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 339, Friday, July 2, 1999 FROM THE EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK (June 23 - June 30) Havel Visits Kosovo during Trip to Southeastern Europe President Vaclav Havel visited the Serbian province of Kosovo July 27. Havel visited the Yugoslavia-Albania border town of Morina, the small town Prizren and the village of Piranawas. Although this short visited was a planned part of the president's Hungary-Austria-Albania trip, the Yugoslav state press agency Tanjug charged that Havel broke the basic rules of diplomacy by not asking the Serbian side for permission to visit its territory. Havel's visit lacked support among most Czech politicians. The Government tried to discourage Havel from his plan, while Defense Minister Vladimir Vetchy, who accompanied Havel on his trip, did not go with Havel to Kosovo. Civic Democratic Party (ODS) Chairman Vaclav Klaus said he does not understand the meaning of Havel's Kosovo visit and considers it an empty gesture. On the other hand, Havel was fully supported by the Freedom Union and the Christian Democrats. "This type of working trip to an area under the international supervision of the UN is welcomed because the Czech Republic has clearly declared its will to bring the Kosovo situation to a normal state," said Freedom Union Chairman Jan Ruml. Zuzana Janeckova/Zuzana Janeckova Jiri Ruzek to Be BIS Director from July 1 Jiri Ruzek, who has since 1994 been director of the Czech Army's military defense intelligence, will be director of the Security Information Service (BIS), the country's secret service, from July 1. Ruzek replaces Karel Vulterin, who was recalled by the Government January 27 for alleged gross negligence (see Carolina 318, 319). Ruzek's task for the next three months will be an analysis of the state of BIS. Ruzek said he is entering the office to do professional work and motivate his subordinates to do the same. He said BIS is an indicator of the health of Czech society. "As soon as an affair concerning BIS fills the front pages of the newspapers, then that would be evidence that in the service and in the state there is something unhealthy," Ruzek said. Pavlina Hodkova/Michael Bluhm Race for Prague Senate Seat Begins The supplementary elections for the Prague 1 Senate seat (Prague 1 includes the historic center of the capital) scheduled for August 27-28 will primarily be a fight between non-party members. The Social Democrats (CSSD) nominated Artforum-Jazz Section chief Karel Srp, former politcal prisoner and one of the founders of the Civic Freedom Movement, while the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) nominated actress and Vinohrady Theater Director Jirina Jiraskova, who recently won a poll in the daily Lidove noviny as the most likeable woman of the year. Ivan Medek, journalist and President Vaclav Havel's former chief of staff, will run for the four-party coalition (the Christian Democrats, the Freedom Union, the Civic Democratic Alliance and the Democratic Union). The Communists (KSCM) nominated Stanislav Fischer, a researcher at the Astronomy Institute who specializes in quantum physics. The one independent candidate in the election is travel-agency owner Vaclav Fischer, who is planning to spend a great deal on his campaign. The IVVM polling agency said the choice of non-party members reflects the general atmosphere of disgust with politics. The seat was opened by the death of Vaclav Benda (ODS, see Carolina 335) . The election of will determine whether ODS and the Social Democrats maintain their constitutional majority in the Senate. Zuzana Janeckova/Michael Bluhm Jiri Pelikan Dies Jiri Pelikan, an important leftist politician and one of the leaders of the 1968 Prague Spring, died June 26 in Rome at the age of 76 after a severe illness. Pelikan and his wife emigrated to Italy in 1968 and in 1970 he was deprived of his Czechoslovak citizenship. From 1979-1989 he was a deputy of the European Parliament for the Italian Socialist Party. After November 1989 he repeatedly visited the Czech Republic and took part in searching for leftist positions on the new situation. Since 1994 he had been a correspondent for the leftist Czech daily Pravo and last year he received a State Merit Medal from President Vaclav Havel. He never stopped being a leftist, which he understood as reform socialism. Prime