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Carolina (English) No 367
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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 367, Friday, March 17, 2000.
FROM THE EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK (March 8 - March 15)
Flood in East-North Part of the Country
From March 8-12 melting snow and heavy rains caused flooding in
Northern and Eastern Bohemia and in northern Moravia. The worst
situation was around the Jizera River and the Elbe (Labe) River, where
the highest degree of flood emergency was declared.
According to Pavel Jansa of the Elbe River Basin (the organization
administering the streams in the Elbe basin), the flood in Hradec
Kralove was worse than in 1997, his colleague Tomas Bechyna said to the
daily Pravo that the floods in some areas around the Jizera river, such
as in Mlada Boleslav and Benatky nad Jizerou, were once-in-a-century
floods. The highest degree of flood emergency was also declared for
several little rivers - the Ploucnice, Divoka Orlice and Oskava. In many
localities roads, cellars, gardens, factories were flooded and hundreds
of people had to be evacuated.
In contrast to the catastrophic floods of 1997 (see Carolina 254,
255), rescuers were well organized and people were informed on time.
However, a 60-year-old woman drowned in Jizera and a young canoeist died
while negotiating the flooded Ploucnice River.
Prompt reactions were demonstrated by state offices, while units of
civil defence, helicopters and firefighters quickly came to the aid of
the affected regions. Preliminary estimates of damages are 2 billion
crowns to 2.5 billion crowns. Deputy Prime Minister and Labor Secretary
Vladimir Spidla said the state budget will suffice to cover the costs.
Michaela Kleckova/Darina Johanidesova
Masaryk Celebrations without Slovak Representation
Commentator for the left-wing daily Pravo Jiri Hanak and
sociologist Jirina Siklova noticed that no Slovak political
representatives attended the celebrations of the 150th anniversary of
the birth of the first President of Czechoslovakia Tomas Garrigue
Masaryk, who was technically a Slovak (his father was Slovak, his mother
German, see Carolina 366). The Office of the President said it invited
only the Slovak ambassador and delegates of associations engaged in
Czech-Slovak relations.
Hanak wrote, "It is unbelievable, it is incomprehensible, it is
utterly embarrassing but it is true ... The life's work of Tomas
Garrigue Masaryk was not after all the Czech Republic but
Czechoslovakia, with Slovakia in the name underlined." Martin Krafl, the
director of the president's Press Service, said in reaction to Hanak's
commentary that "The Office of the President admits it could have
invited some members of the Slovak political representation but did not
do so for various reasons."
Simon Dominik/Simon Dominik
Chamber of Deputies Passes First Regional Laws
The first three laws reflecting the change in the Czech Republic's
administrative organization and bringing self-government to the
country's regions were passed March 8 by the Chamber of Deputies. The
first elections to the regional assemblies should take place this fall.
The regional governors will be elected by the assemblies and the
executive power will be held by a council. The assemblies will pass
regional budgets, determine some subsidies and taxes and pass regional
regulations. The new regions received authority in education and
healthcare, culture and transportation. The regions will receive more
responsibilities after district offices are disbanded in 2003.
The reform was supported by deputies from the ruling Social
Democrats, the Christian Democrats and the Freedom Union. Civic
Democratic Party (ODS) deputies voted against. The reform will probably
cost about 5 billion crowns. Yvonne Streckova, the deputy interior
minister who prepared the reforms, called it the price of democracy.
Iva Potrebova/Jakub Jirovec
Chamber of Deputies Recalls Czech Television Council
The Czech Television Council, a nine-member supervisory body with
authority to appoint the public broadcaster's director, was recalled
February 10 after Prime Minister Milos Zeman's Social Democrats (CSSD)
made an alliance with Chamber Chairman Vaclav Klaus' Civic Democratic
Party (ODS), supported by some Communist deputies. The Freedom Union
(US) and Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL) were against the recall.
The pretense for dismissing the council was the resolution that
Czech Television was not fulfilling its mission as a public broadcaster.
When such a resolution is passed two times, the Czech Television Act
allows the council to be recalled en masse.
The council, which has its members nominated by the Chamber of
Deputies, was heavily criticized by the Chamber's Mass Media Commission
in the past. The first shots were fired after Czech Television put on
its schedule last fall the 30-part-series Major Zeman, often referred to
as a masterpiece of communist propaganda. The criticism escalated after
General Director Jakub Puchalsky, appointed by the council, stepped down
in December (see Carolina 357) and when the council appointed Dusan
Chmelicek his successor (see Carolina 360) January 26 without any public
search process and without regard for party favorites.
