News From The Czech Republic 05.05.2013 - 24.04.2013
CR: 05.05.2013 Prague and Plzeň celebrate Czech uprising and liberation
A number of ceremonies in Prague taking place throughout Sunday commemorated the 68th anniversary of the Czech uprising against the Nazi occupation at the end of World War Two. Defense Minister Vlastimil Picek and Prague mayor Bohuslav Svoboda attended a remembrance ceremony for those who died during the uprising, which was started by the Czech resistance on May 5th, 1945. President Miloš Zeman and top-level politicians attended the traditional ceremony in front of the main Czech Radio building on Vinohradská street, where the first conflict between the German SS units and members of the resistance and Czech police took place and 89 people died during the fighting. The Czech Radio broadcast on May 5 calling for Czechs to defend Prague is said to have set-off the uprising.
Celebrations in the west Bohemian Plzeň marking the anniversary of its liberation by American troops on May 6, 1945 have been taking place since Friday. On Sunday, Plzeň is hosting a traditional procession of historical military vehicles, gatherings of war veterans and re-enactments of military life during World War Two.
Duka delivers Mass for media
Cardinal Domink Duka led a Mass at the St. Vitus Cathedral at Prague Castle on Sunday dedicated to mass media, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the beginning of television broadcasting in Czechoslovakia. In his sermon, Cardinal Duka expressed his hope that television programs would always be truthful and would not fall victim to external pressures. The director of Czech Television, Petr Dvořák, and other leading personalities from the public television broadcaster attended the Sunday Mass.
Drabek defends S-Cards
Former labour and social affairs minister Jaromír Drábek (TOP 09) said on the Sunday television talk show Partie on Prima Family channel that those who want to discontinue the current S-Card social benefits payment scheme should pay for the loses this will cost the state. Mr Drábek, who introduced the new system last year, said it will save the state up to three billion crowns in the next 12 years, which is the duration of the current contract between the ministry and the Česká spořitelna bank that is administering distribution of welfare payments through the S-Card. Prime Minister Petr Nečas called on the current Labour Minister Ludmilla Mullerová (TOP 09) to terminate the highly criticized scheme last week, and the cabinet rejected a proposal to maintain the S-Card system on Thursday.
Hasenkopf hands over amnesty evidence to Castle
A former advisor to former president Václav Klaus, Pavel Hasenkopf, said that he handed over evidence of who authored the New Year’s presidential amnesty to the current president’s office. The lawyer, who claimed last week that the Justice Ministry took part in putting the text of the amnesty together, said on the Questions of Václav Moravec Sunday talk show that it is now up to President Miloš Zeman to reveal the true authors of the controversial amnesty. He also wants Mr Zeman’s chancellor, Vratislav Mynář, to apologize for naming him as one of the authors. Former president Klaus told the Právo daily on Saturday that he is the sole author of the text of the amnesty.
Jižní spojka to reopen after bridge demolition
The southern part of the Prague city ring road, Jižní spojka, will reopen on Sunday at 3 p.m., after demolition crews removed a bridge that passed above the expressway on Saturday. The road was closed starting on Friday evening, though Prague police said it didn’t result in any major traffic problems. A new bridge will be constructed in the same location in the next few months. Only partial road closings are expected on Jižní spojka for the duration of the construction works.
Man dies after tram accident in Prague
A yet unidentified man was hit by a tram on Saturday night in Prague’s Vršovice district. The heavily inebriated man was brought to the hospital in an ambulance with a serious head wound, but he succumbed to his injuries later during the night. Since the man had no identification on him, the police is asking the public for any information as they investigate the accident.
Czechs lose to Swedes 2:0 in second game
In their second game at this year’s Ice Hockey World Championship the Czech national team lost to the Swedes 2:1. Swedes got in the first goal in the 10th minute, right after the end of their first power-play, and brought the score up to 2:0, 13 minutes later. Half-way into the game Jiří Hudler scored the only goal for the visitors, but the Czechs were unable to even out the score before the end of the game. The Czech team will face Switzerland on Monday.
Weather
Upcoming days should be sunny to partly cloudy, with some storm activity and possible rain showers. Daytime temperatures will hold at around 20 to 22 degrees Celsius.
04.05.2013 VZP launches ‘positive list’ of cheaper drugs
The biggest Czech public health insurance provider VZP announced the first five medications that are on the so-called ‘positive list’. The list, which the insurance company is launching this month, consists of prescribed medications for no co-payment fee will be charged at the pharmacy. VZP has negotiated 15-30 percent discounts for the medications on the positive list, in exchange for an agreed amount of orders. The insurance provider says this will allow it to save a few hundred million crowns annually. The first five medications on the list are for treatment of diabetes, osteoporosis, prostate and stomach problems.
Demonstration for legalization of marijuana held in Prague
Around 4,000 people participated in a demonstration in central Prague on Saturday to demand legalization of marijuana in the Czech Republic. Organizers of the protest were calling for the legalization of growing marijuana for personal recreational and medical use. The police detained seven people for drug-related offenses. The procession from Charles Square to the Žižkov neighborhood was part of a global Marihuana March and was taking place for the 16th time in Prague. According to the latest poll by the Ipsos agency, 53% of Czechs agree with recreational use of the drug. Prescription marijuana for medical purposes was recently legalized in this country.
Klaus and Hasenkopf take amnesty dispute to media
Former president Václav Klaus told the Právo daily on Saturday that he was exclusively responsible for the text of the controversial New Year’s amnesty. This was in reaction to this week’s statement by the current chancellor at Prague castle Vratislav Mynář that the real authors of the amnesty were Mr Klaus’ former advisors Petr Hájek, Ladislav Jakl a Pavel Hasenkopf. Earlier in the week Mr Hasenkopf, who was a lawyer at Prague Castle said that part of the amnesty was prepared by the Justice Ministry. Mr Klaus denied ever asking Mr Hasenkopf to help him prepare the text of the amnesty, which put to an end a number of controversial corruption cases. In reaction to the former president’s statement, Mr Hasenkopf posted on his Facebook accounts a copy of an email from Mr Jakl from last year forwarding a request from the president to create a draft of the amnesty.
Czech Television opens its doors for anniversary
Czech Television opened up its studios in Prague, Brno and Ostrava to the public on Saturday, as part of the public broadcaster’s celebration of the 60th anniversary of the beginning of broadcasting. Visitors will be able to view sets of television seri es and news studios at the main Kavčí hory headquarters in Prague. On Saturday morning, hundreds of people were reportedly waiting in line there to take a tour of the complex. The open house in Prague will last until 6 p.m., while in Brno in Ostrava until 4 p.m.
Three people in wheelchairs descend Congress Center wall
Two men and a woman in wheelchairs rappelled down the 25-meter high wall of the Congress Center in Prague on Saturday, as part of the “Pojď dál” festival marking the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Jedličkův Institute for children with physical disabilities. The three disabled sportspeople were aided by professional mountain climbers as they scaled down the wall. They originally requested to go down one of the supports of the nearby Nusle bridge, but did not receive permission. The day-long festival also featured a rich musical and artistic program.
