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 367, Friday, March 17, 2000. FROM THE EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK (March 8 - March 15) Flood in East-North Part of the Country From March 8-12 melting snow and heavy rains caused flooding in Northern and Eastern Bohemia and in northern Moravia. The worst situation was around the Jizera River and the Elbe (Labe) River, where the highest degree of flood emergency was declared. According to Pavel Jansa of the Elbe River Basin (the organization administering the streams in the Elbe basin), the flood in Hradec Kralove was worse than in 1997, his colleague Tomas Bechyna said to the daily Pravo that the floods in some areas around the Jizera river, such as in Mlada Boleslav and Benatky nad Jizerou, were once-in-a-century floods. The highest degree of flood emergency was also declared for several little rivers - the Ploucnice, Divoka Orlice and Oskava. In many localities roads, cellars, gardens, factories were flooded and hundreds of people had to be evacuated. In contrast to the catastrophic floods of 1997 (see Carolina 254, 255), rescuers were well organized and people were informed on time. However, a 60-year-old woman drowned in Jizera and a young canoeist died while negotiating the flooded Ploucnice River. Prompt reactions were demonstrated by state offices, while units of civil defence, helicopters and firefighters quickly came to the aid of the affected regions. Preliminary estimates of damages are 2 billion crowns to 2.5 billion crowns. Deputy Prime Minister and Labor Secretary Vladimir Spidla said the state budget will suffice to cover the costs. Michaela Kleckova/Darina Johanidesova Masaryk Celebrations without Slovak Representation Commentator for the left-wing daily Pravo Jiri Hanak and sociologist Jirina Siklova noticed that no Slovak political representatives attended the celebrations of the 150th anniversary of the birth of the first President of Czechoslovakia Tomas Garrigue Masaryk, who was technically a Slovak (his father was Slovak, his mother German, see Carolina 366). The Office of the President said it invited only the Slovak ambassador and delegates of associations engaged in Czech-Slovak relations. Hanak wrote, "It is unbelievable, it is incomprehensible, it is utterly embarrassing but it is true ... The life's work of Tomas Garrigue Masaryk was not after all the Czech Republic but Czechoslovakia, with Slovakia in the name underlined." Martin Krafl, the director of the president's Press Service, said in reaction to Hanak's commentary that "The Office of the President admits it could have invited some members of the Slovak political representation but did not do so for various reasons." Simon Dominik/Simon Dominik Chamber of Deputies Passes First Regional Laws The first three laws reflecting the change in the Czech Republic's administrative organization and bringing self-government to the country's regions were passed March 8 by the Chamber of Deputies. The first elections to the regional assemblies should take place this fall. The regional governors will be elected by the assemblies and the executive power will be held by a council. The assemblies will pass regional budgets, determine some subsidies and taxes and pass regional regulations. The new regions received authority in education and healthcare, culture and transportation. The regions will receive more responsibilities after district offices are disbanded in 2003. The reform was supported by deputies from the ruling Social Democrats, the Christian Democrats and the Freedom Union. Civic Democratic Party (ODS) deputies voted against. The reform will probably cost about 5 billion crowns. Yvonne Streckova, the deputy interior minister who prepared the reforms, called it the price of democracy. Iva Potrebova/Jakub Jirovec Chamber of Deputies Recalls Czech Television Council The Czech Television Council, a nine-member supervisory body with authority to appoint the public broadcaster's director, was recalled February 10 after Prime Minister Milos Zeman's Social Democrats (CSSD) made an alliance with Chamber Chairman Vaclav Klaus' Civic Democratic Party (ODS), supported by some Communist deputies. The Freedom Union (US) and Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL) were against the recall. The pretense for dismissing the council was the resolution that Czech Television was not fulfilling its mission as a public broadcaster. When such a resolution