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 237, Friday, March 7, 1997. FROM THE EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK (February 26 - March 5) Senate Approves Czech-German Declaration As Is The Czech Senate approved the Czech-German Declaration March 5 without the additional sentence the Social Democrats (CSSD) were pushing for. Of 81 senators, 54 voted for the Declaration. Unlike the Parliament vote, where CSSD's sentence was approved, nearly all senators from the Social Democrats and two from the Communist Party voted against the document. Social Democrat Chairman Milos Zeman emphasized that CSSD Senators were not rejecting the Declaration, but the ommission of the additional sentence (for more on the amendment, see Carolina 235). David Vlk/Andrea Snyder Parliament Passes Insurance Law Czech Parliament Approved the Public Health Insurance Law February 26. The law guarantees that all Czech citizens will receive emergency medical care, even if the medical institution has no contract with the his health insurance company. The law was created because the Constitutional Court ruled that ministerial regulations concerning healthcare will expire April 1. Of the 192 deputies present, 152 voted in favor of the law, including a majority of the opposition Social Democrats. David Vlk/Andrea Snyder Rents up, Compensation Undecided In a continuation of the Czech Republic's economic transformation, the government decided on a program for rent deregulation. They informed the Czech media February 28 of the coalition agreement. The cabinet set three coefficients to determine rent in state apartments. The government decided that rent will increase by 18.8 per cent, inflation and location will then add to the increase. The inflation coefficient has not yet been set. Rents in Prague are expected to double, while increases in other communities could remain at about 20 per cent. The coalition says that rents will be fully deregulated by the year 2000, but the coefficient for rent increase will mainly depend on the size of the locale. Finance Minister Ivan Kocarnik said inflation should not be more than 9.5 per cent this year. The government will meet March 12 to discuss compensation for those renting state apartments, including non-interest loans for flats. The Association for Towns and Communities welcomes rent liberalization and hopes that there will be more funds and that city-owned flats will no longer be illegally rented out to third parties. The opposition Social Democrats say that quick rent liberalization endangers social peace and the standard of living throughout Czech society. The party has recommended that the government use a coefficient that would include the quality of the flat, its age, and the social position of the lessee. Denisa Vikova/Andrea Snyder Three Republicans Stripped of Immunity in Divisive Vote On February 27 three Republican deputies lost their parliamentary immunity, making it possible for legal proceedings to begin against them. A large number of opposition Social Democrats (CSSD) and all Republican and Communist deputies voted against removing their immunity. The lower house considered withdrawing the immunity of five deputies, but in the end only exposed the chairman of the neo-Fascist band, Miroslav Sladek, as well as Josef Krejsa and Rudolf Smucr. Sladek will be charged with inciting racial and ethnic intolerance during a January demonstration against the signing of the Czech-German Declaration. Krejsa and Smucr are awaiting trial for disturbances during a commemoration ceremony at Terezin cemetery in July 1994. Ruling Civic Democratic Party (ODS) Deputy Leader Ivan Pilip was highly critical of the CSSD position. He was quoted in daily MF DNES as saying, "We note with unease that partisan interests are winning out over the need for citizens to be subject to the same standards with respect to observing the law." Coalition deputies likewise condemned the fact that, because of the stance of CSSD deputies, immunity was not withdrawn for Republican Jan Vik, whom police wanted to prosecute for distributing inflammatory pamphlets with a falsified text of the agreement between the Czech and German governments. The lower house removed Vik's immunity two years ago, but after last year's election he regained it. Commenting on the case for the Civic Democratic Alliance, Cestmir Hofhanzl said, "If we let someone intentionally falsify documents with the signatures of leading figures of a foreign country, then he will someday make fools of us." Marketa Kropacova/Andy Faust Detaining of Republican Leader Provokes Conflicting Reactions The day after Republican Chairman Miroslav Sladek was stripped of his parliamentary immunity, police detained the neo-Fascist leader outside Parliament and took him to a police station, where he was released after three hours. This act was criticized by a number of deputies, who raised the question whether the investigating officer violated the law when he charged Sladek and had him brought in without having written notice of the removal of immunity in hand. The same day, Interior Minister Jan Ruml