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 THE CZECH REPUBLIC Charles University in Prague Faculty of Social Sciences Smetanovo nabr. 6 110 01 Prague 1 Czech Republic e-mail: CAROLINA@mbox.fsv.cuni.cz tel: (+4202) 22112252, fax: (+4202) 24810987 *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* C A R O L I N A No 325, Friday, March 26, 1999. FROM THE EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK (March 17 - March 24) Czech Parliament Approves Field Hospital for Balkans NATO General Secretary Javier Solana ordered air strikes on Yugoslav military forces just before midnight March 23. The Czech Republic, as an active member of NATO, is prepared to send an unarmed transport aircraft and a military field hospital. In Parliament, 153 deputies of 191 present voted in favor of the field hospital March 24. The Senate had approved the proposal March 10. Czech Prime Minister Milos Zeman said the field hospital will provide care to both sides because it is the requirement of the Czech Republic wants to continue its historic tradition of friendly relations (Yugoslavia sided with Czechoslovakia in 1938 and 1968). That is the reason the field hospital will be located in Macedonia and not in Kosovo. The An-26 transporter with a 12-member crew should be included in the NATO air verification operation. In connection with the attack on Yugoslavia, the Czech president, prime minister and leaders of both chambers of Parliament decided March 24 to cancel the celebration, to be attended by Solana, at Prague Castle to mark the Czech Republic's accession to NATO. Instead, the Czech State Security Council met to discuss the situation in Kosovo. Jiri Wazik/Sofia Karakeva After deadline: Czech Government Position on NATO Attack The Czech Government said it prefers a diplomatic solution to armed intervention. The government said it regrets that the crisis is not being solved that way. NATO took the decision to use its airborne forces before the Czech Republic was accepted as a member and the Czech Government said it considers this solution an attempt to prevent further escalation of the Kosovo crisis and a humanitarian catastrophy. The Government said it hopes that casualities will be minimal and both sides will return to the negotiating table. From the Czech daily Pravo/Zuzana Janeckova Chilean President Eduardo Frei Visits Prague Eduardo Frei, the president of Chile, visited Prague March 17. During his meeting with Czech President Vaclav Havel and elsewhere in Prague he could not avoid questions concerning the past: "Chile insists that the actions of former dictator August Pinochet not be judged by foreign judiciary, but by the organs of justice in his own country,". Although the main subjects of discussion were human rights and globalization, the presidents also agreed on the need to expand economic and trade cooperation. Veronica Macias/Sofia Karakeva Decision about Temelin Delayed The future of the Temelin nuclear power plant remained undecided after the Cabinet session March 22. The Government discussed the report of an independent expert commission about the positives and negatives of Temelin's completion. The Cabinet session was accompanied by a demonstration of ecological activists, who demanded the postponement of a final decision until detailed research is completed on the possible suspension of construction. In the Temelin case exists a disagreement between Environment Minister Milos Kuzvart and Trade Minister Miroslav Gregr. Kuzvart argues against Temelin with economic and ecological reasons, Gregr supports it by saying the Czech Republic will need energy from Temelin. The Government asked both ministers to prepare materials for and against Temelin. Their work should provide more alternatives: completing Temelin, completing only part of Temelin, letting it stand or demolishing it. The analyses should be completed by the end of April, and a final decision will probably be made April 30. Alena Smrzova/Jakub Jirovec Svoboda and Snopkova Leave Their Party Positions Vice Chairman for Managment of the ruling Social Democrats (CSSD) and Finance Minister Ivo Svoboda announced March 20 during a party presidium session that he will withdraw his candidacy for another term as vice chairman at the April party congress. Although he will not have an important party office, he will remain minister. Prime Minister and party Chairman Milos Zeman said he respects Svoboda as good minister and sees no reason for resignation. CSSD Chief Treasurer Barbora Snopkova will leave her office March 31. Snopkova was also Svoboda's chief of staff and adviser, but she resigned there because of criminal charges in the Liberta affair. Snopkova is charged with hiding some materials from creditors during