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Carolina (English) No 299
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STUDENTS' 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: (+4202) 22112252, fax: (+4202) 24810987
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
C A R O L I N A No 299, Friday, August 14, 1998.
FROM THE EVENTS OF THE PAST TWO WEEKS (July 30 - August 12)
Zeman's Government Releases Program Statement
Prime Minister Milos Zeman's minority government discussed and
approved the final version of its program statement at the August 5
Cabinet meeting. Unlike previous governments, the Social Democrats made
the program statement public in advance, before the beginning of debate
in Parliament.
The program statement consists of five parts, including an
introduction and a closing chapter. The second part defines the basic
objectives of the government. The third part describes the current
condition of the country and the starting position of the government.
The fourth and largest chapter introduces concrete measures to be taken
in order to achieve the government's goals, measures which should be
converted into drafts of bills submitted for approval to the Chamber of
Deputies and the Senate.
The central objective of the government "is to contribute to Czech
society becoming a society of education, co-participation and
solidarity, and in that sense would transform itself into a modern
society of the 21st century." The government would like to encourage
"permanent and many-sided social dialogue." As to relations between the
public and private sectors, the government is devoted to the European
Union ideal of lasting partnership between those sectors.
"We do not think that it is appropriate to retain in state hands
the economic subjects whose purpose is to pursue maximum profit, but we
also do not think that the subjects which perform public services shall
be subordinated without limit to the invisible hand of the market," said
the second part of the statement.
According to the third part of the statement, the present state of
Czech society results from the effects of 40 years of Communist rule on
the one hand, and on the other hand from the first eight years after the
overthrow of that regime. In the Czech Republic there is "basic economic
stagnation, sometimes considered economic crisis." In such a situation
the government sees the necessity to make the public familiar with the
real state of affairs, and shall present an overall evaluation of the
present situation "free from any ideological ballast and based on solid
statistical data."
In the part reserved for the economy, the need "for a substantial
increase in the transparency of the economic environment and business
relations" was given the highest priority. The government is going "to
grasp firmly the administration of the remaining state shares in
companies." The government will create "a level playing field for the
different kinds of ownership sectors in the economy, and will in
particular eliminate the continuing discrimination against the
co-operative movement." The program statement promises tax reform and
the support and promotion of domestic and foreign investment.
The government declares its commitment "to defend and promote
Czech national interests," and aspires "to integrate the Czech Republic
among the active participants of European and, within its limits, also
of world policy ... Integration of the Czech Republic into the European
Union and membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, together
with maintaining good and stable relations with neighboring states, are
the main priorities of Czech foreign policy," declares the program.
Media and Politicians Comment on Program Statement
The program statement of the new Czech government became the
hottest topic in the Czech media during the last two weeks. After the
statement was published August 5, politicians also took to the media
with their opinions.
Civic Democratic Party (ODS) Chairman Vaclav Klaus on the one hand
said he appreciated that the government "did not resort to nonsensical
language and terminology," and that it "used a specific vocabulary and
does not have bombastic bon mots." On the other hand, in an interview
for the commercial radio network Frequency 1 after his return from
a vacation in Austria, Klaus said: "I consider the main tragedy of the
program statement not its particularities, but its whole. The main
tragedy is that some particular things, which could have been done
separately, in their total result in utter absurdity."
According to Christian Democrat Chairman Josef Lux, the program
statement includes many good aims and intentions, but their generality
is not convincing enough to make his party believe the minority
government will be able to carry them out. The Christian Democrats are
not going to vote for Prime Minister Milos Zeman's Social Democrat
cabinet, because "this government came into being through a contract
which does not guarantee the stable functioning and performance of the
government," said Lux.
The Freedom Union (US) has resolutely rejected the government
program, and will vote against the government.
On the contrary, Vice Chairman of the Communists (KSCM) Vlastimil
Balin said to the CTK wire agency: "There are a number of points in the
program statement which correspond with our party program."
Nevertheless, the Communists do not like the foreign policy of the
government and its support for joining NATO.
