Úvodní stránka - Czech News 12.12.2013 - 05.12.2013

Czech News 12.12.2013 - 05.12.2013

13.12.2013 07:17

CR: 12.12.2013 Czech foreign minister calls on Ukraine to observe human rights norms

Addressing a meeting of OSCE foreign ministers in Kiev, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Kohout urged Ukraine to observe the OSCE’s human rights norms, including the right to demonstrate peacefully. In a speech devoted largely to human rights, Mr. Kohout said the present developments in the country were a crucial test for its leadership and expressed the hope that the country would stand by its international commitments. The meeting is taking place in a turbulent atmosphere of continued street protests against President Yanukovich and his decision not to sign an association agreement with the European Union. Ukraine, presently holds the OSCE chairmanship.

President will name Sobotka PM once he has government with majority support

President Miloš Zeman has said he will appoint Social Democrat leader Bohuslav Sobotka prime minister once it is clear his government will have a majority in the lower house. The president said in a statement for the CTK news agency that he expected this to come about in late December or early January. Mr. Zeman said he would not require signatures from all MPs supporting the government, merely a commitment from the leaders of the respective coalition parties.

President briefed on coalition talks

President Zeman and the Social Democrat leader met at Prague Castle on Thursday afternoon to discuss matters relating to the emerging coalition government. Mr. Sobotka said after the talks that there had been no areas of friction between them and that he saw no indication the president might try to artificially prolong the process of appointing a new government to office. The Social Democrat leader said talks on policy matters were advancing well and he hoped to have a coalition agreement by mid-December.

President not to deliver New Year’s address to the nation

President Milos Zeman will not be delivering a New Year’s address to the nation, his spokesman Jiri Ovcacek said on Thursday. He will instead address the nation on December 26th with a Christmas message. The tradition of New Years’ addresses started with the country’s first communist president Klement Gottwald in 1948. Presidents Tomas G. Masaryk and Edvard Benes delivered Christmas greetings.

Metrostav to cease work on Blanka

Metrostav, the construction firm building the Blanka tunnel complex in Prague has confirmed that work on the project will cease on December 7, over unpaid bills. The company has filed a complaint against Prague City Hall at an arbitration court and is demanding 2.1 billion crowns for work already completed. Efforts by city hall officials to reach an out-of-court agreement have failed.

Police concluded investigation into spying scandal

Police have concluded an investigation into alleged abuse of the country’s Military Intelligence Service. Several people have been charged in connection with the case, including the former chief-of-staff to then-prime minister Petr Nečas and the former and current heads of the Military Intelligence Service. The scandal which brought down the centre-right government centred around the prime minister’s chief of staff Jana Nagyová who is believed to have commissioned the military intelligence service to shadow his wife. The former prime minister and his one-time chief of staff are now married and have refused to testify against each other in the case.

President backs incumbent police chief

President Miloš Zeman has expressed support for police president Martin Červiček, who is fighting to retain his post in the wake of a legal hurdle that has left the country with two police chiefs. His predecessor Petr Lessy was dismissed on suspicion of slander, but he was reinstated by Interior Minister Martin Pecina earlier this week after a court cleared his name. Neither Červíček nor Lessy are willing to give up the post, and Mr. Červicek has indicated that the interior minister had used the opportunity to remove him after he refused to succumb to pressure to effect personnel changes at high posts.

Lawyer fined for taking out smear ad against presidential candidate

Lawyer Vladimír Zavadil has been fined 850,000 crowns for taking out a smear ad against presidential candidate Karel Schwarzenberg on the day of the presidential run-off vote. The ad, which appeared in the tabloid Blesk warned people not to vote for Karel Schwarzenberg since he had made controversial statements regarding the Benes decrees and could present a threat to the country’s national interests. Mr. Schwarzenberg was defeated in the presidential race by his rival Miloš Zeman. Police shelved a complaint by Schwarzenberg, but the lawyer was fined in a disciplinary hearing by the Czech Bar Association which said he had violated professional ethics.

