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Carolina (English) No 342
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STUDENTS' E-MAIL NEWS FROM THE CZECH REPUBLIC
Charles University in Prague
Faculty of Social Sciences
Smetanovo nabr. 6
110 01 Prague 1
Czech Republic
e-mail: CAROLINA@mbox.fsv.cuni.cz
tel: (+4202) 22112252, fax: (+4202) 24810987
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
C A R O L I N A No 342, Friday, August 13, 1999.
FROM THE EVENTS OF THE PAST TWO WEEKS (July 29 - August 11)
Havel in the Balkans
After returning from his nine-day vacation in Iceland, President
Vaclav Havel arrived in Bosnia July 30. He visited the Czech SFOR unit
and in Sarajevo he attended the meeting of 39 heads of state and 17
representatives of international organizations who approved the
Stability Pact for the Balkans. Due to time constraints Havel did not
speak, but the text of his speech was included among the summit's
official documents.
Milan Smid/Sofia Karakeva
First Problems for Civic Initiative Impulse 99
A week after the public proclamation of Impulse 99 (see Carolina
341), doubts were raised concerning the financing of this initiative and
the authenticity of certain signatures. Radio announcer Vaclav Moravec
became he first signatory to withdraw his signature from the list
because of ethical reasons.
The organizers of Impulse 99, joined by 1,700 signatories since
August 9, refuse to disclose the names of sponsors. They have disclosed
only publisher Martin Jan Stransky, who provided the initiative with
space in one of his buildings in downtown Prague. According to the law,
as a civic association Impulse 99 is not required to disclose its
sources of financing.
The movement's initiators had to withdraw from the petition the
signature of Supreme Court Chief Justice Eliska Wagnerova, who said she
agrees with the initiative's activity but as a judiciary representative
cannot be involved in such associations. According to Impulse
spokeswoman Jana Smidova, Wagnerova's name appeared on the list during
the "hectic days" when dozens of people were joining the initiative in
different ways. Based on the comments of Journalists' Syndicate
spokeswoman Irena Valova, who declared journalists' support of similar
initiatives unprofessional, Moravec, moderator for radio station
Frekvence 1, withdrew his signature from the list. Commentators are
still filling newspapers with thoughts on the initiative.
Lenka Nejezchlebova/Sofia Karakeva
Fight for TV NOVA Escalates
The dispute between CET 21 and CNTS over control of TV NOVA (see
Carolina 329, 336) entered a new stage after license-holder CET 21
interrupted the August 5 broadcasting of former partner CNTS
- 99%-owned by the American corporation CME - and launched its own
broadcasting from the Barrandov movie studios.
After CNTS was cut off from the airwaves, advertising companies
have to deal with CET 21, fully controlled by Vladimir Zelezny, former
head of CNTS. CME is taking legal action against Zelezny and CET 21 for
breaching agreements that required CET 21 to receive all its programming
and services from CNTS, which in the meantime is trying to find another
broadcaster who could to show the programs prepared for TV NOVA. CNTS,
now run by former TV NOVA news chief Jan Vavra, has negotiated
repeatedly with Galaxie, a cable and satellite broadcaster. Since August
11 CNTS has presented its news bulletins at http//www.cnts.cz/live.
The Czech Broadcasting Council regulatory body is going to deal
with the matter August 17.
Milan Smid/Milan Smid
Zeman Meets Dzurinda while on Holiday
From August 2 Prime Minister Milos Zeman and his Cabinet are on
a three-week holiday. Zeman traveled July 30 for a week to Slovenia,
where he met July 31 with his Slovak counterpart Mikulas Dzurinda.
According to Jindrich Marek from the Government's press department, the
statesmen discussed during lunch the division of former federal
property, but they reached no agreement. Dzurinda still insists on the
so-called "zero alternative," according to which both parties would
rescind all claims.
Milan Smid/Sofia Karakeva
Senate Approves Czech Citizenship for Emigres
The Senate discussed and approved an amendment to provide Czech
citizenship to certain Czech emigres (see Carolina 340). The amendment
concerns mainly those who were deprived of their citizenship since
February 25, 1948 until March 28, 1990. The amendment should affect some
30,000 emigres.
