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Carolina (English) No 410
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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 410, Friday, March 16, 2001.
FROM THE EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK (March 7 - March 14)
ODS and CSSD Opposition Contract to Continue
The Opposition Contract between the ruling Social Democrats (CSSD)
and theoretical opposition Civic Democratic Party (ODS) will remain
valid until the elections in 2002, if within three months CSSD fulfills
at least one ODS condition: to present a proposal to reduce the rising
deficits of various public budgets. Social Democrat Chairman and Prime
Minister Milos Zeman and ODS Chairman and Chamber of Deputies Chairman
Vaclav Klaus announced the deal after a five-hour meeting March 9
attended by 20 representatives of both parties.
Zeman said the European Commission speaks highly of the contract,
"not only because it preserves the political stability of the Czech
Republic, but also because it ensures economic revival and the influx of
foreign investment," said Zeman.
Klaus has said that the Social Democrats are not fulfilling the
five points added to the contract January 14 last year. For example, the
2000 budget deficit exceeded the approved amount by 11 billion crowns.
Klaus said ODS will not tolerate any further debt for the state. During
the meeting the Social Democrats also had to promise they are not
considering cooperation with the Communist Party. The party also
promised that its new leadership, to be elected at the April party
congress, will not call the Opposition Contract into question.
Freedom Union (US) Vice Chairwoman Hana Marvanova said to the daily
Lidove noviny that before the 2002 general elections both parties will
certainly annul the contract, so the parties will not seem to be allies
in the eyes of voters. Social Democrat Vice Chairwoman Jitka Kupcova
said whether the opposition contract will last until the elections
depends foremost on the fulfillment of financial promises, which were
the most hotly debated issue at the meeting.
Jakub Vavruska/Sofia Karakeva
USA Criticizes Czech Diplomacy
The United States are not pleased with Czech Foreign Minister Jan
Kavan's initiative in the UN Commission for Human Rights to insert in
a resolution criticizing human rights abuses in Cuba an amendment
expressing disapproval of US trade sanctions against Cuba.
US Secretary of State Colin Powell expressed in a phone call March
10 to Czech President Vaclav Havel his displeasure with the amendment.
Powell had criticized Czech diplomacy March 7 and several opposition
Czech politicians expressed their agreement with him. During the phone
call Powell and Havel agreed that this year's resolution should not
differ from the one passed last year, according to Havel's speaker.
According to the Czech daily Hospodarske noviny, the Foreign
Ministry expressed regret over the dramatization of the situation.
Ministry speaker Ales Pospisil said the proposed text of the resolution
is not definitive. Kavan said the amendment had nothing to do with the
case of Ivan Pilip and Jan Bubenik, Czechs arrested in Cuba for meeting
with dissidents. The two were recently released from a Cuban jail (see
Carolina 405).
Radim Hladik/Sofia Karakeva
Czech Republic Fights Foot-and-Mouth Disease
The highly infectious foot-and-mouth livestock disease of has
crossed Britain's borders. As the disease (transferable also to humans
in extraordinary cases) allegedly appeared in Lower Saxony in Germany,
the Czech Agriculture Ministry took a number of measures.
The ministry forbade from March 13-27 the import, export and
transport through the Czech Republic of live cattle, pigs, sheep and
goats from EU countries and Poland. The ban also stands for meat
imports, fresh non-meat and milk products and milk. Also, visitors to
the Czech Republic from these countries must, in airports and at border
crossings, disinfect their shoes.
Vehicles have to cross over special mats containing disinfectants.
Visitors to Czech zoos must also disinfect their shoes.
Martin Roubal/Sofia Karakeva
Jarab Becomes New Government Envoy for Human Rights
The government March 7 named Jan Jarab its envoy for human rights.
He succeeded Petr Uhl, who resigned the post to avoid potential
conflicts of interest after his wife, Anna Sabatova, was appointed
deputy ombudsman. Jarab also became chair of the Nationalities Council,
the Inter-Department Commission for Romany Issues and the Government
Council for Human Rights.
