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 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 198, Friday, April 12, 1996. FROM THE EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK (April 3-10) Opinions on Ombudsman Vary The ombudsman law, which would enable the ombudsman to handle citizens' complaints against state institutions, has recently become a focal point of conflict. Although the opposition and part of the governing coalition support the establishment of the position, the Civic Democratic Party (ODS), the coalition leader, opposes it. Interior Minister Jan Ruml of ODS went so far as to announce in Czech daily Lidove noviny that the ombudsman is one of the mechanisms saught by the opposition, small coalition parties and the president in order to limit ODS's power and influence, and to balance out the political situation. Chairman of coalition member Christian Democratic Union-Czechoslovak People's Party (KDU-CSL) Josef Lux confirmed this as the move's aim. Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus called the public rights defender an "unneccesary, misleading, false thing." Taking part in Debata, a discussion program on the public Czech Television, Klaus said the function is served by a majority of central organs. He named the president, the prime minister, the ministries, parliamentary deputies and television. President Vaclav Havel, however, considers the ombudsman position to be very important. In his weekly radio broadcast, Talks from Lany (Hovory z Lan), he said it is a service for citizens stemming from the system of representative democracy. In spite of ODS's negative approach, the law still has a chance to pass. The opposition, as well as KDU-CSL and coalition member Civic Democratic Alliance representatives are all planning on voting for the law. Michaela Vysoudilova/Andrea Snyder European Commission Chairman Jacques Santer Visits Prague European Commission Chairman Jacques Santer arrived in Prague April 4. He spoke in Prague's Rudolfinum concert hall, supporting the Czech Republic's efforts to join the European Union. He explained problems the EU is trying to solve, saying the first official negotiations concerning the Czech Republic's entrance into the EU could begin in 1998. Santer also met with President Vaclav Havel and Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus. Lucie Dvorakova/Andrea Snyder Left Blok to Draw Czech-Slovak Border The Czech Social Democratic Party will support neither the agreement that would draw the line between the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic, nor the constitutional law concerning changes in its course. A three-fifths majority, or 120 votes, is needed to approve a constitutional law. The governing coalition cannot put the votes together, having only 112 votes at its disposal. This means that the standpoint of the last opposition club - the Left Blok - will be the deciding factor in the fate of the Moravian village U Sabotu, which would under the new law fall behind Slovak lines. The Communists, the Association for the Republic-Czechoslovak Republican Party and the Czech-Moravian Union of the Center have also rejected the proposed border change. Czech and Slovak interior ministers signed a contract January 4 concerning state border demarcation. The contract is to become valid 30 days after the legislatures of both countries approve it, as the Slovak National Assembly has already done. One hundred and eight members of the Czech Parliament voted to pass the law at the first reading in February. Livia Savelkova/Andrea Snyder Federal Property Division Not Over Yet Czech members of Parliament returned from a visit to Bratislava April 3-4 with a look of surprise etched on their faces. At a meeting with Slovak Minister of Culture Ivan Hudec, they were presented with a demand list of specific cultural items which the Slovaks want returned from the Czech Republic. According to earlier proclamations of the Slovak Ministry of Culture, Slovakia is planning on demanding that the Czech Republic turn over Barkany's collection of Jewish artifacts, historical bells from the 16th-19th centuries, the original furniture of the president's residency in Topolcianky, the original mints of Saint Vaclav's golden ducats from the National Mint archives in Kremnice, the prehistoric Ganov human skull, the founding papers of the physician's society in Slovakia