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 416, Friday, April 27, 2001. FROM THE EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK (April 18 - April 25) ODS Celebrates 10th Anniversary The Civic Democratic Party (ODS) celebrated its 10th anniversary April 21. For the occasion the party hosted its third program conference on Prague's Zofin Island, where it announced its main goals for next year's elections. Membership in the European Union, but not under any condition; equal taxes for all; the party's main rival will continue to be the ruling Social Democrats (CSSD); to be in the next government; to be prepared to win in any electoral system: these are the main points announced during the conference and will be part of the party's campaign platform. The party wants foremost to persuade voters that ODS alone will protect Czech interests during accession to the European Union. Among important items at the conference were the party's plans for a "tax revolution" and the Manifest of Eurorealism, presented by Jan Zahradil, shadow foreign minister. According to ODS Chairman Vaclav Klaus, the party is determined to present itself in the elections as the main protector of Czech national interests in EU membership talks despite the possibility that the party will be described as isolationist. Zahradil, who in his study calls for a freer EU, also considers the possibility of the Czech Republic not joining the EU. Referring to the proposed flat tax for individuals and corporations, ODS deputy Vlastimil Tlusty said to the daily Lidove noviny, "The concept of the flat tax is so valuable for us, that its launch would be worth even a short-term budget deficit." Martin Roubal/Sofia Karakeva TV NOVA Boss Zelezny Strikes Back TV NOVA General Director Vladimir Zelezny publicly denied at a press conference April 24 any wrongdoing in connection with the two police charges filed against him April 12. He said the Czech-American owner of Prague's Longa art gallery, George Novotny, is fully responsible for the deal in question - customs duties for valuable paintings purchased by Zelezny and imported from Great Britain were not paid (see Carolina 415). Zelezny also attacked the CME company, to whom he was ordered to pay about 27 million USD by the International Court of Arbitration: he claimed CME falsified documents and manipulated them in Czech court files. In the meantime, Zelezny's lawyers paid the customs fees of nearly 7 million crowns, in what Zelezny described at the press conference as a mix-up, because the amount should be paid by Novotny. Zelezny called Novotny a fraud and blackmailer, who sold fakes and tried to blackmail Zelezny in June. Zelezny informed police and Novotny, who faces several charges of fraud for purchasing paintings and not paying, was later arrested. Martina Oplatkova/Milan Smid NEWS IN BRIEF * Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan arrived on a three-day visit to the Czech Republic April 21. This visit, the first by a Chinese politician in five years, should bring Prague and Beijing closer. Relations have cooled since Forum 2000, when the Czech Republic invited former Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui and the Tibetan Dalai Lama. Tang Jiaxuan said to the Czech daily Pravo that state representatives are a key for cooperation. China opposes invitations to or visits by Taiwanese politicians to the Czech Republic. Beijing considers Taiwan its territory and refuses to accept its independence. Marketa Bartosova/Sofia Karakeva * Jan Kasal and Cyril Svoboda will run for chairman of the Christian Democratic Union-Czechoslovak People's Party (KDU-CSL) at the party conference in May. The two faced each other two years ago at the conference in Ceske Budejovice. Svoboda, briefly the leader of the Four-Party Coalition, was nominated by the party's Prague organization. He also received support from party organizations in the Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad) and Pilsen (Plzen) regions. The Liberec region has given its support to Kasal. Marketa Bartosova/Sofia Karakeva * A train carrying nuclear fuel for the Temelin nuclear power station in Southern Bohemia passed the Polish-Czech border without complications. The government kept the transport secret, as the law allows. Local