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 342, Friday, August 13, 1999. FROM THE EVENTS OF THE PAST TWO WEEKS (July 29 - August 11) Havel in the Balkans After returning from his nine-day vacation in Iceland, President Vaclav Havel arrived in Bosnia July 30. He visited the Czech SFOR unit and in Sarajevo he attended the meeting of 39 heads of state and 17 representatives of international organizations who approved the Stability Pact for the Balkans. Due to time constraints Havel did not speak, but the text of his speech was included among the summit's official documents. Milan Smid/Sofia Karakeva First Problems for Civic Initiative Impulse 99 A week after the public proclamation of Impulse 99 (see Carolina 341), doubts were raised concerning the financing of this initiative and the authenticity of certain signatures. Radio announcer Vaclav Moravec became he first signatory to withdraw his signature from the list because of ethical reasons. The organizers of Impulse 99, joined by 1,700 signatories since August 9, refuse to disclose the names of sponsors. They have disclosed only publisher Martin Jan Stransky, who provided the initiative with space in one of his buildings in downtown Prague. According to the law, as a civic association Impulse 99 is not required to disclose its sources of financing. The movement's initiators had to withdraw from the petition the signature of Supreme Court Chief Justice Eliska Wagnerova, who said she agrees with the initiative's activity but as a judiciary representative cannot be involved in such associations. According to Impulse spokeswoman Jana Smidova, Wagnerova's name appeared on the list during the "hectic days" when dozens of people were joining the initiative in different ways. Based on the comments of Journalists' Syndicate spokeswoman Irena Valova, who declared journalists' support of similar initiatives unprofessional, Moravec, moderator for radio station Frekvence 1, withdrew his signature from the list. Commentators are still filling newspapers with thoughts on the initiative. Lenka Nejezchlebova/Sofia Karakeva Fight for TV NOVA Escalates The dispute between CET 21 and CNTS over control of TV NOVA (see Carolina 329, 336) entered a new stage after license-holder CET 21 interrupted the August 5 broadcasting of former partner CNTS - 99%-owned by the American corporation CME - and launched its own broadcasting from the Barrandov movie studios. After CNTS was cut off from the airwaves, advertising companies have to deal with CET 21, fully controlled by Vladimir Zelezny, former head of CNTS. CME is taking legal action against Zelezny and CET 21 for breaching agreements that required CET 21 to receive all its programming and services from CNTS, which in the meantime is trying to find another broadcaster who could to show the programs prepared for TV NOVA. CNTS, now run by former TV NOVA news chief Jan Vavra, has negotiated repeatedly with Galaxie, a cable and satellite broadcaster. Since August 11 CNTS has presented its news bulletins at http//www.cnts.cz/live. The Czech Broadcasting Council regulatory body is going to deal with the matter August 17. Milan Smid/Milan Smid Zeman Meets Dzurinda while on Holiday From August 2 Prime Minister Milos Zeman and his Cabinet are on a three-week holiday. Zeman traveled July 30 for a week to Slovenia, where he met July 31 with his Slovak counterpart Mikulas Dzurinda. According to Jindrich Marek from the Government's press department, the statesmen discussed during lunch the division of former federal property, but they reached no agreement. Dzurinda still insists on the so-called "zero alternative," according to which both parties would rescind all claims. Milan Smid/Sofia Karakeva Senate Approves Czech Citizenship for Emigres The Senate discussed and approved an amendment to provide Czech citizenship to certain Czech emigres (see Carolina 340). The amendment concerns mainly those who were deprived of their citizenship since February 25, 1948 until March 28, 1990. The amendment should affect some 30,000 emigres. Interior Minister Vaclav Grulich said the change will mean the end of the previous ban on dual citizenship, although only qualifying emigres will be allowed to keep dual citizenship. They can regain Czech citizenship with a declaration in a city or county office without having to give up