announced in Parliament that the investigator had acted more hastily than he should have, and Ruml said he will take appropriate measures with such conduct. He was, however, not able at the time to say with certainty whether the police had done anything illegal. For that reason he will have a legal report prepared on the circumstances in which Sladek was notified of the charge. Opposition deputies condemned the police action. In a television debate, Social Democrat Vice-Chairwoman Petra Buzkova even labeled the investigator's conduct idiotic, as a result of which the investigator intends to sue her. On the other hand, most lawyers backed the investigator and claimed that written notice was not required for charging Sladek. Marketa Kropacova/Andy Faust Minister Lux Supports Railway Union's Demand to Fire General Director Deputy Prime Minister, Christian Democrat Chairman and Minister of Agriculture Josef Lux expressed his opinion that General Director of Czech Railways (CD) Rudolf Mladek will be recalled, according to the daily MF DNES February 28. That means Lux has openly supported the demands of railway trade unions (See Carolina 234). "The agreement on terminating the strike clearly states that in case of evidence of CD mismanagement submitted by special commission, personnel changes shall follow. The commission found out that eight of the nine charges posed by trade unions turned out to be true. There is nothing more to discuss," said Lux. The extraordinary meeting February 27 of Czech Railways' Executive Board decided, by eight of 10 votes, not to recall Mladek. Chairman of the Board Michal Tosovsky conceded that "some of the cases are really serious, and of criminal nature," and that the board recommended personnel changes in these cases. Chairman of the Union Association of Railway Workers (OSZ) Jaromir Dusek did not exclude the possibility of a new strike if Mladek will not step down. He said "the CD Executive Board is not authorized to interpret differently findings which have been unanimously approved by the extraordinary control commission." Ministers Vladimir Dlouhy (Trade) and Ivan Kocarnik (Finance), who, together with Lux, negotiated the end of rail strike three weeks ago, are of the opinion that the findings of the special control group cannot be the sole reason for Mladek's removal. After deadline: Mladek announced his resignation March 5. Bohdana Rambouskova/Milan Smid Wagner Speaks Out against Zeman's Leadership of Social Democrats Today's Czech Social Democrat Party (CSSD) asserts its will without respect for other opinions, uses a confrontational approach against the coalition's ruling party and does not attend to strengthening the country, which should be the party's priority, said Jozef Wagner, a member of the party and chairman of Parliament's Budget Committee, said in Prague's Liberal Institute March 3, and he added: "For me, Czech politics these days is for nothing." Some of the leading leftist representatives used the opportunity at the discussion evening in the Liberal Institute to voice their disagreement with the tendencies of Social Democrat Chairman Milos Zeman which are leading, they say, to the restraint of discussion inside the party and into unwelcome centralism. Wagner, the greatest critic of Zeman's leadership, was expelled from the party for voting for the coalition budget proposal at the end of last year. A few weeks later he was accepted back into the party by the local organization in Teplice. Wagner is going to present his new conception of leadership of the party at the party congress meeting in Bohumin March 14-16. In this context, Carolina asked whether Wagner himself would not rather replace Zeman. "It's not too probable, but of course I can't rule it out," he said, and added that despite Zeman's invincible grip on the post of chairman, some strong personality in the party should try to defeat him. originally for Carolina by Petra Sevcikova/Magdalena Vanova Bulgarian President Visits Czech Republic Bulgarian President Petar Stojanov arrived for a short official visit of the Czech Republic February 28. His program included meetings with Czech political leaders and with President Vaclav Havel, who invited him. Havel, after meeting with Stojanov, announced the countries will work toward entering NATO and the EU together. Havel said that does not mean the Czech Republic and Bulgaria will get into these organizations at the same time. Prague Mayor Jan Koukal welcomed Stojanov at the Old Town Hall. Koukal said his guest was mainly interested in the experiences of Prague city officials with small-scale privatization. Bohdana Rambouskova/Magdalena Vanova Havel Sells Part of Lucerna President Vaclav Havel confirmed February 28 he had sold, for 200 million crowns, his half of Prague's Lucerna Palace to the C.H.R. company, a member of Chemapol Group. Because Lucerna is a registered monument, Havel offered his share to the state in January 1996. However, the Prague Department of Monument Maintenance not take exercise of its right. The president denied the accusation of his sister-in-law Dasa Havlova, who owns the other half of