News

Confidence in the Czech economy fell slightly in August, the Czech Statistical Office said on Tuesday. Overall confidence was down by 0.8 points on July’s figures, statisticians said. Consumer confidence, however, was up by 0.7 points. The fall was attributed mainly to a drop in business confidence of 1.2 points. In comparison with the same time last year, overall confidence is down by a massive 22.8 points. According to the Statistical Office, the majority of those polled said they expected a slight economic upturn in the coming twelve months, but the number of respondents expecting a rise in unemployment also rose in August’s poll.

The four young men who were behind Friday’s attack against Civic Democrat leader Mirek Topolánek have turned themselves in to the police and are now being questioned. News of the development was confirmed by a police spokeswoman on Monday after appearing on TV Nova’s news website. Police on the case said earlier they had information suggesting the attack against the Civic Democrat leader may have been ordered.

The incident happened last Friday as Mr. Topolánek was holding an out-door election rally in Hustopeče, south Moravia. Four young men threw stones at him from a distance before jumping into a car with a Prague number plate and driving away. Mr. Topolánek was seen to be bleeding from a cut above his right eye but reports say he was only lightly injured. His Civic Democratic Party has filed a criminal complaint against an unknown perpetrator.

The Christian Democrats have unveiled an election programme that promises to improve the social standing of families with children. The manifesto includes tax reforms which would introduce higher taxes for the rich and steep tax deductions for families with one or more children. People with three or four children would be exempted from paying taxes altogether. On the other hand childless taxpayers would pay more within the principle of solidarity.

The party, the second biggest in the last coalition government, has always advocated family values but has never gone so far in favouring families with children. Political analysts put it down to the party’s poor showing in popularity ratings ahead of October’s general elections.

David Vaculík who was involved in one of the worst cases of racist violence in recent years, is a regular sponsor of the far-right Workers Party, the daily Lidove Noviny wrote on Monday. Police are investigating possible links with the far-right party after journalists produced footage showing Vaculik and the leader of the Workers Party Tomas Vandas together at far-right marches. Mr. Vandas has condemned the arson attack which left a two-year-old critically injured and claims his party had nothing to do with it. Interior Minister Martin Pecina is taking steps to try and get the Workers’ Party banned.