News

President Vaclav Klaus is scheduled to meet with his one-time rival and former prime minister Miloš Zeman at Prague Castle on Tuesday. Mr. Zeman, who left the Social Democrats in 2007, established a new political party late last year and announced his decision to run in the spring general elections. Mr. Zeman’s Party of Citizen’s Rights is being presented as a viable alternative to the Social Democrats, which its former leader has increasingly criticized. Commentators note that it is most unusual for President Klaus to receive heads of small, non-parliamentary parties and view the meeting as a mark of respect for his one-time rival.

Four Czechs escaped unscathed from a fire that ravaged a mountain chalet in the Austrian ski resort of Gerlosberg. The fire is reported to have spread from a stove on the ground floor and the chalet was completely destroyed despite the fact that sixty firefighters fought the blaze. Police are investigating the cause of the accident.

Three Czech officers are to take part in the EU’s Operation Atalanta which protects vessels against pirates off the coast of Somalia, the Czech Defense Ministry reported. Atalanta is the European Union’s first naval operation and is being conducted in the framework of the EU’s security and defence policy. It was launched at the start of 2009 and scheduled for an initial period of twelve months, but has now been extended by the Security Council until December 2010. During this period up to 12 EU ships and a number Maritime Patrol Aircraft will operate off the Somali coast. The three Czech officers are starting their mission in London next week.

In 2009 state-owned Czech Railways transported 162.9 passengers, the lowest number in its history, the internet news site idnes reported. The figure represents a 7 percent drop on the preceding year. The information is said to have come from a report that Czech Railways sent the Transport Ministry. Until now, Czech Railway’s passenger numbers were at their lowest in 2003 when the company transported 172 million people. Czech Railways has refused to comment saying its annual report would be made public in mid-February.