the property, that he did not offer her his half through her pre-purchase rights. Havlova is sure her pre-purchase right, which seems evident according to Czech law, was not respected, and thus she has asked the Land Administration Office not to register the change of ownership. However, the office said such a matter can be decided only by the court, according to the daily MF DNES. Lawyer Elena Hornova, who controls the president's property, insists the president's attorneys did not break the law in any way. According to her press statement, Havlova cannot imagine owning Lucerna together with Chemapol, which has been accused by Interior Minister and former dissident Jan Ruml of connections to the former state police and Russian authorities. However, President Havel does not regret his decision and hopes for successful cooperation between his sister-in-law and Chemapol. "I consider it more important how the the company is managed," said Havel. The president is to donate a significant amount of money from the sale to the Vaclav and Olga Havel' Foundation. Denisa Vitkova/Denisa Vitkova ECONOMY Strike in Poldi Steel Continues The strike of Poldi Steel Kladno employees has entered its second week - besides rolling-mill workers in Drin, personnel and accounting department workers have joined the strike (See Carolina 236). However, the once-planned occupation strike, which would completely paralyze the production, has not yet been launched. Thus, in the steel works, which are otherwise at a standstill, products are being finished in some departments and dispatched to customers. As the daily Pravo wrote March 4, Kladno union leaders fear the embezzlement of company assets, but the workers' guard, which is to block the factory gates and not let one car through, will wait till March 5. That day they are scheduled to discuss wages with the majority owner Marko Stehlik. Last week, November's wages were paid in full. However, the union's calls for December and January pay still go unheeded. Petra Sevcikova/Denisa Vitkova Bohemia Art Sold to Pro Win The indebted company Bohemia Art, the majority owner of Poldi Steel Kladno, has a new owner - Prague's Pro Win company. As the daily Pravo reported March 5, Marko Stehlik sold the firm February 28. Pro Win is a joint-stock company (its shares are not publicly traded) with share capital of 10 million crowns. It was entered in the Commercial Register October 31 and is owned by individuals, primarily lawyers. According to the daily MF DNES, Stehlik received 15 million crowns for the sale and has thus completely extricated himself from the Poldi controversy. Petra Sevcikova/Denisa Vitkova MARKETS AND COMPANIES * The Prague Stock Exchange experienced a growth spurt at the beginning of this year, with the PX 50 index reaching 625 points, 100 points better than fall 1996. Last week, however, indicates that a downward reaction is coming, as big investors are evidently moving eastward. The index went under 500 points after trading March 4. * The Aero tender could end up a disaster due to the information leak that those mentioned as "seriously interested," supposed to cooperate on the restoration of the Czech aerial armaments industry - Chemapol, Lockheed Martin and the British Aerospace/Saab consortium - are thinking of quitting such a risky investment. Another offer, from Boeing, allegedly contains formal insufficiencies. The last one left is the obscure Cimex holding from Karlovy Vary, known mainly for its investment fund piracy. * According to Vaclav Junek, the head of one of the biggest and most dynamic Czech private companies - Chemapol - a complete company restructuralization is planned, with the establishing of five subholdings: industry, communication, trade, distribution and real estate. All of them will be owned by the mother company. Last year's gross profits of Junek's empire reached about 650 million crowns. * Olomouc's Seliko announced one of its worst economic results in recent years - net 1996 profits were almost 22 million crowns, in spite of a respectable turnover of 1.4 billion crowns. Last year's leadership fights and purchase of Nealko probably bear at least partial blame for the results. There is also an opinion that the cold summer lowered demand for refreshing, central-Moravian lemonades. * Litomysl's Vertex, which drew attention last year with a war for control major shareholders, does not seem to be affected by the fight. On the contrary, its net profits for 1996 reached an unbelievable 200 million crowns. The ownership structure of the eastern Bohemian producer of glass fibers proves the Czech saying that while four fight, none laughs - four funds each hold between 10 per cent and 20 per cent of the company's shares. * Another battle of shareholders is happening in Bohemia Sekt of Plzenec. The fight between the Czech PPF and German Commerzbank financial groups was won by PPF. They won thanks to employee shareholders' support, which gave them a majority at the recent general meeting. For the near future, the champagne-producer leadership will remain Czech. Martin Cermak/Katerina Zachovalova Exchange Rates at the