Minister Milos Zeman expressed deep sympathy and said that Pelikan "did much for the cause of the democratic left in all of Europe." Jan Martinek/Sofia Karakeva NEWS IN BRIEF * A special military train with the first 30 soldiers of the ground survey platoon of the Czech Army who will join the KFOR peace forces in Kosovo, left June 28 from the Prostejov train station. It should reach Skopja on the night of June 4. The transportation of the enlarged platoon of 124 men and two women, along with their technical equipment, all to be under the command of the British in Kosovo, should last about a week and cost 10 million crowns, to be covered by the Czech Army. * Josef Lux, who resigned last year as chairman of the Christian Democratic Union-Czechoslovakia Peoples Party (KDU-CSL) because of leukemia, will undergo a bone-marrow transplant in Seattle. Lux will undergo an operation within the next six weeks, after radical anti-tumor treatment. Considering that the donor is not a perfect match for Lux, the operation is not without risk. Pavlina Hodkova, Zuzana Janeckova/Sofia Karakeva FROM SLOVAKIA Hungarian Parties Oppose Cabinet's Minority-Language Bill The Slovak Cabinet June 23 approved a bill on the usage of minority languages that has been prepared since last year. Passing the bill is the last political precondition set for joining the European Union (EU). The deputies of the Hungarian Coalition Party (SMK) were against the bill and presented their own draft. The bill grants ethnic minorities the usage of their mother tongue in communication with public offices in communities where ethnic minorities comprise at least 20 per cent of the population. The Hungarians demand lowering the 20-per-cent minimum to 10 per cent and also the opportunity to hold official ceremonies in their native tongue. Possible ethnic conflicts between Slovaks and Hungarians were underscored by a demonstration against the bill in front of the Office of the Government June 30 attended by about 1,000 Slovaks and organized by the ultra-nationalist Slovak National Party (SNS) Jan Martinek/Jan Martinek ECONOMY Currency Market's Expectations Fulfilled, CNB Lowers Repo Rate Again The Czech National Bank's (CNB) Banking Council June 24 lowered the 14-day repo rate from 6.9 per cent to 6.5 per cent, effective June 25. Economic analysts were expecting the step after the statement by CNB Governor Josef Tosovsky June 23 about the crown being overvalued. It is unclear whether commercial banks will be more willing to provide loans as a result of the decrease. CNB spokesman Martin Svehla said he sees a slight revival of the economy while inflation pressures remain under control, meaning there is no reason not to reduce rates further. Marek Fer of the Czechoslovak Trade Bank (CSOB) said, "Considering the caution of commercial banks, the Central Bank needn't fear excessive currency expansion. By lowering the rate it at least offered relief to the firms that are functioning and can get loans." Pavlina Hodkova/Michael Bluhm KBC Bank Owns Two-Thirds of CSOB Representatives of the National Property Fund (FNM), the Czech National Bank (CNB) and Belgium's KBC Bank June 24 signed a contract for the sale of 66 per cent of the shares of the Czechoslovak Trade Bank (CSOB), which had been under the control of the state. KBC Bank paid 40.05 billion crowns for the shares. Another 4 per cent was purchased by the International Finance Corporation, part of the World Bank, for about 2.5 billion crowns. IFC representative Harold Rosen said the IFC's role in managing CSOB would be significant, which is guaranteed by cooperation with an institution like KBC. Perhaps the highlight of the press conference after the signing was when Government spokesman Libor Roucek mistakenly introduced the president of KBC as president of the KGB. Prime Minister Milos Zeman corrected the mistake, saying CSOB was being sold not to the KGB, but to "another internationally renowned institution." The National Bank of Slovakia, which holds 24.13 per cent of the shares of CSOB, would like to sell its shares to KBC for the same share price paid to the Czechs. Pavlina Hodkova/Michael Bluhm ECONOMY IN BRIEF * The Government will not post the announcement of the sale of the state's share in the Commerce Bank by June 30, which the Government's schedule anticipated. The Finance Ministry said the delay was part of privatization