News From The Czech Republic 16.05.2013 - 09.05.2013
CR: 16.05.2013 Economist Valtr Komárek dies, aged 82
An economist and an important political figure Valtr Komárek has died in Prague at the age of 82, having been hospitalized for a number of days following heart surgery. Mr Komárek, a holocaust survivor, played an important role in the reform wing of the Communist Party during the Prague Spring in the late 1960’s, and was an active participant of the Velvet Revolution in 1989. In the mid-1960’s, Mr Komárek also served as an advisor to Che Guevara in Cuba. He was elected as an MP for the Social Democratic party in 1992, and a decade later was named the party’s honorary chairman. President Zeman, who has recently visited Mr Komárek at the hospital, said that he was one of the most important political figures in the Czech Republic since 1989.
Horsemeat found in cans from Latvia
Undeclared horsemeat has once again been found in products sold in the Czech Republic, this time in canned meat from Latvia. The Czech authorities were alerted by German inspectors, who found this particular product to contain up to 87% of horsemeat. According to the Czech food inspection agency, the products do not seem to be harmful, but since no horsemeat was listed on the label, they will have to be taken off the shelves. Some 144 cans were imported to the Czech Republic, meant for Russian specialties shops.
Martinec violated protocol, investigation reveals
An internal police investigation has revealed that the former head of the anti-corruption unit, Tomáš Martinec, violated protocol when he showed Prague High State Attorney Lenka Bradáčová evidence compiled against her estranged husband. In mid-April, Ms Bradáčová asked the police president, Martin Červíček, to investigate possible leaks from the anti-corruption unit to the media and later told a source that she believed Mr Martinec was preparing a smear campaign against her. The unit director denied any wrongdoing, but resigned from his post in late April. Following the result of the initial investigation, disciplinary proceedings were initiated on Wednesday, although the police president stressed that there was no evidence that Mr Martinec had committed a crime.
German Arriva buys the whole Central European division of Veolia
In one of the biggest deals on the Czech transportation market, the company Arriva, which belongs to the state-owned German train operator Deutsche Bahn, is set to purchase the Central European division of the French transportation company Veolia. The majority of this division’s business lies in the Czech Republic, where it employs 2,600 people, and operates 1,600 buses and four regional train services. Veolia is currently the biggest bus operator in this country. The German buyer is not a newcomer to the Czech market either, though Arriva has been struggling to gain a foothold in the local railroad network. It is planning to run express trains in Central Bohemia between Kralupy nad Vltavou and Benešov.
Police detains Chechen refugees in Rozvadov
Twelve refugees from Chechnya were discovered by the Czech police travelling in a van near Rozvadov in western Bohemia. Members of the group, which included six children, had applied for asylum in Poland, and according to the Dublin Convention were meant to remain there until a decision was made about their applications. The Russian citizens told the Czech police that they were travelling to Germany. Since they have no legal status in other EU states besides the country of entry, the Czech authorities have asked their Polish colleagues to take the group into their custody.
Government gives extra 69 million to anti-corruption unit
Following a proposal from the deputy prime minister, Karolína Peake, the Czech government decided to increase the budget of the police anti-corruption unit by 69 million crowns. The LIDEM party chairwoman indicated that the technical equipment of the unit is in a deplorable state. Around 39 million crowns from the newly allocated funds will be used to purchase new vehicles, and more than nine million for new computers. More than 20 million will be used to expand the unit’s staff.
Former Prague resident and Guggehnheim director Thomas M. Messer dies, aged 93
Thomas Maria Messer, who headed the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum for more than 27 years, died on Wednesday in New York at the age of 93. Messer, who was born in Bratislava, moved to Prague when he was four years old. He left Czechoslovakia to go to the United States on a study grant sixteen years later, in September 1939. He enlisted in the American army during the Second World War and served in Europe, but returned to live in the U.S. afterwards. Mr Messer became the director of the Guggenheim Museum in New York in 1961, and is credited with acquiring a number of large and important private art collections as well as facilitating the opening of the Peggy Guggenheim Museum in Venice, the Guggenheim Foundation’s first international location.
Czechs get no medal at world cup after defeat from the Swiss
The Czech Republic lost to the Swiss 2:1, in an emotional quarterfinal match at the Hockey World Championship in Sweden. The Swiss got in their first goal within the first seven minutes of the match thanks to the Czech defenseman Marek Židlický, who ricocheted the puck, after the goalkeeper’s successful save, off of his shin and into the net. The Swiss surged ahead with a second goal in the next period. In the thir perio, the Czechs used the first power play to their advantage, when Zdeňek Kutlák, who used to play for the Swiss team Ambri-Piotta, scored the team’s first and only goal. Despite the pressure the Czechs put on their opponents in the last 10 minutes of the match, they were unable to turn the game around. The Czechs lost their chance at a medal this year, making this the first time they will be heading home without a world cup title since 2009.
