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Police launched a massive campaign in the western Pilsen region on Saturday to check on foreigners’ documents and tell them about the government’s voluntary repatriation offer. Around 300 police officers together with 40 colleagues from the Pilsen city force toured hostels, bars, night clubs and even discos frequented by foreigners. They checked on whether their papers were in order and gave out leaflets about the government offer of free passage home and payments of up to 500 euros. So far 1,041 foreigners nationwide have taken up the offer. The Pilsen region has one of the biggest proportions of foreign workers in the country, many who have been laid off or are facing redundancy.

Separately, Mirek Topolánek said the outgoing Czech government does not plan to boost its measures to deal with the economic crisis. The stimulus given so far is worth around 180 billion crowns, he said on Sunday. Measures proposed but still to be adopted include changes to the law on income tax allowing faster write-offs of assets by business, cuts in social insurance payments made by employers and amendments to the insolvency law. The Social Democrats have said they would back faster write-offs and insolvency changes but have problems with the social insurance changes, one of the government’s main measures. The lower house should hold a special meeting on Friday to discuss the crisis package.

The Czech Republic’s football team produced a goalless bore draw in the World Cup qualification away match against Slovenia on Saturday night. Captain Tomáš Ujfaluši also picked up a yellow card which will result in him missing Wednesday’s home tie against Slovakia. The Czech team was attacked at home for an anaemic performance. But manager Petr Rada took comfort from the away point which puts his team third in the group with eight points, the same as Slovenia, but behind Slovakia and top of the table Northern Ireland.

A two-day informal EU foreign affairs meeting concluded on Saturday at the South Bohemian town of Hluboká after focussing on bringing in countries from the Balkans. EU foreign ministers backed offering membership to countries in the Western Balkans once they meet EU entry conditions and dropping visa conditions as soon as possible. Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg insisted at the meeting that the Balkans are part of Europe and should be part of the EU too. But that view is not shared by all 27 EU countries. Mr Schwarzenberg also warned that EU members and candidates feared the ongoing Czech political crisis could disrupt ratification of the EU’s Lisbon Treaty and the entry of new members.