Liberec wins over Sparta to take 3rd place
The Liberec football team defeated Prague’s Sparta 2:0 on Saturday in the 26th round of the Gambrinus League. This is the sixth win in a row for Liberec’s Slovan, which puts them in the third place in the league, only five points behind the leading Plzeň, giving them a good chance to play in the European league in the next season. Slovan’s victory has complicated Sparta’s ascend to the top of the chart, where it remains in second place.
'Olympic' drummer passed away, aged 49
Milan Peroutka, drummer of the cult pop-rock band Olympic, died on Friday night at the age of 49. Peroutka had played with Olympic, headed by the frontman Petr Janda, since 1986, and recorded a number of albums with the band since the 1980’s. To celebrate 50 years since the band’s founding, Olympic began the Blue Pyramid tour last year. Given Mr Peroutka’s passing, the band cancelled two upcoming concerts next week in Prague.
03.05.2013 Police call for 12 to be charged over contracts won during EU presidency
The police’s anti-corruption unit have proposed that 12 people be charged in connection with suspicious contracts won by the company Promopro during the Czech presidency of the European Union in 2009. Detectives say the firm overcharged the Office of the Government by almost CZK 400 million for audiovisual services. Among those accused are three former state officials, including the then deputy to Alexandr Vondra, who was deputy prime minister for European affairs when the alleged offences took place. The three face charges of abuse of office and breach of trust, while police say the other accused are guilty of money laundering and fraud.
President appoints three new judges to Constitutional Court
The Czech president, Miloš Zeman, appointed three new Constitutional Court judges on Friday. Following Senate approval of their nominations last week, academics Jaroslav Fenyk and Jan Filip have joined the country’s highest court, as has judge Milada Tomková. The Senate also gave its backing to the nomination of Vladimír Sládeček; he will be appointed next month when the term of one of the current justices comes to an end. All in all, seven of the 15 members of the Constitutional Court are stepping down this year.
Head of Institute for Study of Totalitarian Regimes “considering suing” predecessor
The acting head of the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes says she is considering suing her predecessor for alleged financial mismanagement. Pavla Foglová told journalists on Friday that former director Daniel Herman had paid bonuses in January that the institution did not possess and had raised the salaries of dozens of senior employees shortly before his removal last month. Mr. Herman says his sacking by the Institute’s left-controlled board was a political move. The state agency administers the files of the StB secret police and other documents from the communist era.
Poll: Czechs more positive on working of EU than last year
Czechs now have a more positive attitude towards the work of the European Union than they did a year ago, suggests a freshly released opinion poll by the STEM agency. Forty-five percent of respondents in the survey, which was conducted last month, said they believed that EU functioned democratically, seven percent more than in a similar poll last year. Meanwhile, 30 percent – compared to 25 percent in 2012 – said they thought the bloc worked effectively.
Couple get eight-year terms for appalling abuse of mother
A couple have received eight-year jail terms for the grave mistreatment of a sick woman who subsequently died. Zdeněk and Alena Hostaš, from a small town near Olomouc, were looking after the woman, the man’s mother, and lived off her disability benefit money. However, they kept the 62-year-old woman, who had suffered a stroke, in appalling conditions in an unheated room without adequate food, drink or medicines. She died a few weeks after being taken into hospital early this year.
Cycle to work competition gets underway around Czech Republic
The pro-cycling civic association Auto*Mat has launched a competition aimed at encouraging more people in the Czech Republic to ride to work. Around 3,500 people in 11 cities and towns around the country have signed up for the contest “To Work By Bike”, which runs throughout May and is being held for the third time. Entrants sign up online and collect points for cycling to their job with colleagues in teams ranging from two to five members.
Collection of interviews with Jan Werich set for CD release
A collection of interviews with the great Czech actor and writer Jan Werich is set for release later this month, a spokesperson for the label Supraphon said on Friday. The interviews were conducted by his daughter Jana in 1969, when Werich was in his mid 60s, and broadcast in a weekly series on Czechoslovak Radio entitled Táto, povídej! (Talk, Dad!). His colourful stories, which also take in a period he spent living in the United States in the early 1940s, will come out in an eight-CD box set.
Czechs beat Belarus in opening game at Worlds
The Czech Republic beat Belarus 2:0 in their opening game at the World Ice Hockey Championship in Stockholm on Friday with the goals coming from Jakub Voráček and Radim Vrbata. The result means the Czechs – who were last crowned world champions three years ago – have maintained their record of never having lost their opening in the tournament. Alois Hadamczik’s charges will face stiffer competition on Saturday, when they face hosts Sweden.
Čech believes his Chelsea will now win Europa League and set new milestone
The Czech soccer star Petr Čech says he believes his club Chelsea will win the Europa League, after on Thursday reaching the final with a win over Basel. In a post on his website, Čech says he and his teammates are motivated by the chance of becoming the first team to win the competition a year after taking the Champions League trophy, adding that Chelsea had given the lie to those who doubted they would take Europe’s second-tier club competition seriously. The goalkeeper has won virtually every trophy possible in nine years at the English club.
02.05.2013 Group of Czechs and Slovaks cause security alert at Heathrow
A group of Czech and Slovak tourists are reported to have caused a security alert at London’s Heathrow Airport on Thursday after customs detected an object resembling a detonator in one of their suitcases. According to the internet news site TVNOVINY.SK the group of seven Slovaks and two Czechs was surrounded by an anti-terrorist squad and questioned for close to seven hours. The Slovak in whose possession the suspicious object was found says he had no idea how it got there and claimed it may have been planted in his luggage while he slept. It is not clear how the object escaped the notice of customs officials at Vienna Airport. Seven members of the group have reportedly been released, the Slovak who caused the alarm and his wife remain in detention. The two Czechs who were bound for the United States reportedly returned to Bratislava after the US authorities refused them entry into the United States.
Gas blast damage estimates
The damage caused by Monday’s gas explosion in Prague’s Divadelní street is estimated at 100 million crowns. Around 50 people are reported to have filed insurance claims. It is still not clear what caused the explosion and according to police sources the investigation could take several more weeks. Two small side streets near the embankment which sustained the worst damage remain closed. Over 40 people were injured in the accident, two of them seriously.
S-cards rejected by cabinet
The cabinet has once again rejected a proposal to maintain the controversial S-Card system for social and welfare benefit payments which came into force in January. The scheme to streamline social and welfare benefit payments to newly-established bank accounts run by Česká Spořitelna has come under fire from all sides and Prime Minister Petr Nečas recently advised the Labour and Social Affairs Ministry to scrap the project. Labour and Social Affairs Minister Ludmilla Mullerová, who had repeatedly tried to win approval to keep the S-cards as a form of identification for welfare recipients, said she would comply with the cabinet’s decision.
