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Carolina (English) No 422
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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 422, Friday, June 8, 2001.
FROM THE EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK (May 30 - June 6)
Some 100 StB Agents Escaped Screening, Ministry Checking Certificates
More than 100 former State Security (the secret police, known as
the StB) agents, including members of the former military
counter-intelligence, received false negative screening certificates in
1991 and 1992, said Interior Minister Stanislav Gross June 1. Screening
certificates were issued in order to prevent former high functionaries
in the Czechoslovak Communist Party, former agents and StB collaborators
from holding certain public functions. Gross said responsibility lies
with the Interior Ministry then headed by Jan Langos, which issued the
certificates based on incomplete information. Gross' announcement shook
confidence in all certificates.
"The ministry at that time did not work with documentation as it
should have. Materials (given to the Interior Ministry by the Defense
Ministry to confirm its counter-intelligence personnel) wound up in
a drawer and no one paid any attention to them," said Gross. On the
other hand, historians and security experts say that at the time, when
intelligence activities were being transferred from the StB to the
Interior Ministry, important information about agents was destroyed,
falsified and rewritten. "It was evidently an effort to survive, to keep
a well paid job," said Vaclav Bartuska, a member of the parliament
commission for investigating the events of November 1989.
The case came to the light when eight high Interior Ministry
officials did not pass security checks by the Defense Ministry because
of collaboration with StB. All eight had negative screening
certificates. "Our findings, however, demonstrated the opposite. Those
people demonstrably collaborated with the State Security, that's why we
warned the Interior Ministry that its officials issued in the past
unauthorized screening certificates," said Defense Minister Jaroslav
Tvrdik. He also said there are a lot of former StB agents in the army,
but in lower posts not covered by the Screening Act.
Gross announced June 4 that during the coming weeks his ministry
will check 150,000 certificates issued at the beginning of the 90's.
Marie Sternova/Sofia Karakeva
Javier Solana in Prague
EU High Commissar for Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier
Solana visited Prague May 31 to meet with Czech political leaders.
Solana discussed with Foreign Minister Jan Kavan the affairs of the
six countries which are NATO members but have not yet joined the EU, and
also to discuss an institutional agreement between NATO and EU. During
his meeting with the President Vaclav Havel, Solana emphasized the
importance of the NATO summit in Prague in 2003. During his meeting with
deputies and senators from foreign-affairs and security committees,
Solana expressed hope that European rapid-reaction units of up to
60,000 men should be prepared by 2003.
Solana, 58, last visited Prague three years ago, when Havel awarded
him the state's White Lion Medal.
Marie Sternova/Sofia Karakeva
NEWS IN BRIEF
* Jan Mrzena, director of the Southern Bohemia Theater in Ceske
Budejovice, was elected chairman of the Czech Television Council May
30. The new supervisory body of the public-service broadcaster Czech
Television was elected a week ago by the Chamber of Deputies as a result
of the recent Czech Television crisis (see Carolina 421).
* More than 70,000 liters of radioactive water leaked from the
Temelin nuclear power station May 31. The accident was caused by an
employee, who filled Temelin's reactor with too much cooling water,
which then overflowed the security lid. There was no leakage outside of
the power station. Temelin's management said the accident was not
significant, environment activists say the opposite.
* The requirement for travellers to disinfect their shoes in Czech
airports and at border crossings with Germany and Poland ended June 1.
The measure was taken in March to prevent the potential spread of
foot-and-mouth disease (See Carolina 410).
Marie Sternova, Adam Fendrych/Sofia Karakeva
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
* Deputy Foreign Minister and chief negotiator for EU membership
talks Pavel Telicka settled on the period during which foreigners will
not be allowed to buy land or real estate in the Czech Republic. It will
be seven years for farmland and five years for real estate not
permanently occupied. The Czech Republic refused the EU proposal for the
free movement of people, intended to limit Czech employment abroad (see
Carolina 421).
* Political leaders of the Visegrad Four (the Czech Republic,
Slovakia, Poland and Hungary) met in Krakow, Poland, for the 10th time
June 1. They talked about joining the EU and expressed the hope that at
the July EU summit Gothenburg, Sweden, the EU would set a firm date for
these countries to join. The Polish, Czech and Hungarian prime ministers
said they want NATO to accept Slovakia and Slovenia soon.
* Anton Malloth, 89, was sentenced to life imprisonment in a Munich
court May 30. After 56 years, one of the most brutal jailers at the
Terezin (Theresienstadt) deportation camp was convicted of murder and
attempted murder.
Foreign affairs by Zdenek Sloboda/Stepan Vorlicek
FROM SLOVAKIA
Government Reconstruction, Part Two
The Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) introduced a new plan to
reduce the number of ministers from 20 to 13, after unsuccessful
negotiations to reshuffle the Cabinet. They propose abolishing four
ministerial posts and three ministries: culture, privatization and
regional development.
