News

The church is to receive 83 billion crowns in compensation for property confiscated by the state which cannot be restored to it. However in view of the fact that the state cannot afford to make a one-off payment the actual sum will be much higher. Government representatives and church officials have agreed on a phased-out payment spanning 60 years. With an interest rate of 4.85 percent the church should receive 267 billion crowns in all. Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek said that the agreement would now enable the state to privatize thousands of hectares of land and real estate, which were blocked by the ownership dispute.

A number of highly publicized cases of child abuse in 2007 have led the government to tighten the law on the protection of children. The bill envisages more qualified social workers to detect cases of abuse and a clear definition of what kind of environment a child can be placed in, in the event of a messy custody battle. The nation was shocked this year by the case of a mother who severely abused her own children, shutting a 7-year old boy in a broom cupboard for days on end where he was bound, naked and made to eat his own vomit. The case of a perfectly healthy ten year old girl whom a judge sent to a mental home because her parents couldn’t agree on custody rights also revealed serious failings in the legal system.

An opinion poll conducted by the Median agency indicates that the biggest disappointment for Czechs in domestic politics in 2007 was the case of the former deputy prime minister Jiri Cunek. Mr. Cunek faced criminal prosecution over alledged bribery and refused to resign for months, leaving the cabinet only when it emerged that he was also suspected of having abused social benefits in the years before he entered high politics. The bribery case was closed for lack of evidence and investigators said that in the case of the social benefits – Mr. Cunek had not violated the law – and could at the most be accused of lack of ethics. Jiri Cunek’s attempt to return to Cabinet met with serious opposition from his party colleagues and although he remains head of one of the three governing parties – the Christian Democrats – his popularity rating has slumped. Thirty percent of respondents said he had serious character flaws and had abused his position.

Czech president Vaclav Klaus said he was ready to face his rival for the presidency only in parliament during the presidential election. Speaking at a debate on TV Prima, he repeatedly rejected calls from opposition Social Democrats to take part in a televised debate with Jan Svejnar about crucial domestic and foreign policy matters. Mr Klaus said that unlike his rival he didn’t need to seek publicity as a politician.