politicians, in communities the transport passed through, expressed criticism. Zuzana Boleslavova/Sofia Karakeva FOREIGN AFFAIRS Austrian Government Take Tougher Position on Temelin Despite initial positive reception of the report on the Temelin Nuclear Power Station's (JETE) impact on the environment (see Carolina 415), Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel's Cabinet toughened its stance and asked for additional work on the report. According to Schuessel's statement April 24, the report is not complete and the conditions for launching Temelin have not yet been met. Although the schedule of the Czech-Austrian treaty on Temelin from Melk (see Carolina 398) is still upheld by both sides, it can be expected that strong pressure on the Austrian government from Temelin opponents and environmental groups will continue. Pavla Krizkova/Milan Smid Resolution against Cuba Passed The UN Commission for Human Rights in Geneva passed April 18 the Czech resolution which criticizes the state of human rights in Cuba. Twenty-two states voted for the resolution, 20 were against, 10 abstained from voting and one state was absent. The Czech Republic had to retract from its original version of the resolution a passage criticizing the US economic embargo against the Castro regime. Czech Foreign Minister Jan Kavan said he believes the sanctions cannot force Castro to respect human rights. US diplomacy took umbrage against the passage and US Secretary of State Colin Powell last month called President Vaclav Havel on a Saturday to express his displeasure. The Czech side deleted the controversial paragraphs. The final version of the text calls on the international community to take acts which will lead to respect for human rights and the improvement of economic conditions in Cuba. Czech diplomacy said the resolution is a Czech victory, but Cuba was also satisfied with the number of states that voted against the resolution. Marie Valaskova/Simon Dominik Anton Malloth Finally on Trial The trial of Anton Malloth began in Munich April 23 after years of waiting. The former SS soldier and guard in the Gestapo prison at Terezin (Theresienstadt) faces three murder charges and one count of attempted murder. The crimes allegedly happened in 1943-45. Malloth was sentenced in 1948 by a Czechoslovak court but this verdict was later cancelled due to a trial in Germany. The German Police repeatedly investigated Malloth but never gathered enough evidence. The key testimony was obtained not long ago from a Czech witness who said he saw Malloth shoot dead a Jewish prisoner who tried to hide a cauliflower under his shirt when working in the fields. The trial will last for 12 weeks due to Malloth's health condition. He is confined to a wheelchair and has poor eyesight and cancer but doctors ruled he is fit to stand trial and understands the charges. Marie Valaskova/Simon Dominik FROM SLOVAKIA Dzurinda Says Hungarian Law Could Cause Riots in Slovakia Slovak Premier Mikulas Dzurinda told his Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban his fears about the proposed Foreign Hungarians' Status Act during a one-day official visit to Hungary April 23. Dzurinda said the law could cause tension in Southern Slovakia. However, Orban assured Dzurinda that Budapest was ready to consult some aspects with Bratislava. The Hungarian Parliament has been discussing the act since last week and, according to Orban, the purpose is to encourage Hungarian minorities abroad to participate in preserving their language and culture. The bill provides Hungarian citizens living abroad certain rights and social advantages. The law would affect the large Hungarian communities in Romania, Slovakia, Ukraine and elsewhere. The politicians also discussed the Gabcikovo-Nagymaros Dam and cooperation concerning Romany emigration. They signed two international agreements about giving access to historic monuments and natural reservations and about cooperation at border posts. FROM SLOVAKIA IN BRIEF * Belgium and Denmark have registered more than 100 Slovak Romanies' applications for asylum in the few days since the EU cancelled visa requirements for Slovaks. Premier Mikulas Dzurinda reacted by calling his Belgian colleague Guy Verhofstadt to talk about the steps Bratislava would take this week. * Pavol Rusko, one