Czech beer fest begins in Prague
The sixth annual Czech Beer Festival started on Thursday. The 16-day event, which highlights the best Czech-brewed beers is taking place at the Holešovice Exhibition Grounds in Prague. Entrance is free every weekday before 2 pm. Live concerts will be held in the evenings for the duration of the festival.
Červenka leaves NHL for Continental League
Czech ice hockey forward Roman Červenka is leaving the NHL, where he played for Calgary, and returning to the Continental League (KHL) to play for Saint Petersburg, his agent Aleš Volek told the CTK news agency on Friday. Červenka, 27, who played for Calgary in the past season, has signed a three-year contract with St. Petersburg. Červenka is returning to the Continental League after a year-long pause. Before joining Calgary, he played for the KHL's Omsk for two years. He played 39 games for Calgary Flames, scoring nine goals and securing eight assists.
Football: Chelsea win Europa League
London football club Chelsea, with star goalkeeper Petr Čech, have clinched back-to-back European titles (last year triumphing in the Champions League and this year the Europa League). On Thursday night, Chelsea got the jump on Benfica on the hour on a Fernando Torres breakaway, although Benfica’s Cardozo soon tied the game on a penalty. Later in the match, Cardozo struck a perfect volley that was only just cleared by Čech, while at the opposite end Lampard shot from 25 metres and hit the woodwork. The winner for Chelsea came from Branislav Ivanovič just before the final whistle. Even so, with five or ten seconds remaining Benfica’s Cardozo had an opportunity to equalise but the ball was kicked away by Gary Cahill in a scramble in front of Čech.
Weather
It will be mostly sunny in the upcoming days, with possible rain showers at the end of the week. Daytime temperatures will be between 24 and 26 degrees Celsius.
15.05.2013 President selects three more nominees for Constitutional Court judges
President Miloš Zeman has selected three more nominees for Constitutional Court judges to replace those whose term in office expires later this year. They are Supreme Administrative Court judge Katerina Šimáčková, current Constitutional Court judge Miloslav Výborný who would be nominated for re-election and Supreme Court judge Ludvík David. Mr. Zeman met with all three candidates on Tuesday and will now propose their nominations to the Senate. The president appointed three new judges to the Constitutional Court in early May and the 15-member body is now complete, but the mandates of seven more judges are due to expire this year.
Constitutional Court to hold public hearing on church restitution law
The Constitutional Court will hold a public hearing on church restitutions on May 29. The court will debate a complaint against the church restitution law filed by the opposition Public Affairs. The legislation has also been attacked by the opposition Social Democrats and the Communist Party on the grounds that it is overly generous and gives churches more property than was actually confiscated by the communist regime after 1948. Under the law Czech churches will get back 75 billion crowns worth of property and another 59 billion crowns in compensation for that which cannot be returned to be paid out by the state over a period of 30 years.
Czech economy in record-low recession
The Czech economy is in record-long recession, having contracted for the sixth quarter in a row, according to figures posted by the Czech Statistical Office on Wednesday. The economy shrank by 0.8 percent in the first quarter due to a fall in foreign demand affecting mainly the car sector. Lower investment activity also led to a further drop in construction. According to the Czech Statistical Office the year on year decline has deepened to 1.9 percent. The crown slumped to its weakest level since November 2011 on the news.
ISTR head presents list of candidates for new academic board
The new head of the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes Pavla Foglarova has presented the supervisory board with a list of candidates for the institutes’ academic board after its former members resigned en masse in protest over the sacking of the institute’s former head Daniel Herman. The new academic board should have 12 members and the proposed candidates include the former politician and historian Petr Pithart, historian Vilem Precan, the present director of the Institute of Modern History Oldrich Tuma and number of foreign experts including the French historian Muriel Blaive, who currently resides in Vienna, and the Danish historian Peter Bugge, an expert on Bohemian studies. The institute has recently undergone far-reaching personnel changes and relations within remain tense.
Prague moves to regulate busking in city centre
Prague City Hall has taken steps to regulate busking in the city centre. A new regulation which went into force on Wednesday May 15, clearly stipulates which areas are off limits and where busking is still allowed. The regulation does not apply to Charles Bridge where special rules are in force. City Hall says the regulation was the result of a compromise between Prague residents and street artists. The new regulation also sets down a buskers’ ethical codex, intended to limit noise pollution in residential areas.
Drivers may be able to select the numbers on their license plates
The lower house of Parliament has approved an amendment to the road law which should allow drivers to select the numbers on their license plates as of 2015. The special service will come at a price with one license plate to cost 5,000 crowns. The cost per car will thus be 10,000 crowns. The proposed amendment should also simplify the process of registering vehicles. The bill will now go to the Senate.