Rubens paintings and others to be handed over to the church

The government has agreed to return a number of precious art pieces that are currently in the possession of the National Gallery to the different Catholic orders as part of the church property restitution settlement. Prime Minister Jiří Rusnok said on Czech Television on Wednesday evening that the Cistercian Order will receive nine wooden panels by the anonymous Master of Vyšší Brod from the mid 14th century, while two paintings by Peter Paul Rubens will newly belong to the Augustinians. All of the artworks will remain on display at the various National Gallery locations, but will officially be considered as free loans from the respective church orders.

Warning of approaching gale-force winds

Meteorologists have issued warnings of approaching gale-force winds which have already caused serious damage elsewhere in Europe. The winds are expected to hit the Czech Republic in the evening or early night hours with a force of 100km/h. People living in the mountain regions, where heavy snow is expected, have been warned not to leave their homes.

Weather

The coming days are expected to be partly cloudy with intervals of rain and shine and day temperatures just slightly above zero.

11.12.2013 Deputy high state prosecutor Grygarek charge with abuse of office

Former deputy of the Prague High State Prosecutor, Libor Grygárek, has been charged with abuse of office. The Olomouc High State Prosecutor Ivo Ištvan, who filed charges, claims that Mr. Grygárek had information about money laundering, but failed to order an investigation. The prosecutor also suspects that he may have been done so for a financial compensation. Czech media reports indicate that the person behind the money laundering operation is most likely the well-know lobbyist Roman Janoušek, who is allegedly a personal friend of Mr. Grygárek. The accused became the deputy for the High State Prosecutor Vlastimil Rampula in 2007, becoming the interim head prosecutor in June 2012, having resigned from the post in August.

Ombudsman Varvařovský to step down next week

The Ombudsman of the Czech Republic, Pavel Varvařovský, has told his colleagues that he will be stepping down from his post on December 20. Mr. Varvařovský made the announcement on Wednesday without giving exact reasons for his departure. His deputy Stanislav Křeček will head the office until a new ombudsman is elected, which has to happen within 60 days of the resignation. Mr. Varvařovský was a Constitutional Court judge between 1994 and 2004, and took up the post of ombudsman in September 2010.

Three parties agree coalition deal

The Social Democrats, ANO and the Christian Democrats have reached agreement on a coalition deal. The document will be signed by party representatives on Thursday and made public the following day. The parties hammered out the deal late on Tuesday night after lengthy talks. On the issue of health fees, they have agreed to remove them for seeing a doctor but retain them for visits to accident and emergency. Regarding VAT, there will be a second lower rate covering medicines, books, nappies and children’s foods. The three parties are expected to focus on the division of portfolios next week when the leader of the Christian Democrats returns from an overseas trip.

Budvar scores another victory against InBev in Portugal

The Budějovice Budvar beer producer has won a dispute with the international group Anheuser-Busch InBev (ABI) in Portugal over the use of the brand name Budweiser in the country. The Portuguese trademark authority turned down an appeal by InBev in which it challenged a 2003 decision to block the registration of four of its products with the name Budweiser. The Czech beer maker has been selling its own traditional Budweiser brand in Portugal since the 1990’s. Budvar and Anheuser-Busch have had legal disputes over the use of Budweiser in most countries around the world for more than a century.

Czech TV director says no laws were broken during news coverage

The General Director of Czech Television Petr Dvořák has terminated the work of a special panel which was meant to determine if there news coverage was influenced by editors for political purposes. Mr. Dvořák, who was supposed to inform the board of the public broadcaster about the findings of the panel, said that he was disbanding it because two of the five members of the panel resigned. He also said that he has determined that Czech Television’s reporting broke no laws or the broadcaster’s ethics code and that the head of news department has his full support and confidence. In early October a 23 member of the news staff at Czech TV signed a petition saying that on a dozen occasions a senior editor had interfered with their work, to the benefit of certain politicians, in particular President Miloš Zeman.