War of Words between Czech and German Politicians
Theo Waigel, German Finance Minister and Chairman of the Bavarian
Christian Democratic Union (CSU), labelled statements made by Czech
Prime Minister Milos Zeman in a July 26 TV Prima talk show as a "serious
violation of Czech-German dialogue." When speaking about the
Coordination Council of the Czech-German Discussion Forum founded in the
Czech-German Declaration, Zeman said:
"There should be people who supported the Declaration in the
Discussion Forum. The Sudeten German Landsmannschaft was by no means
among the organizations which supported the Declaration. And as from our
part there are not any Communists and Republicans, I don't see any
reason why the Landsmannschaft should be on the German side."
Waigel objected to the comparison made by Zeman, which put the
members of the Sudeten German expatriate association (Landsmannschaft),
which contains diverse political attitudes, on the same level with the
Czech Communists and neo-fascist Republicans, and asked for an apology.
Zeman's comments became the subject of the first foreign talks for
new Czech Foreign Minister Jan Kavan, who met his German counterpart
Klaus Kinkel July 30 in Berlin. They tried to downplay the event.
However, German Chancellor Helmut Kohl and Bundestag Speaker Rita
Suessmuth later made some critical remarks addressed to Zeman.
Zeman, on vacation and out of the reach of the media, did not join
the aftermath of opinions, and the official government stance was
presented by Vice Prime Minister Egon Lansky, who described the
controversy as a misunderstanding caused by a wrong interpretation of
Zeman's words, and he considered the whole discussion "unfortunate."
Editors of dailies MF DNES and Lidove noviny criticized Zeman,
reminding him that he is no longer the opposition leader, but the prime
minister, who should formulate statements more carefully and whose words
are more strictly evaluated.
Otto Pick, Kavan's first deputy, said to the daily Slovo: "I do not
consider this a fundamental crisis in the Czech-German relations. It is
merely an incident."
After deadline: The Czech-German controversy was still smoldering
when Kohl verbally attacked Zeman at a press conference August 12 for
"totally unacceptable interference" in the German election campaign. It
is not clear what specific statement caused Kohl's angry reaction. Some
sources related it to the above mentioned Zeman performance on the TV
Prima talk show, while others think Kohl meant the German DPA wire
agency story of August 6 which included also other Social Democrat
opinions and Lansky's statement.
Kohl contested the opinion that the present tense relations between
Bonn and Prague could be overcome only by a new Social Democrat
government in Germany.
Havel Recovering after Critical Situation
The medical team taking care of President Vaclav Havel refused to
say whether Havel would go through with his trip to the USA planned for
mid-September.
Havel, who July 26 had his colostomy closed (see Carolina 298), was
afflicted by serious post-surgery complications. While convalescence
from the intestinal operation has proceeded well, breathing problems and
reduced immunity leading to infection and pneumonia forced doctors
August 3 to perform a tracheotomy - opening a hole in the throat for
breathing. The next day his heart rate soared and his blood pressure
dropped, and Havel fell into critical condition, which had to be
stabilized with electroshocks and intensive drug care.
Since then Havel's convalescence has continuously progressed to
such an extent that both Austrian doctors - Ernst Bodner, the surgeon
who closed the colostomy, and Walter Hasibeder, the anesthesiologist who
was invited during the post-surgery crisis - could leave the medical
team and return home. Havel is now eating, he is breathing without the
help of a machine and he is walking and leaving his emergency room in
the Central Military Hospital in Prague.
Doctor are very cautious in making any prognosis and refuse to say
when the tracheotomy is going to be removed. "We don't have to be in
a hurry," said Czech anesthesiologist Bohumil Limberk August 10. It is
supposed that after the tracheotomy will be removed Havel will have to
stay in the hospital one or two more weeks.
