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Carolina (English) No 401
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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 ISSN 121-5040
tel: (+4202) 22112252, fax: (+4202) 22112219
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
C A R O L I N A No 401, Friday, January 12, 2001.
FROM THE EVENTS OH THE HOLIDAY SEASON (December 20 - January
10)
Parliament Demands Hodac's Resignation, Hodac Does not Resign
After 14 hours of discussion January 5, the Chamber of Deputies
demanded the resignation of Czech Television (CT) General Director Jiri
Hodac as the first step in resolving the crisis at the public-service
broadcaster. Hodac did not resign and the Czech Television Council, the
members of which are nominated and approved by the Chamber of Deputies,
did not recall Hodac at its January 8 meeting, although the Chamber also
demanded the council recall Hodac (for more on the CT crisis, see the
previous issue of Carolina).
The deputies also approved a resolution that CT is not fulfilling
its public-service mission. The ruling Social Democrats and the
Four-Party Colaition blame Hodac, while the Civic Democratic Party (ODS)
blames the mutinous CT reporters who will not obey Hodac's orders and
have barricaded themselves in the CT newsroom since Hodac's naming.
ODS
Chiarman Vaclav Klaus said he considers the events around CT an attempt
at a political coup.
The CT Council, which elected Hodac general director December 20,
did not January 8 vote on Hodac's recall. The Chamber of Deputies will
have another extraordinary session January 12, and if the resolution
about CT not fulfilling its public-service mission is passed again, the
entire council will automatically be recalled. The Four-Party Coalition
and the Social Democrats, which together form a majority in the chamber,
have said they will vote to pass the resolution. Deputies will also vote
on changes to the Czech Television Act proposed by the government,
including the one-time authority to name an interim general director.
Changes to the act also include disposing of the method of having
political parties nominate potential council members. The changes would
rely on non-political organizations to nominate candidates.
Marie Sternova/Michael Bluhm
After deadline: Jiri Hodac unexpectedly resigned January 11 for health
reasons. Hodac had been in hospital January 5 - 8 because of exhaustion.
Hodac's News Director Jana Bobosikova also January 10 stopped
broadcasting her version of the evening news, so the entire country is
now watching the news as prepared by the mutineers.
Havel Makes 10th New Year's Speech
In his New Year's speech, which was broadcast by Czech Television
and Czech Radio, President Vaclav Havel appealed to the moral conscience
and personal responsibility of the people, alluding in his introduction
to the saying of John Amos Comenius that progress is brought about by
doubt, not accord. This year's message was different and much more
positive than in previous years, observers agreed.
Havel focused less on criticizing mistakes and problems in society
and stressed the good and "hopeful." He emphasized the importance of
teachers, doctors, scientists, soldiers, public prosecutors and police
as well as ordinary workers.
Havel, who favors the rebels in Czech Television (see above),
praised the work of journalists who do not vie for sensation, but "want
to pursue a free and independent quest for truth." He praised
associations, foundations, civic initiatives, which he called "an
important expression of living moral awareness and sentiment, of a sense
of human solidarity and cohesion." Vera Vonavkova/Stepan Vorlicek
Sentences Handed down in Biggest Fund Fraud
The Prague City Court January 5 sentenced four protagonists of the
biggest investment-fund fraud. Shareholders of the C. S. Funds lost as
much as 1.3 billion crowns in one fraudulent transaction.
Josef Matoulek (sentenced to 10 years), Vladislav Nad (seven years)
and Tomas Roit (six years) are from the Umana company, which mediated
the transaction. Vaclav Franta (sentenced to five years) signed for the
C. S. Fund Investment Company, the administrator of the funds.
Umana used the C. S. Funds' money in 1997 to purchase nearly
worthless shares of the Drubez Prisovice chicken farm from the British
company Swirlglen. The 1.3 billion crowns was transferred to accounts in
Lichtenstein, Switzerland and Gibraltar. About 180 million crowns was
returned later to the fund, but the remainder was not found.
The four sentences were appealed by the defendants. The leadership
of the ruling Social Democrats decided that Matoulek's contribution of
860,000 crowns will be given to charity if the sentence is upheld.
Katerina Kunovska/Stepan Vorlicek
Milan Srejber Arrested
Milan Srejber, a former professional tennis player and
a well-known sponsor of the Civic Democratic Party (ODS), was arrested
January 6 at Prague's Ruzyne Airport upon his arrival from London. His
firm Srejber Tennis Investing is suspected of making some 13 million
crowns in profit from insider trading in 1995-1996. The reason for the
arrest was that Srejber had been evading prosecution, his trial had to
be postponed several times last year.