Castle budget to remain without changes

The parliamentary budget committee has voted down a proposal by its deputy chairman Jan Volný (ANO) to lower the budget for the Office of the President by about one million crowns. MP Volný wanted to re-allocate the money to the Justice Ministry, since it recently took over the agenda of state pardons from the President and will require more staff. Only half of the members of the budget committee voted for the proposal. Prague Castle was criticized for spending three times as much on entertainment this year than was originally planned. The president’s chancellor Vladimír Mynář said that expenditure of around 1.5 million for hosting visitors in 2013 is due to the fact that Miloš Zeman has held more official events at Prague Castle than his predecessor, since taking office in March.

Government approves measures to help curb ghettos and extremist violence

Jiří Rusnok’s cabinet has approved a set of seven measures drawn up to help avoid future conflicts in and around socially excluded areas in the Czech Republic. The measures include changes in housing benefits, and an increased number of social workers and social services offered in high-risk localities and ghettos. The measures were supposed to include changes in social housing, but Regional Development Ministry failed to come up with the documentation. The new measures are meant as a response to the growing number of ghettos, populated mostly by Romanies, and an increasing number of violent protests by extremists and local citizens against the Roma minority.

Czech army chief-of-staff unhurt after attack on NATO Kabul base

The chief of the general staff of the Czech Army, General Petr Pavel, was at an airport base in Kabul on Wednesday when a suicide bomber attacked a convoy of international troops leaving the base. No casualties were reported among the soldiers in the convey, who belong to NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). No Czech soldiers were injured. General Pavel continued with his visit once the alert at the NATO base was lifted.

Newsagent’s in west Bohemia decides to use Bitcoin

A family-owned newsagent’s shop in the west Bohemian Karlovy Vary has become the first store in the region to accept Bitcoins for payments. There are only around a dozen businesses in the Czech Republic outside of Prague that accept the electronic monetary unit, and few of them are shops. The Bitcoin was traded at around 19,000 crowns on Wednesday, though the exchange rate is very volatile.

Plzeň reach Europa League after dramatic win over CSKA Moscow

Viktoria Plzeň have qualified for continental soccer’s second-tier competition the Europa League after beating CSKA Moscow in their final Champions League group game. Plzeň left it late to guarantee their place in European football in the New Year; after coming from behind they took the lead in the 90th minute through a Tomáš Wágner goal and held to on seal a 2:1 win that was enough to see them finish third in the group. It was a dream send-off for manager Pavel Vrba, who is about to become Czech national team boss.

10.12.2013 Three parties reportedly close to coalition deal

The Social Democrats, ANO and the Christian Democrats are reported to be on the verge of producing a coalition deal. If they agree on a programme during talks on Tuesday night the document would then be discussed internally by the three parties. Agreement has been reached in most areas, though differences remain over issues surrounding taxation and the health system. The parties are expected to focus on the division of portfolios next week when the leader of the Christian Democrats returns from an overseas trip.

Organised crime police raid CEZ offices

Members of the police’s organised crime unit have searched the offices of power giant CEZ for materials relating to solar power stations. The police would not give details of the target of the investigation, which saw raids on Tuesday at CEZ’s headquarters in Prague and a daughter company in Hradec Králové. While much remains unclear, Prague Supreme State Attorney Lenka Bradáčová confirmed that the matter was linked to solar power stations. In recent years CEZ has spent billions of crowns buying solar power stations from private companies, some of which are reported to have had unclear ownership structures.

Klausová arrives in Bratislava to take up post of ambassador

Livia Klausová, the wife of former president Václav Klaus, has arrived at the Czech Embassy in Bratislava to take up the post of ambassador. Mrs. Klausová, who was born in Slovakia, will officially assume the position in mid-January, when she presents her credentials to the Slovak president, Ivan Gašparovič. She was put forward by the current Czech head of state, Miloš Zeman, leading to some speculation that the post was a reward for her and her family supporting Mr. Zeman’s presidential campaign.

