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Carolina (English) No 331
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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 331, Friday, May 7, 1999.
FROM THE EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK (April 21 - May 5)
May Day Festivities: Anarchists' Molotov Cocktails vs. Police Tear Gas
Prague's Shooters' Island (Strelecky ostrov), a memorable place in
Prague May Day history, was occupied May 1 by neo-fascist skinheads who
legally notified their planned rally with municipal authorities
beforehand. Because the police were concerned about possible clashes
between anarchists and the skinheads, Legionnaires' Bridge (Most Legii)
was closed for pedestrians in the morning. However, when a group of
about 200 skinheads began marching from the island through the city
toward Peace Square (Namesti Miru), about 300 anarchists waiting at the
end of the bridge next to the National Theater tried to stop them.
To prevent a clash between the traditional foes, police asked the
anarchists to clear out. After the anarchists refused to obey police
orders, the police tried to disperse them by using police horses
followed by policemen on foot armed with truncheons and shields.
Anarchists shouting "Gestapo" responded with a hail of cobblestones,
Molotov cocktails and wooden sticks.
They destroyed five police cars and overturned one of them, which
they tried unsuccessfully to set on fire. The police, with the help of
tear-gas bombs, started to push the enraged anarchists down National
Avenue (Narodni trida) and arrested the most violent members in the
crowd. After dispersing the anarchists in Spalena Street, the crowd of
skinheads, surrounded by a police cordon, marched through Prague. On
their march they shouted slogans like "Death for drugs," "Nothing but
the nation" and "The Czech Republic for Czechs". At the head of the
skinhead column was a banner reading "Against capitalism, against
communism."
On Peace Square the skinheads thanked the police for their
intervention against the anarchists and parted ways after the words
"Hail to victory". Although some of them used the illegal Nazi salute in
front of policemen, they were not arrested. The police claimed they had
not seen it. They charged one skinhead after a few days.
During the riot, nine policemen were injured and 20 people
arrested, including some casual bypassers. Two journalists accused the
City Police of having attacked them, while some citizens filed charges
over allowing the skinhead demonstration. Four demonstrators are accused
of attacking a public official and damaging private property.
The police intervention was immediately denounced by Government
official Petr Uhl's criticism of police security for the skinheads. On
the contrary, Parliament Chairman Vaclav Klaus supported the police
action.
Radan Dolejs/Jan Martinek
Communists Celebrate May Day, Zeman Visits North Bohemia
The Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (KSCM) held its
traditional May Day demonstration on Prague's Letna Plain. KSCM Chairman
Miroslav Grebenicek spoke to a crowd of some 20,000 and supported the
anti-government atmosphere of the celebration. He criticized NATO's air
raids on Yugoslavia, the high rate of unemployment here and Czech
President Vaclav Havel. According to the daily MF DNES, Grebenicek said
that Havel "is no humanitarian, he's suddenly become a warrior... he's
turned into a dime-a-dozen militarist." According to the daily Pravo,
Grebenicek understands people who chant "Clinton is a murderer."
The ruling Social Democrats (CSSD) also celebrated Labor Day. CSSD
Chairman and Prime Minister Milos Zeman, along with Union chief Richard
Falbr and police protection, laid wreaths on Prague's Strelecky Island
in honor of May 1, 1890. In the afternoon Zeman went to visit to
northern Bohemia, while CSSD's Prague organization held a rally at the
Prague Fairgrounds.
Tomas Kohout/Sofia Karakeva
Head of State Home Again
After his nine-day trip, during which he visited Reykjavik,
Washington, Minneapolis, New York, Winnipeg and Ottawa, Czech President
Vaclav Havel returned to Prague May 1. He attended the NATO 50th
anniversary summit, met with presidents, prime ministers, Czech emigres
and friends like emigre director Milos Forman and rock star Lou Reed.
The main subject of discussion was the situation in Kosovo and
Yugoslavia. Havel stated his position on NATO intervention in Ottawa
April 29 before both chambers of the Canadian Parliament; he said the
war against "the genocidal regime of Slobodan Milosevic is ethical." His
visit served to prompt the Canadian Government to review whether Czech
citizens travelling to Canada should require a visa. Canada is said to
be considering canceling the visa requirement.
