• Czech government not to back up direct presidential elections
    11/14/2007

    The Czech government will not back up Social Democrats’ proposal to introduce direct presidential elections, Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek said after the cabinet meeting on Wednesday. Mr Topolanek said the introduction of the popular vote was unfeasible without previous negotiations. Nevertheless, the government is ready to discuss the issue, as two of the three ruling parties, the Greens and the Christian Democrats, support the idea. Even if the cabinet supported the amendment to the Constitution, the popular vote would fall into consideration only in 2013.
    Author: Ruth Fraňková

  • Civic Democrats and Social Democrats draw in preferences
    11/14/2007

    The preferences of the two strongest Czech parties, the ruling Civic Democrats and the opposition Social Democrats, have levelled, according to a poll conducted by the STEM agency in November. The latest data indicate that the Civic Democrats are supported by 27.5 % of the questioned while the Social Democrats by 26.9 %. The preferences of the opposition Communists and the ruling coalition Green party have slightly increased to 12.1 and 9.4 % respectively.
    Author: Ruth Fraňková

  • Snow causes problems all over CR
    11/14/2007

    Snowy weather in the Czech Republic is continuing to complicate the situation on Czech roads as well as cause power outages. Areas most affected by snow include the regions of Hradec Kralove and Liberec, where falling trees caused severe power cuts. Icy weather has also caused disruptions of rail links as well as dozens of road accidents. Snowy conditions are expected to last at least until this weekend.
    Author: Ruth Fraňková

  • Number of Natura reserves to increase in CR
    11/14/2007

    The Czech government included another 17 localities in south Moravia into the proposed list of Natura 2000 European nature reserves, at the request of the European Commission. A total of 800 localities of rare plants and animals in the country are to be included in the list. The state is to guarantee their protection and considerate economic use. Among the newly proposed reserves are the Lednice ponds and the Dyje River meanders.
    Author: Ruth Fraňková

  • Prague Short Film Festival gets underway
    11/14/2007

    The third annual Prague Short Film Festival starts in Prague’s Svetozor cinema on Wednesday evening. The competition and non-competition sections will present the best short films created over the last year by young filmmakers from all over the world, as well as a selection of films by renowned directors.
    Author: Ruth Fraňková

  • European Court of Human Rights rules in favour of Romany families
    11/13/2007

    The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg has ruled that the Czech Republic discriminated against 18 Romany children by forcing them to attend special schools. The state will have to pay each of them 108, 000 crowns (4,000 euros) in compensation. The verdict overturns an earlier ruling according to which the Roma families had no cause for complaint since these special schools were also attended by non-Roma children with learning difficulties. The Roma families who waged a 9-year long court battle over their children’s rights said they had almost given up hope of a verdict in their favour. The ruling is likely to set an important precedent.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Czech RAF threatens violence over radar
    11/13/2007

    An alleged Czech branch of the German left-wing terrorist group Red Army Faction has threatened violence if a US radar were to be deployed on Czech soil, the daily Lidove Noviny said on Tuesday. The group wrote on its web site that it would unleash “explosions, murder and violence” the moment that the first American soldier stepped on Czech soil. The paper says that the Czech counter-intelligence service is closely monitoring the group’s activities.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Russia says radar in Czech Republic amounts to meddling in its backyard
    11/13/2007

    Russia is also stepping up opposition to the US missile defense shield in central Europe. Russia's armed forces chief on Tuesday compared the US plan to Moscow deploying missiles in Latin America. Chief of Staff Yury Baluyevsky said on Russia Today television that the US plan to station a tracking radar in the Czech Republic and interceptor missiles in Poland amounted to meddling in Russia's backyard.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Transit fare hike on Prague public transport system
    11/13/2007

    The Prague Town Hall has approved higher transit fares on the Prague public transport system. The cost of a single changing ticket is to go up by 6 CZK to 26 CZK (1.5 USD). The man in charge of Prague’s transport system, Martin Dvorak, originally wanted ticket prices to rise to 30 CZK, but this idea was vetoed by city councillors. Mr Dvorak and Prague Town Hall have reached a compromise with the 26 CZK fare, which is set to come into operation as of the 1st January 2008. A single non-transferable ticket will rise in price from 14 crowns to 18 CZK, while the cost of an annual travel card will rise as well.

    Not everyone is happy with the solution, the Green Party have criticized the move, saying that it makes travelling by public transport in Prague more expensive, relatively speaking, than in New York or Paris. This is the first price rise to affect the capital’s public transport system since 2005.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Klaus accepts Cunek’s resignation
    11/13/2007

    President Klaus has accepted the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Local Development Jiri Cunek from both government posts. Mr. Cunek handed in his resignation last Wednesday in the wake of a drawn-out scandal over his private finances. The Christian Democratic Party, of which he remains leader, is to meet later today to consider who they should propose as his successor.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

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