Srejber is in custody in the Pankrac Prison, his release on bail is
to be decided January 12. The bail of 5 million crowns has already been
deposited on the account of the Prague City Court. If the court grants
bail, he will have to promise to stay in the Czech Republic.
When the scandal about non-existent ODS sponsors broke in 1997,
Srejber admitted he gave the party 7.5 million crowns that was not shown
in party accounting. Tereza Polachova/Stepan Vorlicek
Czech Republic and Hungary Demand Changes in Nice Agreement
The Czech Republic and Hungary want the European Union to
redistribute the number of votes in the European Parliament. It was
decided in Nice that the Czech Republic and Hungary will each have two
seats less than Portugal, Greece and Belgium each have, even though all
the countries have roughly the same population. The amendment to the
Nice proposal only readjusted the number of votes for Poland and Spain.
French President Jacques Chirac is on record in Nice as saying it is
natural that new EU member countries would be at a disadvantage to
existing members. Dana Zlatohlavkova/Sofia Karakeva
Czech Republic Celebrates New Year
Cheers, fireworks, concerts and also a sea of alcohol, injuries and
less people than last year marked New Year's Eve in larger Czech cities.
During the first minutes of the new year people in Prague could see
the biggest fireworks display in the country's history. Another novelty
was the night service of the Prague subway. The streets were full of
joyful people drinking champagne, shooting fireworks and watching
concerts on Old Town Square and elsewhere. In Ostrava people gathered
mainly in front of City Hall, listened to the national anthem as
performed by Vera Spinarova and watched fireworks. In Brno a majority of
people headed to the city largets square, Freedom Square (Namesti
svobody), where they saw performances by various music groups and
fireworks. In Hradec Kralove the City Council came up with the idea of
collecting coins from those out celebrating. The collection, weighing
43 kilograms/95 pounds, was given to the Children's Home in the nearby
Nechanice region. Ales Borovan/Sofia Karakeva
FROM SLOVAKIA
Stank Named Defense Minister
Pavol Kanis resigned as Defense Minister January 2, facing
allegations of corruption concerning the construction of a lavish villa
in Bratislava. Slovak President Rudolf Schuster the next day named
former ambassador to the Czech Republic and Party of the Democratic Left
(SDL') member Jozef Stank as the new defense minister. During the early
90's Stank, a former communist official, was vice chairman of
Czechoslovak Federal Assembly (Parliament).
The Democratic Party, not only because of Kanis' affair, is
preparing a bill requiring all constitutional officials and judges to
make public their tax returns and statements of their property. No
disclosure laws exist at the present time.
Tereza Polachova, Zdenek Sloboda/Sofia Karakeva
President's New Year Speech
Slovak President Rudolf Schuster in his New Year's speech called on
Slovaks for reconciliation. He praised the achievements of foreign
policy: the country's entry to the OECD and the progress made in
preparations for joining NATO and the EU. As negatives of the past year
he pointed out problems in the healthcare sector and low social security
payouts. Schuster also criticized the domestic political situation and
the country's political culture. The president repeated his proposal to
bring rival politicians to a "round table in a neutral place - at the
president's residence". He thanked citizens for defeating the November
referendum on early elections, proof they do not wish to return to the
situation before 1998. Tereza Polachova, Zdenek Sloboda/Sofia Karakeva
FROM SLOVAKIA IN BRIEF
* Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasianov has been on a private visit
to Strbske pleso in the High Tatra Mountains since December 26. The
prime minister, nearly unnoticed by other skiers, skied the slopes
accompanied by his bodygurads, members of the ski patrol and a ski
instructor. Slovak Premier Mikulas Dzurinda was the only Slovak
politician to visit Kasianov in the Kamzik villa, loaned by the
governmen to Kasianov for the visit. Dzurinda said loaning the mountain
chalet was an honor for the Slovak government.
* Import duties affecting about three-quarters of all goods imported
into Slovakia were cancelled January 1. These duties had annually
brought about 8.5 billion Slovak crowns into the state coffers. A drop
in prices is not expected, as the cancellation of the duty is viewed as
a balance to rising costs for energy and rent.
