News

Czech Communists have come up with proposal of how to save collapsing companies: their employees should be allowed to take them over, and try to keep them afloat themselves. Communist MEP Miloslav Randsdorf told journalists on Saturday that if this scheme, known as Employee Stock Ownership Programmes, was introduced, workers could pay for their employer’s shares with funds collecting the firm’s future benefits. The Communists wanted to introduce the programme in the past but never found enough support from other political parties.

An express train killed a horse that got stuck on rail tracks during a carnival in a Bohemian village on Saturday. The horse was led across the tracks in Zadní Třebáň, some 30 km southwest of Prague, during the community’s carnival when one of its hooves got stuck in the tracks. People ran to warn the driver of an approaching train; however it did not manage to stop in time and hit the horse. No people were injured in the accident which caused several hours of delays on the busy Prague – Beroun railway line.

Czech President Václav Klaus, a firm opponent of greater European integration, has strongly criticised the European Union in the European Parliament. Speaking before lawmakers on Thursday, Mr Klaus criticised the EU for attempting to shift the brunt of decision-making to Brussels to the detriment of individual states and also criticised the EU’s approach on the economy. His speech was greeted at points by applause but also by boos and opposition: some MEPs demonstratively left the room. Mr Klaus’s appearance follows that of Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek in January, who spoke in the European Parliament shortly after the Czech Republic took up the rotating EU presidency.

In other European news, Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek is due to meet with French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Sunday, in an attempt to ease tensions over alleged French protectionism. Tensions between Paris and Prague, which now heads the EU presidency, have risen in recent weeks, not least after the French president suggested French carmakers with operations in other EU countries relocate back to France. The comment sparked fears of protectionism and drew criticism from Mr Topolánek and other politicians. On Wednesday, the Czech prime minister said that the planned meeting, to take place in Berlin, would end speculation the two leaders were unable to find “common ground”.