European Literature Night in Prague
Public readings from contemporary European literature are taking place in 18 Prague venues tonight. The popular literary event, now in its 7th year, is organized by the network of Czech Cultural Centres in cooperation with European National Institutes for Culture EUNIC. The aim is to provide a platform for contemporary European authors and to present new European literary voices in a creative way. Among the authors whose works will be presented this year at Prague galleries, coffee houses and theatres are Elena Ferrante from Italy and Hungary’s Peter Esterhazy. European Literature Night is held on the eve of the World Book Fair which opens on May 16th in the Czech capital.
Flower Day against cancer in Prague
The League Against Cancer held its annual Flower Day in the Czech capital on Wednesday to help raise money for cancer research and raise public awareness of the need for prevention. The money raised is used to support the league’s projects, which are focused on the prevention of tumor-related illnesses, improving the quality of life of cancer patients and acquiring new technology for treatment and research departments.
Main runway at Prague’s Vaclav Havel Airport undergoing reconstruction
Maintenance work has started on the main runway at Prague’s Vaclav Havel Airport. From mid-May until the end of September the airport will have to rely on alternate runways. This is the second stage of a three phase-reconstruction due to end in 2014. The airport says it has carefully planned the use of the alternate runaways in order to protect people living in the vicinity of the airport from excessive noise pollution as much as possible. The matter is also being consulted with experts on noise pollution.
International media carrying footage of Czech president staggering at ceremony
A number of international media outlets are carrying video footage of the Czech president staggering in public, with several headlines posing the question of whether he may have been inebriated. The Huffington Post and the websites of the Daily Mail, the Washington Post, USA Today and other newspapers have posted the video, which at one point shows the head of state propping himself up against a wall; it comes from a ceremony last Thursday in which the Czech crown jewels were removed from the vault where they are normally stored. Mr. Zeman had previously been at an event at Prague’s Russian Embassy but denies having been under the influence. A spokesperson said he had contracted a virus.
14.05.2013 Jewish Community: Anti-Semitism growing, particularly on internet
The Czech Republic’s Jewish Community says expressions of anti-Semitism are growing in the country, mainly on the internet. In an annual report, the community attributed the increase to rising tensions in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the pro-Israeli stance of the Czech government and the fact that Jan Fischer, who is Jewish, stood in presidential elections. However, the report said that anti-Semitism was not common in the Czech Republic and that the number of physical incidents had not increased on recent years. An official said a controversial government bill to return property to churches had also contributed to antipathy towards Jews.
Opponents plan to call on pope to block church restitution
Opponents of church restitution say they will write to Pope Francis to ask him to prevent the return of previously nationalised property to the Czech Roman Catholic Church. The group behind the move, which includes writer Lenka Procházková and documentary maker Václav Dvořák, say they want to get more signatories, effectively turning it into a petition, before sending the letter to Rome. Stop Church Restitution say the return of the property has split Czech society and intensified the despair of the country’s poorest. Around CZK 75 billion in property or financial compensation is being returned to a number of churches.
Press: Trial of businessman Janoušek to begin in July with media permitted in court
The trial of influential Prague businessman Roman Janoušek on a charge of attempted murder will begin in July, Lidové noviny reported on Tuesday. Judge Tomáš Kubovec told the newspaper he would allow the media to be present in court for what is likely to be one of the most closely watched cases of the year in the Czech Republic. Mr. Janoušek was arrested last year after knocking down another driver and speeding away in a state of apparent inebriation. The businessman, who is believed to have been close to former Prague mayor Pavel Bém and other politicians, could face up to 18 years in jail if found guilty.
Czech president to visit Poland at end of next week
The Czech president, Miloš Zeman, is due to make a two-day visit to Poland at the end of next week, continuing a series of visits to neighbouring states. Mr. Zeman will have a meeting with his Polish counterpart, Bronislaw Komorowski, on a trip that comes hot on the heels of a visit to Warsaw by the Czech prime minister, Petr Nečas. The Czech head of state, who was elected in January, will take part in a meeting of 18 European presidents in Bratislava next month, while he is also expected to travel to Germany and to visit Czech troops in Afghanistan later this year.
Nečas: Czechs to take part in tender to sell training jets to Polish military
Speaking in Warsaw on Monday, Prime Minister Nečas said the Czech Republic would take part in a tender to supply subsonic training fighter jets to the Polish military, including planes owned by the Czech Army. The Czech leader said Prague was also willing to provide customised training on the Czech-made L-159 jets. Mr. Nečas was heading a sizable Czech delegation that also included the ministers of defence, transport, agriculture and regional development. To date, representatives of manufacturer Aero Vodochody and the Czech state have been unsuccessful in efforts to sell the trainers to a number of countries.