is passed two times, the Czech Television Act allows the council to be recalled en masse. The council, which has its members nominated by the Chamber of Deputies, was heavily criticized by the Chamber's Mass Media Commission in the past. The first shots were fired after Czech Television put on its schedule last fall the 30-part-series Major Zeman, often referred to as a masterpiece of communist propaganda. The criticism escalated after General Director Jakub Puchalsky, appointed by the council, stepped down in December (see Carolina 357) and when the council appointed Dusan Chmelicek his successor (see Carolina 360) January 26 without any public search process and without regard for party favorites. The council's recall is generally considered an attempt by political parties to get the station under their control. Radka Kohutova/Milan Smid NEWS IN BRIEF: * Jaroslav Basta, minister without portfolio, is going to be replaced by Karel Brezina, 27, the current chief of staff in the Office of the Government. Prime Minister Milos Zeman sent his request to recall Basta to President Vaclav Havel March 14. Zeman is fulfilling the promise of reconstruction he made to the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) in exchange for ODS support of Zeman's 2000 budget. There are three more ministers to be replaced- Regional Development Minister Jaromir Cisar, Interior Minister Vaclav Grulich and Transportation Minister Antonin Peltram. * The State Security Council requested Defense Minister Vladimir Vetchy to work out the definitive conditions for the public tender on the purchase of 36 supersonic fighter planes. So far, the favorite to win the tender has been the British-Swedish firm BAE, producer of Gripen planes. A Finance Ministry deputy has signed a contract with them for further cooperation. The deal should comfort NATO and end its criticism of the sad condition of Czech fighter planes. Its existing aircraft - MiG-21s and Su-22s - should be retired in 2003 and 2007. * President Vaclav Havel was hospitalized with bronchitis March 14. He is going to spend a week in Prague's Stresovice Hospital. Havel has had respiratory problems since March 10 and was taking antibiotics. After stomach pains and fever appeared March 13, he was taken to the hospital and diagnosed with "worsening chronic bronchitis". Havel's itinerary for March 13-17 was cancelled and his state visit to Rumania March 20 is in danger. Daniela Vrbova/Daniela Vrbova SLOVAKIA Tiso Will Not Have Plaque in Zilina The memorial plaque for wartime Slovak President Jozef Tiso, which was to be unveiled March 14 in Zilina, is not going to be installed. City representatives backed off the plan after objections from the Congregation of Franciscan Nuns, on whose building the plaque was to be placed. The nuns were afraid of unrest and possible violent acts by those opposing the plaque - politicians and citizens do not want the plaque to commemorate the former president, who was executed for his collaboration with the Nazis. The plaque was voted for by all members of the Zilina City Council except for one Democratic Party deputy (the 45-member council has 39 members from the opposition Movement for a Democratic Slovakia and the Slovak National Party). Zilina Mayor and ultra-nationalist Jan Slota, former chairman of the Slovak National party until leaving office in disgrace, also supported the plaque. The nationalist daily Narodna obroda wrote, "Slota has not given up on his goal, because he is considering an alternative date to install the plaque October 6, 2000, the anniversary of the declaration of Slovak autonomy (1938) right in Zilina." Andrea Slovakova/Daniela Vrbova European Rabbis in Bratislava A three-day conference of European Rabbis took place March 13-15 in the Slovak capital of Bratislava. The conference was planned to be held in Vienna, but the organizers moved it in protest against Joerg Haider's Free Democrats in the Austrian government. Slovak President Rudolf Schuster received the rabbis March 14, although they had to enter his residence with special security - on the same day some 200 skinheads were celebrating the anniversary of the founding of the Nazi puppet state of Slovakia in 1939. The regime of President Jozef Tiso killed thousands of Slovak Jews during World War II. The conference acknowledged the life and work of Simon Wiesenthal by giving him their award called The World Will Never Forget. Dita Eckhardtova/Jakub Jirovec ECONOMY