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 STUDENT'S E-MAIL NEWS FROM CZECHOSLOVAKIA Faculty of Social Science of Charles University Smetanovo nabr. 6 110 01 Prague 1 Czech Republic e-mail: CAROLINA@cuni.cz tel: (+42 2) 24810804, ext. 252, fax: (+42 2) 24810987 *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* C A R O L I N A No 153, Friday, March 31, 1995. EVENTS FOR THE WEEK MARCH 22-29 Trade Unions Protest Social Reforms Some 90,000 union workers turned out to proclaim their disapproval of government-proposed social reforms Saturday on Prague's Old Town Square. Also at the rally were Milos Zeman, chairman of the Social Democrats, Jiri Dienstbier, chairman of the Free Democrats, and representatives of both the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia and the Party of the Democratic Left. Among the slogans on protesters' banners were "Falbr to the Castle," "Falbr: Father to All Workers," and "Workers: the Victim of Reforms." Richard Falbr is the president of the Bohemian-Moravian Association of Trade Unions. Falbr in his speech said the unions did not want social reform inspired by underdeveloped countries. He said unions recognized the need for social reform but that the time had not yet come. The unions seek to postpone for five years the decision to raise the retirement age. Also they support an early retirement option and child support payments at a single level regardless of parental income. Further, they are calling for contributions for funerals and births. No violence took place at the rally. Stepanka Kucerova/Katerina Rus Says Klaus: Union Rally a Political Stunt Czech Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus called Saturday's union rally a political display in his appearance the next day on TV Nova's talkshow "7 or Seven Days." "I have no doubt when I read slogans like 'Falbr to the Castle' - that is politics, not a dispute with employers," Klaus said. He also said the unions had overestimated the turnout for the rally, and that the real number was closer to 50,000 not 90,000. Klaus accused union leader Richard Falbr of speaking in "a nasty tone of voice" about his offer to renew talks between the government and union leaders in return for calling off the rally. Klaus made the offer to Falbr during the recent U.N. summit on social affairs in Copenhagen. "Just as nastily, just as mercilessly, just as publicly, I declare: Mr. Falbr thought the offer was proper and acceptable when we were sitting together at the dinner table," said Klaus. "All he said was that he would have to ask his colleagues if they agreed." "We were very pleased that the event went so calmly," said Social Democrat leader Milos Zeman. "We appreciate that the unions were not scared into calling off the rally by the prime minister's offer." According to Communist Party Vice Chairman Miloslav Ransdorf, the rally was directed against the two most prominent characteristics of today's society - "Private poverty and public corruption." Stepanka Kucerova/Katerina Rus School of Social Sciences Loses Exceptional Teacher and Individual Former Czechoslovak Environment Minister Josef Vavrousek died in the High Tatra Mountains. Friday, March 17, he and his 19-year-old daughter Petra set out on a hike and nine days later the Mountain Rescue Service found his body buried under an avalanche in the Parichvost valley under the Jalovec Saddle. Vavrousek's daughter is still missing. The search has been hampered by extremely bad weather conditions. Josef Vavrousek was born Sept. 15, 1944, in Prague. He took his bachelor's degree from the Faculty of Machine Engineering at the Czech Technical College. In 1968 he took part in the Lambarene student trip to assist the Albert Schweitzer Hospital in Gabon. He then worked at the Research Institute for the Development of Science and Technology until 1990, when he became Minister of Environment for the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic and chairman of the Federal Committee on the Environment. In recent years, he served at Charles University's Faculty of Social Sciences (FSV UK) as assistant dean and taught human ecology. He was also a founder and leader of the Society for Sustainable Life. Vavrousek was one of the few environmentalists capable of rational arguments in political debate with a clear view of the future. He rejected both environmental fanaticism and a purely economic view of the world. His conception of environmental protection was related to a broader notion: the reclassification of human values. Vavrousek linked the solution of environmental problems to a departure from consumption-oriented lifestyles, to an awareness of greater responsibility for the world around us and for the life of other humans, both in the present and in the future. In one of his lectures he quoted from Antoine de Saint-Exupery's "Little Prince" - We are responsible for everything we