Liberta's liquidation. Snopkova and Svoboda are suspected of defrauding Liberta because they sold its healthy divisions to the Zora-Euro company, which they own. Svoboda said the basis of problems surrounding Liberta is its badly handled privatization and the following sale of assets by previous owners. Petra Machova/Jakub Jirovec NEWS IN BRIEF * Czech Prime Minister Milos Zeman, while in Sofia March 17-18 signed an agreement against organized crime and discussed Czech-Bulgarian visa relations. * Czech Foreign Minister Jan Kavan March 18 in Copenhagen met with his Danish counterpart Niels Petersen and discussed the status of small countries in NATO. Kavan described as symbolic his visit to the country that was the first to agree with NATO expansion. * The three new NATO members - Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic - will push for Slovakia to become a NATO member as soon as possible, the three countries' deputy foreign ministers agreed in Karlovy Vary March 20. Zuzana Janeckova, Marketa Kaclova and Radan Dolejs/Sofia Karakeva FROM SLOVAKIA Slovak Direct Presidential Primaries to Be Held May 15 Slovaks will vote for their president directly for the first time in Slovak history May 15. The National Assembly passed the Presidential Election Act March 18, which gave the Slovak public the opportunity to choose the head of state. Assemblymen passed the law in its third reading. The law was passed despite of the earlier boycott of the Hungarian Coalition members in opposition to the bill for the 1999 state budget. Under the previous Assembly the polarization of the political spectrum prevented any candidate from receiving the two-thirds majority of votes necessary for election. Direct presidential election was one of the key campaign promises of the current Government parties. Any citizen over 40 and eligible for election to the Assembly can run for president. A candidate can be proposed either by 15 assemblymen or by a petition signed by 15,000 citizens. Michaela Prokopova/Zuzana Janeckova ECONOMY Nomura Gets to Keep Control of Czech Beer Market The final decision of the Office for the Protection of Economic Competition found the May 1998 merger of Pilsner Urquell (Plzensky prazdroj) and Radegast Brewery in accordance with the law. The brewery giant controls 45 per cent of the beer market, followed by Prague Breweries (13 per cent), Krusovice and Budweiser (each 5 per cent). The decision is immediately effective and cannot be appealed. Pilsner and Radegast were merged indirectly when the Japan's Nomura Securities, through subsidiary Nomura Europe, gained control of the Investment and Postal Bank (Investicni a postovni banka, IPB), which controls a majority interest in Pilsner through Czech Beer, owned by IPB subsidiary Bank Holding (Bankovni holding). Radegast came under Nomura control through IMP Finance, in which Nomura International holds a majority. Small breweries reacted negatively to the decision. Graham Staley, director of Bass, the owner of Prague Breweries, said to Czech daily Hospodarske noviny March 19, "It is difficult to understand why the office all of a sudden accepted the creation of a dominant player on the market three times bigger than its closest competitor. The position is a bad news for Czech brewing." Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Policy Pavel Mertlik said he considers the decision correct. Pavlina Hodkova/Denisa Vitkova Czech GDP in 1998 Declined by 2.7 Per Cent The Czech Republic's gross domestic product declined by 2.7 per cent in 1998 and by an alarming 4.1 per cent in 1998's final quarter, according to data released March 22 by the Czech Statistical Office. Almost all macroeconomic indicators showed a decline for 1998, led by the nosedive in investments (down 6.6 per cent from 1997), caused by a lack of finances in the private and public sectors, and by the increased difficulty in getting loans. One bright point was the Czech Republic's payment balance. According to information in the March 19 edition of daily Hospodarske noviny, the surplus reached an unbelievable 2.6 billion dollars and compensated for the current-account deficit of 1.05 billion dollars. Karel Kuhnl, trade minister in Josef Tosovsky's Government and current Freedom Union Parliament deputy, compared the Czech economic situation with the decline in Hungary four or five years ago. In light of this he said the Social Democrat Government should react just like the Hungarian leaders, who at that time reduced the budget deficit and completed price liberalization and privatization. Economic analysts say the possible ways out of the crisis include finishing privatization of banks and companies, increasing the foreign demand, a weakening of the crown, lower