Justice minister denies drafting controversial amnesty
Justice Minister Pavel Blažek has vehemently denied allegations that his ministry authored the controversial amnesty declared at the start of the year by then president Václav Klaus. The allegations came from Mr Klaus’ former legal advisor, Pavel Hasenkopf, who said the ministry had prepared a detailed draft of the amnesty with two goals in mind: alleviating the country’s overcrowded prisons and ridding the justice system of old cases. Minister Blažek said this was an outright lie, adding that he was considering legal action in the ministry’s defence. President Klaus’ controversial amnesty among others halted the prosecution of cases lasting for more than eight years including some high-profile corruption cases from the 1990s.
Student Agency drivers arrested in Norway for drug smuggling
Two Czech bus drivers from the Student Agency company have been arrested in Norway. According to the internet news site iDnes the drivers were arrested a week ago after customs officers found hard drugs on board the student agency bus bound back to Prague. The passengers were reportedly flown back and the bus remains in Norway. A spokesperson for Student Agency has confirmed the arrest of two of its drivers and said it has asked the Norwegian authorities to release the company bus.
War veteran Colonel Milan Malý dies at age 89
Czech war pilot Colonel Milan Malý, one of the last surviving Czechs who fought in the British Royal Air Force during World War Two, died at the age of 89 on Wednesday, the CTK news agency reports. After the war Colonel Malý served in the Czechoslovak military, but he was dismissed after the 1948 communist coup and was forced to seek manual jobs. He was rehabilitated after the fall of the communism in 1989. Colonel Malý was awarded three Czechoslovak and three British medals for bravery.
Interest rates remain at record low levels
The board of the Czech National Bank on Thursday left interest rates unchanged at record low-levels. The benchmark interest rate thus remains at 0.05 percent. Analysts predict that in view of the macroeconomic forecast the bank will not touch interest rates at least until the end of the year.
Senate approves proposal to give Palach and Comenius significant days in Czech calendar
The Senate has approved a proposal to commemorate the legacy of Jan Palach and Jan Amos Comenius through significant days in the Czech calendar. Jan Palach will be remembered on January 16th, the day he set himself on fire in protest of the growing public apathy to the Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968 and Jan Amos Comenius will be remembered on the day of his birth, March 28. There are presently 9 significant days in the Czech calendar and contrary to state holiday’s they are not days off. Their significance is merely symbolic.
State school-leaving exams begin
State school-leaving exams began for around 100,000 Czech secondary school students on Thursday, May2. The exams start with written tests in the Czech language and either math or English. Oral exams will take place in mid-May. Some 60 percent of students allegedly opted for English, the rest choosing math. The school-leaving exams this year only have one level of difficulty, a change from last year when students could choose between an easier and a more difficult version of the exam.
Breivik sympathizer from Ostrava placed in psychiatric hospital
The police have closed the case against an Anders Breivik sympathizer from Ostrava who was arrested in August of last year for illegal possession of explosives and weapons. The 29-year-old man was constructing a bomb in his flat and police suspected him of planning a terrorist attack. Psychological tests showed the man to be insane and he is being placed in institutionalized care.
Two men and child missing after setting off on May Day river trip
A search is on for two men and a six-year-old girl who set sail down the Morava River in a rubber boat on Wednesday but never reached their destination. Dozens of officers and fire fighters are combing the banks of the river as its water level is gradually being reduced in view of searching the river-bed. An abandoned rubber boat was found early this morning but it is not clear if it belonged to the missing men. This particular stretch of the river is generally reported to be safe and there were no dangerous weirs on the way.
01.05.2013 Social Democrats, Communists mark Labour Day
The Social Democrats and the Communists held rallies on Wednesday to mark Labour Day, a public holiday in the Czech Republic. The Communist rally took place in Prague’s expo grounds where several hundred of their supporters gathered, including the last chairman of the totalitarian-era Communist party, Milouš Jakeš, and other former officials of the group. The Social Democrat event was held at the same site in the afternoon.
Neo-Nazis to march through eastern town of Přerov
A neo-Nazi march took place in Přerov, a town in eastern Czech Republic, on Wednesday. Around three hundred far-right extremists participated in the event which included a rally in the centre of the town followed by a march. The police reinforced their presence in the town; some seven hundred officers oversaw the rally in Přerov which was extremist groups’ main event held this year on May 1 in the country, according to the organizers.
Catholic Church, President Zeman invite Pope for July celebrations
Envoys of the Czech Catholic Church and of the Czech president, Miloš Zeman, handed a letter to Pope Francis in the Vatican on Wednesday, inviting him to July’s celebrations of the 1150th jubilee of Saints Cyril and Methodius. The main celebrations will be held at the pilgrimage site of Velehrad, in southern Moravia, marking the saints’ arrival in the Great Moravian Empire in 863. Pope Francis reportedly showed interest in the event although his office had earlier said the pontiff would this year only travel to Brazil.
New asylum legislation comes into force
New legislation comes into force on Wednesday which should improve the situation for those seeking asylum in the Czech Republic. The legislation allows asylum seekers to travel within the European Union; those who have spent five years or longer in the country are granted the rights of long-term residents. The new bill also introduces stricter penalties for asylum seekers convicted of crime; the authorities can now cancel their residence permits.
Plans postponed to close part of Prague embankment to cars
Prague City Hall has failed to reach agreement on closing part of the Vltava embankment in the centre of the city to cars, postponing the plans for the summer. Earlier this month, City Council approved a plan to only allow pedestrians and cyclists on Smetanovo nábřeží, a section of the embankment between the National Theatre and Charles Bridge, a move welcomed by cycling advocacy groups. However, council members on Tuesday failed to agree on technical details. Deputy mayor Tomáš Hudeček however said the council would try to impose the ban on cars in the area in August or September.
April saw lowest number of road deaths since 1990
Forty people died on Czech roads in April, the lowest number since 1990. Two people, including a 16-year-old girl, died when a bus carrying French secondary-school students crashed in western Bohemia on April 8; two men were killed when their car got off the road near Karviná, in the north-east of the country three days later. The highest number of traffic-related deaths in the month of April was recorded in 1997 when 115 died.
Three dead in car crash outside Prague
Three people died in a road accident after their car plunged into a pond near Vestec outside the capital on Wednesday morning. Another three people travelling in the vehicle have been taken to hospital. The police said the crash occurred at 5:30 AM when the the car swerved off the road on a roundabout and landed in a retention cistern. The cause of the accident is being investigated.
30.04.2013 Police investigates Prague explosion
Police are investigating the cause of Monday’s devastating explosion near Prague’s National Theater, as clean-up work at the site of the accident continues. It has not yet been determined if the explosion, which is thought to have been caused by a gas leak in the building, was the result of an accident. Prague’s main gas provider, Pražská plynárenská, has denied possible neglect or wrongdoing on the part of its employees.
Forty three people were injured in the blast, of those 35 were taken to hospital, but the majority were released after getting medical attention. Two people remain in hospital with more serious injuries.