and the tapestry depicting Deci's death in 1625. Other valuable things, such as the belongings of Slovak General Milan Rastislav Stefanik, one of the founders of Czechoslovakia, are still in the Czech Republic. Slovak Premier Vladimir Meciar said he wants to reopen the property division discussion after Czech parliamentary elections. from CTK by Alice Ticha/Andrea Snyder Questions around Czech-German Declaration "More sources from Bonn and Prague" continue to confirm that the text of the Czech-German Declaration (see Carolina 186) is nearly finished, wrote Czech daily MF DNES. German and Czech ministries of Foreign Affairs, as well as representatives of the most important Czech parties, refuse to confirm the information. The declaration being prepared by committees of the respective foreign ministries should clarify controversial issues of Czech-German history, especially from World War II and the postwar period. MF DNES writes that the German side should recognize that the intractability of the results of the war, and definitely reject the Sudeten Germans' property claims. The Czech side should apologize for the brutal expulsion of Sudeten Germans and simplify their claims for Czech citizenship. Seven per cent of Czech citizens favor an apology for the expulsion, according to a poll conducted by the Factum agency. However, a German poll showed that 55 per cent of German citizens are in favor of an apology. During the last four years, Czechs have been worrying about Germany from all sides. More than half of the population considers Germany to be an economic threat, 39 per cent sees it a political threat, and one-fourth as a military threat. Parties of the far right, such as the Association for the Republic-Czechoslovak Republican Party, and of the far left, like the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia, have the strongest apprehensions. Petr Pabian/Andrea Snyder ODS and Physician's Chamber Agree on Insurance Regulations Prime Minister and Chairman of the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) Vaclav Klaus and President of the Czech Physicians' Chamber Bohuslav Svoboda decided April 4 that treatment of acute and long-term illnesses will be paid by insurance companies. Other treatment will be paid from the required individual account, or directly at the doctor's office. These points correspond to the ODS election platform (see Carolina 197). Physicians' Union Club Chairman Dr. David Rath appraised the meeting in these words: "Closed meetings with the prime minister, the result of which are mere promises, cannot turn back the protests and strikes." Olga Huderova/Andrea Snyder Old-Fashioned Names Most Popular in Czech Republic The most popular Czech names are Jan and Petr (10 per cent of respondents) and Jana and Marie (8 per cent), according to the results of a March public opinion poll by the AISA market research agency. Other popular female names are Eva (5 per cent), Anna, Lucie and Lenka (4 per cent). People between 50 and 59 years of age like the name Jana the most. Older people also prefer the names Anna and Marie. Among male names, the most popular ones after Jan and Petr are Jiri (8 per cent), Josef (6 per cent), Tomas (5 per cent) and Martin (4 per cent). The names Jan, Petr and Jiri are popular among all age groups. Lucie Chytrackova/Katerina Zachovalova Awards for Best Advertising The Leo Burnett agency landed the Grand Prize April 2 in the Louskacek 1995 advertisement competition, for its Eurotel campaign. The Eurotel mobile-phone campaign also won in the categories of outside and black-and-white advertising. The client of the year award went to the Mazda Autopalace. The organizer of the event, the Art Directors Club, considers the support of Czech advertising creativity, individuality and ingenuity to be the aim of the competition. Marketa Hudkova/Katerina Zachovalova 15 Per Cent More Prison Guards to Be Hired The government decided April 3 to increase the number of Prison Service employees by 15 per cent. About 1,200 people will start working for Prison Service by the end of this year, when the total number of employees should reach 10,000. According to the Ministry of Justice, which introduced the proposal, the current situation does not correspond to the optimum ratio (one guard for two prisoners). Jiri Maly, Prison Service general director, expressed satisfied with the government's decision