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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 Social Democratic Party has promised to introduce anti-money laundering legislation if the party wins the October elections and heads the next government. The party’s economic expert Bohuslav Sobotka told the Reuters news agency the bill would affect those with property worth 10 million crowns or more, or two million crowns in other assets. Under the law, those who were unable to explain the origin of funds used to buy property could be taxed 76 percent. The financial daily Hospodářské noviny has pointed out the tax would be the highest in Czech history. Anyone found guilty of committing a criminal offence in obtaining property, meanwhile, would lose it outright.

Former Czech president Václav Havel and former foreign minister Karel Schwarzenberg are among the signatories of an open letter that has been prepared for President Barack Obama. The letter – signed by other former political heavyweights and intellectuals in Central and Eastern Europe – calls for Washington not to ignore the region as the price for improved relations with Moscow. Former European affairs minister Alexandr Vondra told the Czech paper Lidové noviny that Obama is looking for quick results and improved relations with Russia and that could be at the expense of former Soviet block countries.

The letter warns that a total renunciation of US plans for an anti-radar system in the Czech Republic and Poland - or Russian involvement in them - would undermine trust in the US. Mr Vondra is due to deliver the letter to US leaders in Washington.

EU Commissioner Jacques Barrot has said that the Commission wants to understand why asylum demands are being lodged by EU citizens in Canada before it reacts to Prague’s demands that visas be slapped on Canadians visiting Europe. He said it was paradoxical that EU citizens were applying for asylum in third countries. The Commissioner for justice, freedom and security said Canada’s complaints about the surge in Czech asylum applicants seeking to profit from its generous system needed to be probed. On the basis of resulting findings, the Commission could make a recommendation about whether to comply with the Czech demand for EU solidarity against Canada, Barrot said. The Commission recommendation – promised by September - must then be supported by member states for any across the board EU action to be taken.