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Carolina (English) No 340
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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 340, Friday, July 16, 1999.
FROM THE EVENTS OF THE PAST TWO WEEKS (JUNE 30 - JULY 14)
Parliament: Milos Zeman's Government Is Not Good for Czech Republic
By a vote of 90 to 67, deputies in Parliament's Chamber of Deputies
showed their dissatisfaction with the first year of the Social Democrat
minority Government. The deputies took the vote after Prime Minister
Milos Zeman presented them with the Government's annual report. This
unfavorable showing for the Czech Government was the result of parties
to the right joining against the Cabinet' the Civic Democratic Party
(ODS), the Freedom Union (US) and the Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL).
A vote for the resignation of the Government did not pass because of the
wavering of some ODS deputies. Of ODS' 63 deputies, 37 asked the
Government to resign.
The daily Pravo quotes President Vaclav Havel's comments to the ODS
deputies: I cannot understand how some party can say the Government is
damaging the country and simultaneously express confidence. Either it is
damaging the country and doesn't have my confidence, or it is not
damaging the country and then they have my confidence.
ODS deputies cannot initiate or support a vote of no-confidence in
the Government under the terms of the Opposition Contract (see Carolina
297). Lida Truneckova/Irena Smejcova
Press Bill Passes First Reading in Parliament
The press bill, submitted by Culture Minister Pavel Dostal, was
passed July 7 by Parliament's Chamber of Deputies into a second reading.
Deputies made it known that they would debate the bill again and would
try to improve the Government version. Opposition on the right attempted
to vote down the bill, but they mustered only 84 of 186 votes (those
against included deputies from the Freedom Union, the Christian
Democrats and all but nine deputies of the Civic Democratic Party).
The bill includes provisions (see Carolina 335) expanding the right
to corrections, introducing a right to reply and to complain to the
courts if anyone feels that a periodical has threatened violence against
a group of people or propagated racial or ethnic hatred. Punishment
would be a fine of up to 3 million crowns, a second conviction would
mean the banning of the publication.
Deputy Prime Minister for legislation Pavel Rychetsky said July 8
that it is necessary to understand the right to reply as a fulfillment
of freedom of speech. Former Justice Minister and current Christian
Democrat deputy Vlasta Parkanova said the Government-proposed right to
reply far exceeds the reasonable need for privacy, which is regulated by
the civil code. Considering that it's not confined to demonstrable and
verifiable facts, it opens the media to all graphomaniacs and
exhibitionists, foremost from the ranks of politicians, who always have
something to say about or at least to everything, she said.
Former Deputy Prime Minister and magazine editor and current
Freedom Union deputy Vladimir Mlynar said he hoped that the worst
passages in the bill could be eliminated in the second reading, making
it possible to pass the bill. Pavlina Hodkova/Michael Bluhm
Chamber of Deputies Gives Czech Emigres Chance for Czech Citizenship
Parliament's Chamber of Deputies July 9, despite the resistance of
Communists (KSCM) and the Civic Democratic Party (ODS), passed by a vote
of 103 to 66 a bill that should enable Czech emigres who lost their
Czech citizenship between February 1948 to April 1990 to obtain it
again.
If the bill is approved by the Senate, these Czech emigres will
have the right to vote, although only on Czech territory. The
Restitution Act has not been opened again, said Interior Minister
Vaclav Grulich to the daily MF DNES.
An amendment to the Citizenship Act should enable Slovaks living in
the Czech Republic since the split of Czechoslovakia and Czechs residing
in Slovakia to get Czech passports more easily.
Lida Truneckova/Miroslav Svenda
NEWS IN BRIEF
* Slovak President Rudolf Schuster arrived in Prague July 7 for his
first official state visit. He proposed to Czech President Vaclav Havel
the creation of a common policy for resolving the problems of the Romany
minority. They agreed that relations between the countries should
correspond to the fact that they are the closest of neighbors, undivided
by a language barrier and connected by decades of shared history. The
presidents will also encourage the definitive resolution of disputes
about former Czechoslovak property by the end of the year.
