CCCCC AA RRRRR OOOO LL II NN N AA CC AA A RR R OO O LL II NNN N AA A CC AA A RRRRR OO O LL II NN N N AA A CC AAAAAA RR R OO O LL II NN NN AAAAAA CCCCC AA A RR R OOOO LLLLLL II NN N AA A STUDENTS' E-MAIL NEWS FROM CZECH REPUBLIC School of Social Sciences of Charles University Smetanovo nabr. 6 110 01 Prague 1 Czech Republic E-mail address: carolina@n.fsv.cuni.cz Fax: (+422) 24810987 *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* C A R O L I N A No 124, Friday, June 24, 1994. EVENTS FROM THE PAST WEEK (June 15-22) Social Supplements to Rise The Czech government is becoming more generous to its citizens in birth and in death. State supplements for childbirth are being raised 500 Czech crowns to 4,500 crowns. The supplement for a child receiving home care during the first three years will also rise, from 1,360 to 1,740 crowns. The changes are part of a package approved by the government June 15. In addition to the child support increases, funeral supplements will increase from 1,000 to 3,000 crowns. The increases are expected to add 355 million crowns to the budget in the coming year, and bring the total of supplement payments to 1.7 billion Czech crowns. Lida/Sofi Havel on Two-day Visit to Romania The presidents of the Czech Republic and of Romania, Vaclav Havel and Ion Iliescu, signed a pact of friendship and cooperation between their countries June 22 in Bucharest. A free-trade agreement may follow in the fall. Privatization Minister Jiri Skalicky accompanied Havel, and discussed ways to pass on privatization know-how to the Romanians. Czech experts are expected to aid Romania during privatization. Bucharest University awarded Vaclav Havel an honorary doctorate. His speech at the university was based on the difference between illusion and ideal. Many people bear him malice, Havel said, because "...truth and love still haven't overcome lies and hate." The phrases come from Havel's statements in November, 1989, became a slogan expressing the direction society should take. Mlada Fronta Dnes ran a shortened version of the speech June 23. Lida/Andrea Supervisors' Office Asks for Explanations The supervisors' office of National Property Fund is questioning the forced resignation of Tomas Jezek, head of the fund. The supervisors are reportedly dissatisfied with the subsequent appointment of Roman Ceska to head the fund. Ceska is currently the deputy minister of privatization. The supervisors contend that concerns of conflict of interest, cited in Jezek's ouster, could also affect Ceska. If the five-member supervisors' office is not satisfied with the answers it receives from the fund's presidium, headed by Minister of Privatization Jiri Skalicky, it could take its questions to Parliament. According to Jan Kalvoda, chairman of the governing coalition Civic Democratical Alliance, his party is not going to interfere with the problem, because the affair is a case of expert disagreement. Lida/Sofi New Right Wing Party Founded - Democratic Union Alena Hromadkova, a former Charter 77 spokesperson, became the first chairwoman of the Democratic Union (DEU) at its constituent assembly June 8. Represents say that the new party should bring together right-wing citizens dissatisfied with developements in the Czech Republic since the overthrow of the communist regime in 1989. The party platform adopted by the assembly states, "The tyranny of the STB (secret police) minority nomenclature continues, or the government of law doesn't exist." Among the goals set by DEU in its declaration is the prohibition of state services for former high-ranking Communist Party members and for members of the secret police. Further, they call for publicizing the the crimes of communism, and for privatizating state farms. Hromatkova, a 51-year-old engineer, characterized her party's aims for the newspaper Cesky Denik. "We see local elections as a school of political practice." Hromatkova lectures at the Political Department of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University. Josef Kudlacek, editor of Cesky Denik, who helped finance the founding of the 3000-member party, said, "I could buy two Mercedes or one Rolls-Royce for the money I