• Future ministers unveil plans
    09/03/2006

    Future members of the minority cabinet of the Civic Democratic Party have articulated their concrete ideas of what to do after they are appointed. For example, future labour minister Petr Necas said work on the pension reform must be started and changes should be implemented in the welfare system that would motivate people to actively seek employment. Future local development minister Petr Gandalovic is planning to change the system of drawing money from EU funds. Mr Gandalovic says the Czech Republic needs to speed up the drawing for the years 2004-2006 as there is a big delay in some financial programmes and the country might have to return the money to Brussels.
    Author: Pavla Horáková

  • Czech Republic beats Wales 2:1 in Euro 2008 qualifier
    09/03/2006

    The Czech Republic beat Wales 2:1 in a Euro 2008 Group D qualifying match on Saturday. Substitute David Lafata scored twice on his international debut. The Czechs went 1:0 up when the 24-year-old Lafata headed in Libor Sionko's pass from close range in the 76th minute, little more than a minute after he came on. In the 85th, Czech defender Martin Jiranek knocked a cross into his own net from close range for the Welsh equaliser but Lafata scored his second four minutes later, also from close range after a pass from Sionko. The Czechs play away against Slovakia on Wednesday, while Wales are at home to the Slovaks on October 7.
    Author: Pavla Horáková

  • Record number of candidates to run for Senate
    09/02/2006

    More than 200 candidates, a record number, have put themselves forward for election to the upper house of the Czech Parliament ahead of a vote scheduled for the end of October, authorities said on Friday. In all 204 candidates will compete for the 27 seats up for grabs, beating the previous record of 197 set in 2004. The Czech Republic elects its senators every two years, when a third of the 81 seats become available. Observers say the elections will be an important political indicator after the country's June general election left the lower house split evenly between right- and left-wing parties.

    One of the candidates is Pavla Topolankova, the wife of the prime minister designate Mirek Topolanek, who is standing on a platform openly hostile to her husband's right-wing Civic Democratic Party.
    Author: Pavla Horáková

  • Louis Vuitton party to move from Charles Bridge to Vltava embankment
    09/02/2006

    Prague city hall has announced that it will move a commercial event originally due to take place on Prague's medieval Charles Bridge following an outcry against it. The French fashion company Louis Vuitton had signed a deal to rent the bridge on September 8 and 9 to host the last stage of a vintage car event. The proposed closure of the bridge, crossed every day by thousands of tourists and locals, created a storm of protest from politicians, monument preservationists as well as the public. A Prague city hall spokesman said on Friday that the Louis Vuitton event will be transferred to one of the embankments along the Vltava River.
    Author: Pavla Horáková

  • New government to be appointed on Monday, vote of confidence to take place on October 4
    09/02/2006

    President Vaclav Klaus said on Friday he would appoint the cabinet of Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek on Monday afternoon. Civic Democrat chairman and Prime Minister designate Mirek Topolanek met President Klaus on Friday at Prague Castle, and presented to him a list of the members of his minority government. The new cabinet is to have 15 ministers, 9 of them members of the Civic Democratic Party and 6 unaffiliated, and prepare the country for early elections. The new cabinet is expected to ask the lower house for confidence on October 4th. It is unclear whether it will receive confidence owing to a perfect split between the rightist and leftist blocks in the chamber.
    Author: Pavla Horáková

  • Mlada fronta Dnes: Filip's assistant was trained by KGB
    09/02/2006

    Saturday's edition of the Mlada fronta Dnes daily writes that the chairman of the Communist Party and deputy chairman of the lower house employs as his assistant Frantisek Hanzalik who was trained by the KGB in the 1970s. Referring to secret documents from the Interior Ministry archives, the daily says Mr Hanzalik was to be planted as a spy in the West. According to the paper, in the 1980s he was the head of the communist secret police chapter in the town of Ceske Budejovice where Mr Filip himself was registered under the cover name of Falmer. Mr Hanzalik has declined to comment.
    Author: Pavla Horáková

  • Police break-up techno party near Prague
    09/02/2006

    Police say they have broken up an illegal techno party near the town of Slany in Central Bohemia. The party was attended by some 150 people. Following complaints by the locals about loud music and disturbing the peace at night, the police intervened in the early hours of Saturday and the organisers agreed to end the party.
    Author: Pavla Horáková

  • President to appoint government of PM Topolanek on Monday
    09/01/2006

    President Vaclav Klaus has said he will appoint the cabinet of Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek on Monday. Civic Democrat chairman and Prime Minister designate Mirek Topolanek met President Klaus on Friday at Prague Castle, and presented to him a list of the members of his minority government. The new cabinet is to have 15 ministers, 9 of them members of the Civic Democratic Party and 6 unaffiliated, and prepare the country for early elections. Owing to an even split between the leftist and rightist parties in the lower house after June's national elections, it is expected to have difficulties receiving a vote of confidence from the chamber. The vote is expected to take place on October 4th.
    Author: Pavla Horáková

  • President meets outgoing cabinet
    09/01/2006

    President Klaus has also met the members of the outgoing centre-left coalition cabinet and thanked them for their work. He said that although he did not always agree with the decisions of the government of Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek, the relations were always correct. The outgoing cabinet was appointed in April 2005 after Prime Minister Stanislav Gross stepped down following a financial scandal.
    Author: Pavla Horáková

  • Record low number of deaths on roads in August
    09/01/2006

    According to preliminary police statistics, August saw the lowest number of fatal traffic accidents on Czech roads in the last 36 years. The total number of road accidents decreased as well. In both July and August, 2006, 72 people died on Czech roads, that is 48 and 30 percent fewer than last year, respectively. The number of injuries has also dropped compared to previous years. According to the police and experts, the situation is a result of new traffic regulations which came into force last month and introduced tougher punishments for driving offences.
    Author: Pavla Horáková

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