Michaela Prokopova/Sofia Karakeva
Zeman Presents New Federal Property Division Plan to Dzurinda
Prime Minister Milos Zeman presented Slovak Premier Mikulas
Dzurinda with a surprising new plan to divide the rest of the former
Czechoslovakia's federal property. Zeman and Dzurinda met April 29 in
Uherske Hradiste, the leaders refused to comment. "The suggestion is
surprising. I will submit it for review and our reaction will be quick,"
said Dzurinda.
The most controversial point of federal property division is Slovak
debt of 24.7 billion crowns resulting from the division of the former
Czechoslovak State Bank's assets and liabilities. The Czech Republic is
blocking 4.5 tons of Slovak gold. The biggest progress, according to
Zeman, was made in negotiations on the exchange of shares of the Czech
Republic's Commerce Bank and Slovakia's General Credit Bank. The
property division should by finished by the fall.
Jakub Jirovec/Jakub Jirovec
Havel and Kavan Discuss Role of Czech Soldiers in NATO Military Actions
The statement of Foreign Minister Jan Kavan that Czech soldiers
would not participate in a NATO ground operation in Yugoslavia,
presented at the NATO summit (see Carolina 330) was the subject of his
two-and-a-half-hour meeting May 2 with President Vaclav Havel in the
Lany chateau. Kavan said they agreed on almost all points, mainly on
sending Czech soldiers for a potential peacekeeping mission. Kavan
rejected Havel's criticism of Kavan's speech in the USA as "embarrassing
and a big step toward discrediting the Czech Republic."
"At least eight NATO foreign ministers with whom I discussed this
matter are of the same opinion I expressed at the Washington summit,"
said Kavan, according to the daily Lidove Noviny and pointed out that
French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin is against a ground operation.
Prime Minister Milos Zeman repeated April 30 that the Government
will not support the participation of Czech Army units in a ground
operation in the Balkans and said he informed Havel and Kavan.
Robin Rohrich/Sofia Karakeva
Anonymous Author Threatens Czech Catholic Church Representatives
An anonymous letter threatens Czech Cardinal Miloslav Vlk and the
Czech Bishop's Conference spokesman Daniel Herman with a beating for
their attitude on NATO actions in Yugoslavia. In the letter, sent from
Great Britain, the author wants Herman to recant his standpoint on the
Kosovo crisis or he will be beaten such that he "will require plastic
surgery." Herman and Vlk have been under police protection since April
30.
The Czech Catholic Church, unlike, for example, the Polish Catholic
Church, supports all NATO actions in Yugoslavia. Herman said the bombing
is the only possible solution after the failure of diplomacy.
Jakub Jirovec/Jakub Jirovec
Minister Gregr Voted Oil Gobbler of 1998
The well known Oil Gobbler (Ropak) award, given for transgressions
against the environment, was won by Trade Minister Miroslav Gregr. Gregr
was chosen by a commission of 119 ecologists, journalists and
non-government organizations for his role in promoting the Temelin
nuclear power plant and his intention to build another nuclear power
plant in the Czech Republic.
The Green Pearl Prize for the most stupid statement about the
environment was awarded to former Professional Hunters Association
Chairman Libor Rehak, who said, "The uncontrolled spread of lynx is in
contradiction with the Bill of Rights."
Jakub Jirovec/Jakub Jirovec
TV NOVA Affair Still Unclear
CET 21, the licence holder for the TV NOVA television station,
voted at its general meeting May 4 to change its name to the TV NOVA
company and appointed new executives. While Mrs. Josef Alan and
Vlastimil Venclik resigned from their positions, former television
station General Director Vladimir Zelezny remains an executive. The new
executives are the second biggest shareholder, director Peter Krsak, and
the company's attorney, Ales Rozehnal. The changes have to be approved
by the regulatory and licensing body, the Czech Council for Radio and
Television Broadcasting (Rada Ceske republiky pro rozhlasove a televizni
vysilani).
Until now the TV NOVA name has been used only for the television
station broadcast by CET 21 in cooperation with the Czech Independent
Television Company (CNTS - Ceska nezavisla televizni spolecnost). After
a fight with CNTS (see Carolina 329), CET 21 evidently wanted by
changing its name to strengthen in the public's eye its position vis
a vis the CNTS service organization, 99-per-cent owned by the American
company Central European Media Enterprises (CME).
A temporary ceasefire was declared in the media skirmish between
CME and Zelezny. The parties maintained their original standpoints:
Zelezny claims that the Czech law is on his side, while CME claims to
have been defrauded by Zelezny, formerly the CEO of CNTS, who failed to
uphold past agreements and to make the cooperation of CET 21 with CME in
broadcasting TV NOVA more consistent and transparent. The demand arose
from the recently announced takover of CME by another media corporation,
the Scandanavian Broadcasting System, SBS.
