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Carolina (English) No 369
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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 369, Friday, March 31, 2000.
FROM THE EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK (March 22 to March 29)
Havel Warns against "Mafia Capitalism" Here
President Vaclav Havel criticized in his March 24 interview for
Czech Television the rise of economic crime in the Czech Republic. He
said the possible connections between shady economic activities and
political parties cannot be overlooked. Havel did not mention anyone
specifically.
He said he was referring to certain financial groups, investment
funds and banks that could be connected to foreign mafias. Havel said he
could not watch people being surrounded by fear. He also said it is
necessary to provide the conditions so that the police, investigators,
state prosecutors and judges feel political support to fight these
groups. Havel also talked about his recent request for the Security and
Information Service (see Carolina 368).
He said it involved one private subject suspected of trying to
destabilize the police organs fighting organized and economic crime. The
daily MF DNES later revealed the person concerned was Josef Doucha,
a former star police detective now working as a lawyer and consultant.
Havel again criticized the amendments to the Constitution proposed by
the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) and the Social Democrats (CSSD).
Radka Kohutova/Ondrej Maly
Brezina Succeeds Basta as Deputy Prime Minister
President Vaclav Havel named Karel Brezina, 27, until now Chief of
the Government Office, as deputy prime minister March 23. Brezina
replaced Jaroslav Basta, whose recall was linked to the demands of the
Civic Democratic Party (ODS). ODS agreed to support the 2000 budget on
the condition that four ministers leave the Cabinet.
Brezina will be responsible for anti-drug policy, the Committee for
the Handicapped and family and youth issues. He will also arrange
technical and organizational service for the prime minister, who will
now be in charge of coordinating the Security and Information Service
(civil counterintelligence). Brezina will still be the Chief of the
Government Office. He resigned from the supervisory board of Czech
Telecom, because he will replace Finance Minister Pavel Mertlik as
leader of the Council for State Information Policy. "I will support
everything that leads to making the Internet accessible to the largest
number of users," he said.
Brezina joined the party when he was 18, studied business and is
said to be ambitious, capable and talented. His favorite politician is
Tony Blair.
Three changes are yet to be made. Interior Minister Vaclav Grulich
will probably be replaced by party Parliamentary Club Chairman Stanislav
Gross; Transportation Minister Antonin Peltram will be replaced by
deputy Jaromir Schling and Regional Development Minister Jaromir Cisar
by party Vice Chairman Petr Lachnit, as Zeman announced March 24.
Dita Eckhardtova/Ondrej Maly
Justice Minister Motejl Considers Resigning, Decides to Stay
Justice Minister Otakar Motejl wrote his letter of resignation to
President Vaclav Havel. One reason was the difficulty in passing his
judicial reform bills in the legislature; one committee in the Chamber
of Deputies failed to pass a bill recently because two deputies from the
ruling Social Democrats were absent (Motejl is the only member of the
Cabinet who is not a member of the party). Motejl is preparing reforms
of the judicial system, often the target of anger and laughter at home
and abroad. Motejl, the most popular minister in the government,
announced March 27 that he had decided to stay, in order to finish
reform. "By leaving the government I wanted to say a clear 'no' to the
political game that became a condition for the existence of this
government in connection with the debate on the state budget," said
Motejl. He said he was horrified by the demand of the Civic Democratic
Party (ODS, the Social Democrats' partner in the Opposition Contract),
that its deputies would support the budget if four ministers were sacked
from the government. The Social Democrats accepted the deal.
Dita Eckhardtova/Daniela Vrbova
Jewish Cemetery: Problem Solved
Representatives of the government, Jewish Community and Czech
Insurance Company reached an agreement March 27 to resolve the conflict
about the Jewish cemetery found on company property. The government's
proposal - to preserve the Middle-Ages burial ground under the
company's administrative building - was approved March 29. The state
will contribute 45 million crowns to preserve the cemetery.
The remains of the Jewish cemetery were discovered in 1998 at the
beginning of construction. Domestic and foreign Jewish organizations
were disturbed by the company's plans, and the head rabbi of Israel
recommended to Czech head rabbi Karol Sidon that nothing be built on the
site. Building around the cemetery was the most acceptable solution for
the Prague Jewish Community.
