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 365, Friday, March 3, 2000. FROM THE EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK (February 23 - March 1) Government Tries to Prevent Export to Iranian Power Plant Deputies will discuss a special bill concerning a ban on supplies to the Iranian nuclear power plant in Bushehr, in connection to the export plans of the Czech company ZVVZ Milevsko. The Chamber of Deputies has been in a state of legislature emergency (meaning deputies can pass laws more quickly) since February 24 to facilitate the speedy passage of the bill. Analysts say the government underestimated the problem and is now trying to save what it can (the Cabinet passed the draft of the bill at a special session February 23). The press has linked the government's efforts to the upcoming Prague visit of American Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. Problems concerning the supply of air-conditioning devices to Bushehr have been ongoing for almost a year. The government had made several unsuccessful attempts to stop the supply. Last year, the Foreign Ministry tried to persuade ZVVZ Milevsko to withdraw from the contract. Since January the ministry has been under constant pressure from the ambassadors of the US and the UK, who do not wish the contract to be fulfilled. They say they fear the power plant is only a cover for the development of nuclear weapons. Iran, however, strongly denies such speculation. ZVVZ Milevsko would lose a deal worth about 1 billion crowns if the ban is passed. The government has promised to find another contract to cover about 75 per cent of the Bushehr contract's earnings. Communist deputies are against the ban, calling it "an attack on the sovereignty of the Czech Republic". According to Vice Chairman of the Chamber of Deputies and the Civic Democratic Party Ivan Langer, export to Iran does not violate any present Czech law. Daniela Vrbova/Ondrej Maly Freedom Union Elects Leaders Delegates of the Freedom Union's (Unie svobody, US) national convention February 26 elected Karel Kuehnl chairman of the party. Kuehnl, 45-year-old former ammbassador to Great Britain and former trade minister, received 193 of 280 votes. His rival, Vladimir Mlynar, was later elected first vice chairman, with the other vice-chair positions going to deputy Petr Mares, businessman Miroslav Malchar and lawyer Hana Marvanova. The leadership said its priorities would be tax and pension reform and a decrease in bureaucracy. Kuehnl said his ambition is to be prime minister after the Four-Party Coalition (the Freedom Union, the Christian Democrats, the Civic Democratic Alliance and the Democratic Union) wins the next election. Delegates recommended the party become more aggressive, ready for the unavoidable battle with the Civic Democratic Party (ODS). ODS Chairman Vaclav Klaus was not invited to the convention, because Freedom Union representatives said his party is not a true opposition party, thanks to its role in governing through the Opposition Contract. Klaus published his prepared speech in the press: he says he sees the Freedom Union as ODS' partner, because of the similarity of their programs. Freedom Union delegates on the other hand expect a battle between the two parties over the votes of the conservative electorate. Iva Potrebova/Jakub Jirovec Conflicts Surrounding Unearthed Jewish Cemetery Continue The Prague Jewish Community February 29 received the long-expected letter from the Ashkenazy rabbi of Israel, in which he expressed his position on the Jewish cemetery in Prague's Vladislavova Street, discovered in 1998 on a construction site belonging to the Czech Insurance Company. The letter says no other structure should be built on the site of the 13th-century cemetery. The letter was an answer to the request of the head Czech rabbi Karol Sidon to resolve the conflicts with foreign Jewish institutions that did not like the agreement between the Prague Jewish Community and the Czech Insurance Company. The agreement said the Culture Ministry would declare the cemetery a cultural site and the remains would be transfered and the graves would made accessible after the completion of construction. The protests - strongest from head British rabbi Jonathan Sacks and head of the French Jewish Community Josep Sitruk - reached their peak February 