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 196, Friday, March 29, 1996. FROM THE EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK (March 20-27) Queen Elizabeth II in Prague British Queen Elizabeth II arrived in Prague in the afternoon of March 27, the first official visit of the head of the British empire to Bohemia. She was accompanied by her husband, Prince Philip, duke of Edinburgh. Her itinerary that day included a meeting with President Vaclav Havel, a walk across Charles Bridge, and a gala dinner in the Spanish Hall of the Prague Castle. More than 200 important guests, including Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus and Parliament Chairman Milan Uhde, were present. Lucie Dvorakova/Andrea Snyder In Prague, Warren Christopher Supports NATO Expansion American Secretary of State Warren Christopher voiced his support for the efforts of central and eastern European countries to join NATO and the European Union. The Meeting of 12 post-communist national representatives took place in Prague March 20. At the same time, he rejected Russian attempts to stop NATO expansion. Jitka Motejzikova/Andrea Snyder Physicians Hold Two-Day Strike to Raise Salaries Physicians' Unions held a strike March 25-6 to protest the financial crisis in healthcare. The Physicians' Union Club (LOK), which initiated the strike, told Carolina that 60 per cent to 80 per cent of state healthcare workers supported the strike. Patient care was not affected; hospitals operated on weekend schedules. The strike peaked at the bottom of Prague's Wenceslas Square, with more than 16,000 Czechs present. In the end, LOK announced a project called "Gift for the Prime Minister." From March 26-9, irked doctors, nurses and patients can send Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus gifts that remind him of problems in the healthcare system. LOK is planning another protest May 16. With the exception of the ruling Civic Democratic Party (ODS), which controls the Ministry of Health, political parties supported the strike. However, many responded negatively to LOK Chairman Dr. David Rath's political activities. Dr. Rath is running for a parliamentary seat on the ballot of the Free Democrats-Liberal National Social Party. Viktorie Reschova/Andrea Snyder ODA and KDU-CSL Approve Election Platforms The Civic Democratic Alliance (ODA) is convinced social reforms are not complete, and the goal of transformation must be to create a stable, civic society. Their election platform also supports establishing self-administration and lowering taxes. The Christian Democratic Union-Czechoslovak People's Party (KDU-CSL), like ODA a partner in the governing coalition, plans to continue foremost from Christian values. Its program has four fundemental points: a market economy, individual citizen responsibilities, sanctity of private ownership, and limiting state influence. The final versions of the election platforms were approved at national conferences for both coalition parties, which took place March 23-4 in Prague (ODA) and in Litomysl (KDU-CSL). Both parties expressed willingness to continue in the extant coalition after elections. Petr Pabian/Andrea Snyder What Voters Expect from Their Parties A March 27 poll in Czech daily Lidove noviny shows that 30 per cent of ruling Civic Democratic Party (ODS) voters expect their party to keep their election promises, while the same belief exists among 25 per cent of Civic Democratic Alliance (ODA) voters and 16 per cent of the supporters of the Christian Democratic Union-Czechoslovak People's Party (KDU-CSL). At 4 per cent, supporters of the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (KSCM) are skeptical, though 31 per cent hope for good social policy, and 18 per cent for interest in the common people. Czech Social Democratic Party (CSSD) voters are very similar, 31 per cent believing in good social policy, and 10 per cent in increased interest in the common man. Natasa Hajkova/Andrea Snyder Businessman Baranek down Three Places on SD-LSNS Ballot Rudolf Baranek, who banned Romanies (Gypsies) from entering his hotel (see Carolina 195), was dumped from second to fifth on the Free Democrats-Liberal National Social Party (SD-LSNS) parliamentary election ballot by party management. He was placed behind Karel Holomek, a Romany. "For us, it's a gesture to the public, that a Romany representative received the place ahead of him," said Tomas Sokol, vice-chairman of the party's central