Zdenek Sloboda/Michael Bluhm
ECONOMY
New Labor Act Comes into Effect
Among the most significant changes in the Labor Act that came into
effect January 1 is the responsibility of employers to provide employees
equal opportunity in work environment, salary, professional education
and promotion. Discrimination is forbidden on the basis of race, color,
nationality, ethnic or social origin, sex, sexual orientation, language,
religious belief, opinions, membership in parties and movements, assets,
physical condition and family responsibilties. Sexual harassment and
other breaches of human dignity are forbidden. The work week, which was
42.5 hours including lunch time, was changed to 40 hours exclusive of
lunch.
Employees younger than 33 were granted a fourth week of minimum
vacation. Employees can work a maximum of 416 overtime hours annually,
while employers can demand up to 150 overtime hours annually.
Stepan Vorlicek/Michael Bluhm
Minimum Salary and Illness Benefits Rise in New Year
The minimum wage increased by 500 crowns monthly to 5,000 crowns
per month (the lowest hourly wage increased from 25 crowns to 30
crowns). The minimum net wage will be 4,184 crowns per month and is by
414 crowns higher than the living wage. This salary is earned by 1-2 per
cent of the 4-4.5 million employed people in the Czech Republic. The
living wage for single individuals remains at 3,770 crowns per month.
The minimum benefit for the first three days of an illness is 275
crowns per day from January 1, an increase of 18 crowns. For days after
the third day, the minimum benefit rose by 25 crowns to 380 crowns per
day. Stepan Vorlicek/Ondrej Maly
Cell Phones Rule Communication
Mobile communication ruled Christmas and the end of the year. On
Christmas Eve, 23 million text messages were sent. The cell phone
networks of all three operators survived without problems, unlike last
year's collapse.
Interest in cell phones continued to rise - the operators enlisted
half a million new clients during Christmas. Almost 4 million people of
the Czech Republic's 10.5 million own a cell phone. The increase
surpassed the highest estimates - a maximum of 1 million new customers
were expected, but 2 million were signed. In the coming years it is not
likely to see another similarly dramatic increase, but next year cell
phones should comprise 55 per cent of all phones in the country (today
they stand at 44 per cent). Stepan Vorlicek/Ondrej Maly
Exchange Rates at the Czech National Bank (valid January 11)
----------------------------------------------------------
1 EUR = 35.025
country currency CZK
----------------------------------------
Australia 1 AUD 20.782
Great Britain 1 GBP 55.582
Denmark 1 DKK 4.693
Japan 100 JPY 32.005
Canada 1 CAD 24.886
IMF 1 XDR 48.613
Hungary 100 HUF 13.200
Norway 1 NOK 4.271
New Zealand 1 NZD 16.663
Poland 1 PLN 9.001
Slovakia 100 SKK 80.447
Slovenia 100 SIT 16.371
Sweden 1 SEK 3.924
Switzerland 1 CHF 22.992
USA 1 USD 37.241
Exchange Rates of countries participaiting in the euro (converted from
the euro rate)
country currency CZK
----------------------------------------
Belgium 100 BEF 86.825
Finland 1 FIM 5.891
France 1 FRF 5.340
Ireland 1 IEP 44.473
Italy 1000 ITL 18.089
Luxemburg 100 LUF 86.825
Netherlands 1 NLG 15.894
Portugal 100 PTE 17.470
Austria 1 ATS 2.545
Greece 100 GRD 10.279
Germany 1 DEM 17.908
Spain 100 ESP 21.050
CULTURE
Reissue of Halas' Thyrsos Poetry Collection Causes Conflict
Frantisek Halas' erotic poetry collection Thyrsos was first
released in 1932, illustrated by Jindrich Styrsky. The edition was not
intended for the public, only for the poet's friends, and, say the
author's heirs, Halas did not the work reissued. The Primus publishing
house reissued the collection, despite last year's rejection of
authorization by Halas' heirs to the Akropolis publishing house, which
had reissued all Halas' other works.
It is unclear if the new edition is legal. Until the end of
November the old Copyright Act was valid, and under it, the work was
protected 50 years from author's death. From December 1 the new act came
into effect, it prolongs the period to 70 years. Halas died in 1949 and
Primus issued the work in mid-December, when the new act was in effect.
Lawyers call the problem is very complicated. Copyright Act specialist
Petr Peceny said, "If Primus finds witnesses that it sold the title in
its store in November, it will be impregnable."
Primus owner Pavel Primus says Halas' works had no copyright before
December 1, so he did not have to ask for permission to publish Thyrsus.
Considering the opinion of other sides, he says he will sell only the
first edition of the book (500 copies) and will not release any further
editions.
