• Opposition Social Democrats say non-aggression pact depends on treaty’s approval
    12/08/2008

    The opposition Social Democrats have warned the ruling party against blocking Tuesday’s debate on the Lisbon treaty, saying that unless the treaty was ratified before the end of the year they would withdraw from a non-aggression pact with the governing coalition which was to last through the six months of the country’s EU presidency. It was the Social Democrats who asked for an extraordinary session of the lower house on Tuesday in an effort to speed up the treaty’s ratification.
    Author: Ruth Fraňková

  • Czech president approves doubling of guarantees on bank deposits
    12/08/2008

    Czech President Václav Klaus has approved a government-sponsored amendment to the banking law, raising guarantees for bank deposits from 25,000 to 50,000 euros (around CZK 1.25 million). The amendment was proposed in response to the global banking and credit crisis. Under the new law, the Czech government will also guarantee the full amount of deposits, against the current limit of 90 percent.
    Author: Ruth Fraňková

  • Madeleine Albright could be next US ambassador to Prague
    12/08/2008

    Madeleine Albright, a former US secretary of state, is likely to become the next US ambassador to the Czech Republic, the daily Právo writes on Monday citing diplomatic sources. Mr. Albright served as secretary of state during the Clinton administration. She is of Czech descent, speaks the language fluently and has a good understanding of central European affairs.
    Author: Ruth Fraňková

  • New Czech right-wing party to appear on the scene
    12/08/2008

    A new right-wing party is to appear on the Czech political scene within the next few weeks, initiated by Petr Mach, a former aide to President Václav Klaus. Mr Mach, executive director of the Centre for Economics and Politics, recently outlined his plan to establish the party as an alternative for voters disappointed by the Civic Democratic Party. The new party plans to cooperate with the pan-European movement Libertas in elections to the EP in 2009, but wants to run separately in the next general elections in the Czech Republic due to take place the following year.
    Author: Ruth Fraňková

  • Czech scientists master stem-cell substitution technology
    12/08/2008

    Czech scientists have mastered the technology of preparing special cells that have the same qualities as embryonic stem cells, avoiding the ethical problem of using human embryos. They can now use human skin cells to prepare the special cells that would substitute the embryonic ones. Scientists from the Institute of Experimental medicine are the first in the Czech Republic to master the technology that has been used in just a few labs in the world so far.
    Author: Ruth Fraňková

  • Czechs to get 53 billion crowns from EU for research
    12/08/2008

    The EU has earmarked an equivalent of 53 billion crowns to help finance national research and development in the Czech Republic, Education Minister Ondřej Liška said on Monday. The money from EU funds can be drawn until 2013 and it is mainly designed to support universities, public research institutions and other NGOs dealing with research and development. Those interested can apply for subsidies from the EU Research and Development for Innovations Programme as of December 15.
    Author: Ruth Fraňková

  • Injured Rosický out until March
    12/08/2008

    Czech football captain Tomáš Rosický won’t be back on the field until March, as he continues to struggle with a hamstring tendon injury. The Czech midfielder, who has been out of action since the end of January, underwent further surgery on the problem in November. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said on Monday that he expected Rosický to return to action in 2009.
    Author: Ruth Fraňková

  • Topolánek re-elected party chairman
    12/07/2008

    Mirek Topolánek has been re-elected chairman of the ruling Civic Democrats, defeating a eurosceptic wing in the party which called for a change of direction. Mr. Topolánek won with a convincing 284 votes against challenger Pavel Bém’s 162. Prague Mayor Pavel Bém, who is seen as a close associate of President Klaus, had called for a Civic Democrat minority government supported by the opposition, arguing that in the current three-party-coalition the Civic Democrats had ceded too much ground and abandoned their policy goals.

    The election of the party chairman’s first deputy took three rounds with the post eventually going to a new face in party politics, the mayor of Prague 13, David Vodrážka. Mr. Vodrážka was elected after his chief rival for the post Ivan Langer withdrew his candidacy.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Topolánek calls for unity
    12/07/2008

    Shortly after the vote, Mr. Topolánek called on the party to unite and rise to the challenges ahead. He said the party was going in the right direction both domestic and foreign-policy wise, but that it had made a lot of mistakes along the way for which he was ready to accept part of the blame. He said it was time to learn from those mistakes, bring an end to party-infighting and regain the party’s lost trust. “We must fill in the trenches and bridge differences which seemed unbridgeable only yesterday” the newly elected leader appealed.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Analysts predict more trouble ahead
    12/07/2008

    Although Mirek Topolánek's victory will keep in place the centre-right coalition government analysts say his problems are far from over. There are fears that some disgruntled Topolanek critics may peel away from the party's parliamentary group, adding to earlier defections which have reduced the government camp to just 96 seats in the 200-seat lower house of parliament.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

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