Interior Minister Vaclav Grulich said the change will mean the end
of the previous ban on dual citizenship, although only qualifying
emigres will be allowed to keep dual citizenship. They can regain Czech
citizenship with a declaration in a city or county office without having
to give up their other passports.
The amendment will allow emigres to buy immovables in the Czech
Republic, but does not solve the long-discussed problem of restitution.
Grulich said the process must proceed gradually. The first step, he
added, is the return of Czech citizenship, the second the question of
voting eligibility and the third is "to deal with the question of
property restitution or at least compensation for damages caused to
emigres by the former regime."
During its ninth meeting August 5, the Senate also approved the
European Social Charter, which provides for basic social standards in EU
countries.
Milan Smid/Sofia Karakeva
Czech Republic Seeks Temporary Exemption from EU Rules
Josef Kreuter, head of the Czech mission to European Union, July
30 presented the country's position documents on the free movement of
capital to the EU Council and EU Commission in Brussels. The document
was approved by the Czech Cabinet July 28. The Czech Republic is asking
for a transitional period after its becomes an EU member in which EU
citizens would be prohibited from purchasing agricultural land, forests
and real estate, with the exception of factories and industrial parcels,
unless the buyer has a permanent seat in the country. The length of the
transitional period was not proposed in the document and should be part
of accession negotiations.
Milan Smid/Milan Smid
Who Will Replace Vaclav Benda in Senate?
Independent candidate Vaclav Fischer, travel-agency owner, and
Civic Democratic Party (ODS) candidate Jirina Jiraskova, the actress,
have the best chance to advance to the runoff in the Senate election in
Prague's first district to fill the chair empty since the death of
Senator and former dissident Vaclav Benda. According to a poll taken by
the STEM agency, Fischer was the choice of 29 per cent of respondents
and Jiraskova was preferred by 26 per cent of respondents. Ivan Medek,
nominated by the four-party coalition (the Freedom Union, Christian
Democrats, Civic Democratic Alliance and Democratic Union) was selected
by 19 per cent of respondents, Communist Stanislav Fischer by 9 per cent
and Social Democrat candidate Karel Srp by 8 per cent.
Milan Smid/Milan Smid
NEWS IN BRIEF
* The Czech Statistics Office announced that the Czech Republic had
10,289,621 inhabitants as of December 31, which is 9,604 people less
than a year before.
* President Vaclav Havel August 2 accepted the resignation of Czech
Statistics Office (Cesky statisticky urad, CSU) Chairman Edvard Outrata.
The new chairwoman, Marie Bohata, is a researcher at the Macroeconomic
Institute of the Academy of Sciences and will take office in September.
* Defense Minister Vladimir Vetchy declared support for the
open-door policy of NATO during his three-day visit to Bulgaria from
July 30-August 1. According to Vetchy, the Czech Republic's priority is
Slovakia's membership in NATO, but it is also interested in the
incorporation of Bulgaria.
* A police helicopter used for a parachuting exercise by the
police's anti-terrorist squad crashed near the Orlik dam August 5,
falling on the fully occupied Radava campsite. Two policemen were killed
in the accident and two others were seriously injured. No campers were
injured.
Milan Smid/Milan Smid
FROM SLOVAKIA
Government Coalition Disharmony
Conflicts within the coalition Government came to a head August 9
with the resignation of Transportation Minister Gabriel Palacka, one of
those closest to Premier Mikulas Dzurinda. A new conflict then began to
take shape over the future of Government leader the Slovak Democratic
Coalition (SDK), which formally became a political party before last
year's general elections. The SDK arose from a grouping of five parties,
and Christian Democrat Chairman and Justice Minister Jan Carnogursky has
now come out in favor of dissolving the SDK into five separate parties,
saying "The SDK became a party because the Voting Act did not allow
coalitions - in other words, under pressure, and not naturally."
Dzurinda rejects the dissolution, evidently fearing for his position.
Michael Bluhm/Michael Bluhm
ECONOMY
Finance Ministry Proposes Deficit Budget for 2000
Work on the 2000 state budget began August 3 with the signature of
Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Pavel Mertlik on the order
for the budget's preparation. The proposed budget is to show a deficit
of 39.8 billion crowns, 8.8 billion crowns more than the 1999 budget,
said ministry spokesman Libor Vacek.
