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Carolina (English) No 364
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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 364, Friday, February 25, 2000.
FROM THE EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK (February 16 - February 23)
Militant Nationalists Support Haider with Nazi Salute
A rally of ultra-right and ultra-nationalist groups the National
Alliance, Patriotic Front and the National Resistance, apparently linked
to the neo-Nazi and skinheads movement, took place February 19 on
Wenceslas Square in Prague. On the same day the largest demonstration
since WWII was held in Vienna with almost a quarter-million people
protesting against the threat of a return of Nazism embodied by Joerg
Haider.
Although the Prague 1 District Office did not permit the rally,
citing reasonable suspicions that laws would be violated, about 100 of
Haider's admirers met at the statue of St. Wenceslas.
Police gave them 20 minutes to disperse, demonstrators filled that
time for speeches, chants and the Nazi salute of the raised right arm.
David Machacek, vice chairman of the Patriotic Front, spoke in his
interview with the press not only about Haider, but also about the
Chechnya crisis: "As you can see, the Slavonic barrier in the east is
still protecting Europe from a flood of Muslim terrorists and
fundamentalists. We wish the Russian soldiers many more victories and
successes." He emphasized that he was not supporting Haider's program
but expressing his deep concern with the reactions of the EU, USA and
particularly Israel and other "lying humanists." After 20 minutes the
skinheads ended the demonstration. The police did not arrest those
making the Nazi salute, although it is a criminal act in the Czech
Republic.
"Every action of the national right does not have to be successful.
If the failure of the latest action is a reason for thought about the
improvement of the activity of the National Alliance and the entire
national-socialist scene, then it was worthwhile," said Jan Brcak, one
of the leaders of the National Resistance.
A demonstration of about 50 people organized by left-wing activists
was divided from the skinheads by a police cordon with dogs.
Marek Uhlir and Jakub Trnka/Ondrej Maly
Deputies Pass Veterans' Compensation Act
The Veterans' Compensation Act passed by the Chamber of Deputies
February 22 awaits the president's signature. Deputies approved the bill
with small changes after it was returned by the Senate.
The law, signed by President Vaclav Havel after Carolina's
deadline, means every citizen of the Czech Republic who fought between
1939-1945 in foreign Allied armies longer than one year will have the
right for compensation of 120,000 crowns. The amount increases by 1,000
crowns for every additional month in arms. Those who fought less than
one year but longer than three months will have the right to 60,000
crowns.
According to the the records of the Czechoslovak Legionnaires'
Community, there are about 3,500 veterans in the Czech Republic. The
veterans' community has voiced complaints about delays in approving
compensation, saying many veterans have died since the law was proposed.
Their words were confirmed by the death two weeks ago of Jan Stursa,
longtime chairman of the Legionnaires.
Pavel Novotny/Darina Johanidesova
Kwasniewski Visits Prague and Brno
Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski and his wife Jolanta
arrived in the Czech Republic February 22 for the first time. He talked
with Czech President Vaclav Havel at Prague Castle, where they agreed
bilateral relations were satisfactory in the political and economic
arenas. They said, however, that cultural and interpersonal relations
could improve.
They said the Czech Republic and Poland have the same opportunity
to join the European Union by the year 2002. Kwasnieski emphasized that
the countries were not competing in any way.
They praised the revival of the Visegrad Four (voluntary
cooperation between the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia).
Slovenia and Ukraine have asked to join the group.
Kwasniewski met the chairs of both legislative, Vaclav Klaus
(Chamber of Deputies) and Libuse Benesova (Senate). He also visited the
Charles Bridge and the Old Town Hall in Prague. Jolanta Kwasniewski
visited Prague Castle and the exhibit Birth of the Metropolis (Zrozeni
metropole) in the Municipal House (Obecni dum), and with Czech first
lady Dagmar Havlova visited the foundations Visions 97 (Vize 97) and
Barriers (Bariery).
