In the third place game, Czech
Television beat Bonton.
Ondrej Trunecka/Petra Sevcikova
WEATHER
It is rather cold, considering typical local conditions (minus 10
to minus 15 degrees Celsius/14 to 5 degrees Fahrenheit). But it is still
idyllic compared to the minus 50 degree Celsius/minus 58 degree
Fahrenheit arctic frosts plaguing one-third of the USA. The Brno area
was caught by the floods from the Svratka River, blocked for 1.5
kilometers (about 1 mile) by ice floes as thick as 3 meters (about 10
feet). The floods caused serious damage in the village of Stepanovice.
The freezing weather has brought some happiness to children, though, who
can skate on frozen lakes (this holds true also for the Prague branch of
the Moldau (Vltava) frozen at the National Theater).
Karel Bartek/Petra Sevcikova
English version edited by Michael Bluehm
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