Jozef Migas, head of the governing coalition's Party of the
Democratic Left (SDL'), said his party views the KDH plan positively.
Another coalition party, the Party of Civic Understanding (SOP), might
support the proposal, too. However, the rest of the coalition parties
disapprove, as does the opposition Movement for a Democratic Slovakia
(HZDS).
The government named new ministers: Maria Kadlecikova (SOP), deputy
premier for integration, and Ivan Simko (Slovak Democratic Christian
Union), interior minister.
Zdenek Sloboda/Adam Fendrych
FROM SLOVAKIA IN BRIEF
* The government May 30 allotted 1 billion SVK to settle Slovak
Television's and Slovak Radio's (SRo) debt to Slovak Telecommunications.
The payment was a precondition for the purchase of Slovak Telecom by
Deutsche Telekom.
Zdenek Sloboda/Adam Fendrych
ECONOMY
Average Monthly Salary Passes 13,000 Crowns
The average monthly salary in the Czech Republic rose to 13,289
crowns in the first quarter of 2001, which is 1,128 crowns (9 per cent)
more per month than in the same period last year. The Czech Statistics
Office released the data May 31. The average take-home pay is 10,500
crowns per month and, according to a government commission for social
and economic strategy, it should increase to as much as 19,500 crowns
per month in 2008, when the Czech Republic is expected to be a member of
the EU.
The gap between Czech salaries and salaries in EU countries varies
from 50 to 70 per cent, but prices of goods here are often as high as in
the union - clothing, dairy products and fuels, for example. Prices grew
by 4 per cent, which means that the average citizen can buy 5 per cent
more than last year.
Also, the differences between salaries in various sectors
increased. The sector with highest average salary is banking, as usual;
the sector's 27,000-crown-per-month average salary was up 24 per cent
from last year. Also the salaries of IT experts grew rapidly, they are
the only Czechs earning on average more than 30,000 crowns per month. On
the other hand, textile industry and agricultural laborers earn the
least.
Some experts say a 5-per-cent salary increase is the maximum, as
more could induce undesirable inflation. However, economist Jan Svejnar
said to the daily Pravo, "We should not fear the growth of salaries,
because the output of our economy is growing, as well. If we get closer
the EU in prices, salaries must get closer, too."
Gripen Fighter Planes Cheaper
The price of the Gripen fighters offered to the Czech Army will not
exceed 75 billion crowns (existing estimates expected a minimum cost of
100 billion crowns). The offer of the British-Swedish consortium
BAE-Systems/Saab is the only one in the tender, after Boeing, Lockheed
Martin, Eurofighter International and Dassault Aviation withdrew before
the tender was closed May 31. The government established an
interdepartmental commission, which should announce its recommendation
by the end of September. The government could also cancel the purchase
of 36 or 24 planes.
The proposed price includes the planes and training, spare parts
for three years of operation and logistic support. The weapons systems
will have to be ordered separately later, and American companies are
likely to supply them. The price does not include interest on a possible
15-year loan, which is also part of the offer.
Czech industry should profit from the contract, as the supplier of
the planes must pledge to secure offset investments in the Czech
Republic for an amount equal to 150 per cent of the price of the planes.
That would be 112 billion crowns for the Gripens.
Economy by Stepan Vorlicek/Stepan Vorlicek
Rates at the Czech National Bank (valid June 8)
--------------------------------------------------------------
1 EUR = 34.100
country currency CZK
------------------------------------------
Australia 1 AUD 20.690
Great Britain 1 GBP 55.853
Denmark 1 DKK 4.573
Japan 100 JPY 33.529
Canada 1 CAD 26.389
IMF 1 XDR 50.337
Hungary 100 HUF 13.665
Norway 1 NOK 4.286
New Zealand 1 NZD 16.529
Poland 1 PLN 10.053
Slovakia 100 SKK 79.202
Slovenia 100 SIT 15.666
Sweden 1 SEK 3.664
Switzerland 1 CHF 22.392
USA 1 USD 40.193
Exchange Rates of countries participating in the euro
(converted from the euro rate)
country currency CZK
-----------------------------------------
Germany 1 DEM 17.435
Belgium 100 BEF 84.532
Finland 1 FIM 5.735
France 1 FRF 5.199
Ireland 1 IEP 43.298
Italy 1000 ITL 17.611
Luxemburg 100 LUF 84.532
Netherlands 1 NLG 15.474
Portugal 100 PTE 17.009
Austria 1 ATS 2.478
Greece 100 GRD 10.007
Spain 100 ESP 20.495
CULTURE
Czech Literary Fund Awards Annual Prizes
The book Ferdinand Peroutka - His Later Life 1938-1978 (Ferdinand
Peroutka - Pozdejsi zivot 1938-1978) by Pavel Kosatik was given the
Czech Literary Fund's Annual Prize in the category of literature June 5.