24, when 40 orthodox Jews tried to return the remains of their ancestors to the cemetery. They were not allowed in and had to take their two vehicles with 160 wooden containers of remains back to the Jewish cemetery in Prague's Olsany area. Culture Minister Pavel Dostal is going to submit the problem to the government, because he says it exceeds the authority of his ministry. Each day brings further financial damage to the investor, who will probably seek compensation from the ministry. Daniela Vrbova/Daniela Vrbova NEWS IN BRIEF * Civic Democratic Party (ODS) Chairman Vaclav Klaus and Prime Minister Milos Zeman agreed at a private meeting February 28 that changes in the government would take place within 48 hours after the Chamber of Deputies passes the state budget bill. Deputies began to discuss the third version of the bill March 1 and have passed it into its third, final reading. * Czechoslovak members of allied armies during 1939 - 1945 can apply for compensation for their services from March 1. The freshly approved law that allows them to do so was signed by President Vaclav Havel February 24 (see Carolina 364). * Former Finance Minister Ivo Svoboda and his adviser Barbora Snopkova were freed February 29 from police custody, in which they had been held almost 100 days. The two are facing accusations they defrauded the Melnik-based Liberta company of 6.5 million crowns. The stay in prison inspired Svoboda, who suffered a nervous breakdown after being incarcerated, to draft amendments to prison laws. Snopkova wrote her memoirs. The investigation is still continuing and it is unknown whether a trial will be held. * The civic association Thank You, Now Leave! held a demonstration February 25 called Thank You, We Will Hold On - Anti-February 2000. A few hundred people attended. Organizers did not hide their disappointment. "It's definitely our defeat and I accept it," said to the Czech daily Ceske slovo Josef Broz, one of the leaders of the association. * The daily Lidove called attention to the game Shoot Your Own Gypsy circulating on the Internet. In the game, players prevent dark-skinned characters from dismantling the wall in Maticni Street. The game is accompanied by racist texts. Police investigators said the game was a rarity in the Czech Republic, but the daily MF DNES reported that there are at least three other similar games accessible on the Internet. * Shortly before the beginning of an unannounced, anti-communism demonstration organized by the ultra-right National Alliance February 25, police arrested Alliance leader Vladimir Skoupy and his colleague Zbynek Rais. Skoupy is being held in police custody and faces a sentence of up to five years for wearing the National Alliance's badge, which evokes the emblem of a former Nazi organization. Both are accused of promoting movements that suppress civic rights and liberties. "Skoupy's arrest is like a bad action movie. We are now at a crossroads, but we will not tolerate being harassed forever," said Jan Brcak, the head of the National Resistance movement, during a discussion on the Internet. Pavel Korinek and Jan Vedral Jr./Simon Dominik FOREIGN AFFAIRS Kavan Visits Greece and Great Britain Czech Foreign Minister Jan Kavan and his Greek counterpart Jorgos Papandreu February 23 signed the Memorandum of Czech-Greek Cooperation in the Economic Renewal and Development of Southeastern Europe. Papandreu said the agreement was the next link in the chain of common initiatives, recalling the Czech-Greek initiative, which last spring was drawn up as an alternative resolution to the conflict in Kosovo - that initiative, however, was fiercely criticized by some NATO allies. Kavan March 1 completed his visit to Great Britain, where he met British opposite number Robin Cook along with the foreign ministers of Poland and Hungary. Kavan said the Czech Republic wants to participate in the security policy of the EU, and for the years 2003-2004 he offered a self-sufficient mechanized battalion, a fleet of helicopters, a field hospital and a chemical-defense company for security operations in Europe. Ondrej Maly/Darina Johanidesova Czech Republic Accelerates Preparation for EU After the harsh criticism the European Union directed last fall at the Czech Republic's preparations for joining the EU, the Czech Republic has achieved a marked acceleration