Czech National Bank (valid from March 5) country currency ------------------------------------------ Australia 1 AUD 23.186 Belgium 100 BEF 83.346 Great Britain 1 GBP 47.477 Denmark 1 DKK 4.508 Finland 1 FIM 5.754 France 1 FRF 5.098 Ireland 1 IEP 45.991 Italy 1000 ITL 17.242 Japan 100 JPY 24.042 Canada 1 CAD 21.457 Luxemburg 100 LUF 83.346 Hungary 100 HUF 16.600 Netherlands 1 NLG 15.291 Norway 1 NOK 4.249 New Zealand 1 NZD 20.611 Poland 1 PLN 9.552 Portugal 100 PTE 17.128 Austria 1 ATS 2.444 Greece 100 GRD 10.984 Germany 1 DEM 17.197 Spain 100 ESP 20.287 Sweden 1 SEK 3.853 Switzerland 1 CHF 19.790 USA 1 USD 29.363 ECU 1 XEU 33.443 SDR 1 XDR 40.631 CULTURE Kolya Triumphs at Czech Film Awards Ceremony The Sveraks' film Kolya was awarded six Czech Lion trophys at the annual national film awards. In the United States the film has also been nominated for an Oscar. Winning in six categories is a record in the four-year history of the Czech Lions. Kolya won the awards for best movie, best director (Jan Sverak), best screenplay (his father, Zdenek Sverak), best male supporting actor (7-year-old Andrei Chalimon from Russia), best actress (Libuse Safrankova) and best editor (Alois Fisarek). Of the 20 Czech films made in 1996, King Ubu from director and cameraman F. A. Brabec and Forgotten Light (Zapomenute svetlo) from Vladimir Michalek won in the remaining major categories. King Ubu won for the best camera (Brabec), music (Lubos Fiser) and graphics (Jindrich Goetz). Comedian Boleslav Polivka was voted best actor for his dramatic role in Forgotten Light. The best supporting actress was Veronika Zilkova (Forgotten Light). Director Jiri Menzel (e. g., Closely Watched Trains, awarded the 1968 Oscar for best foreign film) received the award for lifetime contribution to Czech cinematography. Young director Zdenek Tyc was given the Plush Lion for worst film, as his comedy Already (Uz) disappointed the expectations of the academy panel. Zuzana Kawaciukova/Jan Majer Rock Legend Misik Celebrates 50th Singer, musician and one of the most respected Czech rock stars, Vladimir Misik is celebrating his 50th birthday. Misik and his Etc. Band's gala performance is planned for March 7. At Prague's Akropolis Palace, Misik's former colleagues, such as violinist Jan Hruby, composer Petr Skoumal and singer and former Deputy Culture Minister Michal Prokop, will also perform. Although Misik was forced not to perform by communists from time to time, his songs became very popular. His songs are often poems set to music. During the Velvet Revolution in 1989 he performed at demonstrations with his accoustic guitar. When the Rolling Stones played in Prague for the first time, in 1990, Misik and his band opened the concert at Strahov Stadium. In the early 1990's Misik was a deputy of the former Czechoslovakia's Parliament. He now plays in clubs, sometimes abroad. His latest album was released in 1996, The Town Of Eiderdown (Mesto z perin). Zuzana Kawaciukova/Jan Majer One Statue's End Adhering to an official decision, sculptor Martin Patricny removed the wooden statue of a woman he placed in the middle of Prague's Wenceslas Square five years ago without the permission of Prague officials. For the removal he used a chain saw. Officials decided he must remove his work, entitled Being-Earth, from public property. Martin Cermak/Jan Majer SPORTS Bukac Leaves World Champions Ludek Bukac considers journalists' invectives against him and the insensitive attitudes of sponsors the main reasons for his surprising withdrawal from the post of national team coach only two months before the ice hockey World Championships in Finland. "I looked forward to leading the players' preparation for the world championships, but I don't feel like letting myself be insulted in the newspapers. I also do not intend to serve the trend which makes hockey into a business," he said. Hockey Union President Karel Gut found out about the coach's decision by phone February 27. At a February 28 press conference, Bukac would not admit making a single error (this year the Czech squad has won only three times), he simply struck out at his biggest opponents. Experts and players do not think Bukac's decision is a good one. Bukac's assistants Slavomir Lener and Ivan Hlinka became new co-head coaches March 5. Pavel Novak/Mirek Langer Fight for Soccer League Lead Gets Dramatic After a February 28 win in Drnovice, Sparta players took the top spot in the standings for two days. Slavia ousted them March 2, when they defeated Viktoria Zizkov 2-0. Another candidate for the heights, Jablonec, has not lost in spring, it managed to exact a weak 2-1 win in Opava with one of its players ejected. The situation at the bottom of the standings is clearing up, too. The two "favorites," Hradec Kralove and Bohemians, each lost on their own field 0-1, neither team has picked up a point this spring. Results of the 17th round: Drnovice - Sparta Praha 0-2, Brno - Liberec 1-1, Slavia Praha - Zizkov 2-0, Hradec Kralove - Olomouc 0-1, Ostrava - Ceske Budejovice 3-2, Bohemians Praha - Teplice 0-1, Plzen - Karvina 3-0, Jablonec - Opava 2-1. Pavel Novak/Mirek Langer