council. Representative of the Movement for Civil Solidarity and Tolerance Stanislav Penc said the state prosecutor does not see the hanging of for an anti-Romany ban as a criminal act, but as a misdemeanor. Baranek had the much-criticized sign removed March 21. Matej Husek/Andrea Snyder Anti-Drug Campaign Ends in Bankruptcy The biggest-ever anti-drug campaign Stop Drugs!, initiated by a group of parliamentary deputies under the leadership of Pavel Severa (Christian Democratic Union-Czechoslovak People's Party - KDU-CSL) in 1994, ended with multi-million-crown losses. The advertising agencies MARK/BBDO and Saatchi & Saatchi are demanding the reimbursement of their claims from the Drop In Foundation. Drop In collected the money for the campaign on its own bank account, because the parliamentary group did not possess the legal authority to do so. According to Drop In representative Jiri Presl, the foundation collected only 2.6 million crowns, which did not cover the 9.5 million crowns claimed by four advertising agencies. All the financial means should have been concentrated in the single bank account of the Drop In Foundation to enable the control of cash-flow. However, according to some unofficial sources quoted in Czech daily MF DNES, the Kentaura advertising agency, one of the four which participated in the campaign, has received about 5 million crowns directly from sponsors. This ad agency is participating in the election campaign of the KDU-CSL. The party strongly rejects suggestions that its election campaign may be financed by the money collected for the anti-drug campaign. MF DNES said both the Kentaura president and the relevant sponsors decline to reveal any information about the amount of money sent directly to Kentaura's bank account. Marketa Hudkova/Milan Smid FROM SLOVAKIA Slovak Parliament Approves Slovak-Hungarian Treaty A bilateral treaty between Slovakia and Hungary, approved by the Hungarian Parliament in June, was ratified by the Slovak National Assembly March 26. The agreement was signed last year by the countries' prime ministers - Hungary's Gyula Horn and Slovakia's Vladimir Meciar. Deputies added to the treaty an interpretative amendment, which is binding only for Slovakia and does not approve collective minority rights and autonomy. The treaty was approved by a vote of 119-1, while 19 deputies abstained, including the Hungarian delegation, in protest to continuing persecution of minorities. Arsen Kocarjan, Katerina Zachovalova/Katerina Zachovalova Act on Protection of the Republic Approved The amended Slovak criminal code, which brought a flood of criticism (see Carolina 195) in Slovakia and abroad, was approved by the National Assembly March 27 by a 77-to-57 vote. The most controversial parts include the possibility of imprisonment for an intent to subvert the republic (e.g., spreading false information abroad about Slovakia). The opposition considers this amendment unconstitutional, and, if President Michal Kovac signs the bill, the opposition plans to take the case to the Constitutional Court. According to opposition, this act would worsen Slovakia's international position. Arsen Kocarjan, Katerina Zachovalova/Katerina Zachovalova Kidnapping of Michal Kovac Jr. Clears up The independent commission investigating the kidnapping of Michal Kovac Jr. has discovered the names of the kidnappers of Slovak president's son (see Carolina 192). "It involves five people, two are which are directly suspected of the kidnapping act, and the others of its organization and coordination," said commission head Ladislav Pittner. Pittner also said his commission acquired the names of four other Slovak Information Service (SIS) officers, who participated in the roadblock in Svaty Jur. The commission has also some information about the changing of the state license plates on the Mercedes 208D used last year to bring Kovac to Austria. "We know when the change took place, who legalized it and also that the Mercedes was taken apart after the kidnapping in the SIS garages," said Pittner in Czech daily Lidove noviny. Matej Husek/Katerina Zachovalova Vladimir Meciar Leads HZDS Again The Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) re-elected its standing chairman, Slovak Premier Vladimir Meciar, at its March 24 sixth congress. As the only candidate, Meciar was supported by all 223 delegates in a secret ballot. The re-elected chairman plans on transforming the Movement to a political party in 1998. Klara Schirova, Arsen