their other passports. The amendment will allow emigres to buy immovables in the Czech Republic, but does not solve the long-discussed problem of restitution. Grulich said the process must proceed gradually. The first step, he added, is the return of Czech citizenship, the second the question of voting eligibility and the third is "to deal with the question of property restitution or at least compensation for damages caused to emigres by the former regime." During its ninth meeting August 5, the Senate also approved the European Social Charter, which provides for basic social standards in EU countries. Milan Smid/Sofia Karakeva Czech Republic Seeks Temporary Exemption from EU Rules Josef Kreuter, head of the Czech mission to European Union, July 30 presented the country's position documents on the free movement of capital to the EU Council and EU Commission in Brussels. The document was approved by the Czech Cabinet July 28. The Czech Republic is asking for a transitional period after its becomes an EU member in which EU citizens would be prohibited from purchasing agricultural land, forests and real estate, with the exception of factories and industrial parcels, unless the buyer has a permanent seat in the country. The length of the transitional period was not proposed in the document and should be part of accession negotiations. Milan Smid/Milan Smid Who Will Replace Vaclav Benda in Senate? Independent candidate Vaclav Fischer, travel-agency owner, and Civic Democratic Party (ODS) candidate Jirina Jiraskova, the actress, have the best chance to advance to the runoff in the Senate election in Prague's first district to fill the chair empty since the death of Senator and former dissident Vaclav Benda. According to a poll taken by the STEM agency, Fischer was the choice of 29 per cent of respondents and Jiraskova was preferred by 26 per cent of respondents. Ivan Medek, nominated by the four-party coalition (the Freedom Union, Christian Democrats, Civic Democratic Alliance and Democratic Union) was selected by 19 per cent of respondents, Communist Stanislav Fischer by 9 per cent and Social Democrat candidate Karel Srp by 8 per cent. Milan Smid/Milan Smid NEWS IN BRIEF * The Czech Statistics Office announced that the Czech Republic had 10,289,621 inhabitants as of December 31, which is 9,604 people less than a year before. * President Vaclav Havel August 2 accepted the resignation of Czech Statistics Office (Cesky statisticky urad, CSU) Chairman Edvard Outrata. The new chairwoman, Marie Bohata, is a researcher at the Macroeconomic Institute of the Academy of Sciences and will take office in September. * Defense Minister Vladimir Vetchy declared support for the open-door policy of NATO during his three-day visit to Bulgaria from July 30-August 1. According to Vetchy, the Czech Republic's priority is Slovakia's membership in NATO, but it is also interested in the incorporation of Bulgaria. * A police helicopter used for a parachuting exercise by the police's anti-terrorist squad crashed near the Orlik dam August 5, falling on the fully occupied Radava campsite. Two policemen were killed in the accident and two others were seriously injured. No campers were injured. Milan Smid/Milan Smid FROM SLOVAKIA Government Coalition Disharmony Conflicts within the coalition Government came to a head August 9 with the resignation of Transportation Minister Gabriel Palacka, one of those closest to Premier Mikulas Dzurinda. A new conflict then began to take shape over the future of Government leader the Slovak Democratic Coalition (SDK), which formally became a political party before last year's general elections. The SDK arose from a grouping of five parties, and Christian Democrat Chairman and Justice Minister Jan Carnogursky has now come out in favor of dissolving the SDK into five separate parties, saying "The SDK became a party because the Voting Act did not allow coalitions - in other words, under pressure, and not naturally." Dzurinda rejects the dissolution, evidently fearing for his position. Michael Bluhm/Michael Bluhm ECONOMY Finance Ministry Proposes Deficit Budget for 2000 Work on the 2000 state budget began August 3 with the signature of Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Pavel Mertlik on the order for the budget's preparation. The proposed budget is to show a deficit of 