Blast site is being secured
The building where the Monday blast took place was deemed unstable after one of the walls had moved. Throughout Tuesday, engineers and firefighters worked on securing the building to prevent it from collapsing. Estimates of the total damages to the building have not been determined, but may reach up to 20 or 30 million crowns. Other buildings in the surrounding area also suffered considerable damage. Prague city council agreed on Tuesday to offer financial help to people who were affected by the explosion, as well as to Charles University, whose building was badly damaged by the blast. Mayor Bohuslav Svoboda said that the total amount of aid has not been decided on yet.
Rath to remain in custody
The Central Bohemian regional court rejected a request from former regional governor David Rath and two others accused in the same corruption case to be released on bail. The court determined that Mr Rath, as well as former MP Petr Kott and former director of the Kladno hostpiatl, Kteřina Pnacová, are at flight risk and will remain in custody until the trial. Mr Rath was arrested a year ago on corruptions charges and has been in custody ever since.
Anti-corruption police accuse head of motorway directorate
The anti-corruption police have accused the former head of the Road and Motorway Directorate of the Czech Republic, Alfréd Brunclík, of manipulating rental contracts for two motorway rest areas. The estimated losses for the state, resulting from the manipulated tender, are approximately 120 million crowns. Mr Brunclík filed a complaint against the suit, claiming the accusations against him were ridiculous and unfounded. The police have accused four other individuals in the case.
Daňhel cleared of harassment charges
A former air force pilot and a key witness in the CASA planes scandal, Karel Daňhel, was acquitted of sexual harassment charges by the district court in Prague 9 on Tuesday. The alleged harassment victim told police already in March that she had invented her testimony. As an expert in military technology at the general staff of the armed forces Daňhel had prepared evaluation reports for the purchase of Spanish-made CASA airplanes. He reportedly told police that the then defense deputy Martin Barták exerted pressure on the government to purchase the overpriced aircrafts.
Picek awards recognition for participation in third resistance
Actor and Charter 77 signatory Pavel Landovský as well as bishop Václav Malý were among 23 people who were recognized as members of the so-called third anti-communist resistance movement. The recognition certificates were given out on Tuesday by the Defense Minister Vlastimil Picek. Some have criticized the fact that Minister Picek, who was a member of the Communist Party before 1989, gave out the awards. The defense ministry has given out 323 recognitions of third resistance membership so far, having rejected 583 requests, with almost 4,000 applications awaiting evaluation.
Tuesday marks 130 years since writer Hašek’s birth
One of the most internationally renowned Czech writers, Jaroslav Hašek, was born in Prague 130 years ago on Tuesday. Hašek is best known for his four-volume satirical novel The Good Soldier Švejk, but has also written numerous short stories and newspaper articles. During the First World War, Hašek was first imprisoned by the Russian army and later joined the Czechoslovak Legion and the Red Army before returning to Czechoslovakia in 1920. A giant granite bust of Jaroslav Hašek was unveiled this weekend near Světla nad Sázavou in the Vysočina region.
New Olympic kit will again be inspired by art
The design of the Czech Olympic kit for the 2014 Sochi winter games will be inspired by the paintings of the Czech artists Alfons Mucha, the Olympic committee chairman Jiří Kejval announced at a press on conference on Tuesday. Mr Kejval, together with the retired tennis star Ivan Lendl revealed the first images that will be featured on official Olympians’ clothing, which were taken in part from a postage stamp designed by Mucha. The design for the kit of the Czech team from last year’s London summer games was based on František Kupka’s painting Amorpha, which received considerable praise from the international media.
Jan Kubiš museum to open in June
A home in Dolní Vilémovice that belonged to the family of Czech hero Jan Kubiš, a British-trained paratrooper who, together with his Slovak colleague Jozef Gabčík headed an operation to kill Nazi Reichsprotector Reinhard Heydrich, will open as a museum on June 22. Included in the permanent exhibition will be items that were found just recently during renovation of the site: previously unknown letters, photographs and part of a military uniform were discovered under a stairway. Jan Kubiš and fellow soldier Jozef Gabčík pulled off their daring attack against the ‘Hangman of Bohemia’ on May 27, 1942. Heydrich died several days later of his wounds. Kubiš, Gabčík and another five paratroopers were later surrounded at the Church of St. Cyril and St. Methodious on Resslova Street in Prague and paid for the assassination with their lives. Kubiš was wounded and died in hospital; the others committed suicide to avoid capture.
Czech Torah case sold for more than 9,000 dollars
An eighteenth century Torah case from Hradec Králové was auctioned off for 9,375 dollars on Monday at the Sotheby’s auction house in New York. The velvet and silk brocaded religious object was part of the Michael and Judy Steinhardt Judaica Collection, which includes hundreds of objects from around the world from antiquity through the 20th century. The auction of the remaining pieces in the collection will continue on Tuesday.
29.04.2013 Explosion in city centre leaves 43 people injured
A strong explosion rocked a building and surroundings in Divadelní Street in Prague’s Old Town near the Smetana embankment on Monday morning, blowing out windows and sending debris into the streets. Response teams including fire fighters, ambulance crews and police arrived at the scene within minutes. The explosion, thought to have been caused by a gas leak, injured 43 people, at least one of them seriously. A good number were treated in hospital. Many of the injuries were cuts from broken glass. Initially there were fears that individuals could be buried under rubble at the site: but a search found no one, nor is anyone unaccounted for, the city's police chief confirmed. Both the Motol and Vojenská hospitals during the morning set aside scheduled operations to provide additional emergency assistance, if needed.
Mayor confirms building unsafe
In related news, Prague Mayor Bohuslav Svoboda, visited the site of the blast on Monday and confirmed that early analysis had shown there was a danger the building hit by the explosion could collapse. Stress analysis showed that one of the building's walls was pushed forward five centimetres. Mayor Svoboda said that the construction and engineering company Metrostav has been commissioned to brace the building to prevent it from collapsing. Others who visited the epicentre on Monday were Prime Minister Petr Nečas and Interior Minister Jan Kubice.
Streets closed, hotline set up
A two-kilometre stretch of the Prague embankment – from the Smetana embankment to Palach Square – as well as Narodní třída and smaller streets in the surrounding area, have been closed to traffic. There were several reports over the course of Monday morning that gas could be detected in the air, and several sources said there was a danger of an additional explosion taking place, leading to an evacuation of locals and bystanders.
In the afternoon, traffic on the Smetana embankment was allowed to resume but only briefly after more gas was registered by a monitoring vehicle. City Hall has set up a crisis hotline – 800 100 991 – for those needing assistance and is ready to set up a shelter, if necessary. The building in question was not residential, however, housing mostly offices.