The whole collection Thyrsos is available free at
www.magazlin.cz/thyrsos. Petr Frinta/Ondrej Maly
Plastic People of the Universe Founder Milan Hlavsa Dies
Milan "Mejla" Hlavsa, one the most distinctive figures of Czech
music since the 1970's, died of lung cancer January 5 in Prague, two
months shy of his 50th birthday.
Bassist and composer Hlavsa started his musical career in the
legendary band The Plastic People of the Universe. He recorded 10
records with them, soon to be re-released in high-quality editions by
Prague's Globus publishers. The Plastic People of the Universe were not
an ordinary musical group - their concerts were closely monitored by the
communist-era secret police and later they were forbidden from
performing. Show trials with members of the group were accompanied by
huge protests that partly led to the formation of the Charter 77
movement. Hlavsa, schooled as a butcher's apprentice, spent time in
prison.
Hlavsa also co-founded the bands DG 307 and Garage (Garaz), where
he performed as a guest, and Midnight (Pulnoc). In the 90's he helped
found the more experimental group Fiction. The Vozary brothers, who were
up to that time the leaders of the pop group Ocean, were also involved
in the project. The comeback of The Plastic People of the Universe began
with concerts in 1997 and a US tour later. Hlavsa's work on their 11th
album was disrupted by when a malignant tumor was found in his lungs.
The New York Times printed a long eulogy of Hlavsa, calling the Plastic
People one of the rare bands in the world that was partly responsible
for a real revolution. Petr Frinta/Veronika Hankusova
SPORTS
Hockey Juniors Win Second Consecutive World Championship
The Czech under-20 national hockey team successfully defended its
gold medal in the World Championships in Moscow. The youths won all
their games in the tournament. Czech hockey can boast of gold medals
from the 1998 Nagano Olympic Games and the 2000 World Championships.
The Czechs defeated Finland 2-1 in the final January 5 with
Rostislav Klesla and Vaclav Nedorost's goals. The defense played
carefully and got lucky when Miko Koivu missed an empty net from three
meters. According to coach Jaroslav Holik, the quarterfinal game against
Switzerland was the most difficult. "In the final you've already clearly
got a gold or silver, there's not that much pressure. But there (in the
quarterfinals) it would all end," Holik said to the daily MF DNES.
The team, with half its players already at some level of the NHL,
beat its opponents particularly thanks to unselfish play and a good
chemistry on the team. "We all held together, there were no problems.
That's the main reason why we won," said Pavel Brendl, voted the best
forward of the tournament. Tomas Duba was selected the top goalkeeper,
with the lowest goals-against average and the highest save percentage.
Rostislav Klesla was voted best defeseman of the championships, he had
the most goals and assists among all defensemen.
Results: Czech Republic - Sweden 2-1, Czech Republic - Kazakhstan
9-1, Czech Republic - USA 4-2, Czech Republic - Slovakia 5-0.
Quarterfinal: Czech Republic - Switzerland 4-3. Semifinal: Czech
Republic - Sweden 1-0. Final: Czech Republic - Finland 2-1.
Adam Fendrych/Mirek Langer
Sydney Olympic Medalists Rule Athlete of the Year Poll
Jan Zelezny, javelin thrower and Sydney Olympics champion, was
elected the best Czech athlete of the year 2000. Journalists placed
Zelezny before Stepanka Hilgertova (Olympics gold-medal winner in
white-water canoeing) and Roman Sebrle (Olympics silver-medal winner in
the decathlon).
Three-time Olympic champion Zelezny thus capped off a successful
season in which he returned to the world's elite after a serious injury
to his throwing shoulder. He also received the most votes in the Czech
Television viewers' poll. He was also named the 2000 top European and
world track and field athlete.
National Hockey League leading scorer Jaromir Jagr (fourth place)
and Lazio Rome midfielder Pavel Nedved (seventh place) wedged into the
roll call of Sydney Olympians - fifth place went to boxer Rudolf Kraj,
sixth to triathlete Jan Rehula, eighth was decathlete Tomas Dvorak,
ninth shooter Petr Malek and 10th swimmer Daniel Malek.
The Czech national hockey team, winner of the World Championships,
was voted the top team, ahead of the junior hockey world champions and
soccer under-21 European championships' runner-ups.