Daniela Vrbova/Daniela Vrbova
Chechnyan Refugees Occupy the Office of UN High Commissar for Refugees
Twenty-four Chechens said they fled from the refugee camp in
Cerveny ujezd March 22 becuse they were threatened by the Russian mafia.
They took asylum in the Prague branch office of the United Nations High
Commissar for Refugees (UNCHR), which they practically occupied. "They
did not want to go anywhere else, because they only felt safe on
diplomatic territory," said office spokeswoman Ivana Unluova.
The Chechens spent two nights on the office floor. Office employees
said the refugees were tired, nervous and refused to leave. They
requested to be moved to another country, but Interior Ministry
regulations would not allow that.
Six refugees agreed to move to new accommodation March 24, with the
rest of the refugees following suit the next day.
Tomas Havlin, Darina Johanidesova
Compensation for Forced Laborers
Victims of Nazism will receive compensation, Berlin decided March
23. The total of 8.25 billion deutschmarks will be divided among several
countries (the most going to Poland, Ukraine, Russia and Belarus). The
largest share (1.812 billion deutschmarks) will go to the Jewish Claims
Conference. The Czech Republic will receive 423 million deutschmarks.
Forced laborers were divided into two groups according to the
seriousness of their ordeal. The first category concerns people who were
forced to do the hardest work, often interred in concentration camps
- they will be awarded up to 15,000 deutschmarks. More victims are in
the second group - they were deported to Germany during the war and
forced to work in factories. They will receive up to 5,000 deutschmarks.
Final compensation will be calculated from the total amount given to
each country. Besides the 8.2 billion deutschmarks for this
compensation, the German Compensation Fund has 2 billion deutschmarks
left. This money will be used for the Fund for the Future, covering
losses and sponsoring humanitarian activity.
Pavel Korinek/Simon Dominik
Milos Zeman Looks for Foreign Investors
With his arrival in Norway March 27, Prime Minister Milos Zeman
started his five-day trip, which includes stops in Finland and
Lithuania. Zeman, accompanied by a group of Czech entrepreneurs, is
looking for new investors for the Czech Republic. In Oslo Zeman tried to
make a deal to change the 20-year contract on nature gas delivery to the
Czech Republic into a barter agreement to be filled by Czech goods.
Zeman is going to return to Prague April 1.
Nikoleta Alivojvodic/Milan Smid
FROM SLOVAKIA
Raz Meets Press for First Time since Accident
Jozo Raz, the leader of Slovak band Elan, appeared in public March
28 for the first time after his near fatal motorcycle accident. He came
to the press conference on crutches, accompanied by bodyguards and three
doctors. "I don't feel like singing yet," said Raz, adding he has only
held a guitar in his hands without playing since the accident.
"By summer I'll be 100 per cent mentally and physically and then
I'll decide whether to concentrate on business or music activities,"
said Raz. Every day after rehabilitation he visits his two firms. Most
of the time he rests, walks his dogs or rides a stationary bike. He said
he is not planning to write any songs about his accident. After the
accident Raz underwent six operations and spent 60 days in coma, because
shards of his skull entered his brain. "Once I throw away these crutches
I'll buy another motorcycle and race," Raz said.
Veronika Hankusova/Veronika Hankusova
FROM SLOVAKIA IN BRIEF:
* Milan Materak, general director of Slovak Television (STV), will
keep his job. The STV Council voted against two members' proposal to
dismiss Materak. Five of the eight council members voted for his
removal, but a two-thirds was necessary. Materak was criticized for
worsening relations between STV and the council. Council members said
they wanted to strengthen public character of STV. Slovakia's most
successful commercial station - Markiza - is preparing changes: Vladimir
Repcik will replace present General Director Pavol Rusko April 3.