School halls, offices, National Theatre emptied
Students, lecturers and other staff at the FAMU film school and Charles University’s Faculty of Social Sciences, both located in the direct vicinity of Divadlení 5 where Monday’s explosion took place, were among those evacuated from the area. According to the dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Jakub Končelík, between 300 and 400 students were evacuated from the building. The film academy had windows broken in the blast and was also emptied. Staff and visitors were also evacuated from the nearby National Theatre and the Academy of Sciences. The shockwave reached as far as the National Theatre, shattering some glass at the theatre’s Nová scéna (New Stage). Students were among the first to post photos and news of the accident on the social networks.
Prison service tender cancelled
The Czech Office for the Protection of Competition has cancelled a 25-million crown tender by the country’s prison service to buy transceivers. The anti-monopoly watchdog said the prison service failed to specify its criteria for the winning bid which made the procurement project non-transparent and could have affected the choice of the most advantageous offer. The prison service picked the firm RCD Radiokomunikace to deliver 3,000 transceivers and 250 base stations; however, it will now have to evaluate all the bids again.
Slovak prime minister wades into ambassadorial row, backing Klausová
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has said in an interview for the Czech news website idnes that Livia Klausová (former First Lady of the Czech Republic) would be warmly welcomed in his country if she were named the next Czech ambassador to Bratislava. He added his view that whoever had put forward her name showed a “great understanding for Czech-Slovak ties”. Livia Klausová, herself Slovak by birth and the wife of former president Václav Klaus, was backed for the post weeks ago by her husband’s successor, Miloš Zeman. But the country’s Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg came out resolutely against, saying she lacked the necessary experience. The disagreement between Mr Schwarzenberg and the president has since escalated in the media and remains unresolved. A number of pundits have suggested the row has hurt the country internationally.
High state attorney repeats charge some in anti-corruption unit tried to discredit her
Prague High State attorney Lenka Bradáčová on Monday repeated a charge that some members of the anti-corruption police tried to gather compromising material against her as well as to fabricate a case against her husband to try and discredit her personally. Speaking to journalists, the high state attorney said there had been differences between herself and the anti-corruption unit for some time, saying that criminal police had – for example – conducted a number of investigations without any oversight by the state attorney’s office. Tomáš Martinec, the outgoing head of the unit, has strongly denied the accusations anyone had plotted against Ms Bradáčová; he is, however, stepping down at the end of April over the dispute.
Residents sign new leases with owner of Přednadraží Street slum
Residents of No. 8 in Přednadraží Street, a devastated building in Ostrava, in the east of the country, signed new leases on Monday with building owner Oldřich Roztočil. The owner told journalists that 11 out of 14 apartments were taken, insisting all except one were fully habitable. Rent, plus utilities, reportedly comes to 6,500 crowns a month. Renters however will no longer be able to count on subsidies as the site is no longer registered as a tenement building. The city is insisting that a recent court decision waiving a fine for the tenement’s owner’s company had nothing to with – and in no way invalidated – existing eviction notices.
Part of stolen loot thrown in Vltava River
The police have apprehended two men who broke into a Prague jewellery store after hours on April 9 and stole more than a million crowns worth of gold, silver jewellery and precious gems. The spokesman for the city police force, Tomáš Hulan, confirmed on the internet that both had past criminal records and had served time in prison, which is where the two met. The suspects allegedly threw some of their loot in the Vltava River; a police diving team may be dispatched to search for it; if found guilty, each suspect could face up to eight years in prison.
Football: Čech pulls ahead of Seaman on shutouts
Petr Čech chalked up his 13th clean sheet this season at the weekend in Chelsea’s 2:0 win over Swansea. His record after nine seasons in the English Premiership stands at 141, beating retired player David Seaman’s record to put Čech into third spot, idnes reports. Only goalkeepers Mark Schwarzer of Fulham (148) and David James (173) have clinched more.
28.04.2013 President Zeman will respect government’s foreign policy: aide
President Miloš Zeman will respect the government’s foreign policy, according to the head of the presidential office’s foreign department, Hynek Kmoníček. The president will however pick some topics which he would like to focus on such as support for Czech exports, Mr Kmoníček said. Mr Zeman’s aide for foreign policy also said negotiations were taking place between the president’s office and the Czech Foreign Ministry about the appointments of several ambassadors, an issue which caused a major row between the president and the foreign minister, Karel Scharzenberg. While Mr Kmoníček said he believed a compromise could soon be found, Mr Schwarzenberg said on Saturday there was no resolution in sight.
Top court to reach verdict on church restitution within two months
The Czech Constitutional Court might deliver a verdict on the restitution of church property within the next two months, the court’s chief justice, Pavel Rychetský told Czech TV on Sunday. Under the deal, approved last year, 16 churches and religious societies including the Roman Catholic Church will get back part of the property confiscated by the communist regime along with financial compensation for the rest, amounting to 134 billion crowns. However, the opposition, which says some of the property did not in fact belong to the churches, has asked the Constitutional Court to review the restitution deal.
Exams website comes under hacking attack
The official website of the Czech Republic’s state secondary school-leaving exams has come under a hacking attack, four days before the exams are scheduled, the government agency responsible for the exams said. The attack, described as DDoS, has prevented students from accessing trial test available on the website, the agency said, adding it was impossible to say when the website would be functioning again.
Storms, rain cause damages
Storms and heavy rain that hit the Czech Republic on Saturday night caused minor damages in parts of the country. Fire fighters in the western Plzeň region cleared fallen tress and mud off several roads. In Central Bohemia, local flooding occurred in the community of Bohutín. Heavy rain also hit the southern and eastern regions of the Czech Republic.
Television’s TýTý awards handed out
Television’s TýTý awards for the most popular TV personalities were handed out in Prague on Saturday night. Investigative reporter Josef Klíma received the highest number of votes, and became the overall winner. TV Prima’s Partička was voted the most popular comedy show while Czech TV’s Vyprávěj won the award for the most popular series. Karel Gott and Lucie Vondráčková won the categories of male and female signers, while actor Lubomír Lipský, who last week celebrated his 90th birthday, was inducted into TV’s hall of fame.
Tennis: Rosol claims first ATP title in Bucharest
Czech tennis player Lukáš Rosol beat Spain’s 6-3, 6-2 in the final of an ATP tournament in Bucharest on Sunday, to claim the first title of his career. Rosol converted four of his nine break points to win the match in just over an hour. The 27-year-old player, who knocked out world number two Rafael Nadal at last year’s Wimbledon, is currently ranked 48th in the world.
Czechs lose to Russia in EHT’s final leg
The Czech national hockey team lost 1:2 to Russia on Saturday in the final leg of the Euro Hockey Tour, to finish second overall. The Czechs missed several good opportunities to score and did poorly in power plays. The game was the Czech team’s last ahead of the world championships which start in Helsinki and Stockholm.
