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 408, Friday, March 2, 2001. FROM THE EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK (February 21 - February 28) Constitutional Court Rules in Favor of Small Political Parties The Constitutional Court ruled in favor of President Vaclav Havel's complaint and threw out two parts of the Political Parties Act concerning state financing. The court's 15 judges decided February 27 in Brno that raising the state subsidy per deputy or senator from 500,000 crowns to 1 million crowns discriminates parties not represented in Parliament. The Constitutional Court also threw out the provision raising to 5 per cent of the vote from 3 per cent the minimum above which parties have the right to a regular state contribution. "There was here an evident tendency against the free competition between political entities, because of the unbalanced distribution of financial means to successful parties and to those less successful," said to the daily MF DNES Justice Vladimir Paul. Havel's speaker Ladislav Spacek said Havel considers the decision a continuation of the process of purging the legal codex of the unconstitutional changes made to it in recent years. The president also succeeded one month ago with a complaint regarding the Electoral Act (see Carolina 404). Treasurers for most parliamentary parties agree the decision will complicate party financing. Civic Democratic Party (ODS) and Chamber of Deputies Vice Chairman Ivan Langer said the Constitutional Court succumbed to the president's influence. He said parties will be forced to seek financing from sponsors, which in the past has caused numerous scandals. Jakub Vavruska/Sofia Karakeva NATO's Robertson Says Czech Army Needs Modernization Foremost During his visit to Prague February 21-22 NATO General Secretary George Robertson suggested the Czech Army reorganize into a smaller and more mobile body. After visiting President Vaclav Havel in hospital (see Carolina 407), Robertson also met with Foreign Minister Jan Kavan, Prime Minister Milos Zeman and Chamber of Deputies Chairman Vaclav Klaus. With Havel, who did not describe the army's situation in bright colors, Robertson discussed the purchase of supersonic fighters. Robertson said he considers the proposed purchase an expensive (estimates of more than 100 billion crowns) and unnecessary investment. Concerning the experiences from Kosovo, Robertson said the most important things for NATO are a well-equipped ground combat force and the quality of means of communications. After meeting with Kavan, Robertson said member countries should treat their obligations to NATO as law. He was referring to the fact that of 132 compulsory, binding or recommended obligations only 26 have been fulfilled by the Czechs. He did not discuss the financial situation of the Czech Army, which is in crisis. Defense Minister Vladimir Vetchy said he does not feel responsible for the problems in his ministry and does not intent do resign. Zeman said the situation is not Vetchy's fault, but the result of actions taken by previous ministers and their deputies. Jakub Vavruska/Sofia Karakeva Bill on Homosexual Partnership Gets Third Chance After two previous vain attempts in 1998 and 1999, the government approved a bill to allow partners of the same sex to conclude marriages officially. The bill will move to the Chamber of Deputies, which has rejected similar legislation twice. The bill equates homosexual partnerships with heterosexual married couples, meaning homosexual couples would commence their official marriage by a declaration in front of a state authority and divorces could also be handled in court. The bill does not address sensitive areas such as foster children for registered partners, adoption of children or becoming legal guardians. Gay Initiative President Jiri Hromada said he is not asking for the right to adopt. The bill's final form, which should be submitted by June 30, would require changing a number of laws on property, housing, inheritance, children, retiree pensions for spouses and taxes. For the traditional opponent of the bill - the Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL) - it is not acceptable that the rights of homosexuals would become a part of family law and that their partnership would be equated with heterosexual marriage. Cyril Svoboda (KDU-CSL), who is also the head of the Four-Party Coalition that includes the Christian Democrats, said the bill will divide Parliament and Senate not politically, but personally. He said, "In each party will be those who will