put into the union. I think, however, that in this way, I have spent the money much more purposfully." Carolina first reported on the founding of DEU in the spring of this year. Radim/Andrea International Flying Day in Plana An International Flying Day was held in Plana, in southern Bohemia June 18 at the army airport. Plana's airport is the home base of the first pursuit regiment, which is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary. This will be the last celebration at the Plana's airport because residents of nearby Ceske Budejovice succeeded in getting the airport closed by the end of 1994. About 20,000 spectators, mostly tourists from Austria and Germany, attended the fair. The spectators had the opportunity to admire different flying formations and aerobatics. They also watched a race between a between a propeller airplane and a Ford Escort car. (The plane won.) The show featured NATO airplanes, including the American A-10, and Russian MIG-29s. The event was attended by members of the political, military and sports worlds. Among them was Petr Jirmus, a world master in aerobatics from Ceske Budejovice. Martin/Sofi CULTURE Newest Czech Film "Amerika" in the Theaters Move over Indiana Jones. It's, surprisingly, Franz Kafka! A film version of "Amerika", based on the unfinished novel by the brooding Czech author, was directed by Vladimir Michalek, with camera work by Martin Duba. "I never imagined Kafka as the author of adventure novels. Vladimir Michalek was the person to convince me," wrote Jiri P. Kriz in his Cesky Denik review. "I think that Kafka would be happy. Kafka experts probobly won't be happy, but I think that he would be satisfied. The film is led through such a line that it is most acceptable and understandable for viewers," said actor Martin Dejdar. Natalie/Andrea ECONOMICS Exchange Rates of the Czech National Bank (valid form June 22) Checks Cash Country buy sell middle buy sell Australia 1 AUD 21.002 21.214 21.108 20.04 22.18 Belgium 100 BEF 86.145 87.011 86.578 83.88 89.28 Great Britain 1 GBP 43.689 44.129 43.909 42.49 45.33 Denmark 1 DKK 4.519 4.565 4.542 4.34 4.74 Finland 1 FIM 5.319 5.373 5.346 4.85 5.85 France 1 FRF 5.192 5.244 5.218 5.02 5.42 Ireand 1 IEP 42.914 43.346 43.130 41.13 45.13 Italy 1000 ITL 17.962 18.142 18.052 17.28 18.82 Japan 100 JPY 27.859 28.139 27.999 26.70 29.30 Canada 1 CAD 20.456 20.662 20.559 19.67 21.45 Luxemburg 100 LUF 86.145 87.011 86.578 83.58 89.58 Netherlands 1 NLG 15.825 15.985 15.905 15.43 16.39 Norway 1 NOK 4.080 4.122 4.101 3.95 4.25 New Zeland 1 NZD 16.880 17.050 16.965 16.22 17.72 Portugal 100 PTE 17.105 17.277 17.191 16.01 18.37 Austria 1 ATS 2.521 2.547 2.534 2.47 2.59 Greece 100 GRD 11.726 11.844 11.785 11.08 12.50 Germany 1 DEM 17.736 17.914 17.825 17.37 18.29 Spain 100 ESP 21.349 21.563 21.456 20.46 22.46 Sveden 1 SEK 3.681 3.719 3.700 3.54 3.86 Switzerland 1 CHF 21.001 21.213 21.107 20.61 21.61 USA 1 USD 28.393 28.679 28.536 27.84 29.24 EC-ECU 1 XEU 34.030 34.372 34.201 -- -- IMF-SDR 1 XDR 40.779 41.189 40.984 -- -- Slovakia 1 XCU -- -- 34.201 -- -- WEATHER Those of us, who were constantly complaining that it's too cold for June, that it's uncomfortable in our appartments without heating, are pretty hot already. It warmed up over the weekend, Sunday and the days that followed were announced as summery. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- This news may be published only with "CAROLINA" designation. The subscription is free. Comments and remarks are appreciated. Send them please to the address: carolina@n.fsv.cuni.cz To subscribe to CAROLINA you send an e-mail message to the address LISTSERV@CSEARN.BITNET or to the address: LISTSERV@EARN.CVUT.CZ The text of the message is: SUBSCRIBE CAR-ENG First name Last name for the English version or SUBSCRIBE CAR-CS First name Last name for the Czech version. To delete your subscription from the list you send the following message to LISTSERV@EARN.CVUT.CZ: SIGNOFF CAR-ENG or SIGNOFF CAR-CS Please, don't send automatic replies to our list. You can temporalily stop receiving of Carolna by sending the command: SET CAR-ENG NOMAIL The command should be sent to the address LISTSERV@EARN.CVUT.CZ