* The Government's proposal to raise taxes further on fuels and
cigarettes and to increase the VAT for certain services, was rejected by
Parliament's Chamber of Deputies July 8.
* By six votes a proposed constitutional amendment allowing
referendums was rejected for the 12th time by Parliament's chamber of
Deputies July 13.
* Police are investigating corruption involving entrance exams to
Charles University in Prague's School of Law. The second exam period,
during which the scandal was uncovered, will be repeated in September.
Lida Truneckova/Miroslav Svenda
FROM SLOVAKIA
Disputes within Government Coalition
For the first time since taking office last year, the Government
coalition is facing difficulties, threatened not only by internal
disagreements but also by pressure from the opposition Movement for
a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) of former Premier Vladimir Meciar.
The tension within the coalition arose from a dispute over the
privatization of the Nafta Gbely oil refineries, which in 1996 during
the reign of HZDS illegally became the property of Meciar crony Vladimir
Poor. Current Premier Mikulas Dzurinda has demanded the recall of
National Property Fund Chairman Ludovit Kanik of the coalition's
Democratic Party l Dzurinda claims Kanik allowed Poor to sell his shares
of the company to the American conglomerate Cinergy. Kanik has the
support of his own party and the Christian Democratic Movement of Jan
Carnogursky. These parties consider Economy Minister Ludovit Cernak
responsible for the affair and demand his resignation, but Dzurinda is
standing behind Cernak.
The opposition is basing its pressure on the decision of the
Constitutional Court, which declared illegal Dzurindals rescinding
Meciar's pardons. Dzurinda, who enjoyed certain presidential powers when
he became premier, rescinded Meciar's pardons for those responsible for
the kidnapping of ormer president Michal Kovac's son and for thwarting
the referendum on NATO membership. Dzurinda's withdrawal of the pardons
allowed criminal prosecution of former secret-service chief Ivan Lexa
and former Interior Minister Gustav Krajci, HZDS assemblyman. HZDS
claims that its constitutional rights were violated and is asking for
Dzurinda's resignation.
Surprisingly, Justice Minister Carnogursky has agreed with the
opposition on this issue. Both problems are to be discussed within next
days in the National Assembly, where Dzurinda and Carnogursky will have
to express their stance on the amnesty issue. The premier is prepared to
combine a vote on Kanik's recall with a vote of confidence in his
Government. Petr Kupec/Sofia Karakeva
Language Law Causes Arguments
The Slovak National Assembly July 10 approved a law regulating the
use of languages of ethnic minorities. The norm was approved by a narrow
majority, because the opposition boycotted the voting and the Government
coalition's Hungarian Party (SMK) voted against the bill.
The law provoked arguments not only in Slovakia but also abroad.
While the European Commission expressed satisfaction with the law's
approval, the Hungarian Foreign Ministry officially announced July 12
that the law damages previously satisfactorily evolving relations
between Hungary and Slovakia. Hungary disagrees mainly with the
paragraph that does not allow weddings, funerals or christenings in
a minority language. Government politicians admit that this point might
change in the future.
We have not yet discussed, what's next for the coalition. Of
course, we will evaluate the new situation,o said SMK assemblymenls club
Chairman Gyula Bardos, according to the Czech daily MF DNES July 17.
Bardos said the law's approval should not jeopardize the existence of
the Government coalition. Petr Kupec/Sofia Karakeva
Finland Introduces Visa Requirement for Slovaks
Finland July 6 introduced for four months visa requirements for
Slovaks, in response to the continuing flood of Slovak Romanies
(Gypsies) to Finland. During the last few weeks almost 1,000 Romanies
have arrived in Finland.
According to Finland's Immigration Office, the number of immigrants
declined two days after the visa requirements were introduced. The mass
immigration was organized by the Slovak Romany Intelligence, which,
along with most other Slovak Romany organizations, consider the
situation of Romanies in Slovakia unsatisfactory and demand the
resignation of Deputy Premier for Nationality Issues Pal Csaky. The case
of Slovak Romanies asking Finland for asylum is evidently misuse of the
right to political asylum,o said Csaky to the Czech daily MF DNES July
9.