of the owners of the Slovak commercial television station TV Markiza, helped April 22 found a new political party, the New Citizen Alliance (ANO). The new party, according to Rusko to the right of the mainstream with a stress on liberal values, plans to change the present situation in Slovakia. The party's program emphasizes employment, education and healthcare. Among the members are, along with TV Markiza celebrities, soccer player Dusan Tittel and basketball player Stanislav Kropilak. From Slovakia by Veronika Pavlu/Adam Fendrych ECONOMY Philips, Matsushita and Parker Named Investors of 2000 The Investor of the Year competition, which was held under the auspices of the Trade and Industry Ministry, revealed its winners for 2000 in three categories. Philips Display Components was awarded the Biggest Green-Field Investment; the company intends to invest as much as 7.4 billion crowns in a factory producing TV screens in Hranice na Morave. The Biggest Expansion award went to Japan's Matsushita, which invested 2.738 billion crowns in producing TV sets in Pilsen. The Investment with the Biggest Social Contribution category was won by the American company Parker Hannifin, which invested 370 million crowns in automobile-parts production in Chomutov, a town long suffering a high unemployment rate. The results were announced April 24 by Martin Jahn, general director of Czechinvest, the company which organized the contest together with the Association for Foreign Investments. The daily Pravo quoted the Deputy Trade Minister Vaclav Petricek: "We want to show foreign investors that we appreciate the value their projects have for Czech economy, foremost for creating new jobs, bringing modern technology and know-how and using the potential of Czech subcontractors." Katerina Kunovska/Stepan Vorlicek ECONOMY IN BRIEF * Data about the trade balance of the Czech Republic in March showed a decline - the deficit was 13.9 billion crowns, which is 8 million crowns more than March 2000. The 2001 first-quarter deficit has reached 30.1 billion crowns. Apart from the traditionally high imports of fuel, last month saw increased imports of machinery and vehicles. For example, Czech Airlines bought a Boeing aircraft worth 1 billion crowns. Computers were also imported more. Imports were up by 24.6 per cent compared to March 2000, while exports rose by 17.9 per cent. * The biggest Czech producer of condoms and latex goods, Vulkan Hradek nad Nisou, has a new owner - the American company Telnet, which now holds 54.15 per cent of the company's shares. The company says it does not want to keep the shares long, though, as they are about to be passed on to the J&T Securities group. Vulkan is the leading condom producer in the Czech Republic, controlling as much as 65 per cent of the market; more than a half of the production is exported to some 40 countries. * A new Skoda model, the Fabia Sedan, was introduced at the 5th Prague Motorist Spring exhibition April 19-22. Radim Hladik, Martina Parizkova/Stepan Vorlicek Rates at the Czech National Bank (valid April 27) -------------------------------------------------------------- 1 EUR = 34.650 country currency CZK ------------------------------------------ Australia 1 AUD 19.478 Great Britain 1 GBP 55.641 Denmark 1 DKK 4.643 Japan 100 JPY 31.513 Canada 1 CAD 24.981 IMF 1 XDR 49.128 Hungary 100 HUF 12.970 Norway 1 NOK 4.246 New Zealand 1 NZD 15.801 Poland 1 PLN 9.636 Slovakia 100 SKK 79.756 Slovenia 100 SIT 15.993 Sweden 1 SEK 3.787 Switzerland 1 CHF 22.605 USA 1 USD 38.665 Exchange Rates of countries participating in the euro (converted from the euro rate) country currency CZK ----------------------------------------- Germany 1 DEM 17.716 Belgium 100 BEF 85.895 Finland 1 FIM 5.828 France 1 FRF 5.282 Ireland 1 IEP 43.996 Italy 1000 ITL 17.895 Luxemburg 100 LUF 84.895 Netherlands 1 NLG 15.723 Portugal 100 PTE 17.283 Austria 1 ATS 2.518 Greece 100 GRD 10.169 Spain 100 ESP 20.825 CULTURE Best Stage Performance for 2000 - Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk The 2000 Alfred Radok Awards, organized by the magazine World and Theater since 1992, were presented April 20 in Prague's National Theater. The winner for best stage performance was Dmitri Shostakovich's opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, directed