First non-conditional jail term for software piracy handed down by Czech court

The first non-conditional sentence for software piracy has been handed down by a Czech court. A man from Most received a 20-month jail term for illegally copying and selling software from the firms Microsoft and Adobe, the anti-piracy organisation BSA told the Czech News Agency on Tuesday. The software companies said the miscreant had caused them losses of half a million crowns.

Brno officials order map of potential unexploded WWII bombs

City Hall in Brno has had a map created of sites where there is a relatively high risk that unexploded World War II bombs may be buried, the newspaper Brněnský deník reported on Tuesday. Bombs were dropped on the Moravian capital by both the Americans and the Russians in the latter part of the war. One historian told Brněnský deník that there are still 10 or 12 US time bombs in the city that could explode when celluloid strips preventing them from going off eventually perish.

Brno gets Václav Havel Alley

Councillors in Brno have approved the naming of a narrow street in the city after late president Václav Havel. Václav Havel Alley leads from the theatre Divadlo Husa na provázku, with which the playwright was associated, to the cathedral at the city’s Petrov. The idea was put forward by a senior figure at the theatre; it was first rejected in a public internet poll before being approved in another vote in which people had to cast their ballots in person.

Prague police step up security at banks in pre-Christmas period

Police in Prague are stepping up security at banks in the city in the period leading up to Christmas when, they say, crime usually increases. Officers will focus on drop-offs of shops’ takings and ATMs. They will monitor selected banks and carry out checks on individuals spotted in their vicinity, a spokesperson said.

Plzeň face CSKA Moscow for place in Europa League

Viktoria Plzeň are preparing for a crucial Champions League tie against CSKA Moscow at their Štruncovy sady stadium on Tuesday night. It is not possible for either club to qualify from their group and the match will decide which claims third spot and a berth in the second-tier Europa League. Plzeň need to win 1:0 or 2:1 or by a two-goal margin to advance. It will be the West Bohemians’ last game under coach Pavel Vrba, who is taking over as manager of the Czech national team.

Davis Cup on public display in Czech Radio building

The Davis Cup has gone on display in the lobby of the Czech Radio building on Prague’s Vinohradská St. Visitors can view the tennis trophy and also have their photograph taken with it between 9:00 and 18:00 on Tuesday and Wednesday. Inspired again by veteran Radek Štěpánek, the Czech men’s team recently won the trophy for the second time in a row.

09.12.2013 President says he may veto proposed cabinet ministers

President Miloš Zeman has said he plans to have the final word in the line-up of the new cabinet. In an interview for Czech Radio on Sunday Mr Zeman said he would veto any proposed minister whom he did not consider to be an expert in the given field. Giving a case in point the president said he would never appoint Martin Stropnický from ANO 2011 to the post of defense minister although, in view of his qualifications, he would have no problem accepting him as culture or foreign minister. Critics say this may be a strategy on the part of the president to keep the interim Rusnok cabinet which he himself handpicked in office for as long as possible.

Czech Republic helping deal with Syrian refugee crisis

The Czech Republic is giving Bulgaria financial aid to help the country deal with a wave of Syrian refugees. Outgoing Interior Minister Martin Pecina signed an agreement to that effect with his Bulgarian counterpart Cvetelin Jovchev in Sofia on Monday. The 25 million crowns are to be used for the construction of new refugee centers and logistics. The Rusnok cabinet approved the aid package in November along with an aid package for Turkey which has already received 500.000 euro for the same purpose.

Zeman says he will bring up issue of human rights during Sochi Olympics

President Miloš Zeman, made clear in his regular broadcast Hovory z Lán on Sunday he will not boycott next year’s Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, unlike, for example, his German counterpart Joachim Gauck. Mr Zeman did say he was prepared, while there, to voice his views on human rights. A number of world figures are refusing to attend the Olympics over legislation in Russia discriminating gays and lesbians. Mr Zeman said in the broadcast that sexual orientation was a personal matter in which politics should have no part, which he could say at a press conference there. Mr Zeman will travel to Russia for two days to show support for the Czech Olympic team. According to the Czech News Agency, the president will also attend a reception of heads-of-state to be held by Russian President Vladimir Putin together with the country’s sports minister.

