News

Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek presented the government’s plans for this year to President Václav Klaus during their traditional New Year’s lunch at the presidential chateau in Lany, just outside Prague. Topolanek said the cabinet would like to continue discussing the pension reform, complete the health care reform and launch changes in the justice system. They also debated the tactics of the Civic Democratic Party during the presidential election in February in which Mr. Klaus would seek re-election as the party’s candidate. During the meeting in Lany Mr. Topolanek also highlighted President Klaus’ New Year’s address to the nation. He said he shared the president’s view that the country is now experiencing the best time in its history.

Only a half of all foreigners working in the Czech Republic want to settle in the country permanently, according to a study conducted by the Czech Academy of Sciences and the Labour and Social Affairs Ministry. The study indicates that 48 percent of foreigners are convinced they will live in the Czech Republic in the course of the next five years. Eleven percent of them think they will most probably leave the country in due time and six percent are sure they will leave. The study has revealed that ten percent of university-educated foreign workers hold the poorest paid jobs in the Czech Republic. Complicated administration is the main problem why educated foreign workers find it hard to get jobs better suited to their skills and qualifications.

The number of fatal injuries on Czech roads increased last year by 154 to 1,110 deaths. The number of accidents increased significantly towards the end of the year, when politicians announced possible changes to the traffic penalty-point system that was introduced in July 2006. Another reason behind the growing number of road accidents may be the lack of traffic police on the roads. The head of the country’s traffic-police has promised that another 500 officers will be employed this year.

Czech cross country skier Lukáš Bauer has won the fifth race of the Tour de Ski in Nové Město nad Metují, having already finished first in the opening race of the event. The tour includes eight races, and the overall time winner gets 400 World Cup points. Bauer won the 15 km classic on Wednesday in a time of 38 minutes 26.9 seconds, beating Norway's Jens Arnes Svartedal by a second. Nikolai Pankratov from Russia finished third.