A book called The Manhunt, written by Zelezny about the present
battle, is to be published May 10.
Petra Machova/Denisa Vitkova
NEWS IN BRIEF:
* The Czech Republic accepted more than 200 Kosovo refugees from
a camp in Macedonia.
* Doctors have probably found a suitable donator of bone marrow for
former Christian Democrat Chairman Josef Lux, who is suffering from
leukemia. If the donor's suitability is confirmed, the transplant from
the Italian donor could take place within one or two months. Because of
his illness Lux resigned as chairman but kept his seat in Parliament's
Chamber of Deputies.
* Civic Democratic Party (ODS) Senator Vaclav Benda is in hospital in
Prague. According to General Faculty Hospital Director Pavel Horak,
Benda is in serious condition. No more information was provided to the
public because Benda's family considers it a strictly family matter.
Tomas Kohout/Sofia Karakeva
FROM SLOVAKIA
Foreign Minister Kukan Becomes UN Delegate for Kosovo
Slovak Foreign Minitser Eduard Kukan will become one of two special
UN delegates for Kosovo, UN General Secretary Kofi Annan confirmed April
28. The second delegate's name is not yet known.
According to the daily Hospodarske noviny, Kukan does not have any
reason not to accept the offer and said he considers Annan's decision
the result of a personal acquaintance lasting several years. Their
relationship developed when Kukan was ambassador of the former
Czechoslovakia, and then Slovak ambassador to the UN. Kukan will work
full time as an envoy, but said he does not intend to leave his
ministerial post.
Marketa Kaclova/Denisa Vitkova
FROM SLOVAKIA IN BRIEF
* The election campaign in Slovakia's first presidential election
officially began. Voters will have a chance to choose from 10 candidates
(not nine candidates, as stated in Carolina 330, an error for which we
apologize).
* The Slovak Government joined the EU in declaring an oil embargo on
Yugoslavia, announced Foreign Minister Eduard Kukan April 29. The Slovak
economy could lose more than 1.5 billion USD by the embargo; further
economic losses should be caused by other abandoned contracts.
* Slovakia will send 40 soldiers to Albania. Under NATO command, they
will be used exclusively for humanitarian activities.
Marketa Kaclova/Denisa Vitkova
ECONOMY
Budget Deficit Starts to Rise
After favorable results in the first quarter of the year when the
state budget was in the black (a surplus of 14.9 billion crowns in
January, 7.3 billion crowns in February and 2.1 billion crowns in
March), the red pens came out in April. According to Finance Ministry
information released May 3, the deficit reached 2.4 billion crowns as
revenues fell short of the 176.4 billion crowns spent in April.
The state treasury is missing 20 billion crowns in revenue expected
from the VAT and social security payments because of low consumer
spending, low inflation and lower wages. If the deficit continues to
grow at this rate, the 31-billion-crown deficit approved by Parliament
would be exceeded; some forecasts predict a final 1999 deficit of 47.3
billion crowns. The Finance Ministry recommended other departments
reduce their expenses by 5 per cent.
Petra Machova/Denisa Vitkova
Exchange Rates at the Czech National Bank (valid April 30)
------------------------------------------------------------
1 EUR = 37.495
country currency CZK
------------------------------------------
Australia 1 AUD 23.329
Great Britain 1 GBP 56.877
Denmark 1 DKK 5.044
Japan 100 JPY 28.816
Canada 1 CAD 23.940
IMF 1 XDR 46.993
Hungary 100 HUF 14.944
Norway 1 NOK 4.536
New Zealand 1 NZD 19.651
Poland 1 PLN 8.936
Greece 100 GRD 11.556
Slovakia 100 SKK 83.512
Slovenia 100 SIT 19.347
Sweden 1 SEK 4.172
Switzerland 1 CHF 23.316
USA 1 USD 34.713
Exchange Rates of countries particpating in the euro
(converted from the euro rate)
country currency CZK
-----------------------------------------
Germany 1 DEM 19.171
Belgium 100 BEF 92.948
Finland 1 FIM 6.306
France 1 FRF 5.716
Ireland 1 IEP 47.609
Italy 1000 ITL 19.365
Luxemburg 100 LUF 92.948
Netherlands 1 NLG 17.014
Portugal 100 PTE 18.702
Austria 1 ATS 2.725
Spain 100 ESP 22.535
CULTURE
Ballet Premiere in National Theatre
The National Theatre presented April 30 and May 2 the last ballet
premiere of the season - a melange of three ballet performances. The
authors and choreographers are Petr Simek, Miroslav Lipinsky and Irena
Janovcova, who used music from contemporary composers and also Antonin
Dvorak's Requiem.