Veronika Hankusova/Veronika Hankusova
ECONOMY
GDP Declines Slightly, Economic Recovery Slow in Coming
According to data published March 22 by the Czech Statistic Office,
the Czech economy almost stopped shrinking in 1999, but the results are
worse than expected. The gross domestic product (GDP), fell by 0.2 per
cent, the best showing in the past three years (after drops of 2.2 per
cent in 1998 and 1 per cent in 1997). The Czech economy has been falling
behind neighboring countries, as GDP in Poland grew last year by 4.2 per
cent, and Hungary expects a similar return.
The economy's driving force was consumer spending (1.4 per cent
growth) and the export of goods (18 per cent growth, with export
exceeding import at the end of the year). The increase in consumption
was caused not only by rising salaries, but also by growth in the
leasing industry. On the contrary, investment dropped by 5.5 per cent,
although at the end of 1999 the situation improved. Exports ended up in
the red as well, because the increase in exports of goods did not make
up for the decline in exports of services.
Prime Minister Milos Zeman expressed slight disappointment with the
results ("nothing spectacular"), but was optimistic about this year. He
said he expects growth of up to 2 per cent growth. Chamber of Deputies
Chairman Vaclav Klaus is more skeptical, saying he expects growth of 1
per cent. "The vicious circle of the Czech economy endures without
change," Klaus said. Repeating his mantra, he said GDP will not increase
without the Czech National Bank easing its monetary policy. However,
bank Governor Josef Tosovsky said the results matched the bank's
expectations, so the bank does not plan any changes in its monetary
policy.
Czech Statistic Office Chairwoman Marie Bohata said the results as
worse than expected, especially concerning export. Therefore, the Czech
Statistic Office is to re-evaluate its estimates for 2000 - projected
growth of 1.6 per cent seems too optimistic now, Bohata said.
Michaela Kleckova/Denisa Vitkova
ECONOMY IN BRIEF
* The Prague Stock Exchange's PX-50 index approached the 700-point
barrier. The PX-50 index reached 691 points, with volume of 8.8 billion
crowns. The rise in the index was caused almost exclusively by rises in
the prices of IPS Prague, the Czech Savings Bank, Czech Telecom and the
Commerce Bank. On the contrary, the price of investor favorite Czech
Radiocommunications fell. The bourse opened the new week somewhat
confusingly: Czech Telecom fell, Czech Radiocommunications and IPS rose.
Czech Telecom pulled the index down March 28 to 673.7 points.
Lubos Kratochvil/Denisa Vitkova
Rates at the Czech National Bank (valid March 31)
--------------------------------------------------------------
1 EUR = 35.625
country currency CZK
------------------------------------------
Australia 1 AUD 22.707
Great Britain 1 GBP 59.319
Denmark 1 DKK 4.784
Japan 100 JPY 35.398
Canada 1 CAD 25.539
IMF 1 XDR 50.035
Hungary 100 HUF 13.807
Norway 1 NOK 4.410
New Zealand 1 NZD 18.578
Poland 1 PLN 9.093
Greece 100 GRD 10.655
Slovakia 100 SKK 85.815
Slovenia 100 SIT 17.254
Sweden 1 SEK 4.305
Switzerland 1 CHF 22.375
USA 1 USD 37.249
Exchange Rates of countries participating in the euro
(converted from the euro rate)
country currency CZK
-----------------------------------------
Germany 1 DEM 18.215
Belgium 100 BEF 88.312
Finland 1 FIM 5.992
France 1 FRF 5.431
Ireland 1 IEP 45.234
Italy 1000 ITL 18.399
Luxemburg 100 LUF 88.312
Netherlands 1 NLG 16.166
Portugal 100 PTE 17.770
Austria 1 ATS 2.589
Spain 100 ESP 21.411
CULTURE
Actors Recieve Thalia Theater Prizes
The Actors' Association presented its Thalia prizes for the year
1999 in Prague's National Theater March 25. Dagmar Havlova, wife of
President Vaclav Havel and a former actress, tried to associate herself
with the ceremony by placing it formally under her auspices.