The council's recall is generally considered an attempt by
political parties to get the station under their control.
Radka Kohutova/Milan Smid
NEWS IN BRIEF:
* Jaroslav Basta, minister without portfolio, is going to be replaced
by Karel Brezina, 27, the current chief of staff in the Office of the
Government. Prime Minister Milos Zeman sent his request to recall Basta
to President Vaclav Havel March 14. Zeman is fulfilling the promise of
reconstruction he made to the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) in exchange
for ODS support of Zeman's 2000 budget. There are three more ministers
to be replaced- Regional Development Minister Jaromir Cisar, Interior
Minister Vaclav Grulich and Transportation Minister Antonin Peltram.
* The State Security Council requested Defense Minister Vladimir
Vetchy to work out the definitive conditions for the public tender on
the purchase of 36 supersonic fighter planes. So far, the favorite to
win the tender has been the British-Swedish firm BAE, producer of Gripen
planes. A Finance Ministry deputy has signed a contract with them for
further cooperation. The deal should comfort NATO and end its criticism
of the sad condition of Czech fighter planes. Its existing aircraft
- MiG-21s and Su-22s - should be retired in 2003 and 2007.
* President Vaclav Havel was hospitalized with bronchitis March 14.
He is going to spend a week in Prague's Stresovice Hospital. Havel has
had respiratory problems since March 10 and was taking antibiotics.
After stomach pains and fever appeared March 13, he was taken to the
hospital and diagnosed with "worsening chronic bronchitis". Havel's
itinerary for March 13-17 was cancelled and his state visit to Rumania
March 20 is in danger.
Daniela Vrbova/Daniela Vrbova
SLOVAKIA
Tiso Will Not Have Plaque in Zilina
The memorial plaque for wartime Slovak President Jozef Tiso, which
was to be unveiled March 14 in Zilina, is not going to be installed.
City representatives backed off the plan after objections from the
Congregation of Franciscan Nuns, on whose building the plaque was to be
placed. The nuns were afraid of unrest and possible violent acts by
those opposing the plaque - politicians and citizens do not want the
plaque to commemorate the former president, who was executed for his
collaboration with the Nazis.
The plaque was voted for by all members of the Zilina City Council
except for one Democratic Party deputy (the 45-member council has 39
members from the opposition Movement for a Democratic Slovakia and the
Slovak National Party). Zilina Mayor and ultra-nationalist Jan Slota,
former chairman of the Slovak National party until leaving office in
disgrace, also supported the plaque. The nationalist daily Narodna
obroda wrote, "Slota has not given up on his goal, because he is
considering an alternative date to install the plaque October 6, 2000,
the anniversary of the declaration of Slovak autonomy (1938) right in
Zilina."
Andrea Slovakova/Daniela Vrbova
European Rabbis in Bratislava
A three-day conference of European Rabbis took place March 13-15 in
the Slovak capital of Bratislava. The conference was planned to be held
in Vienna, but the organizers moved it in protest against Joerg
Haider's Free Democrats in the Austrian government. Slovak President
Rudolf Schuster received the rabbis March 14, although they had to enter
his residence with special security - on the same day some 200 skinheads
were celebrating the anniversary of the founding of the Nazi puppet
state of Slovakia in 1939. The regime of President Jozef Tiso killed
thousands of Slovak Jews during World War II.
The conference acknowledged the life and work of Simon Wiesenthal
by giving him their award called The World Will Never Forget.
Dita Eckhardtova/Jakub Jirovec
ECONOMY
Kralovopolska Goes into Bankruptcy, Layoffs Probably Inevitable
As many as 700 employees of the Brno engineering works
Kralovopolska might lose their jobs after the losses of the company's
key orders. Its business was paralyzed February 22 when the Regional
Commercial Court in Brno placed the company in bankruptcy.
Kralovopolska's majority owner, the National Property Fund, said it does
not consider bankruptcy positive because it will increase the loss of
the assets claimed by creditors and does not take into consideration the
region's social situation. About 1,000 employees expressed their
opposition to the bankruptcy at a rally March 14.
The court placed Kralovopolska in bankruptcy on a petition from
businessman Jan Pivec. The National Property Fund's daughter company
Kras filed a claim of 2 billion crowns against Kralovopolska, since not
filing the claim would mean a crippling accounting loss. In 1999
Kralovopolska shows sales of more than 2 billion crowns, with a gross
profit of 269 million crowns. In 1998 the company had losses of 1.5
billion crowns. If the company can continue regular production, there is
hope to get out of the red.