in passing laws and harmonizing Czech legislation with European standards. That was the evaluation EU Commissar for Expansion Gunter Verheugen made before the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament in Brussels February 23. Brussels is disturbed by the unstable Czech domestic political situation, but appreciates the agreement of political parties concerning European integration, he said. Lubos Kratochvil/Darina Johanidesova FROM SLOVAKIA Vasaryova New Slovak Ambassador to Poland Former actress and presidential candidate Magda Vasaryova will be Slovakia's ambassador to Poland. Boris Gedel, spokesman for the Foreign Ministry confirmed the news February 24, adding that Vasaryova has received official agreement from the Polish side. After the division of Czechoslovakia, Vasaryova left her post as ambassador to Austria and founded the Slovak Society for Foreign Policy. In Warsaw she will succeed Ondrej Nemcok, former deputy education minister. The naming of Vasaryova to the position would seem to indicate relations with Poland are a priority for Slovakia. Veronika Hankusova/Veronika Hankusova Jozo Raz Sings Slovak Song of the Year The 1999 Slovak Music Awards were handed out February 25, with the ceremony dominated by the young generation of artists grouped around Ivan Tasler, considered the most talented musician in Slovakia. His band I.M.T. Smile was awarded the trophy as best group of the year and Tasler also wrote the lyrics for the majority of Jana Kirschnerova's songs. She won in the categories of female singer and best album with her In a Foreign City (V cudzom meste). The award for the best song of the year was given to Vaso Patejl's The Water Keeping Me above Water (Voda, co ma drzi nad vodou). Its lyrics were written by the late Jozef Urban and it was sung by Jozo Raz, the leader of the group Elan now recovering after a near-fatal motorcycle accident. He taped a greeting for the ceremony in which he congratulated Patejl, the keyboardist who co-founded Elan with Raz when they were 15 and this year entered the Hall of Fame. Veronika Hankusova/Veronika Hankusova ECONOMY Skoda Fabia Number One in Great Britain The Skoda Fabia, the newest product of Mlada Boleslav's Skoda Auto, notched a big success in Great Britain. A reader's poll in the British magazine What Car? February 23 declared Skoda's Fabia the car of the year for 2000 in all categories. The awards ceremony took place in London and was attended by 1,200 members of the car industry and journalists. The Fabia's victory has made a dent in the reputation of Skodas as cheap and unreliable. The Czech carmaker, which now belongs to the Volkswagen concern, has had problems rectifying its earlier reputation, particularly in Great Britain - before 1989 a series of unusually problem-prone cars were exported there. In the poll, Fabia won first place in the supermini class ahead of the Fiat Punto, Ford Fiesta and Toyota Yaris. The Fabia also finished first place overall, ahead of the Vauxhall (the British Opel) Zafira, BMW 523i and Mercedes S320. Fabias in Britain cost from 7,599 pounds to 11,699 pounds. Lubos Kratochvil/Denisa Vitkova Wild Rumors about IPB Lower Its Share Price After rumors about huge problems in the Investment and Postal Bank (Investicni a postovni banka, IPB) began to spread, its stock price started to drop at the end of last week, falling February 28 by 12.3 per cent. There were rumors the bank was to be placed under forced administration, allegedly discussed at the Czech National Bank's meeting February 24. Central bank spokesman Milan Tomanek said in the daily Pravo that the Banking Council had never discussed forced administration. IPB spokeswoman Barbora Tacheci said the rumors are part of the dirty tactics employed by IPB's competitors. Dita Eckhardtova/Denisa Vitkova Rates at the Czech National Bank (valid March 3) -------------------------------------------------------------- 1 EUR = 35.700 country currency CZK ------------------------------------------ Australia 1 AUD 22.449 Great Britain 1 GBP 58.166 Denmark 1 DKK 4.793 Japan 100 JPY 34.340 Canada 1 CAD 25.393 IMF 1 XDR 49.203 Hungary 100 HUF 13.916 Norway 1 NOK 4.415 New Zealand 1 NZD 18.205 Poland 1 PLN 8.903 Greece 100 GRD 10.695 Slovakia 100 SKK 85.338 Slovenia 100 SIT 17.644 Sweden 1 SEK 4.228 Switzerland 1 CHF 22.210 USA 1 USD 36.742 