A list of the winners:
Drama: Helena Cermakova for the role of Judith (in the play Judith)
Viktor Preiss for the role of Don Quijote (Man from La Mancha);
Opera: Dagmar Peckova for Carmen (Carmen)
Roman Janal for Pollux (Castor and Pollux);
Dance: Jana Pribylova for the role of Odette-Odilia (Swan Lake)
Ivan Prikasky for the role of Sir Francis Walsingham (Mary Stuart);
Operetta: Marketa Sedlackova for the role of Lisa (My Fair Lady)
Jan Jezek as Fred Graham (Kiss Me Kate).
Iva Potrebova/Zuzana Janeckova
Mlada Fronta on Verge of Collapse
Shortly after the board of directors of the Mlada fronta stock
company recalled Vladimir Pistorius, the director of its publishing
house, the fight for the renowned trademark began. Petitions and
protests against his firing appeared and employees of the publishing
house stood unanimously behind their former boss.
Mlada fronta is a corporation with one share at a nominal value of
139 million crowns, owned by the state and administered by the Children
and Youth Fund (Fond deti a mladeze, FDM). Pistorius led the book
publishing branch (there is also a loss-making magazine division) out of
high losses to profits of about 5.5 million crowns in 1997 and 1998. The
publishing house produces approximately 90 books a year - more than 20
poetry classics and 15-20 translations of modern foreign fiction.
Experts say the house's place in the market is important and nearly
irreplaceable.
Parliament elected a new council for the FDM in June. Two months
later the council elected a new board of directors and supervisory board
for Mlada fronta. None of the members of the new board of directors had
any experience with book or magazine publishing. Since their election
the board has been requesting the commercialization of the publishing
plan. One of its members wanted to stop producing poetry, even though
the poetry editions are profitable.
In October the board recalled Mlada fronta's Director Jan Machacek
and, in January, replaced him with Hana Brajanoski, who had no
experience in book publishing. It also approved a restructuring of Mlada
fronta and approved an increase in monthly payments to board members
from 8,000 crowns to 56,000 crowns. These two actions, Pistorius claims,
will raise costs by more than 2 million crowns per year.
Cash flow has been decreasing - at the end of 1998 it was 21.1
million crowns, at the end of 1999 8.6 million crowns and March 10 3.8
million crowns. Pistorius, a member of the supervisory board, asked for
the removal of incompetent individuals at the board's March 16 meeting.
The board of directors received the minutes of the meeting and responded
by firing Pistorius, saying he opposed an extraordinary inventory.
A regular inventory was taken in January and did not find any
discrepancies. Brajanoski said she wanted to repeat it on the grounds
that it was carried out by company employees. Pistorius said he opposed
the inventory, because while in progress all shipments must be halted,
costing the company about 100,000 crowns per day.
All employees of the publishing house stood behind Pistorius.
Protests addressed to the Chamber of Deputies were signed by the Czech
PEN Club Chairman Jiri Stransky and Writers Community (Obec spisovatelu)
Chairman Antonin Jelinek and a petition came from authors Jiri Grusa,
Arnost Lustig and Pavel Kohout. Moreover, Kohout forbade the house from
publishing his works. Pistorius is also supported by booksellers,
critics and translators, who stopped or plan to stop working with Mlada
fronta.
Both sides keep accusing each other of falsifying with the house's
financial numbers. It appears Parliament will have to solve the
situation. It can either replace the council of the FDM, which would
then recall the Mlada fronta board, or simply liquidate the FDM. A bill
concerning this matter was passed into a second reading in February and
Stransky in his letter requested a state of legislative emergency to
move the bill forward. Pistorius' backers say that without quick action
the house and its first-rate staff will crumble in a few weeks,
destroying 10 years of hard work and passing the Mlada fronta trademark
into history.
Simon Dominik/Simon Dominik
SPORTS
UEFA Cup: English Team Leaves Prague Winners, Losers
The wave ruled Prague's Strahov Stadium, Slavia's players were
working combinations in the middle of the field. The whistle blew, and
the match was decided. Slavia defeated Leeds United, the second-place
team of the top English league 2-1 in their second UEFA Cup quarterfinal
match. Slavia, however, did not advance because it lost the first game
0-3.
Three moments determined the outcome: Dostalek lost the ball,
Leeds' Australian striker Harry Kewell shot from the edge of the penalty
box and scored. It became clear who would advance: Slavia would have to
score five goals to overcome the deficit.