Prices of goods and services jump after steady four months

The prices of goods and services rose in November by 1.1 percent year-on-year after four months of steady numbers. The rise is presumably related to intervention by the Czech national bank aimed at weakening the Czech crown to improve conditions for export and spur consumer spending at home. The steps were introduced in the first week of November. Foodstuffs including dairy products, non-alcoholic beverages and vegetables as potatoes saw the highest price increases.

Pecina launches administrative proceedings

Interior Minister Martin Pecina on Monday launched administrative proceedings to determine who – of the country’s two police presidents – will lead the force. The move follows the minister’s reinstatement of Petr Lessý after he was cleared of criminal charges. But the current president, Martin Červíček, has been of no mind to step down after serving in the post for a year-and-a-half. President Miloš Zeman criticised the outgoing interior minister for steps leading up to the situation, saying the matter should be resolved once a new minister is named – expected during the first half or so of January – if the three parties negotiating on the new government agree on a final deal.

Three awarded Michal Velíšek Prize

Three people this year received the Michal Velíšek Prize awarded to those who display courage and help others, often in dire situations. The three - Lukáš Voborník, Petr Uchytil and Jiří Němec - saved a motorist and her two-year-old daughter from a burning car in March of this year. The driver was trapped behind the wheel even as the motor and the front dashboard of the car burned. The three managed to pull both passengers to safety; the fire eventually blazed to a height of around four metres, according to reports The Michal Velíšek Prize is named after an editor at TV Nova was shot and killed in Prague in 2006 while defending a stranger from an aggressor.

Art thieves sentenced

Ústí nad Labem’s regional court sentenced a gang of six on Monday for the theft of valuable paintings by leading 20th century avant garde painter Emil Filla. The four oil paintings, dating back to the 1940s and worth an estimated 66 million crowns, were stolen around mid-November. One of them, estimated at four million, was sold to a buyer for a quarter of a million crowns. According to the police, the theft was not commissioned. The highest sentence received in the case was 12 years for Vojtěch Hlouška, who also committed other thefts.

Boys’ choir targeted by youths

A Romany boys’ choir, including an eight-year-old boy, was accosted by a group of five youths on Friday, seeing punches thrown, kicking and bullying. Respected performer Ida Kelarová, the choir leader, revealed the information; but, she said, the attack was not racially-motivated. The police are searching for the group of five; the youths could be charged with disorderly conduct. None of the boys needed medical treatment, suffering only bruises or scratches; the choir had been due to perform at the Wannieck Gallery in Brno.

Bulovka Hospital introduces canine therapy

Prague’s Bulovka Hospital received its first therapy dog on Monday. Such canines are specially trained to provide comfort to patients during rehab. Patients suffering from depression or mental illness are also beneficiaries.

Closely Watched Trains to be digitally restored

Closely Watched Trains, director Jiří Menzel’s masterwork which won the 1967 Best Foreign Language Oscar, will be digitally restored in time for the 49th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival next year. The decision was announced on Monday by festival organisers together with representatives of the National Film Archive. The film is one of the best-known to come out of the Czech New Wave in the 1960s. It was based on a book of same name by Bohumil Hrabal and starred a young Václav Neckář in the lead role.

08.12.2013 Schwarzenberg reelected TOP 09 leader

Karel Schwarzenberg was reelected leader of TOP 09 at the party’s conference in Prague on Sunday. He received 160 votes from an overall 173 delegates present. In his address to the conference Mr. Schwarzenberg said that, despite having been relegated to opposition benches, the party was in a good starting position to fulfill its ambitions. He said its main task now was to work for the good of the country and defend parliamentary democracy. Deputy chair Miroslav Kalousek, who likewise defended his position in the party leadership, echoes these sentiments, warning against Andrej Babis’s ANO party which he said presented an extreme corruption risk in view of its leaders business activities and ambitions.

