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 CZECH REPUBLIC 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 187, Friday, January 26, 1996. FROM THE EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK (January 17-24) Klaus Applies for EU Membership in Rome Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus applied for the Czech Republic's European Union membership January 22 in Rome. The formal application and memorandum explaining the Czech Republic's interests were submitted to Italian Premier Lamberto Dini, who currently presides over the EU. The memorandum lists the historical, political and economic reasons why the Czech Republic should join the EU. It further emphasizes how the Czech Republic welcomes the integration of peaceful co-existence, stability and economic prosperity. The Czech Republic was one of the last post-communist countries to apply, and is not expected to be approved until 2002. Italian President Oscar Luigi Scalfaro granted an audience to Klaus, assuring him that the Czech Republic has full support for its EU application. Pope John Paul II also met with the Czech leader. The press reported they discussed relations between the Catholic Church and the Czech Republic, partly involving the restitution of church property. Petr Mrzena/Andrea Snyder Havel Welcomes Social Democrats' Views on Foreign Policy Following a meeting with a Social Democratic Party delegation, President Vaclav Havel announced his approval of the party's approach to foreign policy. The meeting took place January 13 at Prague Castle. Social Democrat Chairman Milos Zeman said his party appreciates the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs having defended Czech national interests in negotiating with Germany about the joint declaration concerning bilateral political relations. Party members told the President that more important than an immediate signing are quality and content. They added that they believe in the importance of developing Czech-German relations, in areas of mutual agreement. Viktorie Reschova/Andrea Snyder Klaus Meets Kinkel in Bonn Some of the tension that had arisen in Czech-German relations over the text of the countries' prepared joint declaration (see Carolina 186) subsided following the meeting of Premier Vaclav Klaus and German Minister of Foreign Affairs Klaus Kinkel. The hourlong meeting took place in Bonn, where both politicians attended the Bertelsmann Forum on European integration. Klaus told Czech TV Nova that "Mainly it was possible to dim the bloom of the drama inside Czech-German relations. It was necessary, because we can't allow it to be said that we are dramatizing relations." President Havel has decried the clamor surrounding the declaration. He said the countries are capable of "living side by side even without this declaration, or without any step directed toward the resolution of this situation." Petr Mrzena/Andrea Snyder Trade Unions to the Senate, Says Havel At a January 23 meeting with Czech-Moravian Chamber of Unions Chairman Richard Falbr, President Vaclav Havel said unions belong in the Senate. The President said that the presence of members from all walks of life, including the unions, will keep the Senate from becoming a political party playground. As the second chamber of Czech Parliament, the long-planned Senate should be at the earliest elected during the fall polls. Falbr said it is "very likely" unions will take part in the Senate elections, and added there is still enough time to make that decision. Viktorie Reschova/Andrea Snyder Reform of Health Care Not a Success, Public Says According to a long-term investigation published this week by the Center of Empirical Research, almost half the respondents (45 per cent) think health care has worsened. Compared to 1993, the percentage of dissatisfied has doubled. The remaining half (51 per cent) think the health care plan is partially fulfilling its purpose. Four per cent are satisfied, while unsatisfaction increases with age. Health care reform, begun four years ago, is not going well, according to every second person asked. Every third person asked said reforms have no effect at all. Only every fifth respondent feels a positive effect. Health care providers see things differently; 37% think patient care has improved througout the transformation process. Dissatisfaction with salaries remains, howver. Zbynek Vicar/Katerina Rus Jan Kavan Did Not Collaborate with Secret Police The Prague Municipal