The second moment: Tomas Dosek passed to an open Ivo Ulich, who
calmly scores beside the falling Leeds goalkeeper.
The third moment: Ludek Zelenka was fouled by an Englishman, the
referee ordered a penalty shot. Ulich took the kick, goalkeeper Martyn
touched the ball, but it went through into the net. Slavia won its fifth
straight game in Strahov Stadium and thanked the fans. "We left with our
heads up," Slavia coach Frantisek Cipro said. The win moved the Czech
Republic's national quotient ahead of Greece and ensured it six places
in the European Cups for the 2001-2002 season.
David Luksu/Mirek Langer
Hockey Extraleague: Sparta Defeats Litvinov in Playoffs Semifinal
Two factors decided Litvinov's loss on Sparta's ice in the first
game of the semifinals of the hockey extraleague playoffs: Sparta's
goals in the first period and its own unconverted chances from the
second. "We played just how we didn't want to," said Litvinov coach
Vaclav Sykora after the game and complained about the second period: "In
it we should have broken the game open, but the maximum we got was
Reichel's shot off the post."
Richard Zemlicka (8th minute), Michal Sykora (11th minute) and
Patrik Martinec (19th minute) opened the scoring quickly for Sparta,
Litvinov's Vladimir Gyna scored 20 seconds before the end of the first
period. After the break Litvinov took control and was often only a few
inches from tying the score. Sparta goalkeeper Petr Briza played
excellently, allowing only Zelenka's goal in the 35th minute.
Darina Johanidesova/Mirek Langer
After deadline: Reigning champion Vsetin defeated Plzen 2-0 in the
second semifinal. Plzen advanced to the semifinal by defeating Trinec
4-3 on penalty shots in the fourth game of the semifinal series.
Soccer League: Slavia Careful
Slavia Praha players knew before their game in Olomouc that Sparta
defeated Brno in the 22nd round 3-0 and moved to within one point of
first-place Slavia. After one hour Richard Dostalek scored the first
goal, the second one was given to Slavia by Olomouc's own player. Slavia
still leads the chart, Sparta is four points behind, Drnovice is two
points behin Sparta. The rest of the teams cannot catch Slavia.
Results of the 22nd round: Olomouc - Slavia Praha 0-2, Sparta Praha
- Brno 3-0, Pribram - Ceske Budejovice 1-0, Teplice - Bohemians Praha
2-0, Drnovice - Blsany 2-0, Opava - Hradec Kralove 0-0, Zizkov - Liberec
0-0, Jablonec - Ostrava 2-2.
Standings: 1. Slavia Praha 58, 2. Sparta Praha 54, 3. Drnovice 40,
4. Bohemians Praha 31, 5. Teplice 30, 6. Blsany 30, 7. Ceske Budejovice
27, 8. Pribram 27, 9. Ostrava 26, 10. Brno 26, 11. Liberec 25, 12. Opava
23, 13. Olomouc 23, 14. Zizkov 22, 15. Hradec Kralove 18, 16. Jablonec
18.
Darina Johanidesova/Mirek Langer
SPORTS IN BRIEF
* Jihlava lost the first two games of the hockey extraleague
qualification tournament to Vitkovice 3-0 and 3-1.
* Kenya's Isaac Kipron won the second Prague Half-Marathon in
1:03:28. Pavel Faschingbauer was the top Czech finisher, Jana Klimesova
won the women's race.
Darina Johanidesova/Mirek Langer
WEATHER
Spring is coming. Night-club jazz music hidden in warm and dark and
smoky cellars seemed to be on the decline last week. Temperatures of
about 15 degrees Celsius/59 degrees Fahrenheit made reggae music in the
open-air arena of the street more appropriate for young people. But the
joy did not last long and daily, incessant rain brought back the blues.
Clouds and rain not only struck temperatures down below 10 degrees
Celsius/50 degrees Fahrenheit, but also turned Czech streams into wild
rivers once again.
Jan Vedral Jr.
English version edited by Michael Bluhm.
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