Czech foreign minister to attend memorial service for Nelson Mandela

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Kohout will travel to South Africa to attend Tuesday’s memorial service for the late president Nelson Mandela, the ministry’s spokeswoman said on Sunday. From there the Czech foreign minister will travel to Pretoria to pay homage to the former South African leader. The Czech Republic will have no official representative at the state funeral to be held in a week’s time.

The announcement came shortly after an embarrassing incident in which the outgoing prime minister, Jiri Rusnok, was caught on tape telling other cabinet members that he had no wish to travel all the way to South Africa for the funeral and hoped the president might want to go instead. He later apologized for his words saying he was under great stress and his work load was excessive.

Emerging coalition parties debating tax changes as of 2015

The parties of the emerging coalition government are debating tax changes as of 2015. Social Democrat leader Bohuslav Sobotka told Czech Television on Sunday that the proposal currently being discussed envisaged three VAT rates as of 2015 – a standard rate and two lower rates with medicines falling into the lowest category. The fallout in state revenues would be compensated for by higher corporate taxes. Details of the emerging agreement are still to be finalized. The Social Democrats, ANO and the Christian Democrats say they have made significant progress on policy matters. A debate on the division of ministerial posts has been postponed until mid-December.

Ukrainians in Prague support protests in Kiev

Around 200 Ukrainian nationals currently residing in the Czech Republic met in the centre of Prague on Sunday in a show of support for anti-government protests in Kiev where thousands of their compatriots are demonstrating against the government's suspension of a key EU trade deal. The protesters in Prague marched through the city centre waving national flags and banners reading “Stop Janukovich” and “We want a free Ukraine”. The demonstration was monitored by the police but no incidents were reported.

Hunter injured by wild boar

A hunter in Opava was attacked and seriously injured by a wild boar on Sunday, the ctk news agency reported. The 68-year-old hunter was badly bitten and lost a lot of blood before someone came to the rescue. He was transported to Ostrava’s teaching hospital in serious condition. The wild boar population has over-bred in recent years and hunters have been organizing expeditions to reduce their numbers.

Skiing season underway

The skiing season has started in most of the country’s ski resorts thanks to a combination of natural and artificial snow. Krkonoše Mountain resorts report up to 70 centimetres of snow, Orlické Hory resorts on average 45 centimetres. The ski resort Červená Voda reported an emergency on Sunday when around 100 skiers had to be evacuated from the local ski lift after the fuse board caught fire. The evacuation took 40 minutes and no one was reported hurt.

Menzel given lifetime achievement award in Poland

Jiří Menzel received a lifetime achievement award at the Grand OFF World Independent Short Film Festival in Warsaw, Poland on Sunday. The Oscar-winning Czech film director is extremely popular in Poland where he attended a screening of all his films this spring. His best-known films include the Oscar-winning Closely Watched Trains, Larks on a String, Cutting it Short and My Sweet Little Village.

07.12.2013 Coalition talks continue

The parties of the emerging coalition –the Social Democrats, ANO and the Christian Democrats –say Saturday’s talks were fruitful and brought significant progress on policy matters. Several issues remain unresolved in the area of taxes and health care, with agreement reached on scrapping direct payments for medical care. The three parties also agreed they would all have the right of veto on proposed legislation. The division of ministerial posts has been shelved due to the temporary absence of Christian Democrat leader Pavel Belobrádek. The parties hope to conclude talks on policy issues by next Tuesday but they have so far made no official commitment to enter into a coalition.

PM target of ridicule after his ill-mannered remarks caught on tape

Outgoing Prime Minister Jiří Rusnok has become a target of ridicule after his conversation with cabinet ministers was caught on tape in the lower house. Using expressive language, Mr. Rusnok complained that he did not feel like flying all the way to South Africa to attend Nelson Mandela’s funeral and expressed the hope that President Zeman would want to go instead. The conversation was picked up by Czech TV microphones and its transcript caused an uproar on news sites and social networks. The prime minister later apologized for his words saying he was under immense stress.

