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 ISSN 121-5040 tel: (+4202) 22112252, fax: (+4202) 22112219 *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* C A R O L I N A No 379, Friday, June 9, 2000. FROM THE EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK (May 31 - June 7) Judge Finds Novak Innocent, ODS Guilty of Tax Evasion Libor Novak, the former executive vice chairman of the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) on trial for tax evasion, was found innocent by Prague City Court Judge Michal Hodousek June 8. Hodousek said a crime had been committed, but there was not enough proof that it was Novak who committed the crime. This second phase of the trial was made necessary after a number of key witnesses failed to appear for the original trial. Public prosecutors immediately said they would appeal the verdict. Prosecutors claimed Novak, in the party's 1995 tax return, attributed two donations of 7.5 million crowns each to fictitious sponsors and decreased the amounts of the donations, and thus cheated the state out of more than 1 million crowns in taxes. Prosecutors say Novak falsified a donation from former tennis pro Milan Srejber (by attributing his donation to the dead Hungarian Lajos Bacs and uncomprehending Mauritian Radjiv Sinha) and Jarmila Mlejnkova. Mlejnkova was a secretary in a company connected to Srejber and which won the privatization tender for the Trinec Ironworks (Trinecke zelezarny) and was later given 500 million crowns by an ODS-led government for eliminating environmental damage. The first phase of the trial took place in mid-April, with witnesses including former Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus and former Foreign Minister Josef Zieleniec (see Carolina 372, 373). The financing scandal brought down the Klaus government in December 1997. Martin Rusek/Michael Bluhm Havel Fine after Hernia Operation A team of doctors led by Austrian surgeon Ernst Bodner June 5 operated on President Vaclav Havel's stomach hernias. Havel had been suffering for two years, since he had to undergo two emergency operations, performed by Bodner, for intestinal perforations. Bodner said the hernia operation, performed in Prague's Stresovice Hospital, went according to plan and no problems arose. A hernia operation would not normally be considered serious, but doctors feared Havel's weakened lungs could have problems with the anasthetic. Havel's condition is stable. Jakub Tronicek/Michael Bluhm World Bank President Satisfied with Preparations for Prague Summit World Bank President James D. Wolfensohn made a one-day visit to Prague May 31, during which he toured the Congress Center, site of the September summit of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, and expressed his satisfaction with the preparations. Wolfensohn met with President Vaclav Havel, who later announced plans to invite to Prague Castle for an informal meeting supporters and opponents of globalization (opponents are planning large protests for the summit). The Interior Ministry has called off school (with the exception of universities) for the September 25-29 summit and has stated it wishes parents would take their children and leave Prague. Charles University in Prague has changed the date of the graduation ceremony originally planned for the week of the summit. The Prague 4 District, where the Congress Center stands, has offered senior citizens money if they leave the city. The ministry has also requested Czech citizens not residing in Prague to avoid the capital during the summit. The ministry has also asked Prague theaters to call off performances scheduled for out-of-towners. Some 11,000 police are expected to look after security, while the 20,000 expected protesters will probably be accommodated with a tent city in Strahov Stadium. Dita Eckhardtova/Michael Bluhm Mein Kampf to Disappear from Shelves Czech Police June 5 started an operation to limit access to the Czech translation of Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf. Policemen seized about 300 copies from main distributor Pavel Dobrovsky and said they plan to withdraw all copies from bookstores. Publisher Michal Zitko was June 1 accused of supporting and propagating the oppression of civil rights and liberties. Zitko said he was not promoting Nazism, just publishing a historical book. "Once again an index of forbidden books is being created," said Zitko. The police confiscation has horrified many commentators. Police have not said whether they will also confiscate the book from libraries. Zitko had 6,000 copies of Mein Kampf printed, all sold quickly. Jakub Tronicek/Jakub Jirovec Czech Army Might Be Slimmer in 2010 by One-Third Czech Army Chief of the General Staff Jiri Sedivy announced June 3 the Army will probably decrease its numbers from 64,000 soldiers to 42,000 by 2010. He also said the army could be partly or entirely professional, whereas today it is comprised mainly of young conscripts. The changes, Sedivy said, follow from similar changes in other NATO countries, such as Belgium. A definitive political decision on the army's future should be made in 2002. Lida Truneckova/Jakub Jirovec FOREIGN AFFAIRS Havel Attends Ceremony for Clinton American President Bill Clinton, during his last official trip to Europe, received June 2 the prestigious Charles the Great Award in Aachen, Germany. German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said Clinton was rewarded for his work in European