Because the Finnish Government agrees with the opinion that
Slovakia is a democratic country and the Romanies' motivation for
immigration is strictly economic, the Romanies' hopes for asylum are
small. Finland's Immigration Office refused July 12 the first 150
requests for asylum and several Finnish Deputies visited Bratislava to
help resolve the situation. Petr Kupec/Sofia Karakeva
ECONOMY
Czech Republic's Economic Performance Worst in Central Europe
Statistics show that the Czech Republic has, because of a record
drop in GDP in this year's first quarter, the worst economy in Central
Europe, despite the slowing of growth in Poland, Hungary and Slovakia.
Factors contributing to the Czech Republic's crisis are a decline
in growth in Germany and the effects of the Russian crisis. Other Czech
problems are also plaguing Poland and Hungary' a foreign trade imbalance
and a state budget deficit; Poland and Hungary have already reached
about 75 per cent of their planned 1999 deficits. Analyst Petr Zahradnik
of Conseq Finance said to the daily Hospodarske noviny that the Polish
economy became overheated and its indicators resemble those of the Czech
Republic's two years ago.
The Czech Statistics Office announced July 12 that inflation in the
Czech Republic is now 2 per cent, the lowest figure since the start of
economic transformation in 1990. In comparison with last year, the
biggest rise has been in the price of housing expenses - 13 per cent. On
the other hand, the price of foodstuffs has fallen by 5 per cent. In
comparison with May, consumer prices rose by 0.2 per cent.
Pavlina Hodkova/Jakub Jirovec
ECONOMY IN BRIEF
* The Chamber of Deputies July 13 passed changes to the Labor Law.
The amendments raise unemployment benefits, which will be now 2.5 times
the poverty line - about 8,575 crowns per month. Unemployed people who
attend re-qualification courses can receive 9,604 crowns per month. The
unemployment rate rose to 8.3 per cent in June.
* The Wall Street Journal July 1 issued in its Central European
Economic Review supplement the TOP 500 list of Central European
companies. The top Czech company was Skoda Auto, with sales of 3.29
billion USD in 1998.
* The Czech Savings Bank (Ceska sporitelna) announced that the
bank's losses were 1.5 billion crowns for the first half of 1999.
According to international accounting standards, the Czech Savings Bank
would show a profit of 1.17 billion crowns.
* Skoda Plzen and AliaChem's main creditors July 9 signed
a standstill agreement not to petition for the bankruptcy of the
companies.
* The general meeting of Jan Becher - Karlovarska Becherovka (JKBK)
July 9 approved management's intention to buy Johann Becher OHG from the
French distillery Pernod Richard. JKBK also plans to export throughout
the world, mainly to Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The company has
one remaining trademark suit with Zdenek Hofman, who has been prevented
from distribution by a preliminary injunction.
Pavlina Hodkova/Jakub Jirovec
Exchange Rates at the Czech National bank (valid July 15)
--------------------------------------------------------
1 EUR = 36.500
country currency CZK
----------------------------------------
Australia 1 AUD 23.726
Great Britain 1 GBP 55.863
Denmark 1 DKK 4.907
Japan 100 JPY 29.674
Canada 1 CAD 24.242
IMF 1 XDR 47.647
Hungary 100 HUF 14.657
Norway 1 NOK 4.487
New Zealand 1 NZD 18.767
Poland 1 PLN 9.148
Greece 100 GRD 11.239
Slovakia 100 SKK 81.382
Slovenia 100 SIT 18.696
Sweden 1 SEK 4.176
Switzerland 1 CHF 22.741
USA 1 USD 35.908
Exchange Rates of countries participating in the euro
(converted from the euro rate)
country currency CZK
Belgium 100 BEF 90.481
Finland 1 FIM 6.139
France 1 FRF 5.564
Germany 1 DEM 18.662
Ireland 1 IEP 46.345
Italy 1000 ITL 18.851
Luxemburg 100 LUF 90.481
Netherlands 1 NLG 16.563
Portugal 100 PTE 18.206
Austria 1 ATS 2.653
Spain 100 ESP 22.937
CULTURE
Thirty-Fourth International Film Festival in Karlovy Vary
The 34th International Film Festival in western-Bohemia spa town
Karlovy Vary showed 27 films from July 2-10. The Israeli film Yana's
Friends from director Arik Kaplun won the festival's competition
section, while a special award was given to the Swedish film Fucking
Amal (its title for American distribution will be Show Me Love), the
feature debut of director Lukas Moodysson. Both films won other awards
at the festival, while audience demand for Fucking Amal, the story of
a budding teenage lesbian relationship, forced the festival to add
another showing of the film.
