• Social Democrats to decide on Svejnar next week
    12/07/2007

    The opposition Social Democrats have said they will decide by next Saturday whether to officially back Czech-American economist Jan Svejnar for president. The news was revealed by party chairman Jiri Paroubek, after meeting with Mr Svejnar on Friday. The well-known economist, whose name was first put forward by the Greens, has also not yet decided whether to enter the race against incumbent Vaclav Klaus; he has been testing the political waters, next week scheduling talks with the Christian Democrats and members of the Communist Party. Social Democrat Jiri Paroubek has been urging the Communists to consider Mr Svejnar’s nomination.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Czech presidential election to start on February 8
    12/07/2007

    The Czech presidential election will start on February 8 when a joint session of both houses of Czech parliament will take place, lower house chairman Miloslav Vlcek has told public broadcaster Czech TV. Incumbent Vaclav Klaus is the only official candidate so far, but economist Jan Svejnar may run against him if he receives sufficient support.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Greenpeace calls off protest at Czech power plant
    12/07/2007

    Six Greenpeace activists from five countries were forced to call off a second day of protest against global pollution due to poor weather conditions. The six were part of a team which scaled a smokestack at a Czech power plant on Thursday. The activists aimed to highlight the high carbon dioxide emissions which Greenpeace says the plant produces. Located in the Chomutov area, the plant is operated by the CEZ power utility. CEZ has dismissed the claim of high pollution levels.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Schwarzenberg estimates agreement on radar could be reached in first months of 2008
    12/07/2007

    Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg has said that he expects Prague and Washington to conclude a treaty on the construction of a US radar base in the Czech Republic in early 2008, saying in Brussels on Friday that agreement could be reached sometime between January and March. The Czech government is negotiating on the radar project with the US even though the project is opposed by a majority of Czechs as well as the opposition. Russia has also been one of the main critics of the US plan to deploy the radar base to the Czech Republic as part of its planned missile defence shield in Central Europe.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Lower house passes amendment on waste law
    12/07/2007

    The lower house has passed an amendment on the country’s waste law which will require Czech firms to more thoroughly record waste imports and archive records for at least three years. The amendment is in reaction to EU requirements and is to help protect the Czech Republic against illegal trade in waste. The country saw several such cases in 2006. Illegal waste dumps appeared mainly in north Bohemia, with waste smuggled from Germany. In the cases, the Czech Environment Inspection imposed fines worth several million crowns to organisers and the state attorney’s office also charged 15 lorry drivers who face up to five years in prison each. The new bill amendment is aimed to avert such situations, requiring vehicles transporting waste to display proper marking. The amendment will now go to the senate for approval and must still be signed by the president.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Czech foreigner police to be reorganised after Schengen entry
    12/07/2007

    The Czech foreigner and border police will be reorganised by January 1 in connection with the Czech Republic's entry to the Schengen area. Pavel Vosicky of the Pilsen foreigner police made the announcement on Friday. The official revealed that 43 foreigner police inspectorates will be established by January to replace a current 195 branches which will cease to exist. Seven regional foreigner police offices will continue to function. The foreigner and border police management announced previously that all employees who will lose jobs as the result of the changes would be able to join traffic police in the border regions. The main task of the newly established inspectorates will be to prevent illegal migration. The Czech foreigner and border police had more than seven thousand members in 2005; by the end of this year their number will be reduced by more than two thousand.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Czech singer/pianist Irglova, Irish singer/musician Hansard, nominated for Grammys
    12/07/2007

    The Czech singer and pianist Marketa Irglova and Irish singer Glen Hansard have received two nominations for US Grammys in the category of Best Soundtrack. The two were nominated for the soundtrack to the independent film “Once”, which was shot in the Czech Republic two years ago and since received strong recognition. The nominations for the Grammy Awards were announced in Los Angeles on Thursday; the awards ceremony itself will take place in February next year.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Plekanec helps lift Canadiens over Bruins
    12/07/2007

    Tomas Plekanec scored his 9th goal of the season in NHL ice hockey action on Thursday, helping lift his team the Montreal Canadiens over “Original Six” rival, the Boston Bruins. The Canadiens won 4:2, their 7th match in a row against Boston.

    Toronto, meanwhile dumped the New York Rangers 6:2 with Leaf’s defenseman Pavel Kubina getting an assist. The Rangers’ Jaromir Jagr failed to get on the board.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Czech entry into border-free zone approved
    12/06/2007

    Interior ministers from the European Union’s member states gave final approval on Thursday to the Czech Republic’s accession to the border-free Schengen area. The Czech Republic will now join the Schengen zone, alongside 8 other EU member states, on December 21. The decision had been endorsed by ministers last month, but the final legal step to abolish border controls was taken on Thursday. As of December 21, the Schengen zone will encompass 24 different EU nations. The Czech Republic’s neighbours will all belong to the Schengen area. Entrance to the Schengen zone will mean passport-free travel for Czechs going abroad by train and car, but passports will be required for international flights, even to other countries within the Schengen area, until at least the end of March next year.
    Author: Rosie Johnston

  • Greens threaten to leave coalition if Cunek returns to government
    12/06/2007

    The Green Party would seriously consider leaving the governing coalition should Jiri Cunek return to the cabinet. Mr Cunek was the deputy prime minister and minister for regional development up until his resignation in early November. He resigned when an investigation into whether he had accepted bribes as mayor of the north Moravian town Vsetin was reopened. The investigation has since been dropped and Mr Cunek has voiced his interest in returning to government. But on Thursday, the head of the Green Party’s club of deputies, Katerina Jacques, warned that all six Green MPs may well leave the coalition in protest, should Mr Cunek return. The government coalition would fall if as many as four Green MPs decided to walk out.
    Author: Rosie Johnston

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