• Over 50 percent of Czechs want referendum on EU Constitution
    02/12/2005

    Fifty three percent of Czechs would like to vote on the EU Constitution in a referendum, according to an opinion poll commissioned by the daily Lidove Noviny. Close to 50 percent of respondents said they would like the referendum to be held within the framework of the parliamentary elections in 2006. Sixty percent of Czechs said they were ready to go to the polls. One third of respondents said they would prefer for Parliament to ratify the EU Constitution.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Civic Democrats retain their lead over other parties
    02/12/2005

    The right wing opposition Civic Democrats would win a landslide victory if general elections were held today. Polls suggest that the party has retained a strong lead over all others on the Czech political scene. Voter preferences suggest that the Civic Democrats would capture 32 percent of the vote, the Communists would get 15 percent, the ruling Social Democrats 14,5 percent while the Christian Democrats would come fourth with around 10 percent of the vote. No other party would win enough votes to acquire seats in Parliament.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Vaclav Havel pays tribute to Arthur Miller
    02/12/2005

    The former Czech president Vaclav Havel has expressed deep sorrow over the death of American playwright Arthur Miller calling him "the greatest playwright of the 20th century". "The news of his death moved me a lot, because I was his friend since the 1960s" Mr. Havel said in a statement made available to the press. Like other major literary figures, Mr. Arthur Miller supported the process that led to the fall of communism in Europe.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Flu epidemic
    02/12/2005

    Doctors report a flu epidemic in seven of the Czech Republic's fourteen regions. Elsewhere there is a heightened incidence of the flu and viral infections and doctors fear that the wave of milder weather will only make things worse. People have been advised to avoid crowded places and increase their intake of vitamin C. Children and elderly people are considered particularly vulnerable. Flu epidemics have been reported from a number of European countries over the past few days.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Zahrobska wins bronze at Alpine skiing world championship
    02/12/2005

    The Czech Republic gained a first Alpine skiing world championship medal on Friday when Sarka Zahrobska took bronze in the women's slalom. Zahrobska finished behind triple world and Olympic champion Janica Kostelic and World Cup slalom title winner Tanja Poutiainen of Finland.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Czech ice hockey team wins game against Finland
    02/12/2005

    The Czech Republic's ice hockey team won its match against Finland at the Swedish Games in Stockholm. The Czechs won 3:2 in an extended game, with Jaroslav Bednar scoring the winning goal in the 63rd minute. The Swedish Games are part of the four-nation Euro Hockey Tour, in which the Czech Republic is ranked third.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Sixty percent of voters want PM Gross to resign, suggests poll
    02/11/2005

    Around 60 percent of Czech voters would like to see Prime Minister Stanislav Gross resign from office, suggests an opinion poll published in Friday's edition of the daily Lidove noviny. Mr Gross - who for some time was one of the most popular politicians in the country - has come under increasing pressure recently, after failing to explain how he had paid for his luxury flat in Prague.

    The prime minister has insisted he will not step down over the affair, which he has described as "artificial", and part of an orchestrated campaign against him. Speaking in the Lower House on Thursday, Mr Gross reiterated that he would undergo security screening in order to clear his name.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • President Klaus says Gross scandal discredits Czech Republic
    02/11/2005

    Speaking on Czech Radio on Friday, President Vaclav Klaus said the scandal surrounding Prime Minister Gross was "most unfortunate". This will damage the Czech Republic's credibility both at home and abroad, the President said, adding that he personally regretted the fact that this affair would make Czechs more sceptical than ever about Czech politics and politicians.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Bill on same sex partnerships rejected
    02/11/2005

    The Lower House of Parliament on Friday narrowly rejected a bill on same sex partnerships. Following heated debate and several previous rejections in the Lower House, the bill was short of just one vote for approval. Representatives of the Association of Gays and Lesbians said they were disappointed but would continue to lobby for it. The law would have given gays and lesbians the right to marry, to inherit property from their partners and enquire about their partner's state of health. It would not have enabled them to adopt a child. The bill's opponents, predominantly of the Christian Democratic Party, argue that it would undermine the institution of the family in Czech society.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Forty Czech soldiers to join NATO team in Afghanistan next month
    02/11/2005

    The Czech Republic is to send another 40 soldiers to Afghanistan in March, according to the Defence Ministry. The Czech troops will serve in a German-led NATO reconstruction team, and will be based near the town of Fayzabad in the north of the country; they will focus on maintaining security, protecting international units and co-operation with local people. The Czech Republic already has a 15-member Army team in Kabul; it deals with explosives and takes part in weather and geographical observation.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

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