27.04.2013 Foreign minister: no end in sight of ambassadorial row with president
Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg told the news website idnes.cz on Saturday there was no resolution in sight to his ongoing row with the president, Miloš Zeman, over ambassadorial appointments. The dispute broke out last month when President Zeman proposed the wife of Václav Klaus, Livia, as the ambassador to Slovakia and former Czechoslovak astronaut Vladimír Remek, to the Czech mission in Moscow. The nominations were rejected by Foreign Minister Schwarzenberg who maintained it was his role to nominate ambassadors who are only then appointed by the president. On Saturday, Mr Schwarzenberg said there was no development in the row which could take “a year or two” to resolve.
President Zeman criticizes EU regulations
In an interview for the Austrian weekly Profil, Czech President Miloš Zeman criticized EU’s numerous regulations. The European Union should not regulate light bulbs, smoking and alcohol, Mr Zeman said. The Czech president also voiced his objections to EU’s bailout for Greece and Cyprus, and reiterated that the Czech Republic should soon adopt the euro.
Government to back Romany Holocaust remembrance day
The Czech government is going to back a motion in the lower house to establish a remembrance day of the victims of Romany Holocaust, the news agency ČTK reported on Saturday citing government documents. A group of MPs from several parties want to introduce March 7 as the Remembrance Day of the Victims of Romany Persecution during WWII; on that day in 1943, the first transport of Bohemian and Moravian Romanies was sent to the Auschwitz extermination camp. In total, nearly 9,000 Romanies were murdered in the Holocaust, nearly 90 percent of their pre-war population.
All ministries have expressed consent with the idea; however, the Foreign Ministry noted Holocaust victims are remembered on January 27. Should a special day be established to honour Romany victims, the ministry said, it might be necessary to also remember victims from other ethnic or social groups persecuted during the war.
Police launch probe into Agriculture Ministry’s IT deals
The anti-corruption unit of the Czech police has launched investigation of IT contracts at the Agriculture Ministry. The police have moved on the basis of a criminal complaint, filed by the country’s Supreme Auditing Office earlier this year. The auditors say that between 2005 and 2011, the ministry spent around one billion crowns on technologies and equipment it did not need, and bought them without a tender as required by law.
Czech Republic and Vietnam to transfer prisoners in future
A draft agreement on transferring prisoners between the Czech Republic and Vietnam is being discussed by Czech government ministries, a spokeswoman for the Justice Ministry said. Under the bilateral agreement, Vietnamese national sentenced to jail in the Czech Republic would serve their sentences in Vietnam while Czechs imprisoned in Vietnam would be transferred to the Czech Republic. After the document is reviewed by relevant ministries, it will be discussed by the Czech government, the spokeswoman said.
Civic Democrats back foreign minister against president
The senior coalition Civic Democrats have backed Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg, of TOP 09, in his row with the president over ambassadorial appointments. In a reference to President Zeman’s efforts to take over the appointments, the Civic Democrat leadership on Friday said they rejected any extraordinary procedures, and did not want the country to move towards a semi-presidential system. Mr Zeman and Mr Schwarzenberg, formerly rivals in the presidential vote, have clashed over the president’s picks of ambassadors in Russia and Slovakia.
Anti-government protest fails to attract protesters
An anti-government protest, organized by trade unions and anti-government activists in Prague on Saturday, only drew several dozen people, the news agency ČTK reported. The organizers they were expecting up to 6,000 people to show up. This is another failed protest against the government in less than a month; on April 7, an anti-government group was planning to topple the cabinet but only around 500 turned up for the rally.
Brno baby bears named Kometa, Nanuk
Two baby polar bears in Brno Zoo were named Kometa and Nanuk on Saturday, the winning names of an online poll. The bears were born last November as their mother Cora’s second pair of cubs. The zoo is planning to keep them for a year before exchanging them for other animals. The bears have been a huge attraction for visitors; last weekend, some 8,000 people came to see them.
Football: Plzeň gain two-point lead
Plzeň beat Jablonec 3:1 in the 25th round of the Czech top football division on Saturday, gaining a two-point lead at the top of the league table over Sparta Prague. Plzeň were losing after Jablonec’s Čízek hit in the 28th minute but equalized before the break, and added two more goals in the second half. Sparta Prague meanwhile drew 2:2 against Jihlava on Friday. There are five more rounds to be played in the Gambrinus liga.
Hockey: Czechs lose to Sweden in Brno´
The Czech national hockey team lost 0:1 to Sweden at the Czech Hockey Games in Brno on Saturday. The only goal of the match came from Pär Arlbrandt. The Czechs play Russia on Sunday for first place at the tournament, held a week before the start of the world championships in Sweden and Finland.
26.04.2013 Environment minister “wins” Ropák for 2012
Ecological activists from Friends of the Earth have awarded the country’s environment minister, Tomáš Chalupa, this year’s Ropák (Oil Guzzler) anti-award for most damaging environmental policies. The organisation said the minister had been chosen for the distinction for a controversial bill on the protection of Šumava National Park, for supporting the expansion of the Temelín nuclear power plant, and allegedly failing to act in the protection of the environment. The minister responded by saying that receiving the award meant he was doing something right and not succumbing to what he called “green hysteria”. The Ropák anti-award takes its name from a fictional creature (invented by Czech filmmaker Jan Svěrák) which survives on industrial waste. This year was the 21st time it was awarded.
Jakl wins “Green Pearl”
In related news, former controversial presidential aide Ladislav Jakl was awarded the Zelená perla (Green Pearl, recognising most outlandish statement) for an opinion piece in which he slammed cycling as an alternative means of transport. In the piece last year he mocked biking as a clean and healthy means of travel, suggesting that cycling should be “banned”.
Study suggests psychiatric institutional care outdated, most resembling systems in the former Soviet Union
A new study obtained prior to release by the Czech news agency, suggests that in terms of structure psychiatric institutional care in the Czech Republic most resembles systems in the former Soviet Union and the Balkans, setting it apart from current practices in western Europe, where the trend has been towards community care and other support systems. The study was conducted by specialists from the Prague Psychiatric Centre: care across 30 European countries was examined.
In Italy, for example, many mental hospitals were closed or reduced in size. In the Czech Republic similar steps could only be taken following the introduction of alternative systems to prevent the mentally ill from ending up on the street or in prison, specialists suggested. Currently, Czech psychiatry receives 3.5 percent of the annual healthcare budget; that is to be boosted to five percent after reforms are introduced. The European average is eight.
Kmoníček: EU President offered assurances with regards to ČEZ in Bulgaria
The European Union will take appropriate steps if the pre-election struggle in Bulgaria threatens the position of the Czech state-owned company ČEZ in the country, the head of the head the European Council Herman Van Rompuy pledged on Thursday during a meeting with Czech President Miloš Zeman. Hynek Kmoníček, the head of the presidential office’s foreign affairs dept. revealed the news a day after the two men met at Prague Castle. "We would like the EU to fulfil its role of the top supervisor on EU standards," Mr Kmoníček told the Czech news agency. ČEZ´s problems in Bulgaria, the CTK noted, began after Bulgarians´ mass protests against high energy bills. Demonstrators demanded the nationalisation of the distribution companies in the country that are owned besides ČEZ by another Czech firm, Energo-Pro and the Austrian EVN. The protests resulted in fall of Boiko Borisov´s right-wing government.