support the law and those who will oppose it." He proposes establishing a contractual law allowing two people to become partners in their personal lives with a number of legal implications. Pavla Krizkova/Pavla Krizkova The End of National Media? The Ferdinand Peroutka Foundation Fund and the Media Studies Center of Charles University's School of Social Sciences organized February 28 a debate forum based on the provocative question: The End of National Media? Among the guests were Ernest Skalski, columnist of the Polish daily Gazetta Wyborcza; Petr Robejsek, head of the International Institute for Economy and Business in Hamburg; Chris Elliot from the British daily The Guardian; and American independent advisor David C. Simonson. While Robejsek claimed that each nation has the media it deserves and that international media capital is value neutral, Elliot recalled several negative experiences with foreign capital (e.g., Rupert Murdoch) in the British media. The Ferdinand Peroutka Foundation Fund launched its activities in September and shall start up an internet periodical devoted to media issues. Jana Niklova, Martina Parizkova/Milan Smid NEWS IN BRIEF * President Vaclav Havel February 24 left Prague-Stresovice's Central Military Hospital where he had been hospitalized since February 12 with bronchitis. Despite his illness, Havel met NATO General Secretary George Robertson February 21 in the hospital. During his rehabilitation at the Lany Chateau, Havel met his Slovak counterpart Rudolf Schuster March 1. * Vice Chairwoman of the Chamber of Deputies Petra Buzkova returned to the Social Democrats' (CSSD) party leadership when she was elected the head of the Prague party organization at its February 25 congress. Buzkova stepped down from her position as party vice chairwoman last year because she voted in January 2000 against an amendment to the Opposition Contract between the Social Democrats and the opposition Civic Democratic Party (ODS). Czech media focused on the negative attitude of Buzkova, who regularly finishes at the top of popularity polls among politicians, towards party Chairman and Prime Minister Milos Zeman, who recently anonymously criticized some party leaders as lazy leeches. * The Chamber of Deputies passed an amendment to the Higher Education Act to enable people who pay for university-level adult education programs receive a university diploma. Whoever would like to be accepted to university as a regular student will have the right to have up to 60 per cent of credits attained in such programs to be accepted by the university. The amendment was supported by the conservative wing of the Chamber and still must be approved by the Senate and signed by the president. * Prague's traditional, yearly amusement fair opened its gates to the public February 24 at the Prague Fairgrounds (Vystaviste) in Holesovice. The original religious fair dating from the 16th century has become a carnival of rides and similar amusements, traditionally tied to the beginning of spring and St. Matthew. About 135 various amusements will be offered to fairgrounds visitors till April 16. Pavla Reznickova, Radim Hladik, Marie Valaskova, Katerina Kunovska /Milan Smid FROM SLOVAKIA Legislature Accepts Amendment to Constitution After three weeks' discussion, the National Assembly passed an amendment to the Constitution February 23. All 90 of the government coalition's legislators supported the amendment. The rest of the 148 present legislators - members of the opposition Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS), the Slovak National Party (SNS) and Robert Fico of the party Direction, voted against the proposal. One independent abstained from the vote. The amendment strengthens the Constitutional Court's power, which is supposed to reduce the number of complaints against Slovakia lodged at the European Court for Human Rights. A public protector of human rights, the ombudsman, was newly established. Slovakia promises to support the national awareness and cultural identity of Slovaks living abroad and to support institutions established for this purpose. Foreigners with permanent residence in Slovakia have the right to vote and to be elected to local and regional legislatures. The amendment specifies provisions on when Slovakia's rights my be represented by the EU. On the other hand, the abortion ban proposed by the Christian Democrat Movement (KDH) was rejected. KDH said it will file a complaint with the Constitutional Court. Romanies Discriminated, Says Verheugen Gunter Verheugen, the European Union commissar for