Kocarjan/Petra Sevcikova Slovakia Redistricted in Spite of Opposition The territorial and administrative organization of the Slovak Republic, according to which the country should be divided into 8 regions and 79 counties, was approved by the Slovak National Assembly March 22. Opposition deputies criticized this law, claiming the new division is the first step in changing the electoral and political system, and that the government did not respect the requests of minorities. Klara Schirova/Petra Sevcikova ECONOMY GDP Increased by 4.8 Per Cent in 1995 The 1995 Czech gross domestic product was 431.1 billion crowns, 4.8 per cent more than in 1994, according to the Czech Statistics Office. The real increase is higher than November's 4.1-per-cent estimate, but lower than January's prognosis of 5.2 per cent. Economic growth last year was influenced primarily by investment and private consumption (240.4 billion crowns). Lucie Dvorakova/Petra Sevcikova Pipeline from Ingolstadt Running Operation of the Czech section of the oil pipeline from Ingolstadt, Germany, was officially inaugurated March 25 in Nelahozeves nad Vltavou. Total expenses for building the 345-km (207-mile) pipeline came to about 14 billion crowns. The Czech Republic thus ends its dependence on the Russian Druzba pipeline. Lucie Dvorakova/Petra Sevcikova Exchange Rates at the Czech National Bank (valid from March 29) country currency ------------------------------------------ Australia 1 AUD 21.394 Belgium 100 BEF 89.626 Great Britain 1 GBP 41.529 Denmark 1 DKK 4.771 Finland 1 FIM 5.878 France 1 FRF 5.397 Ireland 1 IEP 42.795 Italy 1000 ITL 17.337 Japan 100 JPY 25.655 Canada 1 CAD 20.057 Luxembourg 100 LUF 89.626 Netherlands 1 NLG 16.461 Norway 1 NOK 4.237 New Zealand 1 NZD 18.533 Portugal 100 PTE 17.828 Austria 1 ATS 2.620 Greece 100 GRD 11.308 Slovakia 100 SKK 90.598 Germany 1 DEM 18.423 Spain 100 ESP 21.903 Sweden 1 SEK 4.097 Switzerland 1 CHF 22.811 USA 1 USD 27.349 ECU 1 XEU 34.211 SDR 1 XDR 39.874 CULTURE Thalie Awards Handed out 3rd Time The prestigious Thalie awards were presented by the Actors' Association March 23 in Prague's National Theater. The moderator was one of last year's winners, National Theater actor Vaclav Postranecky. The best singer trophy was taken home by Yveta Bartosova, who played Liza Doolittle in the musical My Fair Lady, staged by the Karlin Music Theater. The award for best male singer went to Ludek Vale of the National Theater, for the role of Chrudos in Libuse. In the dance category, both awards were won by members of Prague's Chamber Ballet, Marketa Plzakova and Petr Kolar. The highest acting awards ended up in Brno. The year's best actress was Zdena Herfortova, for the main role in English Elizabeth (Alzbeta anglicka), while best actor was her collegue, Jaroslav Dufek, for his turn in Dostoyevsky's The Brothers Karamazov. Lifetime achievement awards went to opera singer Karel Kalas, dancer Olga Skalova and actor Radovan Lukavsky. The Collegium Thalie award was also given for the first time, received in memoriam by singer Eduard Haken. Natasa Hajkova/Petra Sevcikova State Opera Becomes Metropolitan Prague State Opera Director Eva Randova, Culture Minister Pavel Tigrid and Prague Mayor Jan Koukal agreed March 25 that the State Opera, today supervised by the Ministry of Culture, will be financed by the city from 1998. The reconstuction of the Opera's building, to take another three years, will be taken care of by the state. Alida Kassymova/Petra Sevcikova Authors of Howl and Einstein on the Beach Meet in Prague American musical minimalist Philip Glass and beatnik poet Allen Ginsberg came together at Glass's performance in Prague's Archa Theatre March 25-6. During his solo piano concert, Glass played excerpts from Mad Rush, Metamorphoses and Einstein on the Beach, among other pieces. With improvisation he accompanied Ginsberg's recital, which included extracts from his poems On the Cremation of Chogyam Trungpa, Vidyadhara, Song and the Wichita Vortex Sutra, accompanied also by the poet's wild gesticulations. Both artists are greatly influenced by eastern cultures, especially Buddhism. Ginsberg said at the March 25 performance he and Glass were Buddhists, and had played together many times, mainly at benefit concerts for various meditation centers. While this was Glass' first visit to Bohemia, Ginsberg has visited Prague a few times already. His most notorious visit is connected with 1965, when the poet was declared the King of