strategy. Commerce Bank spokeswoman Hana Burdova said, "The main reason for the delay is to enable unsuccessful interested parties in the Czech Savings Bank to participate in the tender for the Commerce Bank." * According to a report published June 24 in Paris, the Czech Republic is one of three countries (along with Japan and Great Britain) for which the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) predicts an increase in unemployment for next year. The unemployment rate for 1998 was 6.5 per cent, for 1999 it is 7.7 per cent, and the OECD predicts a rate of 8.5 per cent for next year. Such a figure would still be below the average of the European Union. Pavlina Hodkova/Michael Bluhm Exchange Rates at the Czech National Bank (valid July 1) ------------------------------------------------------------ 1 EUR = 36.440 country currency CZK ------------------------------------------ Australia 1 AUD 23.375 Great Britain 1 GBP 55.592 Denmark 1 DKK 4.903 Japan 100 JPY 29.159 Canada 1 CAD 23.942 IMF 1 XDR 47.222 Hungary 100 HUF 14.602 Norway 1 NOK 4.494 New Zealand 1 NZD 18.755 Poland 1 PLN 8.991 Greece 100 GRD 11.225 Slovakia 100 SKK 80.400 Slovenia 100 SIT 18.794 Sweden 1 SEK 4.169 Switzerland 1 CHF 22.737 USA 1 USD 35.310 Exchange Rates of countries participating in the euro (converted from the euro rate) country currency CZK ----------------------------------------- Germany 1 DEM 18.631 Belgium 100 BEF 90.332 Finland 1 FIM 6.129 France 1 FRF 5.555 Ireland 1 IEP 46.269 Italy 1000 ITL 18.820 Luxemburg 100 LUF 90.332 Netherlands 1 NLG 16.536 Portugal 100 PTE 18.176 Austria 1 ATS 2.648 Spain 100 ESP 21.901 CULTURE Milan Knizak Head of National Gallery Academy of the Arts professor, multimedia artist and 1960's avantgarde leader, Milan Knizak was appointed the new National Gallery general director effective July 1. He won a public search competition organized by the Culture Ministry to replace National Gallery interim General Director Dagmar Sevcikova. The finalists, as voted upon by a special advisory council to Culture Minister Pavel Dostal, were Knizak, Sevcikova, Tomas Vlcek and Monika Burianova. After all the candidates were interviewed by the advisory council, Knizak was selected and appointed by Dostal. Knizak described his managerial concept in the daily MF DNES: "In principle I am for personal responsibility, and therefore I will ask that a specific and visible person be responsible for any decision. I might consider reorganizing individual departments of the National Gallery. I will stress the presentation of the modern art collection and the making up the debt owed to this collection by the past." Another important task, Knizak said, would be appointing a new director for the Exposition palace (Veletrzni palac), where the National Gallery's collection of 19th- and 20th-century art is on display. "I would prefer somebody who is not connected with the National Gallery in any way and only loosely connected with our artistic community. I would most prefer someone from abroad." Tomas Polacek/Milan Smid SPORTS Emil Zatopek Is Czech Olympian of the Century The results of two polls, Olympian of the Century and Medal of the Century, were announced in Prague's Theater without Balustrades (Divadlo bez zabradli) June 26. The polls were organized by the Czech Olympic Committee (COC) to celebrate the 100th anniversary of its founding. Emil Zatopek won the poll as the Best Olympian with 751 points. Zatopek, the only track and field athlete to win the 5,000 meters, the 10,000 meters and the marathon in one Olympic Games (in 1952 in Helsinki; he won another gold in London in 1948), finished ahead of Vera Caslavska, seven-time gold medal winner in gymnastics in Tokyo in 1964 and Mexico in 1968, and ahead of javelin thrower Jan Zelezny, gold medalist from Barcelona in 1992 and Atlanta in 1996. Results of the Olympian of the Century poll: 1. Emil Zatopek (track and field) 751, 2. Vera Caslavska (gymnastics) 690, 3. Jan Zelezny (javelin) 467, 4. Ludvik Danek (discus) 399, 5. Martin Doktor (canoeing) 326, 6. Jiri Raska (ski-jumping) 286, 7. Dominik Hasek (ice hockey) 229, 8. Josef Holecek (canoeing) 139, 9. Robert Zmelik (decathlon) 111, 10. Alois Hudec (gymnastics) 107. In the Medal of the Century poll, the successes of the 50's and 60's finished behind the still fresh gold in ice hockey from the 1998 Nagano Winter Games. Of the 6,807 votes