to accept the ministry's request. Matej Husek/Katerina Zachovalova NEWS IN BRIEF * Czech Minister of Defense Vilem Holan and his Ukrainian counterpart Valerij Smarov signed a cooperation agreement April 2. Matej Bartosek/Katerina Zachovalova FROM SLOVAKIA President Kovac Does Not Sign Amended Criminal Code Slovak President Michal Kovac used his constitutional authority and refused to sign the amended criminal code (including the so-called act for protection of the republic) and returned it for further discussion to the National Assembly. Kovac said some of the new provisions would burden Slovakia on the path into European structures, according to the CTK Czech press agency April 9. The act for protection of the republic was sponsored by the ruling Movement for a Democratic Slovakia as one of the conditions of their coalition partner, the far-right Slovak National Party (SNS), to sign the Slovak-Hungarian Treaty (see Carolina 197). Kovac said the changes in the criminal code are unconstitutional because they provide for imprisonment for those who spread around false information about Slovakia abroad or organizes public meetings "with the intent" to subvert the republic. Political opposition had sharply criticized the amended code before its approval (see Carolina 195), while protests also came from the church, student, civic and labor movements, as well as the European Union and the International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights. This federation termed the act for protection of the republic security as another step against freedom of expression in Slovakia. Marketa Skodova/Petra Sevcikova ECONOMY/BUSINESS Czech Airlines Agrees to Buy Planes Czech Airlines (CSA) recently signed its largest aircraft purchase contract - the airline will pay 350 million USD for 10 Boeing 737s, according to the April 6 edition of Czech daily MF DNES. Boeing defeated European manufacturer Airbus Industries, who offered 15 A-319 and A-320 airplanes. According to Transportation Minister Vladimir Budinsky, the Americans' offer was more advantageous in decisive areas (lower price of the planes, training costs, future economic results for CSA). According to the information released by the newspaper, the new Boeings will replace old Russian Tu-134 airplanes and will strenghten lines in central and eastern Europe and also in the Middle East. The CSA fleet will neumber 27 aircraft aftert the changes, the newspaper reported. Arsen Kocarjan/Petra Sevcikova Skoda Automobiles to Russia An agreement on the production of the Skoda model Felicia in Russia was signed by representatives of the Russian company Smolensk Auto Rossia (SAR) and Skoda management April 4. The Mlada Boleslav automaker will be the first international manufacturer to begin producing its cars in Russia. Together with the right to manufacture Felicias, SAR became Skoda's distributor for the Russian market. Intitial production capacity should be 5,000-10,000 cars annually, though Skoda is planning on an annual future production of 50,000 cars in Russia. The first Felicia should be assembled in summer. The motive for moving production to Russia is the same as in Skoda's first international business entrance (Poland) - high tariffs and taxes on imported cars, avoidable by manufacturing on site. The hungry Russian car market is, according to specialists, one of the biggest markets of the future. Radim Wolak/Petra Sevcikova Currency Policies of Czech Central Bank Successful From the Czech National Bank's (CNB) report about economic and currency development it appears that the basic aims of the bank's currency policies were fulfilled last year. Inflation (9.1 per cent) and the one-year consumer price index (at 7.9 per cent at year's end) particularly exceeded initial forecasts. Conditions were established last year for continued, stable economic growth this year, according to the opinions of the CNB. The international position of the Czech crown markedly improved, in respect to the introduction of the fully convertible crown on regular acounts. The crown has approached the point of full convertibility. The CNB's payment balance finished with a significant surplus, while hard-currency reserves doubled. In spite of all the positives, strong pressures will confront the country's economic stability this year, foremost because of the expected growth of real income. Consequences might