May (a traditional student celebration of the month of May) by students, and for his scandalous behavior was expelled from the country by the head of the state immediately after the celebration. To Czech audiences, Glass is best known as the composerof the music for the Koyaanisquatsi and Powaqqatsi films, while translator Jan Zabrana introduced Ginsberg's poems here for the first time in the 50's. Klara Schirova/Klara Schirova Photographer Sudek Returns to His Beloved Summer House after 20 Years The retrospective exhibition of one of the most famous Czech phtographers, Josef Sudek, in the Queen Anne Summer Palace will continue till June 9. The largest exhibition of Sudek's works in the last quarter of a century, realized in the year of the 100th anniversary of his birth and the 20th anniversary of his death, carries the title A Rose for Josef Sudek. The Prague Castle Board and the Prague Museum of Applied Arts are its patrons. Only historians remember the times when Sudek set up his own exhibitions. The most legendary exhibit remains the show in Prague's Museum of Applied Arts and in Brno's Moravian Gallery in the year 1976 that allowed visitors to see a broad cross-section of Sudek's works through time. Jan Mlcoch, curator of this year's exhibition, let himself be inspired by this approach and chose 189 pictures from Sudek's works, which number almost 27,000 negatives and 20,000 positives. The exhibit sparkles with richness - the earliest photographs are dated to the times after World War II, in which Sudek lost his hand, and the most recent photos were taken in the 70's. Well-known still-lifes with eggs and glasses with water alternate with melancholic views of Sudek's little garden and sad, panoramic photos of Prague's outksirts. Mysterious portraits of ladies and Sudek's friends, pictures of the Prague Castle gardens and palaces (Sudek's favourite places) appear there as well. The exhibiting of Sudek's own prints, which create an entirely different atmosphere through their tenderness and patina, have the effect of interesting artifacts. Two other current exhibitions of Sudek's photographs, in the Paideia Gallery and in his former home on Uvoz Street, as well as the publishing of a Sudek biography by Anna Farova, are proof that the city has not forgotten its master. However, the works of this genuine representative of Czech photography still have no permanent exhibition space. Klara Schirova/Klara Schirova Laura And Her Tigers Celebrate 10-Year Anniversary The well known, rock big band Laura And Her Tigers (Laura a jeji tygri) from Most celebrated its 10th birthday with three days of concerts in Prague's Lucerna Music Bar, March 21-3. Films presenting this band's history were screened before the beginning of each concert. At the last concert, the band debuted its new album, We Will Sway Out the Idols (Vyklatime modly). The Slovak band Without Rhyme or Reason (Bez ladu a skladu), Vera Bila and her band Kale and the Prague group One Hundred Animals (Sto zvirat) were guest performers at the shows. The band had its first performance January 15, 1986, in Most. The band's name derives from the book Tracy's Tiger, by William Saroyan. Laura and Her Tigers became one of the most famous bands of the "Czech new wave," thanks to their image (greased hair, dark glasses, black suits and white shirts) and to musically and visually choreographed performances. The band has produced six albums, including one compilation. Bass player Karel Sucha is the head songwriter and lyricist. Matej Bartosek/Jitka Motejzikova SPORT Friendly before the Championship: Czechs - Turks 3-0 The Czech national soccer team defeated another European Championship participant, Turkey, 3-0 in a preparatory match for the European Soccer Championship. Despite the absence of several key players (Berger, Frydek, Nemec), the Czech team performed well, and two goals, scored by Kuka and Suchoparek, were a fair reflection of the play. Jiri Trunecka/Milan Smid Czech Junior Soccer Team Out of Atlanta Games The defeat of the Czech national junior soccer team by Spain in the quarterfinal of the European Soccer Junior Championship 1-2 means not only the end for the Czech lads in that tournament, but also the end of hopes for the Czech participation in the soccer tournament of the summer's Olympic Games in Atlanta. The Czech team lost the first match in Granada 1-2 and retained some hope for the return match in Prague. However, two goals scored by Real Madrid's Raul in