Individual ministries are to present their budget proposals by
August 20, the first Social Democrat Cabinet discussions of the budget
are slated for September 8, with a September 30 deadline to present
a budget proposal to Parliament.
The planned deficit has met with disapproval from all other
political parties (the Civic Democratic Party, the Freedom Union and the
Christian Democrats) except the Communists, who have yet to take a stand
on the proposal.
This year's planned 78.8-billion-crown deficit is expected to wind
up being closer to 50 billion crowns.
Pavlina Hodkova/Michael Bluhm
Summer Crisis in Vitkovice
Steel and engineering giant Vitkovice August 2 went under the
control a seven-member crisis team, led by new General Director
Bronislav Zelinsky. The other member are representatives of the board of
directors, experts and former division chiefs, who all lost their jobs
July 26. Vitkovice is hoping for a 500-million-crown loan from the
Consolidation Bank, which has yet to decide whether it will offer the
Ostrava institution any financial assistance.
Pavlina Hodkova/Michael Bluhm
New Owner for Poldi?
Zdenek Zemek, who purchased the Poldi Steel Mill at the beginning
of last year for 200 million crowns and apparently lacks the financing
to continue in his attempt to revive the colossus, has decide to sell
it. Zemek is asking for 650 million crowns, the amount recently offered
him by former owner Vladimir Stehlik.
Zemek had some luck in resuscitating the mill - in spring 1999
Poldi resumed production and hired new employees (see Carolina 204,
220, 225, 240), but there was a lack of money for production at the
beginning of this year. One-third of Poldi's employees were sacked,
leaving 620 - of them, 200 received pink slips August 1. The unions
consider the notice invalid.
The only publicly known potential buyer is Mossei International
Holding, owned by Josef Totzauer, who works with Stehlik and plans for
Stehlik to occupy some managerial function. Totzauer has offerred 450
million crowns, but there are thought to be other interested parties.
Pavlina Hodkova/Michael Bluhm
ECONOMY IN BRIEF
* Czech Savings Bank (Ceska sporitelna) General Director Dusan Baran
announced a loss of 3.2 billion crowns for the first half of 1999. Czech
accounting standards, which somewhat ignore the creation of reserves,
show a loss of 1.6 billion crowns. Baran said factors influencing the
loss included the continuing recession and the worsening of client
payment discipline, which forced the bank to create larger reserves.
Reserves for the first half of 199 were created in the amount of 3.8
billion crowns.
* The Government increased pension payments August 1 by 5.4 per cent
(an average of 300 crowns monthly), making the average pension payment
5,922 crowns monthly. The Government made the increase even though the
condition set by law of a rise in consumer prices of 5 per cent was not
met. The increase will mean additional monthly budget expenses of about
1 billion crowns. The step was expected in April, but was not taken
because of low inflation.
* Firms with less than 50 employees can from August 2 apply for
low-interest loans of 300,000 crowns to 1 million crowns for modernizing
production, the purchase of technology and operating materials. The
interest rate for the loans, with a maximum term of four years, will be
based on the Czech National Bank's discount rate plus one percentage
point, which today would mean 7 per cent. Ninety million crowns from
PHARE have been set aside for the program, but in the case of greater
interest, another 9 million crowns is available. The program expects to
provide 400 applicants with loans this year.
* The electric monopoly provider CEZ announced an after-tax profit of
575 million crowns for the first half of 1999, a decrease of 84.1 per
cent from the first half of 1998.