Unions and owners call for halt to changes that have caused reduction in spa treatments
Union leaders and representatives of the Czech Republic’s spas have demanded an immediate halt to changes in the system of spa treatment. They say the very existence of the country’s spas has been threatened by a shortening of the average length of stays and a marked reduction in payment for treatment by health insurers. Doctors have reportedly become afraid to prescribe spa care even in cases where they are still able to do so. The unions and spa owners have called for a meeting with the minister of health to address the problem.
Director Troška to begin shooting follow-up to hit movie Babovřesky
Director and screenwriter Zdeněk Troška is planning to begin shooting a follow-up to his popular film Babovřesky later this month. Despite being slammed by many critics, the movie has been seen by over 600,000 people in the Czech Republic and around 150,000 in Slovakia with ticket sales reaching CZK 82 million. Mr. Troška, who is known for his broad and earthy comedies, said satisfied viewers represented his “greatest Oscar”. Babovřesky 2 will be his 22nd picture.
Czechs reach playoffs at ice hockey Worlds after drubbing of Norway
The Czech Republic have reached the knockout stage of the Ice Hockey World Championship in Sweden and Finland. The Czechs needed any kind of win over Norway to reach the playoffs and in the end made light work of their opponents on Tuesday, scoring three goals in the first 12 minutes and eventually running out 7:0 winners. The star of the show was forward Tomáš Plekanec, who joined the Czech squad only on Sunday from the NHL. He and his teammates now face group winners Switzerland for a place in the semi-finals.
Czech players Krejčí and Jágr play role in remarkable NHL turnaround
Czech ice hockey players David Krejčí and Jaromír Jágr contributed to a remarkable turnaround for their club Boston Bruins on Monday; their assists that led to a goal that tied a NHL key game with less than one minute remaining. Boston, who had been losing 1:4, went on to beat Toronto in overtime and in so doing take their playoff first round 4:3 on games.
13.05.2013 Zeman questioned over coal mining company privatisation
The country’s president, Miloš Zeman, was questioned by the Czech anti-corruption police in February over the allegedly fraudulent privatisation of Czech mining company Mostecká uhelná, Czech TV reported a day before a Swiss court began dealing with the case. Six former managers at the company are accused of having illegally transferred 150 million dollars from the firm and of having bought a majority stake in the coal giant for the money. The police suspect them of having conducted the deal at a considerably lower price. The privatisation of Mostecká uhelná took place under the government headed by then-prime minister Miloš Zeman, who told the police that the price was the decisive factor; he dismissed the idea that the state lost any money in the deal.
Commemorative ceremony at Lety
Cardinal Dominik Duka took part in a commemorative ceremony for Romany victims of the Holocaust at the Lety memorial in southern Bohemia on Monday. The event was attended by a number of foreign ambassadors, cultural dignitaries and Roma representatives. Czech political leaders were notably absent this year, with the exception of the deputy speaker of the Senate Miluše Horská. The Lety memorial, unveiled in 1995 by then president Václav Havel, is situated close to the site of a former concentration camp for Romanies where 300 Romany prisoners lost their lives and from where hundreds of others were transported to the Auschwitz extermination camp. The fact that a pig farm is located on the site of the former camp has been the source of considerable controversy and embarrassment to the Czech government which says it does not have the money to relocate it.
Prague gas workers check for leaks
Prague gas workers checked for potential gas leaks across the city over the course of Monday following an explosion in the capital that damaged buildings near the National Theatre earlier this month and injured around 40 people. The amount of an olfactory indicator added to natural gas has been doubled to help residents detect leaks. Anyone in Prague suspecting a leak should call line 1239.
Gas leak found near Main Station
In related news, a gas leak was detected on Monday not far from Prague’s Main Station. Gas leaked for several dozen minutes, officials said, after someone dismantled a gas tap at a nearby abandoned building. The leak was stopped by workers from the Pražská plynárenská gas company. The discovery of the leak was not connected to checks of gas piping taking place in the city on Monday, a spokesman said; because of the leak, traffic was disrupted for a time at Prague’s Magistrála throughway.
President back at work
President Miloš Zeman is back at work after suffering from a viral infection, the president’s office has said, stressing he will spend most of the workweek at his desk to further aid his recovery. Mr Zeman attended the opening of the Prague Spring Music Festival on Sunday but was visibly unwell only a few days ago at a ceremony of bringing the crown jewels out of storage. During the official ceremony, the president, who is 69, had to prop himself against a wall to keep from swaying, sparking broad speculation over the cause of the problem.
Public tender on National Museum renovation launched
A public tender for the renovation of the National Museum’s historic main building on Wenceslas Square was launched on Monday. The tender was approved in April by the government and subsequently by the finance and culture ministries. Proposals received will be revealed at the end of August. The main building of the National Museum will retain its historic facade which was designed by architect Josef Schulz, but visitors in the future will be able to enjoy a modern exhibition venue following 21st century trends, representatives have made clear. One of the most prominent elements in the renovation plans is the creation of a tunnel connecting the National Museum’s main building with a sister-site which used to serve as the Parliamentary building in the former Czechoslovakia.