the last 20 minutes of the game let down the audience at Strahov Stadium. Jiri Trunecka/Milan Smid Soccer League: Sparta - Slavia 3-1 In the main attraction of the 21st round, the Sparta team kept alive a chance to attack the top position of Slavia by defeating them 3-1. However, Slavia is still firmly on the top with a five-point lead. Results of the 21st round: Sparta-Slavia 3-1, Viktoria Zizkov - Olomouc 1-2, Jablonec - Hradec Kralove 4-2, Uherske Hradiste - Boby Brno 1-3, Cheb - Liberec 4-0, Opava - Zlin 3-2, Plzen - Drnovice 1-1, Ceske Budejovice - Ostrava 1-0 Make-up from the 19th round: Opava - Liberec 0-0 Make-up from the 20th round: Brno - Zlin 1-1. Standings after 21 rounds (5 matches still unplayed): 1. Slavia 43 (-1); 2. Sparta 38; 3. Jablonec 38; 4. Olomouc 37 (-1); 5.Drnovice 36; 6. Opava 31; 7. Plzen 29 (-1); 8. Liberec 29 (-1); 9. Ceske Budejovice 28 (-1); 10. Cheb 27; 11. Viktoria Zizkov 25 (-2); 12. Boby Brno 24 (-1); 13.Banik Ostrava 19 (-1); 14. Zlin 16; 15. Hradec Kralove 15; 16. Uherske Hradiste 13 (-1). Matej Bartosek/Milan Smid Vsetin Is Hockey Extraleague Champion Again With the exception of the first-game 1-2 defeat at home, the road to the victory for the last year's champion, Vsetin, has been very straight. Vsetin showed its distinct superiority in the following three matches of the final duel with Litvinov (8-1 in Vsetin, March 22, 6-1 and 4-1 in Litvinov, March 25-26), and reached the decisive victory at home by beating Litvinov 2-1 March 28. The final result in the best-of-seven series: 4-1. In the tournament of the four teams battling to break into next year's extraleague, Opava will return to the extraleague after 36 years, and Pardubice will probably remain in the extraleague, although the tournament is not yet complete. Petra Rubesova/Milan Smid WEATHER Last week's weather report implied the arrival of spring, but the question "who knows for how long" posed there proved to be more than far-sighted. Cloudy skies, occasional cloudbursts - in the form of snow March 27 - and temperatures barely above freezing confirmed that winter does not wish to surrender. Lida Truneckova/Michael Bluhm ------------------------------------------------------------------------ WHO'S WHO IN CAROLINA (Part Five) I only speak when spoken to. A small Tic-tac (orange) factory would survive on my business. I suffer in tight pants. I never tried psychodelic mushrooms and I don't need to go to the dentist. My soul is a merry menhir. Jakub Konecny In an effort to give you the most objective picture of myself, I have decided to use written sources characterizing my ego, specifically those written by people definitively unbiased to my person (doctors, teachers). I am messy, I talk back and I do not do my homework, but I am also diligent, complimented, three times accepted and once taken into the care, my liver is somewhat hardened, numerous early hardenings, I am male and I also have been innoculated eight times. Radim Wolak I am Petra Sevcikova, I was born in 1977, and I have all the luck and bad luck you need in life. My character was put together by sports, so I am stubborn and do not retreat. I am a very demanding person: to be happy I have to be surrounded by people that have something to say, are honest, nice, funny, tolerant and spontaneous. I do not ask young gentlemen to bring me flowers... I ask them for chocolate candies. According to Forrest Gump, life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what filling you get, so I also go through life with curiosity and searching for new explorations. I have studied in the US for a year, where I picked up a strange dialect. My plans for the future are the following: get the best education possible, become a good person and a professional in the media sphere. sevcikov@fsv.cuni.cz My life began with birth, which is rather common. Since then it has progressed 19 years in a pretty common way. Well, what can I tell you, the usual family and school stories... Of course a good upbringing and family background...and problems do crop up (periodically)... I'm healthy, my friends have not left me yet, I have: a beautiful female dog, two boxes of books to read, not enough time and many resolutions. I like: spinach, movies, coffee with cream and spring air. Just nice things...I wish you well! Katerina Zachovalova English version edited by Michael Bluhm ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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@cuni.cz