French bus driver dies in hospital
The driver of a French bus which crashed on a motorway west of Prague on April 8 has died bringing the death toll in the accident to two. A 15-year-old schoolgirl died in the crash and 23 other school children were injured. The bus was headed for Prague when it careened off the motorway near Rokycany, some 80 km west of the Czech capital, shortly after 5am. The police were investigating the accident as a possible case of negligence resulting in death. The case is now likely to be closed.
Prague city councillors agree to industrial palace out-of-court settlement
Prague City councillors on Friday agreed on an out-of-court settlement with insurance companies over the renovation of the industrial palace at Prague’s exhibition grounds. One wing of the palace was destroyed by fire several years ago. Under the agreement, the city will receive 280 million crowns compared to the 1.2 billion crowns or so the city was asking for before. The settlement comes after a court ruled that Prague had no right to compensation in the deal, as the site during the time of the fire, was leased to a private company.
Unique items found at house where Jan Kubiš was born
Workers renovating a house in Dolní Vilémovice (where Jan Kubiš – a British-trained paratrooper during World War II was born) recovered several unique items including letters, part of a military uniform, and photographs, Prague’s Institute of Military History revealed. Jan Kubiš and fellow soldier Jozef Gabčík pulled off a daring attack against acting Reichsprotector and ‘Hangman of Bohemia’ Reinhard Heydrich in 1942. Heydrich died several days later of his wounds. Kubiš, Gabčík and another five paratroopers were later surrounded at the Church of St. Cyril and St. Methodious on Resslova Street and paid with their lives for the assassination. Kubiš was wounded and died in hospital; the others committed suicide to avoid capture. The items in Mr Kubiš’s home were found under a stair that had rotted through.
Record temperatures registered around the country
Eleven areas around the Czech Republic saw record temperatures on Friday: in České Budějovice highs reached 27 degrees, just edging a record which had stood since 1947. Meteorologists warned individuals this week to begin using sunscreen, due to a thinning of the ozone layer.
Two bodies found in Vltava River
Two bodies were found in the Vltava River on Friday, one near Palacký Bridge and the other near an electric power plant at Štvanice. The criminal police have begun investigations into both deaths. The body found by the bridge is that of a 40 to 50 year-old man whose identity remains unknown. The police have released no details about the second person, whose body proved difficult to retrieve.
Hockey: Vokoun quits national team
Two-time ice hockey world championship gold medal winner Tomáš Vokoun, a goalie who plays for the Pittsburgh Penguins, has told the news website idnes he will no longer play for the national squad. Vokoun led the Czech team to an unexpected victory against Russia in the final in Germany in 2010. Before that, he won his first gold in Austria in 2005. Vokoun told idnes that the Czech Republic had plenty of talented up-and-coming goalies and that it would be unfair of him to take a place on the roster. Vokoun did not play in the championship last year due to injury and missed the year before that when he sought a new contract in the NHL.
25.04.2013 EC President Herman van Rompuy in Prague
On a working visit to Prague the president of the European Council, Herman van Rompuy said the EU had weathered the worst of economic crisis and the future of the euro was no longer at stake. He said the EU must now focus on jump starting the economy and creating thousands of new jobs in order to secure the return of financial stability. Prime Minister Petr Necas said that, while it was in the Czech Republic’s best interests to help the euro zone’s recovery, Prague was in no hurry to exchange the crown for the euro and such a decision would have to be made on the basis of a national referendum. Mr. Van Rompuy assured his host the European Council would not pressurize Prague on the matter, adding that since the Czech Republic did not fulfil the respective critieria for euro zone membership it was not an issue of the present day.
Mr van Rompuy also met with the Czech president, Miloš Zeman. The European Council president’s visit comes some three weeks after the head of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, attended the ceremony of hoisting the EU flag at Prague Castle.
Prague protests against Swiss quotas
The Czech Foreign Ministry has criticized Switzerland’s decision to extend the validity of quotas for long-term residence permits granted to citizens from eight EU countries including the Czech Republic. In a statement issued on Thursday the Czech Foreign Ministry said the move was discriminatory and called for the matter to be addressed on a European level. The Swiss authorities announced the decision on Wednesday, bowing to growing unease about immigration from poorer neighbours.
The EU's foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton also said she regretted the Swiss action, adding that it was contrary to the 1999 treaty signed with Switzerland on the free movement of people since the quotas differentiate between countries. Under the terms of the treaty non-EU Switzerland may invoke a "safeguard clause" which allows temporary caps on work permits if the annual influx exceeds a certain number.
Senate approves new Constitutional Court judges
The Czech Senate on Thursday approved four new Constitutional Court judges, accepting all the nominations proposed by President Miloš Zeman. The new judges are Jaroslav Fenyk, Jan Filip, Vladimir Sládeček and Milada Tomková. There were three vacancies in the 15-member court to date and another seven seats are to be vacated by the end of the year. Ahead of the vote President Zeman urged the upper house to vote prudently saying the Constitutional Court was on the brink of collapse and must be stabilized. The head of state has promised to submit four more candidates in June.
Boris Štastný resigns from Prague city council
Prague Civic Democrat councillor Boris Štastný has announced his decision to resign his seat on the city council. Mr. Štastný said he was leaving in protest against the present style of management and what he described as guerrilla warfare tactics used by rival Civic Democrats and TOP 09 on the council. Boris Štastný is a long-term critic of Prague mayor Bohuslav Svoboda accusing him of letting the city fall into debt and making incompetent decisions. He said the two-party coalition was no longer functional and he was no longer willing to accept co-responsibility for the shady deals being made.
Trade unions and employers fail to agree on minimum wage increase
Trade unions and employers on Thursday failed to agree on a planned minimum wage increase in 2014, leaving the decision in the hands of the government. While trade unions demanded a 600 crown raise, employers would not go higher than 400. Social Affairs Minister Ludmilla Mullerová said she would present both options to the cabinet for a final decision. The minimum wage is currently 8,000 crowns before tax and has not been raised since 2007.
Finance Ministry to withdraw 6,000 licences for video lottery terminals
The Finance Ministry has announced plans to withdraw 6,000 licences for video lottery terminals which were originally issued until the end of 2014. The move is being made in line with the wishes of individual town halls which aim to cub gambling. The Czech Constitutional Court recently upheld a complaint filed collectively by town halls that attacked an article of the lottery law enabling the finance ministry to issue video lottery terminal licences over their heads.
OECD warns Czechs over social exclusion in schools
The OECD, a Paris-based international organization, has warned the Czech Republic over rising levels of social exclusion in schools, the daily Mladá fronta Dnes reported. The group notes that while richer families increasingly send children to better quality schools, children from poorer families tend to attend the schools closest to their homes. That is detrimental to both groups of children, the OECD said. The Czech Education Ministry said it would address the issue and pledged more funding for regions where children achieve worse results at school.