Elementary schools hold mock exam
Elementary schools across the country on Monday held a second mock exam to test levels of knowledge and the capabilities of students in grades five and nine. Children are being tested in the Czech language, math, as well as foreign languages. Around 1,000 parents have come out against the exam, claiming it was not objective.
Alfons Mucha exhibition to see 50,000th visitor
A month after opening, 50,000 visitors will have seen a unique exhibition at Prague’s Obcení dům featuring an almost complete collection of posters by Art Nouveau painter Alfons Mucha. The collection is owned by former tennis great Ivan Lendl. The 50,000th visitor is expected on Tuesday, organisers revealed. Another recent exhibition in Prague that saw similar numbers (almost 49,000 visitors) was one dedicated to the work of 20th century avant garde painter František Kupka. Ivan Lendl : Alfons Mucha continues until the end of July.
Hockey: national team gets help from Swiss at Worlds
The national team will have to beat Norway on Tuesday to advance to the knockout stages at the Ice Hockey World Championship. A loss on Sunday against Team Canada put the Czechs on the brink of being knocked out of the tournament; the squad, however, gained a reprieve with Switzerland’s 3:1 defeat of Norway later on Sunday evening. Norway are a point ahead of the Czechs in their group standings. Switzerland has been the Cinderella story of this year’s championship, remaining the only undefeated team.
NHL playoffs: for Bruins, Krejčí & Jágr, it’s “do or die” against Leafs
For the Boston Bruins, with Czech players David Krejčí and star forward Jaromír Jágr, it will be “do or die” in the final game of their best-of-seven series against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday night in the first round of the NHL playoffs. Krejčí leads in the playoffs on goals, having scored five (including a hat trick) against Toronto; Jágr managed an assist in Game 6 but has been less of a presence. Toronto, by comparison, has seen strong performances by its goaltender, James Reimer, and players like Phil Kessel, who was key to Toronto’s forcing a seventh game.
12.05.2013 Prague Marathon attracts thousands
Some 10,000 people put on their running shoes for this year’s Prague International Marathon and hundreds of onlookers turned up to cheer them on. The first through the finishing line this year was Nicholas Kemboi from Qatar who covered the 42 km distance in 2:08mins. The first woman to reach the finishing line was Caroline Rotich from Kenya who made it in 2:27mins. The marathon has gained increasing popularity since it was established in 1995. It takes runners through the city centre and has been voted one of the most beautiful in the world. In view of the Boston bombing special security measures have been taken for the event.
Prague Spring Music Festival opens tonight
A commemorative act at the graveside of Czech composer Bedřich Smetana officially opened the 68th annual Prague Spring Music Festival on Sunday. The prestigious festival traditionally begins with a rendition of Smetana’s cycle of symphonic poems My Country; this year it will be performed by the French Radio Philharmonic Orchestra. Over the next three weeks music lovers will be able to take their pick from 45 concerts, presenting leading international orchestras and soloists as well as six opera performances at different venues in the Czech capital.
Czechs increasingly skeptical regarding Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes
The results of an opinion poll conducted by the SANEP agency suggest that the majority of Czechs consider the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes a useless institution. According to the poll results 68.7 percent of respondents said the institute was obsolete and 73.3 percent said they did not believe it to be entirely independent and objective in its research. Only 25 percent of respondents said they believed it was fulfilling its mission and 26 percent of respondents said that the institution had been hijacked by politicians for their own ends. The poll was conducted at the beginning of the month as the institute was undergoing a change of management and was racked by controversy.
Brigadier General Zdeněk Škarvada dies
One of the country’s last surviving war heroes, Brigadier General Zdeněk Škarvada, has died at the age of 95. General Škarvada served in the air force of the First Republic. After the occupation of Czechoslovakia he left for Poland where he participated in the country’s defence before going on to Great Britain where he joined the RAF. He flew night missions and when his plane suffered technical failure he was captured by the Germans. He was held in several European POW camps and eventually survived a 1000 km long death march. After the communist coup he was demoted and forced to work in the mines. In 1965 he was partially rehabilitated. He has been awarded a number of decorations for valour.
Rescuers save young man trapped in marshland
Rescuers in the Šumava Mountains saved the life of a 26-year-old man who was abandoned, heavily drunk, in marshland by his friends. When he failed to return to base on Saturday evening they alerted the mountain rescue service which combed the famed Slatiny marshes. When they found the man he was waist deep in mud, disoriented and suffering from hypothermia. The head of the rescue team said he had had a lucky escape since after several days of heavy rain the area was particularly dangerous.