Court January 16 closed the five-year lustration dispute with journalist, Social Democratic politician and former dissident Jan Kavan. The Court upheld the 1994 decision of the Prague District 7 Court, which ruled Kavan did not consciously cooperate with the State Security Service (StB). The Czech Helsinki Committee, which has before raised objections to the lustration, or screening, law, received the news with satisfaction. If Kavan had given the StB any information during his stay in Great Britain in the 1970's, then it was involuntary, the court ruled. As a university student he associated (with the knowledge of the leadership of the former Czech Association of University Students) with an attache at the Czechoslovak Embassy in London, without knowing the real business of the post was leadership of the office of Czechoslovak intelligence in Great Britain. Zbynek Vicar/Katerina Rus Results of January Election Preference Poll According to January research of the Institute for Public Opinion Research, seven political parties would be elected to Parliament today. Forty-four per cent of those polled would vote for one of the two strongest parties - 27 per cent for the Civic Democratic Party and 17 per cent for the Czech Social Democratic Party. The Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia and the Christian Democratic Union-Czechoslovak People's Party are each supported by 7.1 per cent of voters. Three parties improved their positions in comparison with December: the Civic Democratic Alliance (6.5 per cent), the right-wing Assembly for the Republic-Czechoslovak Republican Party (5 per cent) and the Left Bloc (5 per cent), which for the first time crossed the 5 per cent-barrier necessary for entry into Parliament. The other parties are farther from the threshhold: the Free Democrats-Liberal National Socialist Party (2 per cent), the Democratic Union, the Pensioners for Life Securities and the Czech-Moravian Center Union (1 per cent) and the Christian Democratic Party (0.5 per cent), which will join with the Civic Democratic Party in March. Alida Kassymova/Katerina Rus ECONOMY/BUSINESS Ekoagrobanka Reopens Doors Ekoagrobanka Usti nad Labem, in crisis for eight days, reopened its offices January 19. The Czech National Bank granted a loan of 3 billion crowns to Ekoagrobanka to pay out deposits. Lines formed at many branches, but the situation was calm. Cash payments to depositors January 19 reached 400 million crowns, and payment orders reached 1 billion crowns, while deposits were also recorded. The amount withdrawn January 22 decreased by 50 per cent. Cash withdrawals and payment orders are being provided without any limit, but the bank is not providing any new loans, and has not stated when it will again be possible. After forced administration and decreasing basic capital, the next step toward stability will be a 500 million-crown capital increase from Konsoldacni banka. Konsoldacni banka, owned by the state, will own 100 per cent of Ekoagrobanka. That should take place this week, and forced administration should end in about four weeks. Zbynek Vicar/Katerina Rus Vladimir Stehlik Still Has Not Paid His Debts According to National Property Fund (FNM) Chairman Roman Ceska, Bohemia Art President Vladimir Stehlik still has not paid up 746.5 million crowns due January 19 for increasing his share in Kladno's Poldi Ocel steel company to 66 per cent. Bohemia Art submitted the payment documents during the January 22 meeting between Ceska and Stehlik, though the documents' validity has been questioned and Stehlik admitted their questionable character. Stehlik's office claimed the delay in payment was caused by the transfer of money from abroad to the Czech affiliate of Deutsche Bank AG. Talks this week among leading Czech banks should decide on the consolidation program for Poldi Ocel, owner of massive steel mills west of Prague. Arsen Kocarjan/Milan Smid CORRECTION In Carolina 186's "Tourist Profits Climb," Carolina incorrectly stated that the number of Czechs traveling abroad. The article said 44.9 million Czechs went abroad in 1994, where it should have said there were 44.9 million departures recorded of Czech citizens in 1995. Carolina regrets the errors. The population of the Czech Republic is 10.5 million. Exchange Rates at the Czech National Bank (valid from January 25) country currency ------------------------------------------ Australia 1 AUD 20.084 Belgium 100 BEF 89.444 Great Britain 1 GBP 41.210 Denmark 