have bound to ourselves - calling for modesty and greater respect for nature. And he held to his principles in life. Martin Kupka/J. Schneider Former Communist Functionary Founds New Party Dissatisfaction with the current Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (KSCM) has led pre-1989 Communist Party Central Committee member Miroslav Stepan to found the Party of Czechoslovak Communists (SCK). The SCK registered with the Interior Ministry March 10. "Five years after the rash change that took place here, the KSCM still has not said whether or not it was for the better, they have not explained what the Communists' standing in the state was at that time," said Stepan with respect to the current Communists in parliament. KSCM Chairman Miroslav Grebenicek said the followers of Stepan's new party were "persons incapable of viewing reality without emotions" and that they "do not want to hear even the slightest reminder of the former regime." Stepan denied that the SCK viewed the days of communism with nostalgia, saying they realized what was good and what was bad about it. "The main orientation of the party will be on the present and the future, which is what the KSCM lacks," said Stepan. Stepanka Kucerova/Andrea Snyder Sculptor Sentenced for Standing Up to Skinheads Prague City Court on Tuesday sentenced Czech sculptor Pavel Opocensky to three years in prison for homicide. The court found him guilty of stabbing 17-year-old skinhead Ales Martinu in March 1991. Martinu died as a result of his injuries. In 1992 Opocensky received a two-year suspended sentence with four years probation. But he appealed the decision to the Supreme Court, which then rejected the sentence and referred the case back to Prague City Court. Both Opocensky and the state prosecutor have appealed the City Court's decision. According to his testimony, Opocensky, a citizen of the United States though born Czech, intervened on behalf of two pedestrians who were being attacked by a group of Czech and Austrian skinheads, aged 15 to 20. He said he was trying to draw the attention of the young racists away from their targets, which was why he pulled out his knife. They then encircled him and threatened him with iron bars (known here as "tonfy") and in the resulting confrontation he stabbed one of them. Many of the witnesses questioned repeatedly denied Opocensky's account of the events, saying he did not act purely in self-defense. The Court Senate came to the conclusion that Opocensky was standing alone with Martinu at the time of the stabbing and therefore recommended a tougher punishment. The stiffest sentence for assault in this country is five years in prison. "All of those witnesses saw the skins attack me, but they're scared to testify because the skins would take revenge on them. I didn't do a thing, all I did was defend myself as I have the right to do," Opocensky told Carolina after Tuesday's court session. Under the Czech legal system, Opocensky would have been cleared of the charges only if the judge found that he had defended himself with the same level of aggression as his attackers. But none of the witnesses would testify that the sculptor was attacked before he used his knife. Jiri Chvojka/J. Chvojka Government Recommends Tougher Requirements for Security Agencies The roughly 3,000 private security agencies in the Czech Republic, employing 40,000 to 60,000 people, are now going to have to apply for a special license from the Ministry of Interior. Up until now, all they needed was a business license, but based on past experience with some of the agencies, the government has decided to toughen the requirements. On March 22 the government recommended stricter measures for adoption by Parliament. Interior Minister Jan Ruml said that because this private enterprise is closely connected with the maintenance of public order it needs to be regulated with special legislation. Any Czech older than 25 will be eligible for a license, though only after a thorough investigation into their past, and agency employees will have to be at least 21. The Interior Ministry would also reserve the right to approve or not approve agencies' uniforms. Jakub Krejci/J. Schneider Schengen Agreement Takes Effect While less than six years have passed since the celebrated opening of the borders to the West, a new border has been created. Not an iron curtain, but a Schengen curtain. On March 26 the Schengen Agreement, which reduces monitoring of individuals at borders within the seven countries of the European Union but tightens security on their external borders, became reality. Although the agreement was signed 10 years ago, political, economic and technical problems had prevented it from taking effect, as some EU countries were not able to connect to the Union's information system within the established time frame. It is assumed that security will be tightened most on the German, Czech