• 11/28/2006

    The Czech Republic is considering filing a complaint with the European Commission against the Austrian authorities. Czech Ambassador to Vienna, Jan Koukal, says the Austrians had violated a bilateral agreement when they approved a blockade of a Czech-Austrian border crossing in protest at the Temelin nuclear power plant in southern Bohemia. Based on the Melk agreement of December 2000, Austria should not object to the Temelin plant going into full operation as it has passed an environmental assessment study.

    Author: Dita Asiedu
  • 11/28/2006

    Extensive renovation and reconstruction work at Prague's main train station is to be launched on December 14. With the aim of attracting more travellers but also Prague residents, the station is to be transformed into a modern centre with shops, restaurants, and banks, within the next five years. With some 100,000 passengers a day, it is the country's biggest station. It was last renovated in 1979.

    Author: Dita Asiedu
  • 11/27/2006

    President Vaclav Klaus has cancelled a meeting with Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek scheduled for Monday during which Mr Topolanek was to inform the president about the ongoing talks about the formation of a government. A spokesman said the president cancelled the planned meeting with the prime minister after their morning phone call revealed that there had been no progress so far in the negotiations about the formation of a new government. Prime Minister Topolanek wanted to form a coalition of his Civic Democrats, the Social Democrats, the Christian Democrats and the Greens that would rule the country until early elections in 2008.

  • 11/27/2006

    Meanwhile, the Social Democrats have announced they will not join the four-party ruling coalition being proposed by Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek, that would rule only until early elections in 2008. Party leader Jiri Paroubek made the announcement on Sunday evening after a meeting with other Social Democrat negotiators. The Social Democrat leader said his party has its own proposal for a cabinet including the Social Democrats, the right-of-centre Civic Democrats, and the Christian Democrats, that would rule for a regular four year term.

  • 11/27/2006

    The prime minister and Civic Democrat chairman, Mirek Topolanek, has said the remarks by his aide caught on hidden camera are in line with his party's official stance and therefore there is no reason to apologise. On Sunday Social Demcorat chairman Jiri Paroubek said he expected an explanation and apology from the prime minister regarding alleged comments by his aide Marek Dalik, who supposedly attempted to win over several Social Democrat MPs to switch allegiance in an attempt to break the political deadlock.

  • 11/27/2006

    In related news, Senator Jiri Cunek - a strong contender to become the next leader of the Christian Democratic Party - has told the Czech newspaper Pravo he will not support a centre-right government made up of the Civic Democrats, the Greens, and his own party - a government that by definition would have to rely on votes from rogue MPs. Instead, Mr Cunek is backing the same proposal being favoured by the Social Democrats - a coalition excluding the Greens and the Communists - that would run the country until at least 2009. Mr Cunek came under criticism last week from his party's acting leader Jan Kasal for having met privately with Social Democrat chairman Jiri Paroubek.

  • 11/27/2006

    The head of the Christian Democratic parliamentary party, Vlasta Parkanova, has confirmed she will run for the post of party chairperson at the Christian Democrat national convention in December. Other candidates are Senators Jiri Cunek and Adolf Jilek and former MP Jiri Karas known for his strictly anti-abortion stance.

  • 11/27/2006

    The value of counterfeit goods confiscated on Sunday by customs officers in the Czech Republic's second largest city of Brno has been estimated at 105 million crowns - the equivalent of around 5 million US dollars. Most of the products confiscated at warehouses were imitation brand-name goods: perfumes, textiles, shoes, and entertainment goods, weighing in at a total of around 50 tonnes. A spokesman said the raid was part of a nationwide operation, code named Marie, targeted at counterfeited products.

  • 11/27/2006

    The Transport Research Centre says the traffic accident rate in the Czech Republic has dropped by a fifth since a penalty points system was implemented in July. A decrease is apparent in the number of injured and killed on the roads. The centre's director, Josef Mikulik, admitted, though, that drivers have since relaxed their vigilance and started breaking traffic rules again. In the five months since the new system has been in place, 74 drivers have lost their licence after they collected 12 penalty points for driving offences.

  • 11/26/2006

    The leader of the Social Democratic Party, Jiri Paroubek, has suggested it would be better for his party not to join a four-party ruling coalition being proposed by Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek. Speaking on a Czech TV news programme on Sunday Mr Paroubek stressed that he couldn't imagine the Social Democrats joining a government that would rule for only one a half years; the prime minister's plan suggests the government would run the country until the spring of 2008. On Sunday, Mr Paroubek said that his party had already rejected similar proposals in recent months, and indicated preference for a proposal counting on just two other parties with a longer mandate.

    The Social Democrats are to make public their decision on Monday. Politicians are now in a second attempt to try and form a viable government after elections ended in stalemate in June.

    Author: Jan Velinger

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