Temelin Conflict Resolved by Compromise
A team of 12 experts, eight from the Czech Republic and four
foreigners, will give an opinion on the partially completed Temelin
nuclear power plant by the end of the year. The make-up of the
commission was decided by the Cabinet August 12, and thus fulfilled the
July 1 decision of the previous government and also settled a brewing
conflict between Trade Minister Miroslav Gregr and Environment Minister
Milos Kuzvart, which spilled into the public August 4. Gregr wanted to
limit the the activity of the commission to economic matters and
rejected the participation of foreign experts, while Kuzvart agreed with
the original aim given to the commission by former Prime Minister Josef
Tosovsky. The appraisal of the commission, expected this year, will be
a recommendation whether the Czech Republic should finish the plant.
ECONOMY
Unemployment up, Inflation down
The Czech Republic set a record for unemployment, with the rate for
July reaching 6.1 per cent, the largest percentage recorded since 1989,
according to information released August 10 by the Labor Ministry.
July's increase was influenced by the end of the school year, when
thousands of young people left school and unsuccessfully entered the
working world. Of the 313,841 registered unemployed Czechs, 51,069 are
young and recent graduates.
The inflation rate, which in the first half of the year was above
average levels, declined for the second consecutive month. Despite
increases in state rents and the price of energy, consumer prices rose
in July by 10.4 per cent, less than in the preceding months or in last
summer. Economists expect that the promising trend should move the Czech
National Bank to lower interest rates further.
Skoda Plzen in the Red, Gregr Wants to Help Tatra
Skoda Plzen, which controls the 20 daughter companies with the
Skoda name and other companies like Tatra Koprivnice and Liaz, ended
1997 with a loss of 4.2 billion crowns, despite assurances from General
Director Lubomir Soudek to investors that the loss would not exceed 1.8
billion crowns. Aside from daughter companies in the red, like Tatra
Koprivnice, the poor showing was primarily influenced by the creation of
reserves from problem debts.
While some creditors, such as the Investment and Postal Bank
(Investicni a postovni banka) and Commerce Bank (Komercni banka) have
implied they would welcome a change in Skoda Plzen management, Trade
Minister Miroslav Gregr said Soudek's entrepreneurial vision is not
unrealistic or without hope.
Gregr also promised to push in the government for a plan under
which part of Tatra Koprivnice's debt would by paid by the state's
Consolidation Bank in exchange for new Tatra shares, and the plan would
try to convince Commerce Bank, to which Tatra owes 4 billion crowns, to
do likewise. A debt-free Tatra could more easily find a strategic
foreign investor. The unknown American company SDC International has
expressed interest in buying Tatra with its debts.
Exchange Rates at the Czech National Bank
(valid August 14)
country currency
-----------------------------------
Australia 1 AUD 19.229
Belgium 100 BEF 87.730
Great Britain 1 GBP 52.627
Denmark 1 DKK 4.752
ECU 1 XEU 35.689
Finland 1 FIM 5.952
France 1 FRF 5.398
Ireland 1 IEP 45.432
Italy 1000 ITL 18.349
Japan 100 JPY 22.201
Canada 1 CAD 21.298
Luxemburg 100 LUF 87.730
IMF 1 XDR 42.995
Hungary 100 HUF 14.522
Netherlands 1 NLG 16.055
Norway 1 NOK 4.251
New Zealand 1 NZD 16.306
Poland 1 PLN 9.271
Portugal 100 PTE 17.683
Austria 1 ATS 2.572
Greece 100 GRD 10.816
Germany 1 DEM 18.100
Slovakia 100 SKK 90.986
Slovenia 100 SIT 19.220
Spain 100 ESP 21.321
Sweden 1 SEK 3.978
Switzerland 1 CHF 21.731
USA 1 USD 32.364
CULTURE
Commemorating 1968
On August 20 the MAT cinema in Prague will inaugurate a weeklong
series of documentary films on 1968. To the day 30 years earlier, the
armies of Warsaw Pact countries invaded then-Czechoslovakia and put an
end to the reforms taking place under party secretary Alexander Dubcek.
One of the highlights of the film series is titled 7 Days, which was
completed by director Rudolf Krejcek 30 years ago in Canada. The cycle
will also include films uncovered after the events of 1989.