and Polish borders, meaning that for the first time in several years, the citizens of Central and Eastern Europe will relive the nearly forgotten, unpleasant feeling of inspections on the external borders of the "Schengen countries." The most visible result of this will probably be long lines. The inspections will focus on travelers who are not from the EU, with border guards checking whether or not they are wanted by the law. Poland has spoken out strongly against these measures, and is refusing to build separate exit gates for EU-country travelers. "Warsaw does not understand why Poles should be treated like second-rate citizens," said a spokesperson from the Polish Foreign Ministry. According to German Interior Minister Manfred Kanther, the Schengen Agreement is the "mile marker to a united Europe" and will serve primarily in the battle against crime. Peter Hosek/Andrea Snyder FROM SLOVAKIA Meciar Elected to Head HZDS Yet Again Vladimir Meciar was confirmed in his post as party chairman at last weekend's congress of the Movement for Democratic Slovakia (HZDS), which was strictly closed to both the press and the public. The Slovak prime minister was reelected unanimously, receiving all 224 votes from the congress delegates. Meciar intentionally invalidated his own ballot, making himself the only holdout. Also reelected were all of the HZDS vice chairs - Olga Keltosova, Sergej Kozlik and Augustin Marian Huska. Arpad Matejka was voted into the newly created function of fourth vice chair. The main topics of discussion at the congress were the activities of President Michal Kovac and the recently signed Slovak-Hungarian pact of friendship - both of which were spoken of in critical tones - as well as the status of the Slovak media and changes in the HZDS statutes. Lukas Zentel/Martina Vojtechovska BUSINESS/ECONOMICS National Property Fund to Be Primary Shareholder in Czech Airlines After more than 70 years Czechoslovak Airlines (CSA) changed its name on Sunday to Czech Airlines (still CSA). At the same time the National Property Fund (FNM) took advantage of the change to correct previous errors in the calculation of the company's basic assets. As Czechoslovak Airlines, CSA's worth had been overestimated by nearly 750 million Kc. To correct the error the FNM bought up more than 46,000 shares, valued at 746.9 million Kc, in the new CSA. The same number of shares was then immediately withdrawn, leaving the company's basic assets at the same level but with a different distribution of ownership. The FNM is now the majority owner, with more than 55 percent of the shares. The consent of all of CSA's shareholders was needed for the change, as per the Business Code. Martina Vojtechovska/M. Vojtechovska Exchange Rates of the Czech National bank (valid from Mar 29) Checks Cash country buy sell middle buy sell Great Britain 1 GPB 41,305 42,075 41,848 40,43 43,27 France 1 FRF 5,264 5,316 5,290 5,09 5,49 Japan 100 JPY 29,179 29,473 29,326 28,03 30,63 Canada 1 CAD 18,550 18,736 18,643 17,75 19,53 Austria 1 ATS 2,636 2,662 2,649 2,59 2,71 Germany 1 DEM 18,555 18,741 18,648 18,19 19,11 Switzerland 1 CHF 22,488 22,714 22,601 22,10 23,10 USA 1 USD 25,989 26,251 26,120 25,42 26,82 Slovakia 1 XCU -- -- 34,092 -- -- CULTURE 1994 Thalia Theater Prizes Thalia is not only the muse of comedy but also the highest level of recognition in this country for exceptional stage performances. Sunday evening the 1994 Thalia awards, judged and presented by the Acting Association, were handed out in the historical building of Prague's National Theater for the second time. The Thalias are given in three categories - drama, opera and ballet - along with special awards for lifelong contribution to Czech theater. This year's drama awards went to Vera Galatikova for the role of Hecuba in "The Conquerors of Troy" and Vaclav Postranecky for his interpretation of Podkolatov in Gogol's "The Wedding." In the opera category Ivan Kusnjer took home a Thalia for his Tonio in "The Comedians" and Helena Taupova received a prize for her vocal performance of Tatiana in "Eugene Onegin." In ballet the winners were Jan Kadlec, a cabaret dancer in the Czech adaptation of "Some Like It Hot," and Zuzana Parmova who danced Antonina in the Tchaikovski ballet. For lifelong contributions, Acting Association President Jan Teply awarded prizes to Zora Rozsypalova (drama), Maria Tauberova (opera) and Miroslav Kura (ballet). (from the National Theater for Carolina) Tomas Kopecny/M. Vojtechovska Too Loud a Solitude Comes to Czech Cinemas The latest Czech film is a French-Czech coproduction "Prilis hlucna samota" ("Too Loud a Solitude"), based on the Bohumil Hrabal novel and directed by Vera Caisova, a Czech director who lives in France. Caisova entrusted the leading role of Hanti to the popular French actor Phillippe Noiret. Supporting him are Vlastimil Brodsky, Kveta Fialova, Jiri Menzel and a number