unification, democratizing Central and Eastern Europe and creating the excellent relations between Europe and the US. Clinton is the third US citizen to receive the prize, after George Marshall and Henry Kissinger. Czech President Vaclav Havel, who attended the ceremony, received the prize in 1991. "President Clinton deserves the award. Without this American Administration, we would probably not today be in NATO," said Havel. Tereza Tesarikova/Jakub Jirovec FROM SLOVAKIA Polish Prime Minister Visits Slovakia Polish Prime Minister Jerzy Buzek, on his first official visit to Slovakia, met Slovak Premier Mikulas Dzurinda in Bratislava May 31. The visit was exceptional in the sense that it took place in the middle of the Polish government crisis, which came to a head with the collapse of the government coalition June 6. In spite of this, Buzek said his visit was "full-fledged," because "it does not matter who will be the prime minister in Poland in the coming days, because anybody would tell you the same things I did." Dzurinda said he appreciated Buzek's visit, because Poland is a strategic partner for Slovakia. Tereza Tesarikova/Milan Smid ECONOMY Czech National Bank Governor Competes for Top Post at EBRD Czech National Bank (CNB) Governor Josef Tosovsky, 49, confirmed June 5 that he is in the running for the post of vice president of the European Bank For Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). His term as governor should last until in 2004. Tosovsky was named prime minister in December 1997, after the fall of former Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus' government. He served until the early general elections in June 1998. Tosovsky won the award as European Banker of the Year in 1994 and 1995, and, in his current position, is one of the governors of the International Monetary Fund. Tosovsky and Klaus have long been adversaries, with Klaus shifting all blame for the abject failure of Czech economic transformation onto Tosovsky's monetary policies. Government Raises Minimum Wage The government May 31 decided to raise the minimal wage from 4,000 crowns per month to 4,500 crowns per month, starting from July 1. The lowest possible after-tax wage will thus be higher than the poverty line - by 13 crowns monthly - for the first time in history. The minimum hourly wage will rise from 22.30 crowns to 25 crowns. The Social Democrat government has continuously been trying to raise the minimum wage to motivate the unemployed to look for work; there has not been much reason for motivation because disproportionately high unemployment compensation has made employment less gainful then the dole. Commerce Bank to Fire 2,300 Employees The new management of the Commerce Bank (Komercni banka, KB), led by new Chairman of the Board and General Director Radovan Vavra, announced May 31 its plan to sack 2,300 people (leaving about 11,000 employees). The majority will be fired by July 1, when a new, simpler organizational structure should take effect. Vavra said to the daily MF DNES that "the reason is not the individual performance of the person, but a one-time structural change, which will not be repeated in the near future". Deputy Finance Minister Jan Mladek said this week that the bank will not be privatized this year as called for in the government's plan. Economy news by Dita Eckhardtova/Daniela Vrbova Rates at the Czech National Bank (valid June 9) -------------------------------------------------------------- 1 EUR = 36.240 country currency CZK ------------------------------------------ Australia 1 AUD 22.271 Great Britain 1 GBP 57.352 Denmark 1 DKK 4.857 Japan 100 JPY 35.710 Canada 1 CAD 25.535 IMF 1 XDR 50.493 Hungary 100 HUF 13.965 Norway 1 NOK 4.375 New Zealand 1 NZD 17.771 Poland 1 PLN 8.596 Greece 100 GRD 10.769 Slovakia 100 SKK 85.582 Slovenia 100 SIT 17.548 Sweden 1 SEK 4.355 Switzerland 1 CHF 23.147 USA 1 USD 37.783 Exchange Rates of countries participating in the euro (converted from the euro rate) country currency CZK ----------------------------------------- Germany 1 DEM 18.529 Belgium 100 BEF 89.837 Finland 1 FIM 6.095 France 1 FRF 5.525 Ireland 1 IEP 46.015 Italy 1000 ITL 18.716 Luxemburg 100 LUF 89.837 Netherlands 1 NLG 16.445 Portugal 100 PTE 18.076 Austria 1 ATS 2.634 Spain 100 ESP 21.781 CULTURE Czech National Day at EXPO 2000 The Czech Republic presented its National Day at the EXPO 2000 world's fair June 7, a week after the Hannover fairgrounds opened their gates to visitors. Prime Minister Milos Zeman, accompanied by Foreign Minister Jan Kavan, Trade Minister Miroslav Gregr, Culture Minister Pavel Dostal and Regional Development Minister Petr Lachnit, arrived in Hannover June 6, after dropping by Wolfsburg's Volkswagen headquarters. The Czech Republic built its own 3000-square-meter exhibition hall for the fair. In accordance with the motto of the largest-ever world's fair Man, Nature, Technology, the facade of the Czech pavilion is made of a wooden, ribbon-like structure in natural colors. The inside of the pavilion is devoted to Czech history. A replica of the Chapel of the Holy Cross from Karlstejn Castle, together with the precious medieval paintings of Master Theodoricus, form the central point of the exhibition. The Czech exhibit is permanent and will be open at the fairground the full 153 days. The cultural program was the highlight of the Czech national day. The folk festivity of the Kings' Ride with horses and folk costumes from Moravia's Vlcnov village took place. In