for the National Theater by David Radok. David Radok, son of the thespian and film director for whom the award is named, lives in Goteborg, Sweden, where the family emigrated after 1968. In the Czech Republic he directs the works of Mozart, Shostakovich and others. Other winners included: the Bronze Egg for best female performance was given to Slovak actress Klaudia Dernerova for her part in Lady Macbeth. The award for best male performance was given to Jan Potmesil for his performance as Shakespeare's Richard III. The play was produced by Jakub Spalek in Prague Kaspar Theater Group. The best theater play to have its Czech premiere last year was Mark Ravenhill's play Faust (Faust is dead), produced by Jiri Pokorny's HaTheater (HaDivadlo) in Brno. Ales Votava received the award for best scenery, Vladimir Franz for music and talent of the year was actor Richard Krajco from Ostrava. Zuzana Boleslavova/Sofia Karakeva SPORTS Soccer League: Sparta Wins League after 1-0 Win over Bohemians With a poor 1-0 win over Bohemians in the 25th round, Sparta Praha closed its quest to recapture the Czech soccer league regular-season championship. It is 16 points ahead of Olomouc in the standings and is guaranteed of the title. "I am calm before games, but I have to admit I was a little nervous today," said coach Ivan Hasek. "Everybody expected we would celebrate the title, if we didn't succeed, it would have been embarrassing for the fans, who were looking forward to the celebrations." Immediately after the referee's final whistle, fireworks went off above the Sparta's Letna Stadium, champagne corks popped and the players put on T-shirts saying "Champions Again." The win was not an easy one. Bohemians' players kept Sparta far from their goal thanks to careful combinations, but they were unable to score, Matuszny's shot to goalkeeper Postulka was the biggest Bohemians' chance. In the 50th minute, 18-year-old Tomas Jun scored the 500th goal for Sparta in the soccer league since the division of Czechoslovakia. Results of the 25th round: Sparta Praha - Bohemians Praha 1-0, Pribram - Drnovice 1-1, Brno - Slavia Praha 0-2, Zizkov - Ceske Budejovice 2-0, Jablonec - Blsany 0-2, Olomouc - Stare Mesto 3-2, Teplice - Plzen 5-1, Ostrava - Liberec 0-1. Standings: 1. Sparta Praha 60 points, 2. Olomouc 44, 3. Pribram 41, 4. Zizkov 41, 5. Slavia Praha 40, 6. Teplice 39, 7. Liberec 38, 8. Drnovice 34, 9. Stare Mesto 30, 10. Bohemians Praha 30, 11. Blsany 29, 12. Jablonec 29, 13. Brno 26, 14. Ostrava 26, 15. Ceske Budejovice 22, 16. Plzen 15. Petr Adam/Mirek Langer Liberec Wins Volleyball Title after 18 Years The fourth game of the finals in Ceske Budejovice determined the winner of the volleyball extraleague. Dukla Liberec defeated Jihostroj Ceske Budejovice 3-2 and won the series 3-1. Liberec followed its Czech Cup win, where it beat Ceske Budejovice, too. Zdenek Pommer, coach of Ceske Budejovice, said he believed his players would ensure the right to play the fifth game in Liberec. However, he had to admit that Liberec's players "were tougher and survived the tense atmosphere". Martina Parizkova/Mirek Langer SPORTS IN BRIEF * The Czech Republic met Russia in two friendly matches before the ice hockey World Championships in Germany. The first game finished in a 2-2 tie in Brno April 21. In the second game in Zlin, the Czechs allowed two goals within 77 seconds in the third period and lost 2-4. The Czech Republic played six games against Russia this year and has not won any. Pavla Reznickova/Mirek Langer WEATHER Sunshine, sunshine reggae! Good news - the sun grasped the point and finally woke up. The swallows are here to swallow early worms and the temperatures are getting into the teens Celsius/50's and 60's Fahrenheit. Okay, they keep on telling us a cold front will strike again, mornings and nights are a little chilly and avid skiers can even take out their bikinis and hit the late snow, but who cares! Shed your winter layers, breathe in the fresh air and bloom: Spring has come!!! Tourists are flooding into town and the bouquet of the evening air tickles your senses - slow down, look around and recharge your batteries - Love is in the air! Jana Niklova/Stepan Vorlicek 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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