The National Theater will present two more operas (including
Bedrich Smetana's The Bartered Bride) and three drama premieres this
season.
Pavel Sladky/Jakub Jirovec
Czech Avantgarde Photography
Prague's House by the Stone Bell transformed itself into the home
of the exhibit Czech Avantgarde Photography, which consists of 250
photographs and photo-montages from 1918-1948. The mission of the
exhibit is not to show the complete work of the period, but to draw
attention to the unique development of the Czech avantgarde. The
collages of Czech literati Karel Teige, Jindrich Styrsky and Toyen and
the avantgarde experiments of Czech photographers like Frantisek
Drtikol, Jaroslav Rossler and Jaromir Funke show their original ways of
expressing reality. The exhibit's curators also rendered the spirit of
modernity through the character of the house's interiors - the
photographs are displayed in simple wooden frames on purple, black and
blue walls.
Zuzana Janeckova, Jana Kadlecova/Zuzana Janeckova
Eva Kanturkova Wins Hostovsky Prize
In its 25th year the Egon Hostovsky Prize was given to writer Eva
Kanturkova for her novel The Garden of Childhood by the Name of Eden.
The prize was first given in 1974.
Veronica Macias/Zuzana Janeckova
Portrait of Czech Actor Vlastimil Brodsky's Comes to Cinema
April 22 audiences saw the first showing of the film Healthy
Unhealthy Loved-by-His-Country Brodsky (Zdravy nemocny Vlastimileny
Brodsky) in Prague's Blanik Cinema. The documentary film was directed by
actor and swing-orchestra conductor Ondrej Havelka. The 90-minute
collage consists of dozens of scenes taken from Brodsky's films and of
clever and humorous conversation between Havelka and Brodsky. Brodsky
also revealed when he stood in front of the camera for the first time:
as an extra Brodsky was one man in a crowd of workers in Jiri Voskovec
and Jan Werich's film The World Belongs to Us (Svet patri nam).
Lenka Nejezchlebova/Lenka Nejezchlebova
SPORTS
Hockey World Championships: Czechs Easily Advance to Quarterfinal
The Czech national hockey team, last year's bronze medal winner,
opened the World Championships in Norway with two games against
outsiders, Austria and Japan. The players considered both games a good
opportunity to train and scored 19 goals in the matches. The third
match, against the United States, was much more difficult. The teams had
already secured their advance to the quarterfinal group, the Czech 4-3
win meant the Czechs finished first in the opening round group.
The first game against Austria May 1 was played as the Czechs
wished. The Czech team scored four times on power plays and defeated
Austria 7-0. Defenseman Libor Prochazka scored twice.
For the game against Japan, the Czechs prepared a wonderful
exhibition May 3. The Japanese team scored the first goal and then it
brought the score to 2-3, but after Prochazka scored his goal before the
first period ended, only the Czechs scored again - and again. In the
second period they added seven goals and wound up defeating Japan 12-2.
Although the Czechs twice took a two-goal advantage in the game
against the United States, the Americans managed to tie at 3-3. Pavel
Patera's goal decided the game and the score remained 4-3. The Czech
Republic scored three of its four goals in the game on power plays and
in all three games it took advantage of 11 power plays. Russia, Slovakia
and Sweden will be its opponents in the quarterfinal group.
Jirka Wazik, Mirek Langer/Mirek Langer
Will Straka or Reichel Join Hockey Team in Oslo?
Thanks particularly to its two Czechs, the Pittsburgh Penguins
defeated the New Jersey Devils in the deciding seventh game of the NHL
playoffs' first round series 4-2. In game seven Jaromir Jagr, the star
of the sixth game, recorded two assists and Martin Straka scored one
goal.
Czech national team coach Ivan Hlinka can now invite Petr Sykora
from New Jersey. However, the last free place on the national team squad
could also be filled by Phoenix Coyotes center Robert Reichel as his
team was eliminated by the St. Louis Blues.