front of the pavilion the Prague Castle Guard brass orchestra played. Musicians of different genres like Iva Bittova, Dagmar Andrtova, jazzman Jiri Stivin or folk group Hradistan performed. Nevertheless, the largest audience and the most adoring reception were for the Czech "golden nightingale" Karel Gott. Martin Rusek/Milan Smid Dvorak Monument Unveiled in front of Rudolfinum Prague Mayor Jan Kasl unveiled a monument of the Czech composer Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904) in front of the Rudolfinum concert hall in Prague June 3, the last day of the 55th Prague Spring music festival. The monument should have been installed at the beginning of the Prague Spring festival, but the debate about the placement of the sculpture delayed the ceremony. Originally the statue should have been placed at the stairs to the hall with Dvorak's back turned to the hall, but later the place was changed and Dvorak will stand at the edge of Palach Square, looking toward the Rudolfinum. Dita Eckhardova/Milan Smid SPORTS National Soccer Team Arrives for EURO 2000 in Belgium Twenty-two Czech soccer players arrived at their hotel in Knokke-Heist, Belgium June 6. The squad includes three goalkeepers: Pavel Srnicek (Sheffield Wednesday), Ladislav Maier (Rapid Vienna) and Jaromir Blazek (Bohemians Praha). Coach Jozef Chovanec also selected defenders Tomas Repka (AC Fiorentina), Karel Rada and Petr Vlcek (Slavia Praha), Milan Fukal and Jiri Novotny (Sparta Praha); midfielders Pavel Nedved (Lazio Rome), Patrik Berger (Liverpool), Radoslav Latal and Jiri Nemec (Schalke 04), Karel Poborsky (Benfica Lisbon), Tomas Rosicky (Sparta Praha), Pavel Horvath (Slavia Praha), Radek Bejbl (Atletico Madrid), Marek Jankulovski (Banik Ostrava) and four forwards: Vladimir Smicer (Liverpool), Jan Koller (Anderlecht), Pavel Kuka (Stuttgart) and Vratislav Lokvenc (Sparta Praha). The Czech team will begin the tournament with a game against the host squad from the Netherlands June 11. Young Czechs Win European Silver and Qualify for Olympic Games The Czech under-21 national soccer team lost to Italy 1-2 in the European Championships final in Bratislava June 4. The silver medals, however, were the greatest success for the Czech Republic in this category. With their win over Croatia, the Czechs ensured themselves a place in the Sydney Olympics. The last Czech under-21 team played in the Olympics 20 years ago, when they won the gold. Croatia had to win to advance to the Olympics and it opened the scoring in the 5th minute as Czech goalkeeper Jaroslav Drobny tipped a 25-meter shot with his hand into the net. At the end of the first half, Lukas Dosek tied the score on a the penalty spot. Milan Baros got the Czechs the lead in the 54th minute after Tomas Dosek's centering pass, but Igor Tudor of Croatia tied the score within a few seconds. Baros was fouled in the penalty box and Milan Petrous converted the 10-meter kick. In the 80th minute Libor Sionko added an insurance goal, Croatia scored one last goal five minutes before the final whistle on Tudor's second goal in the game. In the finals, Czech captain Roman Tyce fouled Comandini at the end of the first half and Andrea Pirlo scored. After the break, the Czechs constantly attacked, and Marek Heinz's pass found Tomas Dosek, who scored. Italy's 2-1 win was decided on Pirlo's shot from a free kick in the 81st minute. From Bratislava David Mirejovsky/Mirek Langer Hlavonova Breaks Two-Meter Barrier in High Jump Zuzana Hlavonova, 27, broke the Czech high-jump record with her two-meter jump in the Odlozil Memorial meet in Prague's Strahov Stadium June 5. With her first attempt she joined the small group of world-class jumpers who have cleared two meters. She touched the bar, but it stayed on the stands. "After two meters I stopped jumping. Also because reporters started jumping around me, I couldn't concentrate," she said to explain why she did not attempt 2.02 meters. Javelin thrower Jan Zelezny won his event and met the Czech Track and Field Union limit for the Sydney Olympics. The world-record holder performed before Czech fans after a three-year break forced on him by a back injury. SPORTS IN BRIEF * Czech cyclist Jan Hruska finished 14th in the Tour of Italy. He won the penultimate stage of the race, the mountain time-trial, beating second-place finisher Noe of Italy by more than one minute. Hruska, who wore the pink jersey as race leader once, will now concentrate on the World Championships and Olympic Games. * Sparta Praha hockey player Frantisek Kucera will sign a contract with an NHL expansion team, the Columbus Blue Jackets. He will return to the NHL, where he spent seven seasons, after three years in Sparta. Kucera's teammate David Vyborny and Plzen's Martin Spanhel will play for Columbus. Sports section by David Mirejovsky/Mirek Langer WEATHER This year's summer is in full swing. Temperatures are reaching extreme heights. Sunstroke and other heat sicknesses are threatening. I am suffering from a serious summer cold and cough and sneeze on my professors during oral exams. None of them has taken it badly, so if I survive the cold I should pass into the next year. In the middle of the week temperatures cooled slightly and occasional rains fell, but we don't care much, because we will be spending the coming days inside watching the European Championsips in soccer. David Mirejovsky 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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