Exchange Rates of countries participating in the euro (converted from the euro rate) country currency CZK ----------------------------------------- Germany 1 DEM 18.253 Belgium 100 BEF 88.498 Finland 1 FIM 6.004 France 1 FRF 5.442 Ireland 1 IEP 45.330 Italy 1000 ITL 18.438 Luxemburg 100 LUF 88.498 Netherlands 1 NLG 16.200 Portugal 100 PTE 17.807 Austria 1 ATS 2.594 Spain 100 ESP 21.456 CULTURE Music Academy Announces Genre Winners The Academy of Popular Music February 29 announced the winners of its awards in various musical genres. The Winner in the Folk and Country category was Robert Krestan and his band Second Grass (Druha trava), the winner in the jazz category was Jan Spaleny, in Ethnic and Alternative music Uni Jazz. In the category Dance and Hip Hop the award went to Ohm Square, while the victor in the category Hard & Heavy was Arakain. The academy also announced the nominees for individual categories, with the winners to be announced March 11. Radka Kohutova/Zuzana Janeckova CULTURE IN BRIEF * Czech pianist Emil Viklicky won the international opera competition organized by the Prague State Opera. His work Phaedra was announced the winner of the 20 finalists February 26. Second place went to the opera Neon by American Hayden Wayne, with third place going to the Italian Bruno Moretti for his opera Lady E. As part of the award, Phaedra will have its premiere in the Prague State Opera September 20. Radka Kohutova/Zuzana Janeckova SPORTS Six Medals for Czech Republic at the Europe Indoor Championships Czech athletes won six medals at the European Indor Track and Field Championships in Gent. Gold medals were taken by Tomas Dvorak (septathlon), the men's 4x400m relay team (Jiri Muzik, Jan Podebradsky, Stepan Tesarik, Karel Blaha) and pole vaulter Pavla Hamackova. Silver medalists were Roman Sebrle (septathlon) and Zuzana Hlavonova (high jump). The Czechs' bronze medalist was Helena Fuchsova (400m). Darina Johanidesova/Michael Bluhm Soccer League: Chasing Slavia Slavia, occupying first place in the top Czech soccer league, held on to its four-point advantage over second-place Sparta after the 18th round of the season. Results of the 18th round: Slavia - Hradec Kralove 3:0, Jablonec - Sparta 0:2, Olomouc - Ostrava 4:1, Pribram - Teplice 3:0, Zizkov - Brno 1:0, Opava - C.Budejovice 3:2, Blsany - Liberec 1:0, Drnovice - Bohemians 3:0. Standings: 1.Slavia 46 points, 2.Sparta 42, 3.Drnovice 33, 4.Bohemians 24, 5.C. Budejovice 24, 6.Teplice 24, 7.Pribram 24, 8.Blsany 24, 9.Liberec 22, 10.Ostrava 21, 11.Olomouc 21, 12.Opava 20, 13.Brno 19, 14.Zizkov 17, 15.Jablonec 16, 16.H.Kralove 15. David Luksu/Michael Bluhm Hockey League Playoff Picture Taking Shape Sparta looks like the sure winner of the top Czech hockey league's regular season, while Pardubice and Znojmo are fighting for the last place in the eight-team playoffs. Results of the 47th round, Friday, February 25: Sparta - Vsetin 4:2, Litvinov - Znojmo 2:5, Havirov - Plzen 4:2, Zlin - Vitkovice 6:2, Pardubice - Kladno 3:3, Budejovice - K.Vary 8:4, Trinec - Slavia 5:2. Results of the 48th round, Sunday, February 27: Kladno - Budejovice 4:2, Vsetin - Havirov 4:1, Slavia - Pardubice 2:2, K.Vary - Litvinov 4:6, Znojmo - Sparta 2:2, Vitkovice - Trinec O:3, Plzen - Zlin 3:3. Postponed match from 32th round, February 29: Plzen - Sparta 1:5. Postponed match from 37th round, February 29: Pardubice - Zlin 3:3 Standings after the 48th round: 1. Sparta 70 points (one match postponed), 2.Zlin 60, 3.Vsetin 60, 4.Plzen 58, 5.Trinec 57, 6.Budejovice 56 (one match postponed), 7.Litvinov 52, 8.Pardubice 42, 9.Znojmo 42, 10.Slavia 37, 11.K.Vary 36, 12.Kladno 36, 13.Havirov 34, 14.Vitkovice 31. Darina Johanidesova SPORTS IN BRIEF * Slavia Praha defeated Udinese Calcio 1:0 on an own goal in Prague's Strahov Stadium February 29 in a UEFA Cup game. * Sparta Praha won its first point in its Champions League Group A after a 1-1 draw with Hertha Berlin March 1 in Berlin. David Luksu WEATHER The weekend was beautiful, with temperaturss at the beginning of the week not too far shy of 15 degrees Celsius/59 degrees Fahrenheit - and then Prague's usual cloud cover returned. English version edited by Michael Bluhm. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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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