If employees are laid off, they will get two months severance pay
but will also have serious problems finding work in the overfull job
market of the Brno engineering sector.
Lubos Kratochvil/Denisa Vitkova
ECONOMY IN BRIEF
* The biggest Czech civil airplane maker, LET Kunovice, owned by the
American company Ayres Corporation, has not paid January wages to some
1,300 of its 1,480 employees and does not have money to continue
production. The company's labor union leader Zdenek Zajicek said to the
daily Lidove noviny, "Sales are minimal, there's always something being
negotiated, but then the transaction falls apart."
* The average monthly salary rose - by almost 1,000 crowns - for the
first time in the past two years, to 12,658 crowns. This means, after
subtracting taxes and the effect of inflation, an increase of 5,000
crowns per year.
* The government March 8 increased the poverty line by 340 crowns to
3,770 crowns per month, effective April 1. Compared to April 1, 1998,
when the minimum standard of living was raised the last time, it rose an
average of 6 per cent to 6.8 per cent.
Dita Eckhardtova/Denisa Vitkova
Rates at the Czech National Bank (valid March 17)
--------------------------------------------------------------
1 EUR = 35.550
country currency CZK
------------------------------------------
Australia 1 AUD 22.511
Great Britain 1 GBP 57.669
Denmark 1 DKK 4.775
Japan 100 JPY 34.893
Canada 1 CAD 25.031
IMF 1 XDR 49.348
Hungary 100 HUF 13.834
Norway 1 NOK 4.354
New Zealand 1 NZD 17.913
Poland 1 PLN 9.011
Greece 100 GRD 10.655
Slovakia 100 SKK 85.472
Slovenia 100 SIT 17.540
Sweden 1 SEK 4.215
Switzerland 1 CHF 22.053
USA 1 USD 36.702
Exchange Rates of countries participating in the euro
(converted from the euro rate)
country currency CZK
-----------------------------------------
Germany 1 DEM 18.176
Belgium 100 BEF 88.126
Finland 1 FIM 5.979
France 1 FRF 5.420
Ireland 1 IEP 45.139
Italy 1000 ITL 18.360
Luxemburg 100 LUF 88.126
Netherlands 1 NLG 16.132
Portugal 100 PTE 17.732
Austria 1 ATS 2.584
Spain 100 ESP 21.266
CULTURE
Days of European Film Begin
The German musical documentary Buena Vista Social Club opened the
seventh year of the Days of European Film festival in Prague March 9.
The goal of the festival is to bring new European cinematography to the
attention of Czech audiences. The festival is part of the project
Prague, European City of Culture 2000. The 33 movies from 23 countries
were proposed by European ambassadors in the Czech Republic. The
Oscar-nominated movie Left Luggage from debuting director Jeroen Krabbe
is part of the festival, as well as the new Czech films Hanele from
Karel Kachyna and Jaroslav Brabec's Chicken Melancholic (Kure
melancholik).
Lubos Kratochvil/Zuzana Janeckova
To Satchmo with Love Concert Recalls Armstrong's Visit to Prague
In the great hall of Prague's Lucerna Palace a concert took place
March 12 in honor of Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong, who visited the Czech
Republic during a tour 35 years ago. The show began with a screening of
Armstrong's performance of the song Blueberry Hill at his show in the
Czech capital in 1965.
Armstrong was celebrated by many Czech musicians, including those
who still remember the concert in Prague. The evening's performers
included Czech jazz singer Vlasta Pruchova, Slovak trumpet player and
owner of Armstrong's golden mouthpiece Laco Deczi, singers Eva Pilarova,
Hana Krizkova, Vera Spinarova, jazzmen Lada Kerndl and Peter Lipa,
rocker Ales Brichta, pop legend Karel Gott and, of course, Jiri Suchy.
Suchy, accompanied by his partner Jiri Slitr, hosted Armstrong's concert
in 1965. Armstrong said at the time he did not want a jazz theoretician
to host his concert, but rather someone working in show business. Suchy
and Slitr were the most suitable candidates at that time, although they
were doing show rather than business, as Suchy said in Lucerna. The
clarinetist from Armstrong's last All-Star band, Joe Muranyi, also
performed with tremendous success. The program was hosted by actor
Miroslav Donutil, who also jammed with the others in the last song of
the night, When the Saints Go Marching in. All singers were accompanied
by Jan Jirucha's J. J. Jazzmen and Jiri Dvorak's Boom! Band.