The Czech Foreign Ministry said on Saturday that it was not yet clear who would attend Nelson Mandela’s funeral. The President’s Office said President Zeman would not be travelling abroad since he had not yet fully recovered from his knee injury.

Fiala confirms candidacy for party leader

Former education minister Petr Fiala has confirmed his candidacy for party leader at the Civic Democrats election conference in January. Mr. Fiala, who only joined the Civic Democratic Party recently, is perceived as a capable and trustworthy figure who can help turn around the party’s fortunes in the wake of a crushing defeat in the last general elections. The former rector of Masaryk University, who is not connected to the party’s crippling corruption scandals or aborted promises, said on Saturday that he had decided to accept the challenge and try to bring the party out of its drawn-out crisis. The conference will take place on January 17 -18 and Mr. Fiala is expected to have two rivals for the top post – deputy chairwoman Miroslava Němcová who shoulders the burden of the party’s past failures and MEP Eduard Kožušník.

TOP 09 holds party conference

The centre-right TOP 09 party, which is now also in the opposition, is holding a party conference in Prague. Delegates will be electing a new leadership and discussing TOP 09s strategy as an opposition party. Party leader Karel Schwarzenberg, who is expected to defend his position as party chair, said that the party’s main role would now be to defend parliamentary democracy and democracy as such in the Czech Republic. He said that despite the fact that the party only received 12 percent in October’s general elections he was extremely pleased that TOP 09 was supported to a large extent by the young generation.

Metrostav halts work on unfinished Blanka tunnel

The construction firm Metrostav on Saturday halted work on the unfinished Blanka tunnel complex under construction in Prague. The construction firm claims it is owed 2.1 billion crowns by Prague City Hall for work already completed and has handed the matter over to an arbitration court. The tunnel is being conserved and it is not clear how long it may be before work on it is restored. City Hall claims the contract with Metrostav was invalid from the start and say they are unable to transfer any more funds. The cost of conserving the tunnel, which was expected to open next year, has been estimated at 1.6 billion crowns annually.

Bad weather still causing problems around the country

Repair work on power lines continues in the wake of extensive damage caused by gale-force winds in the past 24 hours. The force of the wind, which reached 140km per/h in places, has now abated but the situation is complicated by snow and icy roads. Police have warned drivers heading for the mountain regions to exercise extreme caution.

MP Komárek proposed ban on spirits in the lower house

MP Martin Komárek of the ANO party has floated the idea that spirits should be banned on the premises of the lower house of Parliament. Mr. Komárek expressed the view that there was no reason for deputies to drink spirits at work and beer or wine with lunch or dinner should suffice. Although other ANO deputies have backed the idea, it has evoked little enthusiasm among others with the Speaker of Parliament Jan Hamáček saying he was prepared to discuss it but personally saw no reason to effect any changes in this respect. A previous attempt to ban spirits was short-lived. It came in the wake of an incident in which the former Civic Democrat MP Petr Kott got so drunk he had to be physically carried out of Parliament.

06.12.2013 Lower houses accepts draft state budget for further debate

The Czech lower house on Friday approved a draft of the state budget for 2014 in the so-called first reading, sending it for debates in the house committees. The draft budget has a projected deficit of 112 billion crowns which would leave the gap in public spending below 3 percent of GDP. It is based on growth expectations of 1.3 percent, which would bring an additional four to five billion crowns in tax revenues to state coffers. The parties of the emerging government coalition – the Social Democrats, ANO and the Christian Democrats – have said they would like to see the budget approved by the end of the year.