include, according to CNB, further increases in the trade deficit and a weakening of domestic firms' competitiveness. Radim Wolak/Petra Sevcikova Exchange Rates at the Czech National Bank (valid from April 15) country currency ------------------------------------------ Australia 1 AUD 21.674 Belgium 100 BEF 89.044 Great Britain 1 GBP 41.551 Denmark 1 DKK 4.737 Finland 1 FIM 5.842 France 1 FRF 5.383 Ireland 1 IEP 42.893 Italy 1000 ITL 17.480 Japan 100 JPY 25.304 Canada 1 CAD 20.252 Luxemburg 100 LUF 89.044 Netherlands 1 NLG 16.370 Norway 1 NOK 4.232 New Zealand 1 NZD 18.609 Portugal 100 PTE 17.811 Austria 1 ATS 2.601 Greece 100 GRD 11.338 Slovakia 100 SKK 90.538 Germany 1 DEM 18.285 Spain 100 ESP 21.875 Sweden 1 SEK 4.106 Switzerland 1 CHF 22.528 USA 1 USD 27.461 ECU 1 XEU 34.169 SDR 1 XDR 39.713 CULTURE Jazz Easter Dave Brubeck and Jon Hendricks, among others, performed at the XXIst International Jazz Festival, held April 6-7 in Prague's Palace of Culture. About 3,000 attended the festival, and Czech Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus, a patron of the event, visited the festival April 7. The irregularly held festival premiered 32 years ago. The Original Prague Syncopated Orchestra and Holland's Magic Frankie and Blues Disease opened for Jon Hendricks and His Sextet April 6. The 74-year-old Hendricks made a name for himself with the vocalization of complicated jazz solos. He sang - together with his daughter, wife and Miles Griffith - compositions of Count Basie, Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington, with whom Hendricks had worked. On April 7, after Karel Ruzicka and His Quartet and the Roots Saxophone Quartet appeared the main star of this year's festival: Dave Brubeck. The music of the 75-year-old pianist, saxophonist Bill Smith, doble-bass player Jack Six and drummer Randy Jones thrilled the audience enough to extract a few encores from the band. They played the popular compositions Take Five and Blue Rondo a la Turk. Brubeck received the Grammy for lifetime contribution to American music this year, and he canceled his European concert tour because of it. The only European city he visited was Prague. Zbynek Vicar/Alice Ticha Retrospective Exhibition of Milan Knizak The rector of Prague's Academy of Fine Arts, Milan Knizak, has organized his first retrospective exhibition in Prague's Manes Gallery and the Museum of Applied Arts (Umeleckoprumyslove muzeum). The earliest works are the from the 60's, devoted to lyrics and music from Knizak's group Aktual and to photographs of "happenings" in the mid-60's, thanks to which he gained the reputation of a nonconformist artist. Recent works are represented by large abstract pictures, plastics and individualistic sculptures of dwarfs, the Father of the Country (Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV, who was born in and ruled from Prague and spoke Czech) and Czech President Vaclav Havel. The exhibition will last till May 5. Jitka Hejtmanova/Jitka Hejtmanova Karel Capek's Writings Finally Completed The book About Art and Culture, From Man to Man (The Additions) places a period after the writings of Karel Capek published by Czechoslovak, later Czech, Writer since 1980. The chronologically ordered Additions represent Capek's written production from the years 1909-38, and contains the famous essay Why I Am Not a Communist, the satire The Project of Citizen Nadvornik and a 1918 article about his artist brother Josef. The Additions appeared in 1,700 copies, and mean that almost four-fifths of Capek's writings are in print. Alida Kassymova/Jitka Hejtmanova In Memoriam of Singing Poet Karel Kryl Memorial plaques with the portrait of Karel Kryl (1944-1994) will be unveiled in Kromeriz April 12, after many conflicts concerning financing of the project. The idea of installing the Kryl memorial plaque in his hometown was recently suggested by a certain Prague entrepreneur who made a promise to finance the work. After a disagreement with the municipial office in Kromeriz he suddenly gave up his sponsorship. However, the sculptor Ivan Racek was already working on the Kryl portrait at that time, and the following development was an annoying experience for him. "Culture should not be the space for profit-driven activities of the entrepreneurial class, and it should not be dependent on them at all - for culture it is an undignified situation," said Racek to