39.8 billion crowns, 8.8 billion crowns more than the 1999 budget, said ministry spokesman Libor Vacek. Individual ministries are to present their budget proposals by August 20, the first Social Democrat Cabinet discussions of the budget are slated for September 8, with a September 30 deadline to present a budget proposal to Parliament. The planned deficit has met with disapproval from all other political parties (the Civic Democratic Party, the Freedom Union and the Christian Democrats) except the Communists, who have yet to take a stand on the proposal. This year's planned 78.8-billion-crown deficit is expected to wind up being closer to 50 billion crowns. Pavlina Hodkova/Michael Bluhm Summer Crisis in Vitkovice Steel and engineering giant Vitkovice August 2 went under the control a seven-member crisis team, led by new General Director Bronislav Zelinsky. The other member are representatives of the board of directors, experts and former division chiefs, who all lost their jobs July 26. Vitkovice is hoping for a 500-million-crown loan from the Consolidation Bank, which has yet to decide whether it will offer the Ostrava institution any financial assistance. Pavlina Hodkova/Michael Bluhm New Owner for Poldi? Zdenek Zemek, who purchased the Poldi Steel Mill at the beginning of last year for 200 million crowns and apparently lacks the financing to continue in his attempt to revive the colossus, has decide to sell it. Zemek is asking for 650 million crowns, the amount recently offered him by former owner Vladimir Stehlik. Zemek had some luck in resuscitating the mill - in spring 1999 Poldi resumed production and hired new employees (see Carolina 204, 220, 225, 240), but there was a lack of money for production at the beginning of this year. One-third of Poldi's employees were sacked, leaving 620 - of them, 200 received pink slips August 1. The unions consider the notice invalid. The only publicly known potential buyer is Mossei International Holding, owned by Josef Totzauer, who works with Stehlik and plans for Stehlik to occupy some managerial function. Totzauer has offerred 450 million crowns, but there are thought to be other interested parties. Pavlina Hodkova/Michael Bluhm ECONOMY IN BRIEF * Czech Savings Bank (Ceska sporitelna) General Director Dusan Baran announced a loss of 3.2 billion crowns for the first half of 1999. Czech accounting standards, which somewhat ignore the creation of reserves, show a loss of 1.6 billion crowns. Baran said factors influencing the loss included the continuing recession and the worsening of client payment discipline, which forced the bank to create larger reserves. Reserves for the first half of 199 were created in the amount of 3.8 billion crowns. * The Government increased pension payments August 1 by 5.4 per cent (an average of 300 crowns monthly), making the average pension payment 5,922 crowns monthly. The Government made the increase even though the condition set by law of a rise in consumer prices of 5 per cent was not met. The increase will mean additional monthly budget expenses of about 1 billion crowns. The step was expected in April, but was not taken because of low inflation. * Firms with less than 50 employees can from August 2 apply for low-interest loans of 300,000 crowns to 1 million crowns for modernizing production, the purchase of technology and operating materials. The interest rate for the loans, with a maximum term of four years, will be based on the Czech National Bank's discount rate plus one percentage point, which today would mean 7 per cent. Ninety million crowns from PHARE have been set aside for the program, but in the case of greater interest, another 9 million crowns is available. The program expects to provide 400 applicants with loans this year. * The electric monopoly provider CEZ announced an after-tax profit of 575 million crowns for the first half of 1999, a decrease of 84.1 per cent from the first half of 1998. Pavlina Hodkova/Michael Bluhm Exchange Rates at the Czech National bank (valid August 13) -------------------------------------------------------- 1 EUR = 36.395 country currency CZK ---------------------------------------- Australia 1 AUD 22.293 Great Britain 1 GBP 55.012 Denmark 1 DKK 4.895 Japan 100 JPY 29.539 Canada 1 CAD 23.033 IMF 1 XDR 46.656 Hungary 100 HUF 14.349 Norway 1 NOK 4.425 New Zealand 