Czech top officials extend condolences on Mandela’s death

Czech top officials have expressed condolences on the death of South African leader Nelson Mandela who passed away on Thursday. President Miloš Zeman expressed great respect for the man who spent a large part of his life in prison fighting an unfair regime; the head of the Social Democrats and the likely next prime minister Bohuslav Sobotka said Nelson Mandela was a courageous and resilient man who lived to see his ideals come true. In a statement, the Czech Foreign Ministry said that South Africa’s first democratic president, was an extraordinary personality of the 20th century, a symbol of struggle for human rights and against the apartheid.

Gale force winds damage power lines, complicate traffic

Gale-force winds of up to 140 km/h damaged power lines around the country leaving tens of thousands of people without electricity supplies. The worst damage is reported in the north of the country where strong winds were accompanied by heavy snow in the higher altitudes. Many roads were closed to traffic on Friday morning due to fallen trees and Czech Railways reported delays in several train connections. Drivers have been warned to exercise extreme caution.

ANO asks for Transport Ministry

The ANO party would like to hold the transport ministry portfolio in the next government, party leader Andrej Babiš said on Friday. If approved by the other potential members of the emerging coalition, the Social Democrats and the Christian Democrats, the ANO party would most likely nominate an unaffiliated expert for the post, Mr Babiš said. The ANO party has also demanded the post of finance minister which could be filled by Andrej Babiš himself. The next meeting of party leaders is scheduled for Saturday.

Road deaths lowest since 1970

A total of 529 people died in traffic accidents between January and November this year which was 107 less than in the same period last year, the head of the Czech traffic police told reporters on Friday. The number of road deaths has dropped below 600 for the first time since 1970. The police registered fewer injuries but a slight increase in the actual number of accidents and the damages caused by them. Around 2,600 drivers were found to be driving under the influence of drugs which represents a 30-percent increase compared to last year.

Metrostav begins conservation of unfinished Blanka tunnel

The construction firm Metrostav on Friday began conserving the unfinished Blanka tunnel complex in Prague, in preparation for a halt of construction work. The company announced earlier it would stop working on the complex on Saturday over disputes with Prague City Hall which owes the firm more than 2.1 billion crowns. City officials, meanwhile, say the contract between Prague and the construction firm was invalid as it had not been approved by the municipal assembly. The situation will most likely have to be resolved by the courts. The Blanka complex, whose costs are estimated at around 36 billion crowns, was to open next spring.

Wallachian frgál tart granted EU’s protection

The Wallachian frgál tart has been granted EU protection. The traditional pastry with fruit, poppy seed or curd cheese topping was included in the European Commission’s list of products with protected geographical indication; only tarts made in the eastern Czech region of Wallachia will be allowed to be sold under the name of valašský frgál. Over 30 Czech products have so far been granted EU protection including spa waffles and Pardubice gingerbread.

The Vatican’s Christmas tree from Bavaria was felled in the Czech Republic

A Christmas tree erected on Thursday in Vatican Square in Rome as a gift from Bavaria was felled in the Czech Republic, the mayor of a Bavarian community told Radio Vaticana. The tree was a gift from the Bavarian town of Waldmünchen, located close to the German-Czech border; when searching for a suitable tree, the Czech town of Domažlice offered a giant spruce growing on the Czech side of the border. The Bavarian mayor said the tree came from the hearth of Europe; the Czech town’s mayor suggested it was a symbol of Czech-German friendship.

Speedskating: Sáblíková wins World Cup race in Berlin

Czech speedskating champion Martina Sáblíková won a 3,000-metre race, part of the World Cup series, in Berlin on Friday. She beat Germany’s Claudia Pechstein and Ireen Wüst of the Netherlands. Friday’s win was the Czech skater’s third triumph on long tracks in a row; after four events, Martina Sáblíková leads the World Cup rating with 380 points.

Biathlon: Vítková finishes second in World Cup event

Czech biathlonist Veronika Vítková finished second in the 7.5 km World Cup event in Hochfilzen, Austria, on Friday. Vítková, with no misses in the shooting range, was ranked first after the last shooting but came in second, 1.2 seconds after Switzerland’s Selina Gasparin.

05.12.2013 Czech foreign minister calls on Ukraine to observe human rights norms