Pavlina Hodkova/Michael Bluhm
Exchange Rates at the Czech National bank (valid August 13)
--------------------------------------------------------
1 EUR = 36.395
country currency CZK
----------------------------------------
Australia 1 AUD 22.293
Great Britain 1 GBP 55.012
Denmark 1 DKK 4.895
Japan 100 JPY 29.539
Canada 1 CAD 23.033
IMF 1 XDR 46.656
Hungary 100 HUF 14.349
Norway 1 NOK 4.425
New Zealand 1 NZD 18.144
Poland 1 PLN 8.708
Greece 100 GRD 11.135
Slovakia 100 SKK 81.602
Slovenia 100 SIT 18.599
Sweden 1 SEK 4.143
Switzerland 1 CHF 22.726
USA 1 USD 34.211
Exchange Rates of countries participating in the euro
(converted from the euro rate)
country currency CZK
Belgium 100 BEF 90.221
Finland 1 FIM 6.121
France 1 FRF 5.548
Germany 1 DEM 18.608
Ireland 1 IEP 46.212
Italy 1000 ITL 18.796
Luxemburg 100 LUF 90.221
Netherlands 1 NLG 16.515
Portugal 100 PTE 18.154
Austria 1 ATS 2.645
Spain 100 ESP 21.874
CULTURE
Summer Film School Attracts about 2,000 Film Lovers
The Moravian city of Uherske Hradiste became a mecca for young
filmgoers July 23-August 1. The 25th Summer Film School presented 138
feature films and 355 documentaries and animated films to more than
2,000 visitors at 7 screening sites. The program of the festival was not
restricted only to treasures from film history or to new independent
production, but also included concerts, theater performances and
exhibits. Among the celebrities who came to meet film fans in Uherske
Hradiste were directors Sasa Gedeon, Igor Chaun and Vera Chytilova as
well as animator Bretislav Pojar.
Lenka Nejezchlebova/Milan Smid
Questions Surround Czech Exhibit at EXPO 2000 in Hannover
There is still no decision about which project will represent the
Czech Republic at the EXPO 2000 world exhibition in Hannover next year.
The Commissariat for Czech EXPO Participation chose a project and an
architect for the Czech exposition, but the Foreign Ministry recently
stopped work on the exhibit.
The first competition for the exposition project was won by the
team of Ladislav Kopecky, who placed Czech glass-making tradition at the
center of the show. However, the project did not mesh with the design of
the pavilion, awarded in another competition to the D.U.M architecture
firm. General Commissar for EXPO 2000 Hana Havlova took the side of the
architects, and another project by well-known artist Frantisek Skala was
selected without a public competition to replace Kopecky.
Because the Commissariat is funded by the Foreign Ministry the
ministry decided to annul the selection of Skala and set up a new
commission to choose a new project by August 25.
Lenka Nejezchlebova/Milan Smid
SPORTS
Goalie Dominik Hasek to End His Career after Upcoming Season
In a special press conference attended by many American reporters
in Prague July 29, Dominik Hasek announced he would end his career after
the upcoming season. "I wanted to say this in the summer because I want
to focus only on ice hockey and not to think about my departure," said
Hasek, 34. Hasek, five-time winner of the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's top
goalkeeper and two-time winner of the Hart Trophy as the NHL's most
valuable player, made it to the finals of the Stanley Cup last year with
his Buffalo Sabres, but lost to the more-experienced Dallas Stars.
Hasek announced his decision to leave on top of his game one year
after he won the Nagano Olympics gold medal with the Czech national
team. As reasons for his retirement he cited weariness from public
interest and his family. After his career, he wants to come back home to
the Czech Republic and start a business.
Mirek Langer/Mirek Langer
Teplice Loses First Game of Champions League Qualifying Round
Against a strong opponent, Germany's Borussia Dortmund, Teplice
played well but lost 0-1. Teplice is in a difficult position for the
rematch, to be played in Dortmund August 25.
In the first half, Dortmund controlled the game, although it did
allow one excellent chance for Fousek, saved by Lehmann. After the
break, Nerlinger scored after a defensive mistake and chances for
Teplice's Divecky and Moller could not be converted.
Mirek Langer/Mirek Langer
Czech Soccer League Starts - Slavia Leads, Teplice Has One Point
The soccer league's new season has played its first two rounds
- and only one team, Slavia Praha, has not lost a point. In the first
round, the three biggest favorites were kicking penalty shot after ties
in the last minutes of their games. While Slavia's Horvath scored
against Bohemians and Sparta's Labant converted against Zizkov,
Teplice's Verbir missed and his team surprisingly lost two points to
Opava. Horvath celebrated his goal by dropping his shorts and after
receiving a red card will not play for four games.
Ceske Budejovice, promoted from the second league, started the year
with a win. Chmel Blsany showed again its ineptitude and was scored on
six times by Ostrava.
In the second round, Sparta could not defeat Opava, which is tough
at home. Teplice recorded another loss, failing in a test before the
Champions League qualification round against Jablonec. However,
Bohemians Prague, the other league novice, is still waiting for its
first goal, although it has its first point from a scoreless tie in
Olomouc.