Not only did the concert mark 35 years from Armstrong's performance
in Prague but also the 100th anniversary of his birth. He claimed to
have been born on July 4, 1900. Music historians believe Armstrong was
born August 4, 1901. "We will celebrate the 100th anniversary twice,
like the new millenium," said Donutil.
Ondrej Maly and Veronika Hankusova/Veronika Hankusova
Academy of Popular Music Decides: Anna K., Barta and Buty
The presentation of the annual prizes of the Academy of Popular
Music took place in Prague's Veletrzni Palac March 11. The evening was
hosted by singer Lucie Bila and Academy Chairman Michal Horacek. They
replaced Slovak singer Richard Mueller, who was fired as host because of
his drug problems.
Anna K. was voted Singer of the Year (beating out last year's
winner Bila, Leona Machalkova was third) and her song Heaven (Nebe),
written by Tomas Vartecky and Filip Horacek, also won. The second-best
song was Bulgarians (Bulhari) by the funk group J.A.R. and third place
went to Daddy (Tata) by Buty. The group Buty won Group of the Year
(ahead of J.A.R. and Chinaski) and also won the award for Album of the
Year - The Fern (Kapradi) - ahead of Heaven from Anna K. and J.A.R.'s
Homo Fonkianz. The award for Male Singer of the Year was easily won by
Dan Barta (Karel Gott was second, Daniel Hulka third).
The Discovery of the Year is the group - 123 minut (second place
went to Milan Daim, third to Holki), the music publicists' award was
given to the Rock for People festival (second place Respect 99, third
New Awards of APH) and a thrilled Waldemar Matuska was inducted into the
Hall of Fame for his lifelong contribution to Czech music.
Many foreign guests performed at the ceremony. German discovery of
the year Sasha, singer Sarah Brithman, The Cranberries lead singer
Dolores O'Riordan (accompanied by guitarist Stefan Demarch) and Slovak
singer and award-winner Jana Kirschnerova also performed.
Iva Potrebova/Ondrej Maly
Jan Hrebejk's New Film Opens
The bittersweet wartime tragicomedy We Have to Help Each Other
(Musime si pomahat) had its premiere March 15. The film was written by
Petr Jarchovsky and directed by Jan Hrebejk, the creators of the widely
popular Cozy Nests (Pelisky).
The story is set in a small Czech town during the World War II.
Josef Cizek meets David, a fugitive Jewish boy who has escaped from
a concentration camp, and, because he and his wife are decent people,
they decide to hide him. At first it seems impossible but David survives
the war in good condition and relatively in peace. Cizek and his wife,
on the other hand, have to face one problem after another. They do not
want to attract the attention of the German occupants and therefore
start socializing with them, mainly with the Quisling Horst Prohaska.
The film climaxes on VE-Day when the couple is no longer afraid of the
Germans but has to fear their neighbors, who now consider them
collaborators with the Nazis.
The theme of the movie is no doubt serious but Hrebejk filmed it as
a tragicomedy that sometimes has moments of slapstick. The story did not
lose its gravity and presents questions about simple human decency,
bravery, cowardliness and forgiveness. The film presents fine acting
from a cast that includes Jaroslav Dusek (Prohaska), Bolek Polivka and
Anna Siskova (the Cizek family) and the Slovak actor Csongor Kassai in
the role of David.
Simon Dominik/Simon Dominik
SPORTS
Hockey Playoffs Start March 16
The regular season of the hockey extraleague ended March 12. Sparta
was able to rest in the last rounds, having clinched first place
earlier. It will meet Pardubice in the quarterfinal best-of-seven
series. The remaining pairings for the playoffs are Zlin - Litvinov,
Vsetin - Ceske Budejovice and Trinec - Plzen.
Despite finishing in ninth place, just out of the playoffs, Znojmo
fans applauded their team at their sold-out arena. Vitkovice finished
last, but the fight at the bottom of the standings was a bit odd. Many
people were betting on a draw between Havirov and Kladno, which was what
both teams needed to stay in the league next year. The Tipsport sports
book stopped taking bets on the game, which finished in a 1-1 draw.