Social Democrat leader unveils shadow cabinet
The leader of the opposition Social Democrats Bohuslav Sobotka on Thursday unveiled the line-up of the shadow cabinet. His ministerial team is 14-strong, with a newly added youth and sports portfolio. Jan Mládek whose candidacy for shadow finance minister was shaken by a highly imprudent remark made at the last party conference, is on the team. Jiři Dienstbier whose position was weakened after he failed to secure a post in the party leadership is shadow justice minister. Lubomir Zaorálek is shadow foreign minister and Vladimir Špidla, a former EU commissioner for employment, social affairs and equal opportunities, is shadow environment minister.
MEP Miloslav Ransdorf deep in debt
Communist Party MEP Miloslav Ransdorf who has a 17 million crown debt has been unable to a visit from the bailiff and the confiscation of his real estate in Prague. His nine million crown house in Prague’s Libuse district and flat in Zabehlice are to be auctioned off on June 26th. The MEP allegedly owes money both to financial institutions and close friends.
St Wenceslas chained off again
The equestrian statue of St. Wenceslas on Prague’s main square is once again chained off to protect it from vandals. The chain was removed eight years ago after members of the Balbin Poetic party, a pseudo-party which regularly meets in a pub to criticize the shortcomings of Czech society and politicians, demanded its removal arguing that having a chain around the nation's patron saint did not bode well for the future and that to many people the chain symbolized the occupation of Czechoslovakia by Soviet troops. Since its removal the statue has been an easy target for vandals and there have been incidents of drunks trying to climb it.
24.04.2013 PN Nečas slams President Zeman over Sudeten German remarks
Prime Minister Petr Nečas on Wednesday criticized President Miloš Zeman over his remarks over the post-war expulsion of ethnic Germans from Czechoslovakia. During his visit to Austria, Mr Zeman on Tuesday said the expulsion of around three million Germans was justified as 90 percent of them had voted for a Nazi party. He also suggested that for collaborators with an occupying power, the expulsion was less severe punishment than death penalty. Speaking in Prague on Wednesday, Prime Minister Nečas said the president should adopt a more measured tone, and realize that “we live in 2013 and are members of the EU”.
President Zeman concludes Austrian visit
In related news, President Miloš Zeman on Wednesday concludes his two-day visit to Austria, his second foreign trip abroad since his inauguration last month. Mr Zeman visited the Austrian Parliament on Wednesday; at a meeting with Austrian and Czech entrepreneurs, the Czech president spoke about the future adoption of the euro by the Czech Republic, and it would protect the country against speculations with the national currency. Mr Zeman also said the two countries should increase economic cooperation.
MEPs call on top Czech officials over totalitarian studies institute
A group of 25 MEPs on Wednesday called on top Czech officials to take action against the destabilization of the country’s Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes, the news agency ČTK said. In a letter to the Czech president, prime minister and the head of the Senate, the deputies expressed their concern over the recent replacement of the institute’s director, which could lead to the closing down of the government-sponsored institute, the MEPs said.
Earlier this month, the institute’s overseeing board dismissed its director, Daniel Herman. Critics believe the move was politically motivated by the opposition which wants to change the discourse of the country’s communist past.
Presidential amnesty halts prosecution of 415 cases
Czech judges and attorneys halted the prosecution of 757 people in 415 cases by the end of March on the basis of an amnesty issued in January by then president Václav Klaus, a spokeswoman for the Supreme State Attorney said on Wednesday. Around half of the cases were related to alleged economic crime. The controversial amnesty, which among other things ordered judges and prosecutors to stop cases lasting for more than eight years, came under severe criticism and prompted the Senate to raise high treason charges against then president Václav Klaus at the Czech Constitutional Court.
Government approves controversial Šumava bill
The Czech Government on Wednesday approved a controversial bill on the Šumava National Park. The draft legislation would, among other things, change the park zones and allow logging in places where it is now prohibited. The bill would also relax the rules for building skiing resorts and hotels. While the Environment Ministry believes the bill would provide better protection for the park against the bark beetle, but critics says it would in effect expose the park’s most precious areas to developers and logging firms.
Poll: one third of Czechs want snap elections
Around 34 of Czechs want a snap general election, according to a new poll by STEM agency. Meanwhile, 16 percent of those polled said they wanted the current coalition government to continue until the next regular election scheduled for May 2014, and another 12 percent believe the government should continue but changes at some ministerial posts should be made.
Education Ministry finalized draft university reform
The Czech Education Ministry has finalized a draft reform of university education, the news agency ČTK reported. The reform should give universities more autonomy, change the system of their financing and accreditation, and introduce several new fees such as for recognizing degrees earned abroad. The reform will also allow universities to hire experts without the otherwise required academic ranks. The draft reform will now be discussed by university officials. If eventually approved by lawmakers, it could enter into force by mid 2015.
Prague City Hall coalition “in crisis”
The coalition of the Civic Democrats and TOP 09 group at Prague City Hall is undergoing another major crisis, the news agency ČTK reported on Wednesday. Mayor Bohuslav Svoboda, of the Civic Democrats, abruptly ended Tuesday’s session of the council over disputes concerning a planned restructuring of the city hall. Council members for TOP 09 threatened to leave the coalition, and said they would announce their decision by Friday.
Zeman’s presidential stamps enter distribution
Czech Post on Wednesday began distribution new stamps with the portrait of President Miloš Zeman. The president’s portrait on the stamp was based on a photograph by Herbert Slavík. Czech Post has so far produced 10 million pieces of the new stamp which is worth 10 crowns. Previously, it had produced 94 million presidential stamps with the portrait of Václav Klaus, and 260 million with Václav Havel's image.
Model Eva Herzigová gives birth to third son
Czech model Eva Herzigová gave birth to her third son, the news website idnes.cz reported. The boy, named Edward, was born in London on Sunday, an associate of the 40-year-old model told the website. Eva Herzigová and her partner, Gregorio Marsaij, already have two sons, five-year-old George and two-year-old Phillip. Eva Herzigová started her modelling career in 1989, and has worked for Dior, Chanel, Victoria’s Secret and other brands.
Man gets 8.5 years for setting apartment building on fire
A court in Prague on Wednesday sentenced a 31-year-old man to 8.5 years in prison for setting a high-rise apartment building on fire. The court said that in February 2012, the man set fire to the door of an apartment where his ex-girlfriend was staying with three children. The fire destroyed the flat; the woman with the children was rescued by fire fighters while 25 inhabitants of the building were also evacuated.
Police catch thief of 400 cremation urns
The police have caught a man suspected of having stolen some 400 cremations urns from cemeteries in northern Bohemia. The police said the 23-year-repeat offender, who confessed to the crime, emptied the urns and damaged them in order to sell them as scrap metal, causing damages of around 200,000 crowns. The man faces charges of theft and desecration of human remains; if convicted, he could land a five-year sentence.