expansion, made a three-day visit to Slovakia beginning February 21. The main reasons for his journey were minorities, regional development and the reform of civil service. He met with representatives of the Association of Slovak Towns and Villages and with the representatives of non-governmental organizations. Together with Premier Mikulas Dzurinda, he visited the Romany inhabitants of the Lunik IX, Rundan and Jarovnice public-housing estates in Kosice. Verheugen said the government was doing its best, but discrimination was still obvious against Romanies. According to Verheugen, the EU plans to support Slovak Romany projects with 10 million euro this year. There are about 500,000 Romanies in Kosice region, the greates concentration of the nationality in the world, according to Czech MF DNES. From Slovakia by Veronika Pavlu/Adam Fendrych ECONOMY Central Bank Decreases Rates Significantly The Czech National Bank (CNB) lowered three key interest rates in a surprise move February 22. Prime Minister Milos Zeman and Chamber of Deputies Chairman Vaclav Klaus engaged in a serious fight with President Vaclav Havel when Havel last November named new bank Governor Zdenek Tuma, but Zeman and Klaus are likely quite satisfied with the cuts. Tuma, despite skeptical comments on worrisome inflation growth and possible increases of interest rates, took the opposite course. The CNB loosened its monetary policy and decreased the prime interest rate from 5.25 per cent to 5 per cent. The discount rate dropped to 4 per cent and the Lombard rate is now 6 per cent. Analysts say this moves spring from an effort to support economic growth ahead of inflationary goals. Most politicians expressed approval of the cuts and called them a positive signal. Martin Roubal/Stepan Vorlicek ECONOMY IN BRIEF * Czech Railways Ceske drahy, CD) is to be split in two, according to a government bill approved February 26. Beginning January 2001, the rail services would be provided by a publicly traded corporation, while a state-owned company would be responsible for maintenance of tracks and stations. The government said it hopes this will put a stop to the company's worsening losses, but the opposition expressed doubts the reform will be successful. Economic dailies exhorted that the company's debts of 40 billion crowns should be resolved first, and the bill looks to have a battle ahead of it in the legislature. * Nuclear reaction was launched again in the Temelin power plant February 25. The reactor had been put out of commission for a month due to vibrations in pipes, and a crack was also found in them during repairs. Austrian anti-nuclear activists consider restarting the reaction a provocation, but they have not announced any large protests. The daily Pravo wrote about an Austrian police raid of Greenpeace activists who occupied a branch of the German energy company E.ON and tried to discourage the Germans from cooperating with the Czech Energy Company (CEZ), which operates Temelin. Radim Hladik/Stepan Vorlicek Rates at the Czech National Bank (valid March 3) -------------------------------------------------------------- 1 EUR = 34.690 country currency CZK ------------------------------------------ Australia 1 AUD 19 810 Great Britain 1 GBP 54.233 Denmark 1 DKK 4.649 Japan 100 JPY 31.969 Canada 1 CAD 24.357 IMF 1 XDR 48.406 Hungary 100 HUF 13.030 Norway 1 NOK 4.212 New Zealand 1 NZD 16.215 Poland 1 PLN 9.308 Slovakia 100 SKK 79.208 Slovenia 100 SIT 16.102 Sweden 1 SEK 3.826 Switzerland 1 CHF 22.501 USA 1 USD 37.452 Exchange Rates of countries participating in the euro (converted from the euro rate) country currency CZK ----------------------------------------- Germany 1 DEM 17.737 Belgium 100 BEF 85.994 Finland 1 FIM 5.834 France 1 FRF 5.288 Ireland 1 IEP 44.047 Italy 1000 ITL 17.916 Luxemburg 100 LUF 85.994 Netherlands 1 NLG 15.742 Portugal 100 PTE 17.303 Austria 1 ATS 2.521 Greece 100 GRD 10.180 Spain 100 ESP 20.849 CULTURE Slovak Theater Festival in Prague The sixth Slovak Theater in Prague festival took place February 18-26 in the Theater without a Balustrade (Divadlo bez zabradli) in the Adria Palace. The Prague festival is a sister event to the Czech Theater festival in the Studio S+L theater in the Slovak capital of Bratislava. Theater ensembles from Bratislava, including the Radosin Naive Theater (Radosinske naivne divadlo), represented a significant part of contemporary Slovak theater production. Theaters outside Bratislava were represented by the Kosice State Theater (Statni divadlo Kosice), The Martin SNP Theater (Divadlo SNP Martin) and the