Insight Central Europe News
Poland appeals to Russia over 1940 killings
Polish legislators this week appealed to Russia to condemn the 1940 execution of Polish prisoners of war by Soviet secret police and help improve bilateral relations. Poland has long pushed Moscow to bring to account the perpetrators, but Russian investigators closed their case last year without pressing any charges. Earlier this month Moscow rejected Polish calls to treat the massacre as genocide. Poland has launched its own investigation, but says it has been hampered by delays in handing over documents, most of which Russia has refused to declassify.
Czechs appearing on billboards in campaign against under-fire prime minister
A Prague advertising agency is offering Czechs the chance to appear on billboards critical of Czech Prime Minister Stanislav Gross at a special cut-price rate. For 3,000 Czech crowns (or around 130 US dollars) people can have their own photo on the billboards, beside the slogan "I'm ashamed of my prime minister". The billboards are something of a parody of Social Democrat pre-election adverts from last year featuring Mr Gross. The Czech prime minister has come under pressure in recent months after a flat-financing scandal.
Slovak politician resigns over Communist-era secret police files
The Slovak government's representative for Slovaks living outside the country's borders, Claude Balaz, resigned on Wednesday, after his name appeared in Bratislava files of the Communist-era secret police, the StB. Mr Balaz said the StB had registered him from March to December 1989 without his knowing anything about it. He said he would defend his reputation in the courts after reading the file.
Poland taking steps to have Uruguayan multimillionaire extradited to Poland
Poland's Justice inister, Andrzej Kalwas, says he will take legal steps to extradite Jan Kobylanski to Poland. Mr Kobylanski is a Polish-born Uruguayan multimillionaire well-known for his support of the populist Peasant Self-defence Party and the right-wing Radio Maryja radio station. He was accused after World War II of cooperating with the Nazi Gestapo in their search for Jews.
An investigation began in 1947 in one such case, but was closed in 1954 as Mr Kobylanski had by that time left for South America. In Paraguay he became a trusted supporter of the dictator Alfredo Stroessner, before moving to Uruguay where he has lived ever since. Mr Kalwas's move, however, seems to have purely political aims, as there is no extradition agreement between Poland and Uruguay.
Slovak pensions to rise in July
Pensions in Slovakia will rise by 8.85 percent from July of this year. This stems from a draft measure submitted for interdepartmental review by the Labour Ministry. Other social welfare payments, which social security provider Socialna Poistovna acknowledges in the second half of this year, will rise by the same percentage.
Slovakia records sharp rise in internet users
The number of Internet users in Slovakia rose by 86 percent to an estimated almost 2.4 million over 2004. The number of clients with access to the Internet rose 106 percent to 386,900 people during the year. The Telecommunications Office said it expected an even steeper increase in the number of Internet users this year.
Legendary figure in Vienna's coffee house history dies at 92
Josefine Hawelka, a legendary figure in Vienna's coffee house history, has died at the age of 92. She ran the popular coffee house in the first district together with her husband for more than seventy years. Her grandson said Hawelka, known as the "mother" of traditional Vienna cafes, died Tuesday. She had suffered from heart problems, but was working until only days before her death, he said.