Kralovopolska Goes into Bankruptcy, Layoffs Probably Inevitable As many as 700 employees of the Brno engineering works Kralovopolska might lose their jobs after the losses of the company's key orders. Its business was paralyzed February 22 when the Regional Commercial Court in Brno placed the company in bankruptcy. Kralovopolska's majority owner, the National Property Fund, said it does not consider bankruptcy positive because it will increase the loss of the assets claimed by creditors and does not take into consideration the region's social situation. About 1,000 employees expressed their opposition to the bankruptcy at a rally March 14. The court placed Kralovopolska in bankruptcy on a petition from businessman Jan Pivec. The National Property Fund's daughter company Kras filed a claim of 2 billion crowns against Kralovopolska, since not filing the claim would mean a crippling accounting loss. In 1999 Kralovopolska shows sales of more than 2 billion crowns, with a gross profit of 269 million crowns. In 1998 the company had losses of 1.5 billion crowns. If the company can continue regular production, there is hope to get out of the red. If employees are laid off, they will get two months severance pay but will also have serious problems finding work in the overfull job market of the Brno engineering sector. Lubos Kratochvil/Denisa Vitkova ECONOMY IN BRIEF * The biggest Czech civil airplane maker, LET Kunovice, owned by the American company Ayres Corporation, has not paid January wages to some 1,300 of its 1,480 employees and does not have money to continue production. The company's labor union leader Zdenek Zajicek said to the daily Lidove noviny, "Sales are minimal, there's always something being negotiated, but then the transaction falls apart." * The average monthly salary rose - by almost 1,000 crowns - for the first time in the past two years, to 12,658 crowns. This means, after subtracting taxes and the effect of inflation, an increase of 5,000 crowns per year. * The government March 8 increased the poverty line by 340 crowns to 3,770 crowns per month, effective April 1. Compared to April 1, 1998, when the minimum standard of living was raised the last time, it rose an average of 6 per cent to 6.8 per cent. Dita Eckhardtova/Denisa Vitkova Rates at the Czech National Bank (valid March 17) -------------------------------------------------------------- 1 EUR = 35.550 country currency CZK ------------------------------------------ Australia 1 AUD 22.511 Great Britain 1 GBP 57.669 Denmark 1 DKK 4.775 Japan 100 JPY 34.893 Canada 1 CAD 25.031 IMF 1 XDR 49.348 Hungary 100 HUF 13.834 Norway 1 NOK 4.354 New Zealand 1 NZD 17.913 Poland 1 PLN 9.011 Greece 100 GRD 10.655 Slovakia 100 SKK 85.472 Slovenia 100 SIT 17.540 Sweden 1 SEK 4.215 Switzerland 1 CHF 22.053 USA 1 USD 36.702 Exchange Rates of countries participating in the euro (converted from the euro rate) country currency CZK ----------------------------------------- Germany 1 DEM 18.176 Belgium 100 BEF 88.126 Finland 1 FIM 5.979 France 1 FRF 5.420 Ireland 1 IEP 45.139 Italy 1000 ITL 18.360 Luxemburg 100 LUF 88.126 Netherlands 1 NLG 16.132 Portugal 100 PTE 17.732 Austria 1 ATS 2.584 Spain 100 ESP 21.266 CULTURE Days of European Film Begin The German musical documentary Buena Vista Social Club opened the seventh year of the Days of European Film festival in Prague March 9. The goal of the festival is to bring new European cinematography to the attention of Czech audiences. The festival is part of the project Prague, European City of Culture 2000. The 33 movies from 23 countries were proposed by European ambassadors in the Czech Republic. The Oscar-nominated movie Left Luggage from debuting director Jeroen Krabbe is part of the festival, as well as the new Czech films Hanele from Karel Kachyna and Jaroslav Brabec's Chicken Melancholic (Kure melancholik). Lubos Kratochvil/Zuzana Janeckova To Satchmo with Love Concert Recalls Armstrong's Visit to Prague In the great hall of Prague's Lucerna Palace a concert took place March 12 in honor of Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong, who visited the Czech Republic during a tour 35 years ago. The show began with a screening of Armstrong's performance of the song Blueberry Hill at his show in the Czech capital in 1965. Armstrong was celebrated by many Czech musicians, including those who still remember the concert in Prague. The evening's performers included Czech jazz singer Vlasta Pruchova, Slovak trumpet