Petr Novy/Mirek Langer
After deadline: Reichel bowed out, apologizing to Hlinka that his form
was "worse than usual." The team will be completed by Sykora.
Soccer League: Five Rounds to Play and Drama Begins
In its game in Ostrava, Sparta Praha continued its poor form from
recent rounds and complicated its quest for the league championship with
an 0-2 loss. Its biggest opponent, Slavia Praha, took advantage of the
loss and reduced Sparta's lead to five points thanks to a 4-0 win over
Drnovice. Ostrava fans celebrated the win over Sparta in an unusual
fashion - breaking seats and throwing them at policemen.
Teplice is still dreaming about European cup tournaments and after
a 3-0 win over Karvina stays close to second place. Olomouc lost at
Viktoria Zizkov, which finished the game with 11 players and without
a red card for the first time in some games.
Plzen, at the bottom of the standings, recorded a point in Blsany.
Midfield player Dejan Drenovac, who scored Plzen's goal, was the only
scorer for the away teams in the round. The one goal for the away teams
set a record for the independent Czech league.
Results of the 25th round: Pribram - Hradec Kralove 0-0, Ostrava
- Sparta Praha 2-0, Slavia Praha - Drnovice 4-0, Brno - Jablonec 3-0,
Blsany - Plzen 1-1, Teplice - Karvina 3-0, Zizkov - Olomouc 2-0, Liberec
- Opava 1-0.
Standings: 1. Sparta Praha 50, 2. Slavia Praha 45, 3. Teplice 43,
4. Olomouc 39, 5. Brno 37, 6. Blsany 37, 7. Drnovice 36, 8. Ostrava 35,
9. Liberec 34, 10. Opava 30, 11. Hradec Kralove 30, 12. Jablonec 29,
13. Zizkov 28, 14. Pribram 24, 15. Plzen 23, 16. Karvina 19.
Jirka Wazik/Mirek Langer
Slovak Tennis Player Hrbaty Wins Tento Czech Open
Dominik Hrbaty of Slovakia won the seventh ATP Tour clay-court
tournament in Prague, the Tento Czech Open. His coach, Marian Vajda, won
the tournament in its first year in 1987 with a victory in the final
against Tomas Smid, today's tournament director. Hrbaty, 21, crushed
Czech Ctislav Dosedel in two sets 6-2, 6-2 in 55 minutes thanks to fast
serves and aggressive play. Dosedel was the crowd favorite and reclaimed
some credit for the tournament after its biggest draws (Yevgeny
Kafelnikov, Cedric Pioline and Goran Ivanisevic) came to Prague only for
their starting money.
Another Czech player, qualifier Michal Tabara, advanced to the
semifinal, where he lost to Hrbaty. Czechs Martin Damm and Radek
Stepanek, playing together for the first time, won the doubles title.
Petr Novy/Mirek Langer
Weather Complicates Czech Himalaya 8000 Expedition
The Czech mountain climbing expedition Himalaya 8000 will try to
reach the top of Lhotse (8,501 meters) this year. Among its members is
Sona Vomackova, the Czech women's high-altitude record holder with her
ascent of Makalu last year. We received new information about the
expedition's progress and the mood of its members from the expedition's
solar-powered notebook directly from the Himalayas.
"We're changing phases right now, we've built camp 1 (at 6,100
meters) on the top edge of the Khumbu icefall, camp 2 (6,400 meters) at
the end of the West Cwm and camp 3 (7,200 meters) on the left half of
the west face of Lhotse. We're waiting for (camp) 4, everything depends
on the weather. That's the biggest obstacle for climbers. Today it was
probably pretty nasty up there, a lot people were supposedly coming back
to camp 2 from Everest. The mood is good - you should have seen us on
Witches' Day (April 30)! But we didn't drink that much rum... We send
our regards to Carolina - I suppose it has something with my alma mater?
"Namaste! For the rest of the others up there, this is Standa
Berkovec"
Alena Smrzova, Tomas Kohout/Mirek Langer
WEATHER
I would like to tell you, dear readers, that I really hate
translating the weather section. It is always the same: trees in bloom,
young couples in parks... Today I decided to write a "poem." (If it has
nothing to do with the weather, I sincerely apologize).
True spring is here,
I like Czech beer.
For poetry I have no ear,
And my mind is far from clear.
Spring love to all Carolina readers from
Tomas Kohout/Jakub Jirovec
English version edited by Michael Bluhm
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