Gabriela Bobkova/Veronika Hankusova
New Charles University Rector Inaugurated
Nuclear physicist Ivan Wilhelm took on the mantle of the rector of
Charles University from the hands of predecessor Karel Maly February 17
in the Great Hall of the Carolinum in Prague. By taking the oath and
accepting the symbols of the position's rights and responsibilities (the
seal, the mace, the key and the medallion) he entered the office to
which he was elected by the Academic Senate October 22.
Present at the ceremony were Chamber of Deputies Chairman Vaclav
Klaus, Education Minister Eduard Zeman, academic officials from Czech
and Slovak universities, politicians and diplomats.
Pavel Novotny/Darina Johanidesova
Havel Grants Pobuda Amnesty
President Vaclav Havel February 18 commuted the prison sentence of
19-year-old Stanislav Pobuda, who had begun serving his four-year
sentence in the Oracov Prison. Pobuda sold 18 marijuana cigarettes to
three of his friends, one of whom was under 15 (see Carolina 362).
Eleven people, Pobuda's parents among them, formally requested
Havel grant amnesty. The amnesty seekers said Pobuda's punishment did
not correspond to his crime, said Havel's spokesman Ladislav Spacek.
Pobuda had spent seven months in jail during the investigation and
trial, and had served 15 days in prison.
"Mr. President believes the punishment was unnecessarily harsh.
Moreover, he had spent seven months in jail and it was a young man with
no criminal record," said Spacek.
Gabriela Bobkova/Jakub Jirovec
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Havel Applauded by European Deputies
Czech President Vaclav Havel addressed the European Parliament in
Strasbourg with a 40-minute speech February 16. The deputies' most
lively reactions came to his proposal of a European constitution. Havel
mentioned the idea in March in the French Senate and has been pondering
it since 1994, according to the Czech daily Lidove noviny. Havel said he
would envision it as a document that schoolchildren could identify with.
European Parliament Chairwoman Nicole Fontaine said she is also working
for a constitution and the idea is also supported by Robert Fitzhenry,
chairman of the strongest party in the Parliament - the conservative
European People's Party.
Havel also drew a positive response with his words that evil must
be confronted at its first appearance without waiting for its palpable
manifestations. He told the press later that "it was important that the
EU react to the situation in Austria right now."
Havel offered arguments for establishing a European army. He said
the conflicts in Bosnia and Kosovo showed Europe's inability to act
without the assistance of the USA or a mandate from the United Nations.
"Europe cannot be dependent on the US forever," he said. The deputies
agreed with his words. Since its establishment the Parliament has been
pushing for the creation of a unit for rapid deployment consisting of
60,000 men.
Havel's vision of a second chamber for European Parliament did not
fare well with most of the deputies. Fontaine, Fitzhenry and socialist
Rose Moers said they do not approve of the European Senate at this time.
They said they fear a duplication of powers.
Martin Rusek/Simon Dominik
Zeman Satisfied with Visit to France
Czech Prime Minister Milos Zeman met his French opposite Lionel
Jospin and French President Jacques Chirac during his two-day visit to
France February 22-23. Both French politicians expressed their support
for Czech efforts to join the EU in 2003. Czech Environment Minister
Milos Kuzvart said he was pleased with the French interest in Czech
trees to replace those at Versailles damaged by December storms.
Petra Kovacova/Simon Dominik
Czech Christian Democrats Visit Wolfgang Schuessel in Vienna
The Austrian People's Party promised to support the Czech Republic
in its integration into the European Union at the February 18 meeting
between Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel and a delegation from the
Czech Republic's Christian Democratic Union-Czechoslovak People's Party
(KDU-CSL) that included Chairman Jan Kasal, Vice Chairman Cyril Svoboda
and Vilem Holan.
Prime Minister Milos Zeman said he does not approve of the trip.