player and owner of Armstrong's golden mouthpiece Laco Deczi, singers Eva Pilarova, Hana Krizkova, Vera Spinarova, jazzmen Lada Kerndl and Peter Lipa, rocker Ales Brichta, pop legend Karel Gott and, of course, Jiri Suchy. Suchy, accompanied by his partner Jiri Slitr, hosted Armstrong's concert in 1965. Armstrong said at the time he did not want a jazz theoretician to host his concert, but rather someone working in show business. Suchy and Slitr were the most suitable candidates at that time, although they were doing show rather than business, as Suchy said in Lucerna. The clarinetist from Armstrong's last All-Star band, Joe Muranyi, also performed with tremendous success. The program was hosted by actor Miroslav Donutil, who also jammed with the others in the last song of the night, When the Saints Go Marching in. All singers were accompanied by Jan Jirucha's J. J. Jazzmen and Jiri Dvorak's Boom! Band. Not only did the concert mark 35 years from Armstrong's performance in Prague but also the 100th anniversary of his birth. He claimed to have been born on July 4, 1900. Music historians believe Armstrong was born August 4, 1901. "We will celebrate the 100th anniversary twice, like the new millenium," said Donutil. Ondrej Maly and Veronika Hankusova/Veronika Hankusova Academy of Popular Music Decides: Anna K., Barta and Buty The presentation of the annual prizes of the Academy of Popular Music took place in Prague's Veletrzni Palac March 11. The evening was hosted by singer Lucie Bila and Academy Chairman Michal Horacek. They replaced Slovak singer Richard Mueller, who was fired as host because of his drug problems. Anna K. was voted Singer of the Year (beating out last year's winner Bila, Leona Machalkova was third) and her song Heaven (Nebe), written by Tomas Vartecky and Filip Horacek, also won. The second-best song was Bulgarians (Bulhari) by the funk group J.A.R. and third place went to Daddy (Tata) by Buty. The group Buty won Group of the Year (ahead of J.A.R. and Chinaski) and also won the award for Album of the Year - The Fern (Kapradi) - ahead of Heaven from Anna K. and J.A.R.'s Homo Fonkianz. The award for Male Singer of the Year was easily won by Dan Barta (Karel Gott was second, Daniel Hulka third). The Discovery of the Year is the group - 123 minut (second place went to Milan Daim, third to Holki), the music publicists' award was given to the Rock for People festival (second place Respect 99, third New Awards of APH) and a thrilled Waldemar Matuska was inducted into the Hall of Fame for his lifelong contribution to Czech music. Many foreign guests performed at the ceremony. German discovery of the year Sasha, singer Sarah Brithman, The Cranberries lead singer Dolores O'Riordan (accompanied by guitarist Stefan Demarch) and Slovak singer and award-winner Jana Kirschnerova also performed. Iva Potrebova/Ondrej Maly Jan Hrebejk's New Film Opens The bittersweet wartime tragicomedy We Have to Help Each Other (Musime si pomahat) had its premiere March 15. The film was written by Petr Jarchovsky and directed by Jan Hrebejk, the creators of the widely popular Cozy Nests (Pelisky). The story is set in a small Czech town during the World War II. Josef Cizek meets David, a fugitive Jewish boy who has escaped from a concentration camp, and, because he and his wife are decent people, they decide to hide him. At first it seems impossible but David survives the war in good condition and relatively in peace. Cizek and his wife, on the other hand, have to face one problem after another. They do not want to attract the attention of the German occupants and therefore start socializing with them, mainly with the Quisling Horst Prohaska. The film climaxes on VE-Day when the couple is no longer afraid of the Germans but has to fear their neighbors, who now consider them collaborators with the Nazis. The theme of the movie is no doubt serious but Hrebejk filmed it as a tragicomedy that sometimes has moments of slapstick. The story did not lose its gravity and presents questions about simple human decency, bravery, cowardliness and forgiveness. The film presents fine acting from a cast that includes Jaroslav Dusek (Prohaska), Bolek Polivka and Anna Siskova (the Cizek family) and the Slovak actor Csongor Kassai in the role of David. Simon Dominik/Simon Dominik SPORTS Hockey Playoffs Start March 16 The regular season of the hockey extraleague ended March 12. Sparta was able to rest in the last rounds, having clinched first