1 NZD 18.144 Poland 1 PLN 8.708 Greece 100 GRD 11.135 Slovakia 100 SKK 81.602 Slovenia 100 SIT 18.599 Sweden 1 SEK 4.143 Switzerland 1 CHF 22.726 USA 1 USD 34.211 Exchange Rates of countries participating in the euro (converted from the euro rate) country currency CZK Belgium 100 BEF 90.221 Finland 1 FIM 6.121 France 1 FRF 5.548 Germany 1 DEM 18.608 Ireland 1 IEP 46.212 Italy 1000 ITL 18.796 Luxemburg 100 LUF 90.221 Netherlands 1 NLG 16.515 Portugal 100 PTE 18.154 Austria 1 ATS 2.645 Spain 100 ESP 21.874 CULTURE Summer Film School Attracts about 2,000 Film Lovers The Moravian city of Uherske Hradiste became a mecca for young filmgoers July 23-August 1. The 25th Summer Film School presented 138 feature films and 355 documentaries and animated films to more than 2,000 visitors at 7 screening sites. The program of the festival was not restricted only to treasures from film history or to new independent production, but also included concerts, theater performances and exhibits. Among the celebrities who came to meet film fans in Uherske Hradiste were directors Sasa Gedeon, Igor Chaun and Vera Chytilova as well as animator Bretislav Pojar. Lenka Nejezchlebova/Milan Smid Questions Surround Czech Exhibit at EXPO 2000 in Hannover There is still no decision about which project will represent the Czech Republic at the EXPO 2000 world exhibition in Hannover next year. The Commissariat for Czech EXPO Participation chose a project and an architect for the Czech exposition, but the Foreign Ministry recently stopped work on the exhibit. The first competition for the exposition project was won by the team of Ladislav Kopecky, who placed Czech glass-making tradition at the center of the show. However, the project did not mesh with the design of the pavilion, awarded in another competition to the D.U.M architecture firm. General Commissar for EXPO 2000 Hana Havlova took the side of the architects, and another project by well-known artist Frantisek Skala was selected without a public competition to replace Kopecky. Because the Commissariat is funded by the Foreign Ministry the ministry decided to annul the selection of Skala and set up a new commission to choose a new project by August 25. Lenka Nejezchlebova/Milan Smid SPORTS Goalie Dominik Hasek to End His Career after Upcoming Season In a special press conference attended by many American reporters in Prague July 29, Dominik Hasek announced he would end his career after the upcoming season. "I wanted to say this in the summer because I want to focus only on ice hockey and not to think about my departure," said Hasek, 34. Hasek, five-time winner of the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's top goalkeeper and two-time winner of the Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player, made it to the finals of the Stanley Cup last year with his Buffalo Sabres, but lost to the more-experienced Dallas Stars. Hasek announced his decision to leave on top of his game one year after he won the Nagano Olympics gold medal with the Czech national team. As reasons for his retirement he cited weariness from public interest and his family. After his career, he wants to come back home to the Czech Republic and start a business. Mirek Langer/Mirek Langer Teplice Loses First Game of Champions League Qualifying Round Against a strong opponent, Germany's Borussia Dortmund, Teplice played well but lost 0-1. Teplice is in a difficult position for the rematch, to be played in Dortmund August 25. In the first half, Dortmund controlled the game, although it did allow one excellent chance for Fousek, saved by Lehmann. After the break, Nerlinger scored after a defensive mistake and chances for Teplice's Divecky and Moller could not be converted. Mirek Langer/Mirek Langer Czech Soccer League Starts - Slavia Leads, Teplice Has One Point The soccer league's new season has played its first two rounds - and only one team, Slavia Praha, has not lost a point. In the first round, the three biggest favorites were kicking penalty shot after ties in the last minutes of their games. While Slavia's Horvath scored against Bohemians and Sparta's Labant converted against Zizkov, Teplice's Verbir missed and his team surprisingly lost two points to Opava. Horvath celebrated his goal by dropping his shorts and after receiving a red card will not play for four games. Ceske