"I consider Mr. Kasal's visit at the very least politically awkward,"
said Zeman. He said that if the Christian Democrats regard themselves as
a European party they should not violate the Czech Republic's boycott of
Austrian government personnel. Vladimir Mlynar, vice chairman of the
Freedom Union - the Christian Democrats' partner in the Four-Party
Coalition along with the Civic Democratic Alliance (ODA) and the
Democratic Union, would not comment on the trip. ODA Vice Chairman
Michael Zantovsky said he was surprised by the visit to Austria.
"That's something we did not discuss," he said to the daily Lidove
noviny.
On the contrary, the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) praised Kasal's
initiative. Jaroslav Zverina, ODS member and chairman of the Chamber of
Deputies' Committee for European Integration told Lidove noviny that
"the opinion prevails that we should not curse the Austrian People's
Party, but that on the contrary they deserve support."
Martin Rusek/Simon Dominik
FROM SLOVAKIA
Slovak Opposition Has Started The Campaign for The Early Elections
The opposition Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) started
collecting signatures on a petition to hold a referendum on early
general elections. To hold a referendum, at least 350,000 signatures
have to be collected and the text of the referendum cannot contradict
the Constitution. President Rudolf Schuster, after consultation with his
lawyers, said a referendum on early elections is constitutional.
HZDS Chairman and former Premier Vladimir Meciar said he
appreciated the president's position, which shows he is willing to make
political compromises. Schuster was widely criticized for announcing his
position before the petition was submitted.
Premier Mikulas Dzurinda, on the other hand, said the referndum was
only in the interest of HZDS and the president had unfortunately joined
their game. About 55,000 people signed the petition in the first two
days.
Alzbeta Trousilova/Daniela Vrbova
FROM SLOVAKIA IN BRIEF
* Representatives of the city of Zilina February 17 to honor Jozef
Tiso, president of the World-War-II Nazi puppet state of Slovakia later
executed for his collaboration. Slovak anti-Fascists denounced the move.
Director of the government's Department for Human Rights and Minorities
requested the decision be investigated by the Attorney General's Office.
A memorial plaque with a portrait of Tiso is to be placed on the
Catholic House in Zilina, where Slovakia's independence was declared
March 14, 1939.
Alzbeta Trousilova/Daniela Vrbova
ECONOMY
Kuzvart Approves Highway through Czech Midlands, Ecologists Appeal
Construction of the Prague-Dresden D8 highway, which stopped at
Lovosice in front of the protected nature reserve of the Czech Midlands,
will continue. Environment Minister Milos Kuzvart at a meeting with
other ministers February 18 abandoned his proposal to build the highway
through a 3.5 kilometer/two-mile tunnel, and agreed with the
Transportation Ministry's project, which will mean building along the
Midlands with two short tunnels.
Kuzvart, whose ministry is the only one able give an exception and
permit building the highway through a protected area, stipulated the
construction cannot unnecessarily affect the landscape or the migration
of wildlife. The construction has been stopped because of the
controversy over where to run the route in the most economic and yet
environmentally friendly manner.
The ministers also promised truck traffic on D8 would be limited
and replaced by railroad and water traffic. Transport Minister Antonin
Peltram said after the meeting that construction of the remaining,
approximate 40-per-cent of the Czech section of the D8 could start by
the end of the year and be completed within five years.
Environmental organizations have objected to the decision.
Representatives of the Children of the Earth movement say the project
violates laws on environmental protection, because the exception is not
based on a public interest greater than that of environmental
preservation. The environmentalists continue to propagate their plan to
divert the highway around the Czech Midlands through Louny and Most.
Jan Skala/Denisa Vitkova
Microsoft Introduces Windows 2000 in Czech Republic
Microsoft introduced the new version of its operating system
Windows 2000 on the Czech market February 22, five days after its
official premiere in San Francisco. The introduction took place in the
fairgrounds in Prague's Letnany neighborhood and was broadcast on the
Internet at msn.atlas.cz.