place earlier. It will meet Pardubice in the quarterfinal best-of-seven series. The remaining pairings for the playoffs are Zlin - Litvinov, Vsetin - Ceske Budejovice and Trinec - Plzen. Despite finishing in ninth place, just out of the playoffs, Znojmo fans applauded their team at their sold-out arena. Vitkovice finished last, but the fight at the bottom of the standings was a bit odd. Many people were betting on a draw between Havirov and Kladno, which was what both teams needed to stay in the league next year. The Tipsport sports book stopped taking bets on the game, which finished in a 1-1 draw. Richard Kral of Trinec was king of the league's scoring statistics - he scored 24 goals and 53 assists. Jiri Dopita, who had led the league a number of times, was the top goal-scorer with 30. The playoffs begin March 12. Results of the 51st round: Havirov - Kladno 1-1, Vsetin - Karlovy Vary 4-3, Ceske Budejovice - Zlin 4-4, Slavia Praha - Sparta Praha 1-1, Vitkovice - Litvinov 2-2, Znojmo - Plzen 0-1, Pardubice - Trinec 4-4. Results of the 52nd round: Trinec - Ceske Budejovice 4-2, Zlin - Litvinov 7-3, Znojmo - Karlovy Vary 4-7, Kladno - Vsetin 1-2, Slavia Praha - Havirov 2-2, Plzen - Pardubice 4-0, Vitkovice - Sparta Praha 1-7. Standings: 1. Sparta Praha 76, 2. Zlin 65, 3. Vsetin 65, 4. Trinec 64, 5. Plzen 63, 6. Ceske Budejovice 61, 7. Litvinov 55, 8. Pardubice 45, 9. Znojmo 43, 10. Slavia Praha 41, 11. Karlovy Vary 40, 12. Kladno 38, 13. Havirov 38, 14. Vitkovice 34. Darina Johanidesova/Mirek Langer Soccer League: Two Teams and a Big Drop-off Anyone but Sparta or Slavia winning the soccer league is as probable as a Yeti arriving in Prague. Both Prague squads continue to win, with the question being, who will falter first? Slavia has a four-point advantage and is in good form. Sparta collects points and waits for Slavia to slip. In Pribram, former Slavia goalkeeper Michal Caloun made big mistakes against his former team. Third place, important for the next European Cups season, belongs to Drnovice, but Teplice has not surrendered. "If we get on a good streak, we'll catch up," said Teplice coach Josef Pesice. Hradec fell to last place in the standings. Two coaches have been fired in the spring: Jiri Bartl was replaced by Petr Ulicny in Opava, while Jindrich Dejmal came to Jablonec to replace Zdenek Klucky. Results of the 20th round: Teplice - Ceske Budejovice 3-0, Pribram - Sparta Praha 1-3, Slavia Praha - Blsany 2-1, Drnovice - Hradec Kralove 1-0, Zizkov - Ostrava 3-1, Jablonec - Brno 0-0, Olomouc - Liberec 1-1, Opava - Bohemians Praha 0-0. Standings: 1. Slavia Praha 52, 2. Sparta Praha 48, 3. Drnovice 36, 4. Bohemians Praha 28, 5. Teplice 27, 6. Ceske Budejovice 27, 7. Blsany 27, 8. Ostrava 24, 9. Pribram 24, 10. Olomouc 23, 11. Brno 23, 12. Liberec 23, 13. Opava 21, 14. Zizkov 20, 15. Jablonec 17, 16. Hradec Kralove 16. Martin Moravec/Mirek Langer SPORTS IN BRIEF * The Gambrinus Brno women's basketball team advanced to the Final Four of the Euroleague tournament, which will take place in Ruzomberok, Slovakia April 4-6. In the decisive game of the quarterfinal series Brno defeated the Hungarian team Szopron 76-43. * Petr Jakl's fifth place in the over-100kg category was the best Czech result at the seventh European Olympic qualification judo tournament in Prague March 12. * The Prague District Court fined Tomas Skuhravy 300,000 crowns and took away his driver's license for three years. Skuhravy, a former national soccer team member, had a car accident January 15. * Chomutov is moving closer to the hockey extraleague as it leads 2-0 over Jihlava in the final series of the first-league finals. It won both home games 5-2 and 6-0, the series will resume in Jihlava March 16. The winner will meet Vitkovice, the last-place team in the extraleague standings, in the best-of-nine extraleague qualification series. Martin Moravec/Mirek Langer WEATHER Rain, brief blizzards, slush and rain again - that has been the weather the last week. Freezing temperatures of 0 degrees Celsius to 5 degrees Celsius/32 degrees Fahrenheit to 41 degrees Fahrenheit at night stopped the melting in the mountains and gave a break to flooded areas around the Jizera nad Labe River. Days are still cold with temperatures not far exceeding 5 degrees Celsius/41 degrees Fahrenheit. Fortunately, longer daylight reminds us that spring is coming. 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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