cast, 3,757 votes belonged to the hockey team, with Emil Zatopek's 1952 marathon gold in second place. Robin Rohrich/Mirek Langer Patrik Stefan Is NHL's Top Draft Pick Two days after the NHL's awards ceremony (see the last issue of Carolina), the NHL's draft took place in Boston June 26. Czech hockey celebrated another triumph here: Patrik Stefan was taken with the first overall pick by the Atlanta Thrashers, an expansion. Stefan left Sparta Praha last year and played for the IHL's Long Beach Ice Dogs. He was the second Czech player to be taken with the first pick in the NHL's draft after the Tampa Bay Lightning took defenseman Roman Hamrlik in 1992. Another Czech was chosen fourth overall: The New York Rangers took Pavel Brendl, high-scoring forward of the WHL's Calgary Hitmen. Stepan Etrych/Mirek Langer Jana Novotna Will Not Repeat Last Year's Wimbledon Title After the first week, only one Czech - Jana Novotna - remained in the singles' competitions in Wimbledon. Novotna, Wimbledon's reigning women's champion, advanced to the quarterfinals, where she lost to the United States' Lindsay Davenport 3-6, 4-6. Daniel Vacek, the last Czech man in the singles bracket, went home after the third round, losing to Slovakia's Karol Kucera. Robin Rohrich/Mirek Langer Basketball Players a Pleasant Surprise despite Loss After their wins against Lithuania and Greece and a loss to Germany, the Czech men's basketball team lost three games in the second-round group to Croatia (64-86), Italy (68-95) and Turkey (73-78). They finished last in the group and did not advance to the quarterfinals nor to the next European Championships. However, the Czech players made a very good impression in France, where the championships took place. The team played against five teams which won medals in the last World and European Championships and Olympic Games. Lubos Barton, 19, was the leading scorer of the tournament's first and second phases, also finishing second in three-point percentage and third in free-throw percentage. He was chosen to the European all-stars team, which will participate in an exhibition in Limoges, France. Robin Rohrich/Mirek Langer Track and Field National Championships Czech track and fields athletes met in the 30th Czech Republic Championships in Ostrava-Vitkovice June 26-27, with the meet marked by good performances by the jumpers. Triple-jumper Jiri Kuntos set a personal best of 17.29 meters. In the men's high jump, the fans were thrilled by the battle between the Janku brothers. Jan Janku jumped 228 centimeters (the qualification minimum for the World Championships in Seville), while Tomas Janku jumped 232 centimeters. Also, Zuzana Kovacikova-Hlavonova, silver medalist in this year's indoor World Championships, jumped 193 centimeters. Pavla Hamackova (405 centimeters) defeated former world-record holder Daniela Bartova (405 centimeters) in the women's pole vault. Good performances by decathletes Tomas Dvorak and Roman Sebrle are good augurs for the upcoming men's decathlon and women's septathlon European Cup Superleague, which will take place in Prague July 2-3. Tomas Kohout/Mirek Langer WEATHER Last week's weather was rainy. We did not sweat, nor could the lazy wallow on the dried-out, yellowed grass. There were still a few degrees missing for us to go swimming. Fortuna smiled on vintners and gardeners with rain every morning. Tomas Polacek/Zuzana Janeckova English version edited by Michael Bluhm *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- Dear Readers, Carolina will be published fortnightly for the summer months, with release dates scheduled for July 15, July 29, August 12, August 26, September 9 and September 23. From October Carolina will again be published as a weekly. We wish you a pleasant summer holiday. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- This news may be published only with attribution to CAROLINA. Subscription is free. Comments and remarks are appreciated. Please send them to the address: CAROLINA@mbox.fsv.cuni.cz To subscribe to CAROLINA news, send an e-mail message to the address LISTSERV@cesnet.cz The text of the message for subscription to 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, send the following message to the address LISTSERV@cesnet.cz: SIGNOFF CAR-ENG or SIGNOFF CAR-CS We ask you not to send automatic replies to our list. 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