Hockey Extraleague Aims towards Playoffs After the February 27 match between Ceske Budejovice and Kladno (6-1), the 48th round of the hockey Extraleague continued on the last February day. The 5-2 play between fourth-place Pardubice and second-place Sparta was the hit of this round. The match brought a sold-out auditorium to euphoria with some great play. The 49th round shed more light on the "Who will advance to playoffs?" question. Litvinov and Zlin both lost, and it seems they will be the teams that do not advance. Vsetin, Czech champion the last two years, has clinched first place in the regular season standings with three rounds to go. Results of the 48th round: Ceske Budejovice - Kladno 6-1, Zlin - Opava 7-3, Slavia Praha -Plzen 4-1, Litvinov - Vsetin 2-3, Vitkovice - Trinec 5-3, Pardubice - Sparta Praha 5-2, Jihlava - Olomouc 1-3. Results of the 49th round: Vsetin - Pardubice 7-1, Opava - Vitkovice 1-5, Trinec - Olomouc 3-1, Ceske Budejovice - Jihlava 2-2, Kladno - Litvinov 3-1, Plzen - Zlin 6-3, Sparta Praha - Slavia Praha 3-3. Postponed Match: Vitkovice - Sparta Praha 3-1. Standings: 1. Vsetin 70 pts., 2. Sparta Praha 61, 3. Vitkovice 61, 4. Pardubice 54, 5. Trinec 53, 6. Kladno 51, 7. Budejovice 59, 8. Slavia Praha 49, 9. Litvinov 48, 10. Zlin 47, 11. Plzen 44, 12. Olomouc 43, 13. Jihlava 32, 14. Opava 24. Pavel Novak/Mirek Langer Czech Tennis Players Win "B-Team" Match Ludmila Richterova and Adriana Gersi advanced to the KB Fed Cup semifinals when they defeated Germany 3-2 in the first round of the women's tennis team competition in Mannheim, Germany. The match was marked by the absence of top world players from both teams. The home team missed the injured Anke Huber and Steffi Graf, while the Czechs were missing Jana Novotna, who was sick. On March 1 Weingarter met Richterova on a hard court and defeated her 3-6, 7-5 and 6-3. Gersi then defeated Rittner 6-4, 6-2. On March 2 Richterova licked Rittner 6-1, 6-4 and Gersi thumped Weingarter 6-2, 6-2. The 7-6, 6-2 Rittner-Weingarter win against Martincova and Richterova already did not change anything, and the Czech Republic advanced to the semifinals, which it will play July 12-13 on its own courts against the Netherlands. Pavel Novak/Mirek Langer SPORTS IN BRIEF * Sport shooter Miroslav Janus and the Czech national team became European champions in the running target-combined event. * Czech women biathlon relayers returned home from the European championships with a bronze. * After a 2-3 loss to a top Italian team, Ravenna, Aero Odolena Voda volleyball players lost the losers' bracket final against the German Wuppertal team 2-3 and finished the final group of the C.E.V. Cup fourth, one spot lower then last year. * In a match to advance to the KB Fed Cup World Group, a competition of women's tennis teams, Slovakia lost in Kosice to Switzerland. Martina Hingis, who was born in Kosice and is ranked number two in the world, won all three Swiss points. Although she has Slovak parents, Hingis is a Swiss citizen. Mirek Langer/Mirek Langer WEATHER In some spots of Prague, the temperature reached 17 degrees Celsius/63 degrees Fahrenheit March 2. According to the archives of Prague's oldest meteorological station (also the oldest in central Europe) at the Clementinum, this Sunday was the warmest March 2 in the past 200 years. The second-hottest March 2 was with a temperature of 14.9 degrees Celsius/59 degrees Fahrenheit in 1846. After the spring-like and warm weekend came gray and cold working days. It was mostly cloudy with temperatures of 8 to 12 degree Celsius/46 degrees to 54 degrees Fahrenheit. English version edited by Michael Bluhm xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Study in Prague This Summer From July 12 to August 3, the Faculty of Social Sciences, together with Georgetown University and The Fund for American Studies, will sponsor The American Institute on Comparative Political and Economic Systems for the fifth consecutive year. The Institute will take place at the Faculty of Social Sciences in Prague, and will include lectures by professors from Georgetown University and Charles University, as well as guest appearances by notable political and cultural figures. All lectures and site briefings will be held in English. In 1996, more than 100 students from 22 different countries attended the Institute. In 1997 the program hopes to maintain the same number of students. The institute offers an equally diverse and interesting program by combining lectures with site briefings around Prague and an exciting program of social activities. Scholarships are available for students from Central and Eastern Europe. For further details and an application form, contact either Ann Erker at The Fund for American Studies or Cyril Simsa at the Faculty of Social Sciences at the following e-mail addresses: Ann Erker: aipes@tfas.org Cyril Simsa: SVOZ@mbox.fsv.cuni.cz Please remember to include your full postal address, as well as your e-mail address, since the applications will have to be sent by post. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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!