Budejovice, promoted from the second league, started the year with a win. Chmel Blsany showed again its ineptitude and was scored on six times by Ostrava. In the second round, Sparta could not defeat Opava, which is tough at home. Teplice recorded another loss, failing in a test before the Champions League qualification round against Jablonec. However, Bohemians Prague, the other league novice, is still waiting for its first goal, although it has its first point from a scoreless tie in Olomouc. Results of the first round: Sparta Praha - Zizkov 2-1, Jablonec - Pribram 0-2, Teplice - Opava 1-1, Brno - Olomouc 1-0, Ceske Budejovice - Drnovice 2-0, Bohemians Praha - Slavia Praha 0-1, Hradec Kralove - Liberec 1-3, Ostrava - Blsany 6-1. Results of the second round: Jablonec - Teplice 3-1, Opava - Sparta Praha 1-1, Slavia Praha - Ostrava 2-0, Zizkov - Ceske Budejovice 1-1, Olomouc - Bohemians 0-0, Blsany - Hradec Kralove 1-0, Pribram - Liberec 1-1, Drnovice - Brno 2-0. Mirek Langer/Mirek Langer Twenty-Eight Athletes to Participate in World Championships in Seville The Czech Track and Field Union decided to send 28 athletes to Seville, where the World Championships will take place August 21-29. Two of them were invited as the reigning world champions (triple jumper Sarka Kasparkova and decathloner Tomas Dvorak), while 22 fulfilled the minimums of the Union. The other four (runner Roman Oravec, septathlete Katerina Nekolna, walker Milos Holusa and discus thrower Vladimira Rackova-Malatova) got wild cards. The Czech national team: Roman Oravec (800m), Jiri Muzik (400m hurdles), Milos Holusa (walking), Jan Zelezny (javelin), Libor Malina (discus), Vladimir Maska (hammer), Pavel Sedlacek (hammer), Jiri Kuntos (triple jump), Jan Janku (high jump), Tomas Janku (high jump), Stepan Janacek (pole vault), Petr Spacek (pole vault), Martin Kysela (pole vault) Tomas Dvorak (decathlon), Roman Sebrle (decathlon), Helena Fuchsova (400m and 800m), Hana Benesova (400m), Jitka Burianova (400m), Ludmila Formanova (800m), Denisa Krejcova (4x400 m), Nikola Tomeckova (javelin), Vladimira Rackova-Malatova (discus), Sarka Kasparkova (triple jump), Eva Dolezalova (triple jump), Zuzana Hlavonova (high jump), Daniela Bartova (pole vault), Pavla Hamackova (pole vault), Katerina Nekolna (septathlon). Mirek Langer/Mirek Langer SPORTS IN BRIEF * Czech track and field athletes participating in the Golden League: Monte Carlo: Formanova second in the 800m (1min 57.49s), Hlavonova fifth in the high jump (1.94m), Zelezny seventh in the javelin (83.48m). Zurich: Hlavonova third in the high jump (1.99m - a new Czech record), Formanova fourth in the 800m (1min 56,56s), Kasparkova seventh in the triple jump (14.10m), Muzik third in the 400m hurdles "B" heat. * Czech athletes won six gold medals in the European sport shooting championships in France. * Three starts in the finals - those were the highlights of the Czech swimmers' results in the European Championships in Istanbul. Hana Cerna won the bronze medal in the 400m individual medley, Jana Pechanova (400m freestyle) and Daniel Malek (100m breaststroke) finished last - eighth. * Thanks to Yugoslavia's 3-0 win over Portugal, the Czech men's volleyball team advanced to the European Championships - the Czechs defeated Portugal in the fight for the best of the groups' third-place teams. Mirek Langer/Mirek Langer WEATHER One of our readers recently criticized the news value of our weather reports, because they only report weather that has already passed. He is right, but we believe this section is to serve as an archive allowing you to determine what the weather was in the Czech Republic at any time in the past nine years of Carolina. Anyone who searches the weather section of Carolina 342 will find out that August 11 was something of a disappointment for those in Prague who were looking forward to the solar eclipse. Some 10 minutes before the zenith of the eclipse (about a 95-per-cent eclipse in the Czech Republic), heavy clouds moved in and it soon began to rain. Other regions of the Czech Republic, however, such as southern Bohemia, had a perfect view of the event. Daily temperatures continue to be about 20 degrees Celsius/68 degrees Fahrenheit. Milan Smid/Michael Bluhm 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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