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The government's Economic Growth Strategy paper, drafted by a team of experts led by the Deputy Prime Minister for the Economy Martin Jahn, has suggested the Czech Republic could abolish its forced retirement age, allowing people to retire according to their own will and projected pensions. In 2015, there should be seven percent fewer people in productive age than present. The Czech population is aging and many analysts say the current system of funding pensions cannot be upheld.

According to the strategy paper, early retirement conditions could be toughened. Half of all of those currently unemployed are aged between 55 and 64 and the current system does not motivate them to look for jobs. In addition, it is difficult for the older people to find work. The report recommends that the state should therefore concentrate on the education of people over 45 as motivation to remain in the work force.

Police have charged a tram driver with endangering the public in connection with an accident that claimed the lives of two pedestrians in March. The driver's streetcar jumped the rails at Prague's Charles Square killing two and injuring three others who were unable to get out of the way in time. Police say the driver was driving too fast. If found guilty he could face up to 10 years in prison.

Czech MP Svatopluk Karasek has said he has been refused a visa to visit Belarus to take part in a concert organised by dissident groups opposed to the authoritarian rule of President Alexander Lukashenko. Mr Karasek, a vocal supporter of human rights, had wanted to perform a song titled "Say No to the Devil" in Minsk. The MP, who is also a pastor, took part in an opposition rally in Belarus last year. Three other Czech MPs have been granted visas to Belarus and should be able to attend the protest event.

The Czech Republic will propose to its European partners that the ratification of the EU Constitution should continue but that the whole process should be delayed in the light of the French rejection of the treaty. Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek said on Wednesday that his three party coalition, which strongly backs the treaty, had given him a mandate to seek an extension of the ratification process at a summit of European leaders on June 16th. Mr. Paroubek said that the Czech government would press ahead with its information campaign on the EU Constitution despite calls from the Christian Democrats, one of the smaller parties in government, that it should be suspended, pending a decision by the EU leadership.