alternative GUnaGU Theater (Divadlo GUnaGU). The festival ended with four performances of the musical The Beatles by Daniel Hevier, which was performed in the ABC Theater. As in past years, the performance of the duo Lasica-Satinsky attracted great interest from the Czech audience. Petr Frinta/Milan Smid SPORTS Czechs Leave Nordic Skiing World Championships without Medal The last days of the nordic skiing World Championships in Lahti failed to bring any surprisingly good results for the Czech team. Jakub Janda, Jakub Hlava, Michal Dolezal and Jaroslav Sakala finished sixth in the teams large-hill ski jumping competition, the best finish for the Czech team since 1993. They finished seventh in the normal hill competition. In the nordic-combined sprint event, Ladislav Rygl moved to 28th place in the cross-country run after poor jumps (he was 41st after jumping). The women's cross-country relay team (Saldova, Rajdlova, Balatkova and Kocumova) finished ninth, while the men's team (Kucera, Bauer, Michl and Koukal) finished 14th in second-to-last place, a great disappointment. Some World Championships results might change after a wave of positive doping tests for Finnish skiers. Zuzana Boleslavova/Mirek Langer UEFA Cup: Slavia Praha Eliminated The German team 1.FC Kaiserslautern eliminated Slavia Praha, the last Czech representative in the European cups, from the UEFA Cup. After a 0-0 tie in Prague, the Germans won at home 1-0 February 22 on Vratislav Lokvenc's goal in the 59th minute. Lokvenc formerly played for Sparta Praha, Slavia's eternal Czech rival. Reigning Hockey League Champion Sparta Has Not Ensured Its Playoffs Yet Results of the 49th round: Pardubice - Vsetin 0-1, Vitkovice - Ceske Budejovice 4-4, Zlin - Znojmo 3-5, Karlovy Vary - Sparta Praha 3-1, Kladno - Trinec 1-6, Slavia Praha - Plzen 5-3, Litvinov - Havirov 5-4 OT. Results of the 48th round: Vsetin - Sparta Praha 4-1, Slavia Praha - Zlin 5-1, Trinec - Litvinov 4-1, Znojmo - Kladno 5-1, Ceske Budejovice - Pardubice 2-0, Plzen - Vitkovice 5-1, Havirov ? Karlovy Vary 4-1. Standings: 1. Vsetin 95, 2. Znojmo 80, 3. Pardubice 76, 4. Zlin 76, 5. Slavia Praha 75, 6. Litvinov 75, 7. Sparta Praha 73, 8. Ceske Budejovice 72, 9. Vitkovice 71, 10. Trinec 71, 11. Plzen 66, 12. Havirov 62, 13. Kladno 56, 14. Karlovy Vary 46. Top eight teams will advance to the playoffs. SPORTS IN BRIEF * Czech-Moravian Soccer Union President Frantisek Chvalovsky was arrested February 27 at Prague's Ruzyne Airport. Police later that day formally accused him of loan fraud. Chvalovsky's firm, the Czech-Moravian Agricultural Company, borrowed 640 million crowns from the Commerce Bank (Komercni banka, KB). Police say the firm used the money for purposes other than those stipulated in the loan agreement. Chvalovsky has not returned most of the money. If convicted, he could be sentenced to up to 12 years in prison. Marie Valaskova/Mirek Langer * Regina Obadalkova and Josef Musil were elected the best Czech volleyball players of the 20th century February 25. Obadalkova was honored posthumously for her 1955 European Championships gold medal and two bronzes from World Championships. Musil was among the finalists in the men's worldwide poll on volleyball players. He won Olympic medals, two World and European Championships titles. Josef Kazak was elected the top coach of the century. Kazak led the Czechoslovak team to the 1956 World Championships title. Radim Hladik/Mirek Langer * During the hockey league game between Jihlava and Trebic February 22, Trebic forward Tomas Zelenka was seriously injured after he was run into the boards by defenseman Marian Morava and hit the boards with his head. He was transported to a hospital immediately. The doctors found Zelenka had damage to his third and fourth vertabrae and damaged spinal cord. According to the Czech Press Agency, Zelenka is unable to move his fingers and is paralyzed from the chest down. Morava was suspended for 10 months by the disciplinary commission of the Czech Hockey Union. Zuzana Boleslavova/Mirek Langer WEATHER On the night of February 22 a number of truckers spent the night in the trucks, stranded on the Prague-Brno D1 highway because of a blizzard and accidents. That night marked the first time the highway ever had to be closed for an entire night. Dozens of firefighting units were called in to clear the highway, and because of the calamity a number of hockey and soccer games in the country's top leagues had to be postponed. 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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