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In related news, the Romany community in Canada is filing a lawsuit against the Canadian immigration minister, Jason Kenny. The community is reportedly disconcerted by the minister’s claim that many among them are applying for asylum for no good reason, and thus complicating the situation for those truly in need of asylum in the country. According to a lawyer for the Romany community in Canada, the statement was an attempt on Mr Kenny’s part to influence the commission responsible for granting asylum, and has made it more difficult for Romany to have their applications reviewed objectively.

Interim Prime Minister Jan Fischer has expressed interest in the post of Czech EU commissioner, the daily Lidové noviny has reported. The newspaper cited unnamed sources on Friday saying that the former head of the Czech Statistical Office, leading the country’s caretaker government, was reassessing plans to return to his former post after the autumn election. The daily reported that Mr Fischer had now expressed interest in the post of commissioner instead. According to Lidové noviny, Mr Fischer’s chances are not high: members of the country’s two largest parties, the Civic and Social Democrats, have made clear their parties are eying other candidates.

The head of Czech Radio, Václav Kasík, has told Lidové noviny he came under pressure from numerous lobbyists warning him to step down - or risk being recalled from his post. In an interview for the newspaper on Friday, Mr Kasík said that the pressure had political roots and vowed not to give up. Mr Kasík has headed Czech Radio - home to a number of stations including Radio Prague - since 1999. He began his second six year term in 2005. Lidové noviny wrote that Mr Kasík’s post was offered up as part of an alleged backroom deal initiated by top members of the Social and Civic Democrats: the post was supposedly to have been freed up for the head of Czech TV, Jiří Janeček, had he given up his bid to continue as general director of the public broadcaster. He did not and was re-elected as Czech TV head this week.

The Czech Foreign Minister Jan Kohout has said that he knew at the end of June that Canada was planning to reinstate visa requirements for Czechs, but said that he had expected formal notification before the move went ahead. Speaking on Czech TV on Thursday Mr Kohout explained that Canada’s minister for immigration, Jason Kenney, had warned him of the decision on June 29 during an informal meeting. Mr Kohout also said that he was asked not to make the move public, which he said he could not do in any case before he had received formal notification. Czech officials were informed six hours in advance that Canada would reinstate visas this week. The move was taken by the country in reaction to the high number of asylum applications from the Czech Republic - mostly from members of the Roma community.