Results of the first round: Sparta Praha - Zizkov 2-1, Jablonec
- Pribram 0-2, Teplice - Opava 1-1, Brno - Olomouc 1-0, Ceske Budejovice
- Drnovice 2-0, Bohemians Praha - Slavia Praha 0-1, Hradec Kralove
- Liberec 1-3, Ostrava - Blsany 6-1.
Results of the second round: Jablonec - Teplice 3-1, Opava - Sparta
Praha 1-1, Slavia Praha - Ostrava 2-0, Zizkov - Ceske Budejovice 1-1,
Olomouc - Bohemians 0-0, Blsany - Hradec Kralove 1-0, Pribram - Liberec
1-1, Drnovice - Brno 2-0.
Mirek Langer/Mirek Langer
Twenty-Eight Athletes to Participate in World Championships in Seville
The Czech Track and Field Union decided to send 28 athletes to
Seville, where the World Championships will take place August 21-29. Two
of them were invited as the reigning world champions (triple jumper
Sarka Kasparkova and decathloner Tomas Dvorak), while 22 fulfilled the
minimums of the Union. The other four (runner Roman Oravec, septathlete
Katerina Nekolna, walker Milos Holusa and discus thrower Vladimira
Rackova-Malatova) got wild cards. The Czech national team: Roman Oravec
(800m), Jiri Muzik (400m hurdles), Milos Holusa (walking), Jan Zelezny
(javelin), Libor Malina (discus), Vladimir Maska (hammer), Pavel
Sedlacek (hammer), Jiri Kuntos (triple jump), Jan Janku (high jump),
Tomas Janku (high jump), Stepan Janacek (pole vault), Petr Spacek (pole
vault), Martin Kysela (pole vault) Tomas Dvorak (decathlon), Roman
Sebrle (decathlon), Helena Fuchsova (400m and 800m), Hana Benesova
(400m), Jitka Burianova (400m), Ludmila Formanova (800m), Denisa
Krejcova (4x400 m), Nikola Tomeckova (javelin), Vladimira
Rackova-Malatova (discus), Sarka Kasparkova (triple jump), Eva
Dolezalova (triple jump), Zuzana Hlavonova (high jump), Daniela Bartova
(pole vault), Pavla Hamackova (pole vault), Katerina Nekolna
(septathlon).
Mirek Langer/Mirek Langer
SPORTS IN BRIEF
* Czech track and field athletes participating in the Golden League:
Monte Carlo: Formanova second in the 800m (1min 57.49s), Hlavonova fifth
in the high jump (1.94m), Zelezny seventh in the javelin (83.48m).
Zurich: Hlavonova third in the high jump (1.99m - a new Czech record),
Formanova fourth in the 800m (1min 56,56s), Kasparkova seventh in the
triple jump (14.10m), Muzik third in the 400m hurdles "B" heat.
* Czech athletes won six gold medals in the European sport shooting
championships in France.
* Three starts in the finals - those were the highlights of the Czech
swimmers' results in the European Championships in Istanbul. Hana Cerna
won the bronze medal in the 400m individual medley, Jana Pechanova
(400m freestyle) and Daniel Malek (100m breaststroke) finished last
- eighth.
* Thanks to Yugoslavia's 3-0 win over Portugal, the Czech men's
volleyball team advanced to the European Championships - the Czechs
defeated Portugal in the fight for the best of the groups' third-place
teams.
Mirek Langer/Mirek Langer
WEATHER
One of our readers recently criticized the news value of our
weather reports, because they only report weather that has already
passed. He is right, but we believe this section is to serve as an
archive allowing you to determine what the weather was in the Czech
Republic at any time in the past nine years of Carolina.
Anyone who searches the weather section of Carolina 342 will find
out that August 11 was something of a disappointment for those in Prague
who were looking forward to the solar eclipse. Some 10 minutes before
the zenith of the eclipse (about a 95-per-cent eclipse in the Czech
Republic), heavy clouds moved in and it soon began to rain. Other
regions of the Czech Republic, however, such as southern Bohemia, had
a perfect view of the event. Daily temperatures continue to be about 20
degrees Celsius/68 degrees Fahrenheit.
Milan Smid/Michael Bluhm
English version edited by Michael Bluhm
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