Repairs on D1 highway underway
Restrictions are in now place along selected stretches of the D1 highway from Prague to Brno. Following several days of persistent rain, repair work started in earnest on Sunday with traffic restricted to one lane in places. Despite the onset of repair work traffic is reported to have problem-free throughout the day. The country’s main highway will remain open to traffic throughout its reconstruction due to concerns that de-tours would immeasurably burden surrounding towns and villages. The speed limit along the stretches where work is underway has been lowered to 80 km per hour.
Czechs defeated by Canada
The Czech national team lost 2:1 to Canada at the World Ice Hockey Championship in Stockholm on Sunday, seriously jeopardizing its chances of advancing to the quarterfinals. The Czech team, which had been struggling since the beginning of the tournament, put up a valiant fight against their strong opponent with Petr Koukal equalizing an opening goal by Canada’s Wayne Simmonds in the first period. Although the Czechs managed to maintain the score through the second period a goal from Jeff Skinner close to the end of the third period dashed their hopes of victory. The loss means that for the first time in the country’s modern history the Czechs might not advance to the quarterfinals.
Plekanec and Židlický to join national team
Marek Židlický will join the Czech national team for the 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in Stockholm on Monday. After announcing the arrival of Montreal Canadiens forward Tomáš Plekanec on the same day, the Czech national team will use their last spot on the roster for New Jersey Devils defenceman Marek Židlický. Both Plekanec and Židlický are to play in the last preliminary-round game against Norway on Tuesday.
11.05.2013 Commemorative ceremony at Motol
Close to two hundred people attended a commemorative ceremony for the victims of communism at Prague’s Motol crematorium on Saturday. The event, organized by the Confederation of Political Prisoners, was attended by leading top officials, former dissidents and families of the deceased. Speaking near a mass grave where the communists buried those whom they executed, tortured to death or shot at the country’s borders, the speaker of the lower house of Parliament, Miroslava Nemcová, said the past must never be forgotten and warned against efforts to belittle the crimes of the communist regime.
Two injured in plane crash
An ultra light plane carrying two people crashed into a training facility near Vrchlabi Airport, eastern Bohemia, shortly after mid-day on Saturday. The pilot and passenger, both German nationals, suffered serious injuries and were airlifted to hospital in Hradec Kralove. The training facility used by the airport was empty at the time of the accident and no other injuries have been reported.
Romanies to set up own party
Close to 100 Romany representatives from around the Czech Republic are meeting in Prague to finalize preparations for the establishment of the Romany Democratic Party. The head of the preparatory committee Miroslav Tancos told the CTK news agency the circumstances of the Romany minority would not improve unless it was represented in politics. There are around 250,000 Romanies living in the Czech Republic and a third of them live in slums. A vast number of Romanies are unemployed. An earlier Romany party, set up in 2005, was dissolved by the Supreme Administrative court two years ago, for failing to meet the conditions stipulated by law.
Extremists rally more supporters through social networks
Extremist parties in the Czech Republic have managed to rally more supporters through social networks, according to an Interior Ministry report to be debated by the government next Wednesday. Extremist parties both right and left are using the Internet to drum up support especially among the young generation, the report says. Right-wing extremists in particular have increased their activities through social networking, holding 48 neo-Nazi concerts in 2012 as opposed to just 18 the previous year. Right wing extremists also maintain close contacts with similar organizations abroad, particularly in neighbouring Germany and Slovakia.
President Zeman on the mend
President Miloš Zeman is reported to be feeling better and plans to attend the opening of the Prague Spring Music Festival on Sunday night, his spokeswoman Hana Burianová said on Saturday. The president’s office reported on Friday that President Zeman was suffering from a viral infection and would need a few days’ rest. Mr. Zeman appeared unwell and was visibly unstable at Thursday’s ceremony of bringing the crown jewels out of storage, sparking speculation regarding the cause of the problem.
Prep work for highway repairs postponed due to heavy rain
Preparatory work for extensive repairs on the D1 highway from Prague to Brno has had to be postponed due to heavy rain. Workers were due to mark restrictions for drivers on several stretches of the road in preparation for channeling traffic into a single lane. The country’s main highway will remain open to traffic throughout its reconstruction due to concerns that de-tours would immeasurably burden surrounding towns and villages. The speed limit along the stretches where work is underway will be lowered to 80 km per hour.
Passenger train damaged by fire
A passenger train en route from Březová nad Svitavou to Křenovice, in southern Moravia, caught fire in the early hours of Saturday. All passengers and crew were evacuated in time. Although fire fighters were at the site of the accident within minutes the fire is reported to have caused considerable damage, now estimated at around half a million crowns. The cause of the accident is being investigated. The route was re-opened to traffic by 9am.