Petr Adam/Mirek Langer
Pavel Nedved Elected 2000 Best Soccer Player
Czech national team captain and Lazio Rome midfielder Pavel Nedved
won the title of Czech Soccer Player of the Year. Last year's winner Jan
Koller handed the trophy to Nedved December 27. The players and coaches
of the national team and the two top Czech league teams voted Tomas
Rosicky of Sparta Praha into second place and Jan Koller of Anderlecht
into third place. Nedved already won the 2000 journalists' poll.
National team coach Jozef Chovanec was elected top coach, forward
Milan Baros of Ostrava was the rookie of the year and Olomouc defender
Oldrich Machala won the Personality of the League.
Adam Fendrych/Mirek Langer
Josef Masopust Elected Czech Soccer Player of Century
Josef Masopust won the poll conducted by the weekly soccer magazine
Gol as the top Czech soccer player of the century. Masopust in 1962 was
the only Czech to win the Golden Ball as the best European player. That
year Masopust scored the only goal of the Czechoslovak team in the World
Cup final in the loss to Brazil. Josef Bican, Slavia Praha's scoring
machine from the 30's and 40's finished second, and Ivo Viktor,
goalkeeper of Dukla Praha in the 70's, placed third, ahead of Frantisek
Planicka and Pavel Nedved. Adam Fendrych/Mirek Langer
Vsetin Moves into Czech Hockey Extraleague Lead
The hockey extraleague continued after a break while the national
team participated in the Baltika Cup in Moscow. Vsetin won both its away
games and moved into first place. Its 4-2 win on Sparta Praha's ice,
a rematch of last year's league final, was one of the most exciting
games of the two rounds, although it was marked by the referee's
decision to disallow two Sparta goals.
Zlin's Petr Leska scored three goals against Kladno, Patrik
Martinec of Sparta is the league's scoring leader.
Results of the 34th round: Ceske Budejovice - Vsetin 1-4, Trinec
- Karlovy Vary 5-1, Znojmo - Litvinov 4-2, Slavia Praha - Vitkovice
2-4, Plzen - Pardubice 4-3, Zlin - Kladno 6-1, Havirov - Sparta Praha
3-2 OT.
Results of the 35th round: Sparta Praha - Vsetin 2-4, Litvinov
- Trinec 6-0, Karlovy Vary - Havirov 4-2, Kladno - Znojmo 2-2, Vitkovice
- Plzen 1-1, Pardubice - Ceske Budejovice 3-1, Zlin - Slavia Praha 2-1.
Adam Fendrych/Mirek Langer
SPORTS IN BRIEF
* Soccer player Tomas Rosicky, 20, was traded by Sparta Praha to
Borussia Dortmund. The German league club paid 25 million deutschmarks
for the midfielder, the highest amount ever paid by German team for
a foreign player. Elite European clubs have been interested in Rosicky
before, including Lazio Rome, Arsenal FC and Bayern Munich.
* Karel Poborsky, a member of the national soccer team, moved from
Benfica Lisbon to Lazio Rome, the team of Czech player Pavel Nedved.
* Emil Zatopek, who died at the end of last year, finished third in
the European press agencies poll of the world's greatest athlete of the
20th century, behind Pele and Muhammad Ali.
* Soccer player Josef Bican was declared the greatest soccer-league
goal scorer of all time. He scored 643 league goals for Slavia Praha,
Rapid Vienna and Admira Vienna and was the top league scorer 12 times.
It was announced by the International Federation of Football Historians
and Statisticians.
* Czech hockey player Jaromir Jagr recorded his 1,000th point in the
NHL, the first Czech player to do so.
* The Sparta Praha hockey team finished fourth in the Spengler Cup,
the oldest international tournament in the world, after one win and
three losses.
* Karel Loprais (Tatra) leads the Paris-Dakar Rally after 10 stages.
Adam Fendrych, Petr Adam/Mirek Langer
WEATHER
It's raining, it's pouring - a fitting description of Mother
Nature's recent capriciousness. Roads and sidewalks were, after ringing
in the New Year, covered with smooth and glassy layer caused by the
day's rain and the night's below-freezing temperatures. Speaking of
temperatures, Prague's Klementinum, where the temperature has been
measured and recorded since 1775, saw an average temperature last year
of 11.78 degrees Celsius/53.24 degrees Fahrenheit - the warmest year in
the last 225 years. The long-term average is 2.34 degrees Celsius/4.32
degrees Fahrenheit lower. Astronomers and lovers of the night sky
enjoyed the night of January 9, when we could see the eclipse of the
moon in the southeastern sky.
Zdenek Sloboda and Katerina Kunovska/Veronika Hankusova
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