Jarab, 36, was originally a doctor and is the son of Senator Josef
Jarab (independent).
Pavla Krizkova/Sofia Karakeva
NEWS IN BRIEF
* The Feminist Group celebrated International Women's Day March 8 in
Prague. About 100 people gathered as part of the Global Women's Strike,
organized in 65 countries to bring attention to the subordinate position
of women. The holiday stems from demonstrations held in the USA in 1908
and 1911 and in 1917 in St. Petersburg, Russia.
* The 151st birthday of Tomas Garrigue Masaryk, the first president
of the former Czechoslovakia, was celebrated March 7. President Vaclav
Havel, accompanied by representatives of the Masaryk Democratic Movement
and Sokol and Junak organizations, placed a wreath at Masaryk's grave in
Lany.
* Ivan Langer, chairman of the Chamber of Deputies' Mass Media
Commission, asked the public-service broadcaster Czech Television (CT)
to cut in half its prime-time advertising (from 7-11 p.m.). "I am of the
opinion that a public-service broadcaster should not be dependent on
advertising," said Langer, according to the daily Lidove noviny, at the
commission meeting March 8, where changes to broadcasting legislation
were debated. Langer said advertising should completely disappear from
CT channels in the future. However, Langer's opinion is opposed by many
other deputies. "It would be a fatal blow to Czech Television," said
provisional CT General Director Jiri Balvin, who said the loss in
advertising income should be compensated by an increase of the
television-set license fee from 75 crowns to 140 crowns per month.
Langer said CT has no shortage of money, but spends it unwisely.
* Police March 9 found Vladimir Hucin, pre-1989 dissident and
post-1989 former counter-intelligence agent, carrying weapons,
ammunition and explosives, and confiscated documents from his home.
Hucin was charged with resisting arrest and illegal possession of
firearms and was taken into police custody. Police are investigating
whether he is connected to the series of explosions in Prerov. If
convicted, he could be imprisoned for up to three years. The former
Security Information Service (BIS) agent says the police is interested
in him because in his work he uncovered the connections between former
communist leaders with the present state sector and intelligence forces.
The Chamber of Deputies' BIS Control Commission said police broke no
laws in their handling of Hucin's case.
Radim Hladik, Martina Oplatkova/Adam Fendrych, Milan Smid
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Zeman Visits India
The main goal of Prime Minister Milos Zeman's trip to India, which
began March 11, was to support mutual relations, foremost in business.
Zeman was accompanied by Finance Minister Pavel Mertlik, Trade Minister
Miroslav Gregr, Agriculture Minister Jan Fencl and by a group of
businessmen.
Zeman discussed some joint projects in Bombay. The Czech Republic,
proposing its L-159 planes, is taking part in a tender for the
modernization of the Indian army. Zeman met with the head of a tractor
factory interested in the privatization of the Zetor tractor factory in
Brno. Tractors, trucks and the energy industry represent the traditional
areas of Czech-Indian cooperation. Long-term projects to help the Indian
state of Gudjarat, the site of the massive, recent earthquake, was
another topic of conversation.
Zeman March 14 met with the Indian President Kocheril Raman
Narajanan and other Indian leaders. Zeman, the first Czech prime
minister to visit India officially, said relations between the Czech
republic and India are absolutely free of problems. Zeman left India
March 15 for South Korea.
Pavla Krizkova/Pavla Krizkova
FROM SLOVAKIA IN BRIEF
* The Tisa River is rising and causing problems in Trebisov County,
where some 150 hectares have been flooded. Several families were
evacuated from the area.
* A statue of first Czechoslovak President Tomas Garrigue Masaryk was
unveiled March 10 in Topolcianky. The local castle used to be his
favorite summer residence. According to the daily SME, this is the
oldest Masaryk statue in Slovakia. It was sculpted in 1929 and was
located in front of the Nitra County Court for 10 years. After the Nazi
puppet Slovak state was founded in 1939 the statue was removed and
forgotten. Members of the Czech Society found it in the gallery in
Nitra.