Paleoanthropologist Emanuel Vlcek and his book Czech Kings I-II
(Cesti kralove I-II) received the prize in scientific literature
category. Frantisek Honzak from the Libri publishing house got the
annual prize for lifetime achievement in promoting reference works,
encyclopedias and dictionaries.
Among other winners, who received 50,000 crowns from the Czech
Literary Fund, were Miroslav Krobot for his stage version of Ivan
Goncharev's novel Oblomov, and Karel Vachek for the television
documentary Bohemia Docta - The Divine Comedy.
The Czech Literary Fund published its 2000 annual report, according
to which the foundation distributed last year 339 grants worth
5,539,110 crowns.
Martin Roubal/Milan Smid
Zlin Film Festival Awards
The awards for the 41st year of the International Festival of Films
for Children and Young People have been distributed. The Child and the
Soldier from Iran won the grand prize, the Golden Shoe, in the
children's feature category, the Ali Zaoua (France, Morocco, Belgium)
won the award in the category of youth feature film. The Golden Shoe for
animated film went to The Dance of Bullying (Canada).
The following films also received awards: The Miracle (Denmark), The
Rebels (Rebelove, CR), The Circle (Kruh, CR), Bring It On (USA), Ely and
Nepomuk (Switzerland), Marco Polo - Return to Xanadu (USA, China,
Slovakia), The Mole and the Mum (Krtek a maminka, CR) and The Landscape
(Krajinka, SR). Jindrich Polak has won the award for lifetime
contribution to film for children and youth.
According to the daily Pravo, this year of the festival saw
a negative reaction by the audience to scenes of a baby's being born
into a toilet bowl and sex between children in one of the movies.
Martin Roubal/Adam Fendrych
SPORTS
Czech Soccer Players Lose First Place in World Cup Qualification
The Czech national soccer team lost 1-2 in Denmark June 2 in its
sixth game of the 2002 World Cup qualifications. Bulgaria moved into
first place of the group standings with 13 points, one point ahead of
Denmark; the Czech Republic is third with 11 points. After the game
against Northern Ireland (finished after our deadline), the Czech team
will play in Iceland and will host Malta and Bulgaria. The winners of
the nine groups and seven second-place teams will qualify.
The Czechs lost to Denmark for the first time in history, it was
also the first qualification defeat for coach Jozef Chovanec. His
strategy collapsed with the 6th-minute goal by Ebbe Sand. The Czechs
faced continued offensive attacking by Denmark, but their defenders were
up to the task. In the 41st minute Roman Tyce tied the score with his
shot from the penalty box line.
After the break Vladimir Smicer failed to convert two good chances
and and the Danes' Martin Jorgensen centered to Jon Dahl Tomasson eight
minutes before the final whistle to secure the victory.
After deadline: Czech Republic - Northern Ireland 3-1 (1-1). Goals: Kuka
(40th minute, 88th), Baros (90th) - Mulryne (45th).
Stars Shine in Track and Field Meet in Ostrava
Top Czech athletes met world-class opponents in Ostrava's Golden
Spikes track meet May 31. The most expected star, however, had to
withdraw: Michael Johnson, the United States' world-record holder in the
200 and 400 meters and five-time Olympic champion, had to return home
because of his mother's illness.
Canadian Olympic champion Donovan Bailey won the 100 meters, Czech
javelin thrower Jan Zelezny pleased the fans with his winning throw of
89.47 meters. Roman Sebrle, new Czech decathlon world-record holder, ran
in the 110 meters hurdles, finishing in fifth place. Kenya's Wilson Boit
Kipketer won the 3,000 meters steeplechase.
SPORTS IN BRIEF
* The Czech national under-21 soccer team defeated Northern Ireland
4-0 June 5. After a 4-3 win in Denmark, the team has almost assured
qualification for the European Championships final 16.
* The Sparta Praha and Slavia Praha soccer clubs have new coaches.
Jaroslav Hrebik will leave Jablonec to coach Sparta, Josef Pesice
(former Slavia assistant coach) will lead Slavia. Karel Vecera signed
a new contract in Brno, Karel Jarusek in Drnovice.
* After the first week of the French Open, all the Czech singles
players have gone home. Bohdan Ulihrach, Jiri Novak, Daniela Bedanova
and Denisa Chladkova lost in the fourth round. Petr Pala and Pavel
Vizner advanced to the men's doubles semifinals.
Sports by Adam Fendrych/Mirek Langer
WEATHER
Last week said farewell to warm and pleasant weather. Evidence of
the cold front arriving in Central Europe over the weekend was visible
in pictures of a newlayer of snow on the Krusne Mountains and the Giant
Mountains (Krkonose). The average daily temperature in the lowlands
fluctuates between 15 and 18 degrees Celsius/59 and 64 degrees
Fahrenheit.
English version edited by Michael Bluhm.
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