Ondrej Maly/Veronika Hankusova
Rates at the Czech National Bank (valid February 25)
--------------------------------------------------------------
1 EUR = 35.640
country currency CZK
------------------------------------------
Australia 1 AUD 22.119
Great Britain 1 GBP 57.202
Denmark 1 DKK 4.786
Japan 100 JPY 32.122
Canada 1 CAD 24.440
IMF 1 XDR 48.202
Hungary 100 HUF 13.881
Norway 1 NOK 4.376
New Zealand 1 NZD 17.395
Poland 1 PLN 8.763
Greece 100 GRD 10.673
Slovakia 100 SKK 84.485
Slovenia 100 SIT 17.645
Sweden 1 SEK 4.161
Switzerland 1 CHF 22.127
USA 1 USD 35.719
Exchange Rates of countries participating in the euro
(converted from the euro rate)
country currency CZK
-----------------------------------------
Germany 1 DEM 18.222
Belgium 100 BEF 88.349
Finland 1 FIM 5.994
France 1 FRF 5.433
Ireland 1 IEP 45.253
Italy 1000 ITL 18.407
Luxemburg 100 LUF 88.349
Netherlands 1 NLG 16.173
Portugal 100 PTE 17.777
Austria 1 ATS 2.590
Spain 100 ESP 21.420
CULTURE
Return of the Idiot Nominated for 11 Czech Lions
The leading Czech film awards - the Czech Lion - announced their
nominees February 21. Director Sasa Gedeon's movie Return of the Idiot
(Navrat idiota) received 11 nominations. Its biggest rival is director
Jan Hrebejk's Cozy Nests (Pelisky), which received six nominations in
the main categories.
Hrebejk and Gedeon were nominated in the director's category
together with Karel Kachyna for Hanele. Actor Karel Rodin was nominated
in the best actor category for his role in the drama Chicken Melancholic
(Kure melancholik), along with Pavel Liska in Return of the Idiot and
Jiri Kodet in Cozy Nests. Tereza Brodska was nominated in the leading
female category for her role in Double Role (Dvojrole), Tatiana
Vilhemova for Return of the Idiot and Eva Holubova for Cozy Nests.
The members of the film academy also proclaimed Shakespeare in Love
the best foreign movie and gave the special Stuffed Lion prize, awarded
to the worst Czech movie of the year, to Not to Fear and Steal......
Michal Pospisil/Zuzana Janeckova
SPORTS
Soccer League Continues after Winter Break
The season's first-half champion Slavia traveled to Ostrava and
continued its winning ways. Ostrava played tentatively, unable to put
anything together, while Slavia attacked. Tomas Dosek opened the
scoring, then the 30-meter blast by Ivo Ulich just under the crossbar
continued the Slavia exhibition.
Ostrava's play improved after substitute Marek Postulka came on the
pitch, but he managed only to avoid a shutout, as the match finished
1-3. Second-place Sparta (with new players Pavel Hapal, Roman Lengyel
and goalkeeper Jaromir Blazek) then had to win over Opava. In the first
half, the players seemed hung over from their loss in the Czech Cup.
However, Hapal and Josef Obajdin scored before the end of the half and
Sparta then played better soccer. Libor Sionko found the corner of the
goal from 25 meters and Vratislav Lokvenc closed the scoring.
Brno (with their new name FC Stavo Artikel Brno) hosted Drnovice,
which led after 30 minutes 2-0. Brno then turned up the pressure and
with Petr Krivanek's and Martin Zboncak's goals tied the score. However,
Brno's good luck ran out at the end of the game, as Pavel Pergl's goal
in the 90th minute let Drnovice take three points home.
Results of the 17th round: Ostrava - Slavia Praha 1-3, Liberec
- Pribram 0-0, Brno - Drnovice 2-3, Sparta Praha - Opava 4-0, Teplice
- Jablonec 2-0, Hradec Kralove - Blsany 1-1, Ceske Budejovice - Zizkov
1-0, Bohemians Praha - Olomouc 1-3.
