• Incoming PM announces government reshuffle
    04/22/2005

    The Local Development Minister Jiri Paroubek who is expected to replace the outgoing Prime Minister Stanislav Gross, has said that the Agriculture Minister Jaroslav Palas will be replaced by Social Democrat MP Petr Zgarba in his new government. Mr Palas will be the only Social Democrat to leave the cabinet along with the Prime Minister Stanislav Gross following a prolonged government crisis. Jiri Paroubek is expected to be replaced by Social Democrat MP Radko Martinek in his current post of Local Development Minister. President Vaclav Klaus expects Prime Minister Stanislav Gross's government to resign on Monday, allowing him to appoint Mr Paroubek as the new prime minister later the same day.
    Author: Pavla Horáková

  • Incoming PM produces document to show he did not collaborate with communist-era secret police
    04/22/2005

    The incoming Czech Prime Minister, Jiri Paroubek, has publicly presented a copy of a government document proving he did not collaborate with the StB, the communist-era secret police. The document, which dates back to 1992, was originally released by an independent committee for Czechoslovakia's Interior Ministry. Under the Communists Mr Paroubek was monitored by the StB, who listed him as a potential candidate for collaboration - a listing the secret police used to designate persons who failed to sign on.

    On Friday Mr Paroubek even joked that the StB had a sense of humour when they code-named his file "Roko" - after his pet parrot.
    Author: Pavla Horáková

  • Klaus: lower house chairman approves of insults to head of state
    04/22/2005

    The Czech President Vaclav Klaus has sent a letter to the chairman of the lower house, Social Democrat Lubomir Zaoralek, objecting to Mr Zaoralek's approval of the comments made by a vice-president of the European Parliament, Alejo Vidal-Quadras, and another MEP on Wednesday. Mr Zaoralek previously told the media that the two MEPs' objections to Mr Klaus's statements were 'accurate and apt'. The MEPs criticised Mr Klaus for his stance on the European Constitution, saying his recent statements were 'prejudiced' and 'untrue'. Mr Klaus reacted on Thursday by saying he found both men's words offensive to his person, as a head of state.
    Author: Pavla Horáková

  • Czech air force takes delivery of another three Gripens
    04/22/2005

    The Czech Republic's Armed Forces have taken delivery of another three supersonic Jas-39 Gripen fighter jets leased from Sweden. Six Gripens arrived in the country on Monday but three of them had technical defects which have now been repaired, the Defence Ministry said. Eight more are to join the Czech air force by the end of August. The Gripens will be leased for 10 years for almost 20 billion crowns (850 million dollars). The planes are to replace an aging fleet of Soviet MiG-21s.
    Author: Pavla Horáková

  • Siemens wants to relocate jobs to Czech Republic in 2006
    04/22/2005

    Siemens VDO, the electronic auto parts maker of engineering giant Siemens, wants to relocate part of its manufacturing activities in Wuerzburg, Southwest Germany, to the Czech Republic in mid-2006 in order to help cut costs, a company spokesman said on Friday. Siemens VDO's factory in the north Moravian city of Ostrava will specialise in the manufacture of technically less complex components, while the company would endeavour to retain as many jobs as possible in Wuerzburg, where the workforce numbers 1,600, the spokesman said. The powerful IG Metall labour union and employee representatives have long expressed concern that most of the Wuerzburg jobs could be relocated to the Czech Republic.
    Author: Pavla Horáková

  • Website: Prime Minister Stanislav Gross will resign on Monday
    04/21/2005

    A source close to Prime Minister Stanislav Gross has told a Czech news website, novinky.cz, that Mr Gross will resign as prime minister next Monday, bringing to an end a prolonged government crisis that first erupted in January. At stake in the crisis: the prime minister's questionable personal finances. Mr Gross' replacement as prime minister will now be fellow Social Democrat and the Minister for Local Development Jiri Paroubek, who will lead an old-new coalition of three parties (the Social Democrats, the Christian Democrats, & the Freedom Union), enjoying the slimmest of majorities in Parliament.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Most original ministers expected to stay on in Paroubek government
    04/21/2005

    Some of the names more or less confirmed to stay on in their current posts in the new government include Health Minister Milada Emmerova, Education Minister Petra Buzkova and the Vice-premier for Economic Affairs Martin Jahn. Of the three only Mr Jahn is not affiliated with the ruling Social Democratic Party. Some Social Democrats reportedly objected to Mr Jahn's place in the new government on the grounds his policies were too removed from the Social Democrats'. Provided the Social Democratic Party's Central Committee now approves the new coalition agreement (Saturday) the new government could be named by the president on Monday.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Communists say they will not back new govn't, might back certain legislation
    04/21/2005

    One of the country's opposition parties in Parliament, the Communist Party, has already made clear that it will not back the new government, though it may support some legislation. Vice chairman Jiri Dolejs said on Thursday the Communists would be willing to back laws close to their own agenda. Though specific bills were not named, he and others indicated they might willingly back bills related to the social and economic spheres.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Klaus takes insult to EP vice-president's comments
    04/21/2005

    The right-of-centre Civic Democrats in the European Parliament have demanded an apology from the vice-president of the European Parliament, Alejo Vidal-Quadras Roca, as well as another EP member for comments made on Wednesday. The EP vice-president, along with the chairman of the constitutional committee, Jo Leinen, criticised Mr Klaus for his EU stance, saying statements the Czech president had recently made about the European Union were 'prejudiced' and 'untrue'. Mr Klaus reacted on Thursday by saying he found both men's offensive. He has sent a letter to the chairman of the European Parliament, Joseph Borell, asking him to take a stance.

    The opposition Civic Democrat MPs in the European Parliament have also reacted by calling the criticism "scandalous".
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Civic Democrats want Lower House to be able to vote on dissolving itself in times of govn't crisis
    04/21/2005

    The opposition Civic Democrats have proposed that the Lower House of Parliament should have the option of voting to dissolve itself in times of government crisis. The Civic Democrats have said they will soon present a constitutional amendment in the Senate to this effect. In their view, a vote on dissolving the Chamber would first be preceded by the resignation of the government and a presidential proposal. A majority of deputies would have to vote in favour of the measure for it to pass.

    The Civic Democrats' proposal comes after the government resolved months of political haggling and crisis. In the Civic Democrats' view dissolving the Lower House would bring a swifter resolution to such crises, allowing the president to swiftly call new elections.
    Author: Jan Velinger

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