10.05.2013 Government approves reform of parties financing
The Czech government on Wednesday approved legislation reforming the financing of political parties. The bill will require parties to establish transparent bank accounts accessible on the web; they will also have to release their annual accounts and details of campaign finances. However, the bill does not establish an independent body that would monitor parties’ finances; its absence has been criticized by the Council of Europe’s anti-corruption agency. The new legislation will now be debated by the Czech Parliament.
Czech government says Irish Lisbon treaty opt-out needs three-fifth majority to pass
To be approved by the Czech Parliament, an Irish opt-out from the EU’s Lisbon treaty will require a three-fifth majority in both chambers, the Czech government said on Wednesday. The cabinet adopted the view that the opt-out from judicial and home affairs coordination complemented the European Union’s primary law, and as such needed to be approved by the so-called constitutional majority of lawmakers. Czech MPs and Senators may however choose to follow a different procedure in voting on the opt-out, the CTK news agency said.
European court upholds ban of Czech extremist party
The European Court of Human Rights has upheld a ban imposed in 2010 on the Czech extremist Workers Party by the country’s Supreme Administrative Court. The Czech Justice Ministry said on Wednesday the European Court rejected a complaint against the ban filed by the group’s former leader, Tomáš Vandas. The far-right Workers’ Party was dissolved in February 2010 upon the government’s request; the cabinet claimed the group incited tensions in the society, abused minorities and threatened democracy. The Workers’ Party became the first political group to be banned in the Czech Republic since the fall of communism.
UNICEF: Czech children’s well-being average
The Czech Republic ranked 14th out of 29 developed nations in children’s well-being, according to a report by the UN agency UNICEF released on Wednesday. The country ranked high in factors such as health and safety but low in the factors related to behaviour, risks and housing and environment. Ten years ago, the Czech Republic was ranked 9th.
Korean Air buys 44 percent of Czech Airlines
Korean Air has acquired a 44-percent stake in the troubled Czech national carrier, Czech Airlines. The contract between Korean Air and Czech Aeroholding, ČSA’s mother company was signed in Prague on Wednesday. Under the deal, the Korean carrier will pay 3.4 million US dollars for the minority stake in Czech Airlines, the Korean carrier’s first such investment abroad.
No decision reached on controversial S-Cards programme
The Czech government on Wednesday failed to reach a decision on whether the controversial system of welfare payments, known as S-Cards, should continue. The cabinet refused a proposal by the labour and social affairs minister, Ludmila Müllerová of TOP 09, to use the cards as identification for welfare recipients. Prime Minister Petr Nečas said the best solution would be to scrap the system, a move opposed by the coalition TOP 09 group.
Car production down by 18 percent in Q1
Car production in the Czech Republic dropped by 18 percent in the first quarter of this year, according to the latest figures released by the Czech Automotive Industry Association. In total, over 287, 700 vehicles were made in the Czech Republic between January and March. All Czech-based car producers saw a decrease in production. Meanwhile, the production of trucks registered a 56-percent drop over the same period, and reached a mere 157 vehicles.
Survey: obesity levels stop rising
The levels of overweight and obesity in the Czech Republic have stopped rising, according to a new survey commissioned by the public health insurer, VZP. The survey found that 21 percent of Czechs are obese while another 34 percent are overweight, the same numbers that were recorded in a similar study three years ago. There are now fewer obese and overweight women whereas the number of overweight and obese men grew slightly. The survey also found that 20 percent of women aged 18 and 19 were underweight.
Last four weeks “coldest in a century”
The last four weeks were the coldest in a hundred years, according to the Czech Meteorological Institute. Temperatures in the period between March 11 and April 7 averaged -1 degree Celsius, the lowest temperatures on record since 1912 when nationwide measuring began. Meteorologists said the unusually cold start of spring was due to strong jet streams over the Atlantic which created cyclones that brought cold air to central Europe from Scandinavia and Russia.
Tennis: Fed Cup nominations announced for semifinals against Italy
The captain of the Czech Fed Cup team, Petr Pála, on Wednesday announced the nominations for the upcoming semifinal rubber against Italy. The Czech team includes the country’s top player, Petra Kvitová along with Klára Zakopalová, Lucie Šafářová, Andrea Hlaváčková and Lucie Hradecká. The Fed Cup semifinals are to be played out in Palermo on April 20 and 21.
Zlín, Plzeň clash in hockey playoffs final’s game two
Zlín host Plzeň in game two of the finals of the Czech hockey league playoffs. Tuesday’s opening game of the best-of-seven final series was won by visitors Plzeň who have never won the league title. On Wednesday, Plzeň were leading 1:0 at the start of the match after the team’s captain Martin Straka scored in the 4th minute.