Richard Kral of Trinec was king of the league's scoring statistics
- he scored 24 goals and 53 assists. Jiri Dopita, who had led the league
a number of times, was the top goal-scorer with 30. The playoffs begin
March 12.
Results of the 51st round: Havirov - Kladno 1-1, Vsetin - Karlovy
Vary 4-3, Ceske Budejovice - Zlin 4-4, Slavia Praha - Sparta Praha 1-1,
Vitkovice - Litvinov 2-2, Znojmo - Plzen 0-1, Pardubice - Trinec 4-4.
Results of the 52nd round: Trinec - Ceske Budejovice 4-2, Zlin
- Litvinov 7-3, Znojmo - Karlovy Vary 4-7, Kladno - Vsetin 1-2, Slavia
Praha - Havirov 2-2, Plzen - Pardubice 4-0, Vitkovice - Sparta Praha
1-7.
Standings: 1. Sparta Praha 76, 2. Zlin 65, 3. Vsetin 65, 4. Trinec
64, 5. Plzen 63, 6. Ceske Budejovice 61, 7. Litvinov 55, 8. Pardubice
45, 9. Znojmo 43, 10. Slavia Praha 41, 11. Karlovy Vary 40, 12. Kladno
38, 13. Havirov 38, 14. Vitkovice 34.
Darina Johanidesova/Mirek Langer
Soccer League: Two Teams and a Big Drop-off
Anyone but Sparta or Slavia winning the soccer league is as
probable as a Yeti arriving in Prague. Both Prague squads continue to
win, with the question being, who will falter first? Slavia has
a four-point advantage and is in good form. Sparta collects points and
waits for Slavia to slip. In Pribram, former Slavia goalkeeper Michal
Caloun made big mistakes against his former team.
Third place, important for the next European Cups season, belongs
to Drnovice, but Teplice has not surrendered. "If we get on a good
streak, we'll catch up," said Teplice coach Josef Pesice. Hradec fell to
last place in the standings.
Two coaches have been fired in the spring: Jiri Bartl was replaced
by Petr Ulicny in Opava, while Jindrich Dejmal came to Jablonec to
replace Zdenek Klucky.
Results of the 20th round: Teplice - Ceske Budejovice 3-0, Pribram
- Sparta Praha 1-3, Slavia Praha - Blsany 2-1, Drnovice - Hradec Kralove
1-0, Zizkov - Ostrava 3-1, Jablonec - Brno 0-0, Olomouc - Liberec 1-1,
Opava - Bohemians Praha 0-0.
Standings: 1. Slavia Praha 52, 2. Sparta Praha 48, 3. Drnovice 36,
4. Bohemians Praha 28, 5. Teplice 27, 6. Ceske Budejovice 27, 7. Blsany
27, 8. Ostrava 24, 9. Pribram 24, 10. Olomouc 23, 11. Brno 23, 12.
Liberec 23, 13. Opava 21, 14. Zizkov 20, 15. Jablonec 17, 16. Hradec
Kralove 16.
Martin Moravec/Mirek Langer
SPORTS IN BRIEF
* The Gambrinus Brno women's basketball team advanced to the Final
Four of the Euroleague tournament, which will take place in Ruzomberok,
Slovakia April 4-6. In the decisive game of the quarterfinal series Brno
defeated the Hungarian team Szopron 76-43.
* Petr Jakl's fifth place in the over-100kg category was the best
Czech result at the seventh European Olympic qualification judo
tournament in Prague March 12.
* The Prague District Court fined Tomas Skuhravy 300,000 crowns and
took away his driver's license for three years. Skuhravy, a former
national soccer team member, had a car accident January 15.
* Chomutov is moving closer to the hockey extraleague as it leads
2-0 over Jihlava in the final series of the first-league finals. It won
both home games 5-2 and 6-0, the series will resume in Jihlava March
16. The winner will meet Vitkovice, the last-place team in the
extraleague standings, in the best-of-nine extraleague qualification
series.
Martin Moravec/Mirek Langer
WEATHER
Rain, brief blizzards, slush and rain again - that has been the
weather the last week. Freezing temperatures of 0 degrees Celsius to 5
degrees Celsius/32 degrees Fahrenheit to 41 degrees Fahrenheit at night
stopped the melting in the mountains and gave a break to flooded areas
around the Jizera nad Labe River. Days are still cold with temperatures
not far exceeding 5 degrees Celsius/41 degrees Fahrenheit. Fortunately,
longer daylight reminds us that spring is coming.
English version edited by Michael Bluhm.
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