Carolina. The rebirth of the project was made possible only thanks to the civic alliance Friends of Kromeriz, which gave support, along with the municipiality of Kromeriz, to the continuation of the project. The plaque will be placed on the house where Kryl lived for nine years after the February 1948 communist coup. Some Kromeriz inhabitants are of the opinion that the years spent in this inhospitable flat was not part of the happy period of Kryl's life. Viktorie Reschova/Milan Smid Czech Cabaret Legend, Entertainer Jaroslav Stercl, Dies Actor, entertainer, and comedian Jaroslav Stercl, born November 11, 1919, died Thursday April 4 after a long illness. This versatile artist will stay in the memory of the Czech audience as a character actor in small roles. Stercl, a native of Blovice (near Pilsen), originally studied at a vocational school for civil engineering. He appeared as an amateur actor in the play Nusle Brewery (Nuselsky pivovar) in 1938. Later he acted in the cabaret he founded himself, The Small Theater in the Palm (Divadelko na dlani), in the Prague Dance Hall (Prazsky santan), Alhambra cabaret, and Laterna Magica. In the 70's he performed as a guest in musical theatres in Prague's Karlin and Nusle neighborhoods. Stercl's love for nature and life on the road was well-known. He liked the hobo camps on the Berounka, Vltava and Sazava rivers. In the 60's he traveled across the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Viktorie Reschova/Milan Smid SPORT Czech Tennis Players to Davis Cup Semifinal After 10 years, Czech tennis players have moved on to the semifinal of the Davis Cup, by beating the US team 3:2 in Prague's Sport Hall April 5-7. The score in matches was 1:1 the first day, after Petr Korda could not find a weapon against American number one Todd Martin, and Daniel Vacek beat MaliVai Washington in a five-set match. In doubles, later shown to be the most important match of the whole quarterfinal, Vacek and Korda suprisingly easily defeated the Patricks - Galbraith and McEnroe - without losing a set. In the first April 7 singles match, Martin fought a second point for the Americans from Vacek and tied the two nations. But in the last singles match, Korda dominated Washington. The Czech Republic will play Sweden in September in the final four of the most prestigious tennis contest. The second semifinal couple is France and Italy. Results - April 5: Korda - Martin 2-6, 4-6, 5-7, Vacek - Washington 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4. April 6: Korda, Vacek - Galbraith, McEnroe 6-2, 6-3, 6-3. April 7: Vacek - Martin 6-7 (1:7), 3-6, 1-6, Korda - Washington 7-6 (7:5), 6-3, 6-2. Adam Kotalik, Jan Palicka/Klara Schirova Women's Handball Team out of European Championship The Czech Republic lost to Norway 22:26 in the last match of the European Championship qualifications for women's handball last weekend in Hamar. Thus, the Czech women are definitely out of the December championships in Denmark. The Czech team was winning until the 50th minute by one or two goals, but at the conclusion the Norwiegans took victory to their side. Group winners move on to the championships, while second place will be decided in the match between Lithuania and Spain. Czech representatives were present at the last two World Championships, in 1993 and 1995, and played in the last European Championship, in 1994. David Sprincl/Klara Schirova Sparta Slip Strengthens Slavia Ambitions Sparta Praha probably said goodbye to a chance to defend its title with its home loss to Olomouc. On the other hand, Slavia is closley followed by unexpectedly successful teams - Sigma Olomouc, Petra Drnovice and Jablonec. The weekend matches Ostrava-Boby Brno and Ceske Budejovice-Hradec Kralove were postponed because of field conditions. Results of the 23rd round: Jablonec - Liberec 1-0, Plzen - Slavia 0-1, Uh.Hradiste - Drnovice 0-1, V.Zizkov - Opava 1-1, Cheb - Zlin 1-1, Sparta - Olomouc 0-2. Make-up from the 17th round: Zlin - Slavia 0-1. Make-up from the 20th round: B.Ostrava - Plzen 3-2, Uh.Hradiste - C.Budejovice 0-4 Czech Cup quarterfinal: Drnovice - Pribram (second league) 3-0 Standings after 23 rounds (4 matches still unplayed): 1. Slavia 49 (-1); 2. Olomouc 46; 3. Drnovice 42; 4. Jablonec 41 (-1); 5. Sparta 38; 6. Opava 33; 7. Liberec 32 (-1); 8. Ceske Budejovice 31 (-1); 9. Zizkov 30 (-1); 10. Plzen 30; 11. Cheb 28; 12. Banik Ostrava 26 (-1); 