News

Justice Minister Pavel Nemec has said he will call for 300 million crowns (roughly 12 million US dollars) and 200 new employees for the Czech prison service. The justice minister made the comments during a Sunday news programme, saying he planned to submit the financial requirements to the cabinet following the 2006 state budget vote scheduled in the lower house this week. According to Mr Nemec, the impulse behind his decision was a recent escape by two Czech convicts from a maximum security prison, which cast light on the poor situation - not enough funds and too few personnel - in Czech prisons.

Around 50 history fans in historic-replica costumes marked the 200th anniversary of Napoleonic battles on Bohemian territory on Sunday. Several hundred on-lookers turned out to watch the enacted battle near the village of Stoky, representing an original clash between Napoleon's armies and Austrian forces in 1805. The battle, won by the Austrians, was a Pyrrhic victory, coming two days after Napoleonic forces won at Austerlitz (Slavkov, near Brno).

Later this week, around 4,000 visitors from 23 countries are expected to visit the Czech Republic to take part in a re-enactment of the famous Battle of Austerlitz, near Brno.

Jirina Musilkova, the head of the country's largest health insurance company, the VZP, has said she will step down on January 1st, 2006. Mrs Musilkova made the announcement on Friday, citing political pressure on her and co-workers as the reason for her decision. Both the prime minister and the health minister, David Rath, have strongly criticised Musilkova in recent weeks for alleged mismanagement, leading the VZP into billions of crowns of debt. Both had called for her resignation, and earlier this month the health minister brought the insurer under forced administration. Not all, however, have rated Mrs Musilkova negatively: on Saturday President Vaclav Klaus praised Musilkova's work, saying he hoped those involved would find the strength to thank the outgoing VZP head for 'many years of service'. Musilkova has headed the state-owned company for seven years.

Around 30,000 trade union members demonstrated in Prague on Saturday in support of new labour legislation proposed by the ruling Social Democrats. The amendment, passed in a first reading in the lower house, has been criticised by some experts as well as government coalition members and the opposition right-of-centre Civic Democrats. The smaller parties in government would like to curb the influence of trade unions set-out in the amendment, while trade unionists want no further changes. The draft has also said to contradict the Constitution in a number of areas, a charge denied by the unions.