The festival announced it had sold 110,000 tickets for 351 showings
of the films, which were divided into sections such as the Forum of
Independents, East of the West (for films from post-communist
countries), Horizons (for the most sought-after new films) and this
year's special section Focus on Kazakhstan. Although the festival
reported more than 90-per-cent attendance for all showings, observers
agreed that there were less people at this year' s festival than in the
last two years.
Talk at the festival centered on the new films of renowned
directors' Karlovy Vary was host to the Czech premieres of Emir
Kusturica's Black Cat, White Cat, Nikita Michalkov's Barber of Siberia
(attended by President Vaclav Havel), Pedro Almodovar's Everything about
My Mother, Ken Loach's My Name Is Joe, Aki Kaurisma's Juha and Takeshi
Kitano's Kikujiro.
The inauguration of the festival was spiced up by a female
streaker's sprint to the stage' she was advertising a porn magazine. The
long, holiday weekend (July 5 is the anniversary of the arrival of Cyril
and Methodius in 863, July 6 is the anniversary of the burning of John
Huss at the stake in 1415) was accompanied by unusually warm
temperatures, while festivalgoers stayed dry in the cinema during the
second half.
Festival organizers promised next year's 35th edition would feature
a better program of films and be two days longer. This year's budget of
70 million crowns was 20 million less than planned, mainly thanks to
earlier conflicts between the City of Karlovy Vary, the Culture Ministry
and actor Jiri Bartoska's company Film Servis Festival, the main
organizer of the festival. Michael Bluhm/Michael Bluhm
Karel Gott Celebrates 60th Birthday
Karel Gott, the Czech Republic's most famous singer, turned 60 July
14. The Prague Sport Hall sold out 13,000 tickets for the celebration,
at which a host of celebrities rendered Gott's tunes.
SPORTS
Decathlete Dvorak Sets World Record of 8,994 Points
The European Cup Superleague event in Prague's Strahov Stadium
brought about an unexpected surprise for the home fans' decathlete Tomas
Dvorak set a world record of 8,994 points. By three points Dvorak broke
the seven-year-old record of American Dan O'Brien. Dvorak set personal
bests in the 100m, long jump, shot put, discus and javelin.
SPORTS IN BRIEF
* Czech college athletes gathered 13 medals at the 20th University
Games. The most successful athlete was swimmer Hana Cerna, winner of the
400 meter freestyle (in which she set a new Czech record), the 400m
individual medley and a bronze medalist in the 1,500m freestyle.
* Canoeist Martin Doktor, gold medalist in the Atlanta Olympic
Games, won three silver medals (in the 1,000m, 500m and 200m) in the
European Championships in Zagreb. Petr Wilfer/Michael Bluhm
WEATHER
The long, holiday weekend in the Czech lands (July 5 is the anniversary
of the arrival of Cyril and Methodius in 863, July 6 is the anniversary
of the burning of John Huss at the stake in 1415) saw nearly record high
temperatures, while the rest of the week was wet, although the floods of
recent years were not repeated.
English version edited by Michael Bluhm
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