1 DKK 4.754 Finland 1 FIM 6.001 France 1 FRF 5.375 Ireland 1 IEP 42.719 Italy 1000 ITL 17.131 Japan 100 JPY 25.589 Canada 1 CAD 19.944 Luxemburg 100 LUF 89.444 Netherlands 1 NLG 16.416 Norway 1 NOK 4.200 New Zealand 1 NZD 18.135 Portugal 100 PTE 17.746 Austria 1 ATS 2.615 Greece 100 GRD 11.153 Slovakia 100 SKK 90.308 Germany 1 DEM 18.388 Spain 100 ESP 21.838 Sweden 1 SEK 3.980 Switzerland 1 CHF 22.886 USA 1 USD 27.291 ECU 1 XEU 33.846 SDR 1 XDR 39.915 CULTURE Gerd Albrecht Asks Vaclav Havel to Retract Opinion on Orchestra Czech Philharmonic Orchestra General Conductor Gerd Albrecht cancelled the recording of Smetana's My Homeland and instead will meet the press in Prague's Rudolfinum January 30. It is expected Albrecht will make a statement regarding his position in the Orchestra after being partially deprived of his authorities by the new statute approved by Minister of Culture Pavel Tigrid (See Carolina 186). Albrecht's letter to President Vaclav Havel, published in January 24's Czech daily Lidove noviny, reacted to Havel's interview in Berliner daily Der Tagespiegel January 15, where Havel expressed his view that the Orchestra has fallen into a state of disrepair and crisis during Albrecht's era. Albrecht considers Havel's evaluation of the orchestra's artistic qualities insulting, and asked for an apology. Among others, Albrecht reproached Havel for not attending the gala concert for 100th anniversary of the Czech Philharmonic on January 4. (Also Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus was not present.) The presidential office announced Havel did not received the letter yet, and that "the uncommon way of correspondence with the president, as well as the tone of the letter, rule out the possibility of Havel reacting to it." The Czech press first reported on Albrecht's letter January 23, quoting the German wire agency DPA. Lida Truneckova/Milan Smid Film Festival Febiofest in Prague and Bratislava The non-commercial film festival Febiofest ended January 17 in Prague. The weeklong festival was marked by an unexpected interest in the works of the students of Czech Academy of Film Arts (FAMU) and for older domestic films. The biggest surprise was the interest in Slovak Juraj Jakubisko's 1967 television feature Deserters and Pilgrims (Zbehovia a Putnici). After showings in Prague, Zlin and Brno, Bratislava filmgoers will have the chance to see the festival's offerings from January 24. The director and heart of the festival is Slovak director Fero Fenic, a longtime Prague resident. From his Febio studio have sprung the Gen, Eye (Oko) and Czech Soda television projects, which are also on the festival's program. Marketa Hudkova/Katerina Rus SPORT Sparta Strengthens Lead in Hockey Extraleague Results of the 35th round, January 18-19: Trinec - Jihlava 3-3, Slavia - Brno 7-2, Pardubice - Vitkovice 2-2, Zlin - Sparta 2-2, Plzen - Olomouc 6-6, Kladno - Vsetin 6-3, Budejovice - Litvinov 2-0. Results of the 36th round, January 23: Sparta - Zlin 3-1, Vitkovice - Pardubice 0-2, Litvinov - Budejovice 1-3, Olomouc - Plzen 3-3, Brno - Slavia 4-6, Vsetin - Kladno 3-0, Jihlava - Trinec 3-3. Extraleague standings after 36 rounds: (Zlin and Vsetin finished only 35 rounds): 1. Sparta 51, 2. Vsetin 47, 3. Litvinov 46, Budejovice 42, 5. Zlin 41, 6. Slavia 39, 7. Olomouc 34, 8. Vitkovice 33, 9. Kladno 33, 10. Jihlava 1, 11. Plzen 29, 12. Trinec 27, 13. Pardubice 26, 14. Brno 23. SPORTS IN BRIEF * Daniela Bartova set a new indoor world record of 420 cm (13-plus feet) in the pole vault January 24 in Prague. * The winners of the Czech Cross Country Skiing Championship are: Katerina Neumannova (5 km, 10 km) and Lubomir Buchta (10 km and 15 km). * The first Czech hockey extraleague all-star game in Frydek-Mistek January 21 ended with the East team beating the West team 10-9. WEATHER Even the hardiest are putting on their hats and turning up their collars after this week's deep freeze. The morning's minus 10 degrees Celsius (14 degrees Fahrenheit) isn't even that extraordinary, but considering the 20 Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit) recorded under the sun about two weeks ago in Bozi Dar (God's Gift), the worst part of this winter has to be the frequent and freak weather changes. Editor of the English version: Michael Bluhm ----------------------------------------------------------------------- This news may be published only with "CAROLINA" designation. 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