of others, both Czech and French. Hrabal himself, who celebrated his 81st birthday the same day as the film's premiere, also has a cameo appearance. The effect of the movie is very autobiographical, which was intentional, according to Caisova, who said she tried to remain faithful to the original book. It is being shown here dubbed into Czech. (from Praha Theater for Carolina) Tomas Kopecny/Eftychia Damianidou Czech Television Buys Popular Slovak Comedian Czech Television will soon begin live broadcasts of Slovak comedian and satirist Milan Markovic, known for his biting commentary on Slovak politics. According to reports in the Czech press, Czech TV signed a contract with Paczelt last week. Markovic's cabaret-style satire appeared regularly on Slovak Television up until the end of 1994, when the Slovak Ministry of Culture itself had the top-ranked show pulled from the air. Markovic will appear on Czech TV live for the first time May 27 from the Branik Theater in Prague, with more shows to come in September and December. Ludek S. Stanek/E. Damianidou Americans Rule Czech Movie Theaters Seven American films and three Czech productions constitute the 10 most-viewed films of the past week. The top three were all from the United States, with "Interview With a Vampire" at no. 1, followed by "The Mask" and "Star Gate." "Playgirls 1" came in at no. 4, the top-ranked Czech motion picture. Other Czech productions in the top 10 were "Diky za kazde nove rano" ("Thank You for Each New Morning") and "Byl jednou jeden polda" ("Once Upon a Time There Was a Cop"), at no. 8 and no. 9, respectively. Also in the top 10 was "Forrest Gump," king of the Oscars for 1994. Tomas Kopecny/Andrea Snyder SPORTS Sparta Praha Coach Jurgen Sundermann Sacked In Carolina no. 140 we wrote that the Sparta Praha soccer team was stabilizing with respect to last autumn. This no longer holds true, as Coach Jurgen Sundermann of Germany was given the boot this week despite that Sparta has yet to lose a point this spring and has moved up to no. 2 in the league standings. Club officials said the reason for the decision was Sundermann's statement to the press that he would be leaving Prague in June. "It could have a bad influence on the players," said Manager Jozef Chovanec. In Sundermann's place Sparta officials named Jozef Jarabinsky, the fourth Sparta coach already this season. Jarabinsky played on four Sparta championship teams in the past, and has coached both Slavia Praha and Union Cheb. Rudolf Cernik/Mirek Langer Young Kickers Defeat Belarus One day before the A-team match, the Czech and Belarussian under-21 sides met in Vitkovice in a qualification match for the European championships. The Czechs did their duty, winning 2:0 (1:0) on goals by Lokvenc and Novotny. The Czech under-21s are now third in the standings with three wins and a tie. Ruda Cernik/Mirek Langer Hockey Extra-league Has Its Finalists Zlin became the second Extra-league finalist after the decisive fifth match of the Kladno-Zlin series, winning 5:1. Also the last match was played in the group of ninth to 12th place. Jihlava beat Vitkovice 6:3 but finished next to last before Vitkovice. Sparta Praha and Pardubice placed ninth and 10th respectively. The battle among first-league squads to advance to the Extra-league also finished, with Trinec and Brno moving up. Mirek Langer/M. Langer Extra-league Championship Still Well-Balanced The ice hockey final between Vsetin and Zlin began in Vsetin over the weekend with great interest on the part of spectators. Zlin had a surprisingly easy win over Vsetin in the first match, leading 6:0 after two periods. The second match was not as obvious, and Vsetin managed a victory to balance the series score at 1:1. The next two matches will be played in Zlin on Thursday and Friday, with the fifth match, if needed, again in Vsetin on Sunday. Results: Vsetin-Zlin 3:6, 2:1. Kladno and Ceske Budejovice, the defeated semifinalists, are now facing off for the bronze medal. After matches in Kladno and in Ceske Budejovice the series score is 1:1. Thanks to its higher standing at the end of the regular season, the deciding match will be played in Kladno. Results: Kladno-Ceske Budejovice 3:5, 5:4. Tomas Kopecny/Mirek Langer WEATHER Behind the monitor of the computer in which this week's Carolina is hatching, we look out the window and what do we see? It is snowing and snowing, the white-blanketed rooftops and tree branches creating a true winter atmosphere. Despite the date, winter marches on, so instead of the traditional marbles the kids are pulling their sleds back out of the cellars. Michal Vynohradnyk and Tomas Kopecny/Mirek Langer ----------------------------------------------------------------------- This news may be published only with "CAROLINA" designation. The subscription is free. Comments and remarks are appreciated. 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