On August 12 Czech Television broadcast in prime time the first
segment of the three-part documentary Interrupted Spring from Milan
Maryska. Maryska and his dramaturg Jefim Fistejn visited actors in the
events of 1968 in the Czech Republic, as well as in Russia and Slovakia.
Some of them, such as hard-line Slovak Communist Vasil Bilak and
Commander Majorov of the Warsaw Pact Army have not changed their
negative opinion of the reforms of the 1968 Prague Spring. The second
segment will be broadcast August 19, on the eve of the anniversary of
the invasion.
SPORTS
Hasek Voted Best Czech Hockey Player for Fifth Time
Goalie Dominik Hasek took another big step toward the position of
the best Czech hockey player ever by winning his fifth Golden Stick
(Zlata hokejka), the trophy awarded to the best Czech hockey player each
year. He broke the record of Vladimir Martinec, a forward from
Pardubice, who won the trophy four times in the 70's.
Hasek earned points for the trophy twice - on the national team,
which won the Nagano Olympics, and in the NHL. On Buffalo Sabres he
recorded the league's best save percentage and won the prestigious Hart
Trophy as league MVP and the Vezina Trophy for best goalie. Hasek won
the Gold Stick first in 1987, then in 1989, 1990 and 1997.
Jaromir Jagr, who led the NHL in regular-season points, finished
second and Jiri Dopita, the Czech extraleague star, finished third. The
17 top vote-getters played for the national team in Nagano.
The 1998 Gold Stick results: 1. Hasek (Buffalo-NHL) 560, 2. Jagr
(Pittsburgh-NHL) 481, 3. Dopita (Vsetin) 361, 4. Reichel
(N.Y.Islanders-NHL) 247, 5. Slegr (Pittsburgh-NHL) 245), 6. Svoboda
(Philadelphia-NHL) 233, 7. Patera (Vsetin) 218, 8. Kucera (Sparta) 197,
9. Ruzicka (Slavia) 103, 10. Spacek (Florida-NHL) 102.
Prague Recalls Nagano Gold Medal
The nearly complete squad of the Nagano Olympics hockey gold
medalists returned to Prague for an enthusiastic tribute from Czech fans
- a sold-out Prague Sports Hall watched the Dream Match between the
Golden Team and the Stars Team August 6. On the Golden Team, only
goalkeeper Hnilicka and defender Kucera were missing, because they flew
to Japan with their club, Sparta Praha. On the contrary, Petr Svoboda,
who scored the winning goal in the Olympics final and then missed the
cataclysmic celebrations in Old Town Square, played in the exhibition.
Goalie Dominik Hasek (who organized the exhibition with Jaromir Jagr)
received the greatest ovation, along with two players of the Stars Team:
defender Milos Holan, who returned to hockey after suffering from
leukemia, and for one of the most famous defensemen ever, 40-year-old
Russian Vyacheslav Fetisov.
The match was played in a traditional exhibition mood, many goals
were scored and a goal pass was appreciated as much as a goal. In these
conditions the play of the "Blue Line" of Hejduk, Patera and Martin
Prochazka excelled. Hasek again starred, resisting opponents' attacks
for the entire first period. Before the break he provoked Matthew
Barnaby and lost a fight against Jiri Slegr (according to a prepared
script).
The match finished with a 10-7 Golden Team win (goals: Reichel 2, M.
Prochazka 2, Hejduk 2, Rucinsky, Dopita, Slegr, Jagr - Zitnik, Sykora,
Bondra, Palffy, Peca, Satan, Alfredsson).
Soccer League Started, Novices Win, Slavia Bows
The first two rounds of the top soccer league were characterized by
the successful debut of new teams and Slavia's big loss in Ostrava. Fans
were satisfied with the high number of scored goals.
In the June 2 first round both teams promoted to the first league
this year succeeded. Blsany won its first league match ever in Teplice
3-1, while the slightly more experienced Karvina defeated Jablonec 1-0.