Veronika Pavlu/Stepan Vorlicek
* The Slovak Music Academy announced the winners of its 2000 awards
in Bratislava March 9. The ceremony took place without many musicians
because of a boycott by the International Federation of the Record
Industry and Music Publishers. Richard Mueller and Jana Kirschner
received the male and female best singer Awards, respectively, while No
Name won as best pop group. Martin Babjak, Jan Berky, Darina Lasciakova
and Andrej Seban were among the other winners.
Veronika Pavlu/Simon Dominik
ECONOMY
Productivity of Czech Industry Grows
Industrial production in the Czech Republic is growing rapidly.
Compared to the first month of last year, this January showed growth as
high as 13.8 per cent. This was brought about mainly by the increased
export of Czech goods, as well as by direct foreign investments, which
had a positive influence on the country's economic growth. The quarterly
report of the British EIU research institute indicates that the
investment risk in the Czech Republic is quite low; the recent, massive
influx of foreign capital is proof of the fact. Producers of electric
appliances, machinery and vehicles are doing the best; the only branch
in decline is the leather-processing industry. Its decrease is related
to livestock diseases. Productivity growth influenced salaries in
industry, which showed an average increase of 12.4 per cent to an
average industrial wage of 13,606 crowns per month.
Pavla Reznickova/Stepan Vorlicek
ECONOMY IN BRIEF
* The unemployment rate fell to 9 per cent in February. Employment
agencies register about 466,000 jobless people and about 58,000
available jobs. The highest rate of unemployment is in Most County (22
per cent), while Prague-West has the lowest rate (2.8 per cent).
Pavla Reznickova/Stepan Vorlicek
* The government March 7 approved changes to the Rent Act, according
to which the owners of apartments would have to consult any increase of
rent with tenants beginning in 2002. Tenants would not have to accept
yearly increases exceeding 10 per cent. Disagreements would be resolved
by first by a commission at the County Office, then by a court. The
10-per-cent limit is the subject of debate, as the Constitutional Court
ruled in June that rent regulation was unconstitutional for limiting
owners' profits. The new bill is criticized as further regulation.
Pavla Reznickova/Stepan Vorlicek
Rates at the Czech National Bank (valid March 17)
--------------------------------------------------------------
1 EUR = 34.580
country currency CZK
------------------------------------------
Australia 1 AUD 18 801
Great Britain 1 GBP 54.973
Denmark 1 DKK 4.635
Japan 100 JPY 31.445
Canada 1 CAD 24.407
IMF 1 XDR 48.849
Hungary 100 HUF 13.034
Norway 1 NOK 4.218
New Zealand 1 NZD 16.644
Poland 1 PLN 9.286
Slovakia 100 SKK 79.064
Slovenia 100 SIT 15.983
Sweden 1 SEK 3.778
Switzerland 1 CHF 22.470
USA 1 USD 37.994
Exchange Rates of countries participating in the euro
(converted from the euro rate)
country currency CZK
-----------------------------------------
Germany 1 DEM 17.680
Belgium 100 BEF 85.722
Finland 1 FIM 5.816
France 1 FRF 5.272
Ireland 1 IEP 43.908
Italy 1000 ITL 17.859
Luxemburg 100 LUF 85.722
Netherlands 1 NLG 15.692
Portugal 100 PTE 17.248
Austria 1 ATS 2.513
Greece 100 GRD 10.148
Spain 100 ESP 20.783
CULTURE
I.N.R.I. - Jesus through the Eyes of Modern Photography
Prague's Rudolfinum is exhibiting I.N.R.I., the new project of
French photographer Bettina Rheims and writer and photographer Serge
Bramly. The authors tried to depict motifs from the New Testament using
contemporary symbols. The collection of 85 photographs shows the life of
Christ from his birth to his death. The pictures are accompanied by
extracts from the Gospel, retold by Bramly. The authors said they wanted
to create a contrast between traditional views (the manger, the cross)
and our own era (Judas has peroxide hair and a leather coat, there is
a car parked in the manger scene, etc.). The exhibition also includes
a crown of thorns by Jiri David - done in blue neon and installed on the
roof of the Rudolfinum concert hall.