interest rates and a growth budget. Pavlina Hodkova/Denisa Vitkova Exchange Rates at the Czech National Bank (valid March 26) ------------------------------------------------------------ 1 EUR = 38.485 CZK country currency CZK ------------------------------------------ Australia 1 AUD 22.444 Great Britain 1 GBP 57.804 Denmark 1 DKK 5.177 Japan 100 JPY 29.900 Canada 1 CAD 23.399 IMF 1 XDR 48.340 Hungary 100 HUF 15.034 Norway 1 NOK 4.552 New Zealand 1 NZD 18.986 Poland 1 PLN 8.901 Greece 100 GRD 11.862 Slovakia 100 SKK 86.096 Slovenia 100 SIT 20.268 Sweden 1 SEK 4.275 Switzerland 1 CHF 24.141 USA 1 USD 35.286 Exchange Rates of countries particpating in the euro (converted from the euro rate) country currency CZK ----------------------------------------- Germany 1 DEM 19.677 Belgium 100 BEF 95.402 Finland 1 FIM 6.473 France 1 FRF 5.876 Ireland 1 IEP 48.866 Italy 1000 ITL 19.876 Luxemburg 100 LUF 95.402 Netherlands 1 NLG 17.464 Portugal 100 PTE 19.196 Austria 1 ATS 2.797 Spain 100 ESP 23.130 CULTURE Czech Film Dual Role Closes Prague Portion of European Film Days After the European Film Marathon in Prague's Lucerna through the night of March 20-21, the Prague part of the European Film Days festival closed (see Carolina 324). The marathon showed the movies Same Old Song (France), Adam and Eve (Sweden) and In Trouble Again (Germany). The festival is continuing in Brno March 22-30. The festival was closed by the new Czech sci-fi film Dual Role by director Jaromil Jires. It tells the story of a young girl in a serious automobile accident. In an operation she is given a new brain, which originally belonged to a 70-years-old woman. Tereza Brodska (daughter of actor Vladimir Brodsky and actress Jana Brejchova) performs the leading role. The story was written by translator and Senator Jaroslava Moserova. Because one of the film's co-producers was the Brno studio of Czech Television, it is very likely that the film will be shown on Czech Television as well. Zuzana Galova/Katerina Kolarova Jiri Grusa Receives Goethe Prize Czech poet, translator and former Minister of Education Jiri Grusa was awarded the Goethe Prize March 22. The institute named after German writer Johann Wolfgang Goethe each year awards foreign contributions to German language and cultural exchange. Grusa received the prize because of his poetry written in German and also for his contribution to the promotion of Czech literature and for strenghtening Czech-German relations. Grusa took political asylum in Germany from 1981. Grusa was Czechoslovak and Czech ambassador to Germany from 1991-97. Today he is Czech ambassador to Austria. Zuzana Galova/Katerina Kolarova SPORTS Results of the Gambrinus Soccer League Results of the 20th round: Zizkov - Teplice 2-0, Ostrava - Pribram 1-2, Brno - Blsany 1-0, Hradec - Opava 1-0, Plzen - Drnovice 2-0, Olomouc - Karvina 2-0, Sparta - Liberec 1-0 The Jablonec-Slavia match was postponed till April because of the condition of the field. Standings after the 20th round: 1.Sparta 43 points, 2.Teplice 36, 3.Olomouc 34, 4.Slavia 32, 5.Drnovice 31, 6.Blsany 29, 7.Hradec 28, 8.Ostrava 27, 9.Brno 26, 10.Opava 26, 11.zizkov 24, 12.Liberec 23, 13.Pribram 20, 14.Plzen 19, 15.Jablonec 18, 16.Karvina 15 Robin Rohrich Zlin Advances to Final Four of Hockey's Staropramen Extraleague Zlin needed only three games to advance to the semifinals of the playoffs sweeping rival Pardubice 3-0 in games by scores of 1-0, 2-0 and 2-1. Other results in the best-of-five round of the playoffs: Vsetin - Vitkovice: Vsetin leads series 2-1 (4-3, 3-1, 2-4); Sparta - Ceske Budejovice: Sparta leads series 2-0 (4-3, 2-0); Trinec - Plzen: series tied 1-1 (2-4, 4-2). Tomas Kohout WEATHER Well, the most expected event of the last week is over. Spring officially arrived March 21, but we were not rewarded with spring weather. According to the local meteorologists that is very normal, because the traditional average temperature for this day is about 5 degrees Celsius/41 degrees Fahrenheit. Some inhabitants of Czech villages observed pagan rituals like the opening of wells and springs. Water rats held their traditional ritual called The Drift of Spring and symbolically brought spring from Usti nad Labem to Decin by boat. Every silver lining has a cloud - those allergic to pollen started to suffer. Whiners are also satisfied, because there is always something to complain about. Daylight savings time begins March 28. Katerina Kolarova/Katerina Kolarova English version edited by Michael Bluhm ----------------------------------------------------------------------- This news may be published only with attribution to CAROLINA. Subscription is free. Comments and remarks are appreciated. 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