In Drnovice the new players presented themselves - Tuma scored twice,
Kadlec and Otepka once. The favorites entered the season feebly, but
with wins - Slavia beat Dukla 2-0, Sparta defeated Plzen 1-0.
The second round finished rather differently for the Prague's
S-men: while Sparta destroyed the weak Karvina team 5-0, Slavia lost to
Ostrava 0-5. Tuma and his Drnovice team continued with their strong
showing, winning in Jablonec the rematch for the last year's FA Cup
final.
Results: 1st round: Liberec - Ostrava 2-2, Slavia - Dukla 2-0,
Hradec Kralove - Olomouc 1-3, Opava - Brno 2-1, Teplice - Blsany 1-3,
Drnovice - Zizkov 4-2, Karvina - Jablonec 1-0, Plzen - Sparta 0-1.
2nd round: Ostrava - Slavia 5-0, Sparta - Karvina 5-0, Brno
- Liberec 0-2, Dukla - Teplice 2-3, Olomouc - Blsany 2-1, Zizkov - Opava
3-2, Hradec Kralove - Plzen 3-0, Jablonec - Drnovice 1-2.
Sparta, Olomouc and Drnovice are at the top of the standings, while
Jablonec, Dukla, Brno and Plzen are still waiting for their first
points.
Czech Teams Enjoy Successful Premieres in European Soccer Cups
Both Czech teams in the second preliminary round of the UEFA Cup
began the competition on their home fields August 11 and put themselves
in excellent position for the rematches. Slavia forgot its debacle in
Ostrava and in the first European cup Czech-Slovak duel crushed Inter
Bratislava 4-0 (halftime 1-0). Vagner scored twice, Kozel and Skala once
each.
Neither did Sigma Olomouc allow a goal and defeated Scottish FC
Kilmarnock 2-0 (halftime 1-0). The goals were scored by Krohmer and
Konig.
The winning streak was closed out by Sparta Praha, which had the
most difficult opponent in the preliminary round of the Champions
League. Dinamo Kiev twice defeated powerhouse FC Barcelona last year,
but on its own field did not manage to score against the well-organized
play of Sparta. Baranek gave Sparta the lead in the 5th minute, which
Sparta maintained until the end.
SPORTS IN BRIEF
* The summer break of the Italian soccer league Seria A livened up
after AS Rome coach Zdenek Zeman, a Czech, accused players of doping,
naming Juventus players Vialli and del Piero.
* The last Czech athletes in the Goodwill Games in New York, beach
volleyball players Celbova and Dosoudilova, finished the tournament with
one win and two loses.
* Skier Katerina Neumannova won the Czech MTB cross country
championships, her teammate Korinek from the Czech Savings Bank (Ceska
sporitelna) won the men's division.
* Martin Doktor won five national championship titles in canoeing and
will be the greatest Czech hope for the World Championships next month.
* The best Czech rower, Vaclav Chalupa, won his 10th national champion
title.
* Italy's Enrico Bertone, in a Ford, won the Barum Rally ahead of
Czech Ladislav Krecek, also in a Ford, and Stary in his Skoda Octavia.
WEATHER
I'm sitting in our building here on Smetana Quay and i don't know
what's better - whether to open the windows and let in the fresh air and
its 35-degree-Celsius/95-degree-Fahrenheit temperature, or to stay in
the cool with the windows closed and without fresh air (for the
uninitiated, air conditioning is as rare as a sandy beach in the Czech
Republic). On the banks of the Moldau River (Vltava), the walnut trees
are turning yellow, maybe from the heat, maybe from exhaust fumes.
Against the backdrop of the unsullied blue sky, each day a little more
smog is visible on the horizon. That's the way it is in Prague August
12, as I look through the newspapers of the past two weeks and try to
choose the relevant in the Czech media for our Carolina readers - but
I am not despairing, a cold front is on the way.
This issue of Carolina was prepared from the Czech media by Milan Smid
and Mirek Langer, translated by Smid and Michael Bluhm, and edited by
Bluhm. We'll be back in a fortnight.
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