13. Boby Brno 25 (-1); 14. Zlin 17; 15. Hradec Kralove 16 (-1); 16. Uherske Hradiste 13. Karel Bartek/Klara Schirova Jan Neliba New Coach of Vsetin Kladno Coach Jan Neliba signed a contract with two-time hockey champion Petra Vsetin April 9. He will replace Coach Horst Valasek, who left to coach Zlin. Neliba's contract is for a year, while Zdislav Tabara will stay on as assistant coach. Adam Kotalik/Klara Schirova WEATHER Considering this year's Easter was preceded by temperatures around 1 degree Celsius/34 degrees Fahrenheit, often accompanied by strong snows (lastly April 3 in Moravia), the weather came to its senses during last weekend only became more wiseThe snow cover, so little characteristic ofr these spring holidays, could not withstand the sun and the sudden rise in temperatures. The pleasant temperatures (15 degrees to 17 degrees Celsius/59 degrees to 63 degrees Fahrenheit) provided a good basis for typical Easter customs. In Bohemia, they always include preparation of traditional delicacies - Easter cakes and lambs, coloring and decorating eggs, and especially the hunt for and preparation of willow switches. Tradition has it that men make probably the best known Easter symbol of it - braided wicker switches (pomlazka in Czech, kocar or tatarec in the Hana dialect, zila in Brno or tatar in Wallachia). Folk customs, sunny weather and nature in the spring showed again why Easter is considered one of the most beautiful holidays of the year. Petr Mrzena/Alice Ticha ---------------------------------------------------------------------- WHO IS WHO IN CAROLINA (Part Six) Slovak-speaking American of indeterminate age studying Journalism here. Michael Bluhm Long-term Carolina subscribers may be wondering what that Snyder girl is still doing in a first-year journalism class. I have, however, managed to ascend into the ranks of the third year. Since being accepted to the Faculty of Social Sciences in 1993, I have been translating Carolina into English. I will probably continue to do so for the duration of my stay in Prague, although I should graduate with a television journalism major this semester. I moved here from the U.S. four years ago (yes, I'm American), I'm 21, I work as an interpreter for journalists, and I love stories (listening to, telling and reading), cooking, dancing and jazz. Andrea Snyder I probably do not have to introduce myself to Carolina's faithful readers. I have been a part of the staff (almost like the inventory) from the first edition (see the Who's Who from editions 113 and 156), and nothing important has changed, neither in my professional, nor my personal life. At the faculty I specialize in the theory and practice of wire-service journalism. I am interested in both the history and current studies of wire-services; this is the area in which my work is published and I lecture. I teach the Journalism Creative Writing Seminar, where we prepare Carolina, and edit the Czech version. I am married and have three sons. Jiri (23) is studying law, Michal (19) is in the German class of his high school and Ondrej (13) already knows that he will be a journalist. Lida Truneckova See the facts in Carolina 113. The difference is that I am two years older since then, i.e. 52. I am still in charge of dealing with the computer people at the school, as to Carolina matters. From time to time I still have to test my knowledge of English when some interpreters get sick or do not keep their promises. Fortunately, Michael Bluhm, as the successor of Alex Zucker, is the guardian angel for our English. Milan Smid ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 To subscribe to CAROLINA news you send an e-mail message to the address LISTSERV@listserv.cesnet.cz The text of message for subscription of the English version must be: SUBSCRIBE CAR-ENG First name Last name or for the Czech version SUBSCRIBE CAR-CS First name Last name To delete your subscription from the list of subscribers you send the following message to the address LISTSERV@listserv.cesnet.cz: SIGNOFF CAR-ENG or SIGNOFF CAR-CS We ask you not to send automatic replies to our list. You can temporarily stop receiving of Carolina by sending the command: SET CAR-ENG NOMAIL All Listserv commands should be sent to the address: LISTSERV@listserv.cesnet.cz Please, don't send commands SUB, SIGNOFF, NOMAIL etc to the address CAR-CS@listserv.cesnet.cz or CAR-ENG@listserv.cesnet.cz!