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Close to a quarter of all Czechs say they have already experienced the bite of the financial crisis, according to the outcome of a survey conducted by the STEM agency. Fifty-one percent of respondents said they expected to feel its impact in the coming months. Twenty six percent said they weren’t worried. According to the STEM agency older and less qualified people have been the hardest hit as have people working for export-orients companies.

Eleven people, among them five children, were injured in Rokytnice nad Jizerou, in the Giant Mountains, when their snowcat passenger vehicle crashed on its way down a mountain slope. Several of the injured were airlifted to hospital by helicopter. The vehicle had collected holidaymakers from several mountain chalets and was taking them down the slopes to board their busses home when the accident happened. Early reports say the driver lost control of the vehicle and it turned several times over before crashing into a stream. Police are investigating the cause of the accident.

The opposition Social Democrats held a one-day party conference in Prague on Saturday to discuss the party’s strategy in elections to the European Parliament, address economic problems relating to the financial crisis and approve a new way of electing the party leadership in March. In the wake of the party’s resounding success in Senate and regional elections last October no one has stepped forward to challenge Jiří Paroubek for the post of party leader. Since there is only one candidate for the top post the party has voted to abandon a direct vote in favour of a vote by party delegates which will save the party three to four million crowns. Mr. Paroubek told the conference his main ambition at present was to lead the party to a victory in the June elections to the European Parliament.

Addressing the Social Democrat conference as a guest of honor, General Wesley Clark thanked the Czech Republic for accepting the US missile defense project and showing a high degree of solidarity with the US. He indicated that no matter how the project developed, Prague’s allegiance was much appreciated. Washington recently issued signals that it might be prepared to revise its missile defense plans to include Russia and there have been indications that the economic crisis could see them postponed by several years.