09.05.2013 Gas leak under pavement caused Prague blast
Criminal investigators have determined that the massive explosion in central Prague last Monday was caused by a gas leak from pipes under the pavement, located a few meters in front of the building that suffered most of the damages. More than forty people were injured by the blast, though all but two cases were relatively minor. Damages to the surrounding buildings have been estimated to be more than 50 thousand crowns. Two university faculties housed in the buildings surrounding the blast site renewed classes earlier this week. Some of the ceilings fell through and a wall had moved in the building that suffered most of the damages, which remains off limits to the public.
Zeman supports more Russian investments
In a speech at the Russian embassy in Prague, the Czech President Miloš Zeman said that he would like to see the volume of Russian investments in the Czech Republic increase in the next few years. Speaking at a ceremony commemorating the end of the Second World War, Mr Zeman said that Russian investments currently make up 0.8 percent of all foreign investments in the country, and that he would like to see that amount rise to between two and four percent. The president and the Russian ambassador both spoke about the Czech-Russian consortium which is one of the two bidders for a multi-billion-crown tender for the expansion of the Temelín power plant. Some experts worry that giving the energy tender to the consortium, as opposed to the Japanese-American company Westinghouse, would not be in the best geopolitical interests of the Czech Republic.
Solar energy investors sue Czech Republic
An association of foreign and Czech solar energy investors, International PhotoVoltaic Investors Club, has filed an arbitration suit against the Czech Republic, asking for compensation for the financial losses resulting from the introduction of a 26-percent tax on solar power stations’ profits. The Czech government offered numerous incentives in the past to foreign investors in solar energy, promising extensive tax breaks. The retroactive profit tax was introduced in 2011 and applies to power plants that began operations in 2010 and 2009. This year, solar power stations received 44.4 billion crowns in government support, which is 66% of all the public finances for renewable energy.
Head of Supreme Audit Office: Team already examining solar business
An investigation has begun into a controversial state scheme to support solar power, the TV station Prima Family has reported. In a speech to the lower house on Tuesday, President Miloš Zeman said that “solar barons” had cheated the state out of around CZK 200 billion and called for the establishment of a commission to look into what he called the greatest robbery in the country’s history. Miloslav Kala, the head of the Supreme Audit Office, told Prima Family that such a team already existed; as well as Mr. Kala, it includes representatives of the judiciary, the secret services and other agencies.
Bus and lorry crash leaves 21 injured
Twenty-one people were injured in a collision between a bus and a lorry on route R7 on the outskirts of Prague, near the Václav Havel airport. Most injuries were relatively minor, though one woman was more seriously hurt and was airlifted to a Prague hospital. The accident happened on Thursday morning and emergency services closed down the freeway in both directions for a short while, in order to treat the injured. The bus, belonging to the transportation company Student Agency, was en route from Chomutov to Prague.
D1 Reconstruction begins
Major reconstruction work has begun on one of the most frequented freeways in the Czech Republic, the D1, which connects Prague and Brno. The 160-kilometer road, which has been in a dire state for a number of years, will be modernized in sections, with only partial closings at each stretch. Transportation Ministry officials said that no traffic problems were noted in the first day of the road work. In addition to modernizing the road and connected infrastructure, the roadway will be expanded from two to three lanes in some places. The reconstruction should last six years in total.
Prague Marathon will have heightened security
Organizers of the Prague Marathon, which is happening this weekend, said that stricter security measures will be in place this year, in light of the recent bombing at the Boston Marathon. There will be a higher number of police officers and security personnel at the event, but neither the organizers nor the Prague City Hall, which is in charge of police detail, were willing to give exact numbers. Some 450 people were looking after safety at last year’s marathon. This year, police and security personnel will regularly check the surrounding area of the marathon route, garbage cans and metro stations. Some nine and a half thousand runners are registered for the main marathon on Sunday.
Rainfall causes flooding in east of the country
Dozens of homes and an industrial complex were flooded in the town of Studénka in eastern Moravia, after heavy rainfall hit the area on Wednesday night. Fifteen fire brigades assisted businesses and residents to drain the water from their homes and gardens throughout the night and into Thursday morning. One man was trapped in his car in high water, but was eventually rescued by firefighters. No major injuries were reported.
Czech businessman in Mexico suspected of blackmail
A Czech businessman, Jiří Skalický, was detained this week by the police in Mexico on suspicion of blackmail. Mr Skalický’s business partner told police that he had demanded a substantial sum of money in exchange for the safety of the man’s family, which the 48-year old Czech has denied, saying that the two are in a financial dispute. The Mexican authorities will decide on Thursday if they will press charges against Mr Skalický.
Antonín “Tony” Čermák was born 140 years ago
Thursday marks 140 years since the birth of Antonín Čermák, once mayor of Chicago and a native of the town of Kladno near Prague. One of the most famous Czech-Americans, Tony Cermak was the mayor of Chicago from 1931 until 1933, when he was assassinated. A school in Prague 6 was renamed at a ceremony on Thursday in honor of his achievements.