Zuzana Boleslavova/Simon Dominik
CULTURE IN BRIEF
* Jan Zrzavy's painting Magdalene was stolen from the Gallery of
Modern Art in Roudnice nad Labem (Northern Bohemia) March 7. The 1916
canvas, worth about 3 million crowns, was stolen with its golden frame
during the regular visiting hours of the gallery. This is the first time
here that someone stole a work of art from a gallery, all previous
thefts occurred in churches or museums. Police are investigating.
Matina Parizkova/Simon Dominik
SPORT
Two Golds, One Bronze for Czechs at World Indoor Track Championships
The Czech team, coached by Vaclav Fiser, brought home three medals
from the World Indoor Track and Field Championships in Lisbon. Roman
Sebrle, Olympic silver medalist in the decathlon in Sydney, won the gold
easily in the septathlon in Lisbon. One bronze was won by 800m runner
Helena Fuchsova, while the other was surprisingly taken by pole vaulter
Pavla Hamackova on the first day of the competition. She set a new Czech
record of 456 cm and finished one spot ahead of world-record holder
Stacy Dragila.
Playoffs Begin in Hockey Extraleague
The regular season of the hockey extraleague is over and the top
eight teams have begun their quest for the championship in the playoffs.
Results: Vsetin - Zlin 1-1 (4-3; 1-2 - both matches in overtime),
Znojmo - Slavia 2-0 (5-2; 4-0),
Pardubice - Vitkovice 1-1 (3-4; 6-3),
Litvinov - Sparta 1-1 (4-5 - overtime, penalty shots; 3-1)
Sparta Builds Lead in Soccer League
While Sparta Prague's 4-1 victory in Ceske Budejovice confirmed
Sparta's unchallenged lead in the soccer league, its traditional rival
Slavia Prague lost points when it was not able to defeat Ostrava at
home. Slavia's last victory at home was recorded October 14.
Results of the 20th round: C.Budejovice - Sparta 1-4, Zizkov
- Olomouc 2-2, Brno - Pribram 0-0, Synot Stare Mesto - Bohemians 0-0,
Slavia - Ostrava 0-0, Drnovice - Liberec 2-1, Jablonec - Teplice 1-0,
Blsany - Plzen 2-1
Standings: 1. Sparta Praha 49 points, 2. Olomouc 34, 3. Pribram
32, 4. Teplice 30, 5. Zizkov 30, 6. Liberec 28, 7. Stare Mesto 26, 8.
Slavia Praha 26, 9. Drnovice 26, 10. Bohemians 23, 11. Jablonec 22, 12.
Blsany 20, 13. Ostrava 20, 14. Brno 18, 15. Ceske Budejovice 15, 16.
Plzen 12
SPORTS IN BRIEF
* Czech cross-country skiing champion Katerina Neumannova prematurely
ended her winter season because of health problems which started with
a virus at the World Championonship in Lahti, Finland (see Carolina
408).
WEATHER
Though spring officially begins March 20, it has exploded in all
its beauty and ugliness. Crocuses and junipers joined snowdrops in
gardens. Songbirds are not idle and storks, skylarks and starlings have
made their regular flight across the ocean. Sunshine made lots of us put
our dark glasses on and exchange heavy coats for lighter jackets.
Night temperatures are stably above 0 degrees Celsius/32 degrees
Fahrenheit and during the day have climbed as high as 15 degrees
Celsius/59 degrees Fahrenheit. Spring rains began arriving in mid-week
and the cold wind, however, makes obvious that Jack Frost has not
disappeared. So hold only your face out to the sunbeams and keep the
rest carefully hidden under thick sweathers so that you can welcome the
first spring day in perfect condition next week!
Pavla Krizkova/Pavla Krizkova
English version edited by Michael Bluhm.
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