News

During his Prague visit, the European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso met the Czech President Vaclav Klaus at Prague Castle on Friday. According to the CTK news agency they failed to agree on the scope of EU integration and the status of a European constitution. Mr Barroso urged further EU integration. President Klaus, who is strongly anti-federalist, said he particularly welcomed the new EU initiative since he felt that there was a lack of open debate on problems of European integration, particularly following the rejection of the European Constitution by Dutch and French voters.

The strongest coalition party, the Social Democrats, say they plan to pass 51 bills by the national elections in mid-next year. The party's acting head Bohuslav Sobotka said their aim was to push the bills through at any cost, if possible with the coalition, or even with the help of the opposition Communists. Mr Sobotka made his statement in response to an article in the daily Hospodarske noviny saying the Social Democrats will not manage to fulfil their election promises, for example the bills on conflict of interests, bankruptcy or rent deregulation. Mr Sobotka said that these particular bills will definitely be discussed. If it becomes evident that the lower house is not able to pass them due to lack of time, the Social Democrats are ready to convoke extraordinary sessions.

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso met for talks with Czech President Vaclav Klaus at Prague Castle on Friday. According to the CTK news agency they failed to agree on the scope of EU integration and the status of a European constitution. Mr. Barroso, who is in Prague to launch a "dialogue, democracy and debate" initiative aimed at bringing the European Union closer to its citizens, urged further EU integration. President Klaus, who is strongly anti-federalist, said he particularly welcomed the EU initiate since he felt that there was a lack of open debate on problems of European integration, particularly following the rejection of the European Constitution by Dutch and French voters.

The health ministry claims that the General Health Insurance company VZP is making obstructions to an inspection ordered by the health minister. The head of the ministry's inspection team Vladimir Dryml said the insurance company was not cooperating as it should. VZP spokesman Jiri Suttner rejected the allegation, saying that the insurance company's employees were working day and night to prepare the documents requested by the ministry. Health Minister David Rath recently imposed forced administration on the insurance company, largely due to its growing debt.