Standings: 1. Slavia Praha 43, 2. Sparta Praha 39, 3. Drnovice 30,
4. Bohemians Praha 24, 5. Teplice 24, 6. Ceske Budejovice 24, 7. Liberec
22, 8. Ostrava 21, 9. Pribram 21, 10. Blsany 21, 11. Brno 19, 12.
Olomouc 18, 13. Opava 17, 14. Jablonec 16, 15. Hradec Kralove 15, 16.
Zizkov 14.
Dita Kristanova/Mirek Langer
Sparta Rules Hockey Extraleague
Sparta players refuse to leave first place in the standings and
maintain their seven-point lead on Vsetin, with two games to play.
The fight for eighth place - the last place to qualify for the
playoffs - turned in the 46th round after Znojmo lost at home to Ceske
Budejovice 1-4. That left eighth place to Pardubice, which won on
another playoffs contender's ice in Karlovy Vary.
Kladno's win over Trinec produced a change in last place of the
standings. Because Sparta hammered Havirov and Vitkovice lost to Plzen,
Kladno jumped to 12th place.
The game between Plzen and Vitkovice was the 480th league game of
Plzen defender Ivan Vlcek. He moved into third place for all-time games
played ahead of Vladimir Ruzicka, who retired from Slavia Praha
recently.
Results of the 44th round: Plzen - Slavia Praha 0-0, Kladno
- Vitkovice 4-2, Karlovy Vary - Zlin 3-3, Znojmo - Trinec 4-5, Vsetin
- Pardubice 7-3, Havirov - Ceske Budejovice 1-4, Sparta Praha - Litvinov
1-1.
Results of the 45th round: Ceske Budejovice - Vsetin 2-1, Pardubice
- Znojmo 6-3, Trinec - Karlovy Vary 4-2, Zlin - Kladno 5-2, Vitkovice
- Slavia Praha 2-2, Litvinov - Havirov 6-3, Sparta Praha - Plzen 6-1.
Results of the 46th round: Znojmo - Ceske Budejovice 1-4, Vsetin
- Litvinov 3-0, Havirov - Sparta Praha 2-5, Zlin - Slavia Praha 2-0,
Plzen - Vitkovice 4-2, Kladno - Trinec 4-2, Karlovy Vary - Pardubice
3-5.
Standings: 1. Sparta Praha 65, 2. Vsetin 58, 3. Zlin 56, 4. Plzen
56, 5. Ceske Budejovice 54, 6. Trinec 53, 7. Litvinov 50, 8. Pardubice
39, 9. Znojmo 39, 10. Karlovy Vary 36, 11. Slavia Praha 36, 12. Kladno
33, 13. Havirov 32, 14. Vitkovice 31.
Jaroslav Sauer/Mirek Langer
SPORTS IN BRIEF
* The Czech basketball men team met Slovakia in two exhibition
matches February 19-20. The Czechs won 60-58 in the first game in
Nymburk. In the rematch in Prague, Slovakia avenged the defeat with
a 72-70 win.
* The NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins lost to Tampa Bay 1-2 with new coach
Ivan Hlinka, the former coach of the Czech national hockey team. Forward
Jaromir Jagr was injured in the game and will be out for a month.
* The Czech national under-21 soccer team played in Ireland February
22; after losing 0-1 at halftime, it came back on goals by Tomas Dosek
and Milan Baros and won 2-1.
Dita Kristanova and Jaroslav Sauer/Mirek Langer
After deadline:
Ireland - Czech Republic 3-2. Exhibition soccer match, February 23. Both
Czech goals were scored by Jan Koller.
WEATHER
An old Czech saying claims a white February strengthens the fields
(Unor bily, pole sili). If the proverb holds, we can expect strong and
fertile fields and a good harvest this summer. Unfortunately, last
week's snow brought white only to highlands in the countryside. The city
of Prague experienced ordinary, nasty rain every day and aggravating
drizzle. The daily temperatures ranged from 0-8 degrees Celsius/32-46
degrees Fahrenheit. The first vendors of spring flowers have appeared in
Prague's streets.
English version edited by Michael Bluhm.
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