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David Černý’s controversial artwork Entropa, which was unveiled in Brussels at the start of the Czech EU presidency, is being dismantled at the artist’s request. Mr. Černý has ordered the work to be taken down in protest against the fall of the centre-right government of prime minister Mirek Topolánek, midway through the Czech Republic’s EU presidency. Originally the piece was expected to remain in Brussels until the end of June. Prime Minister Jan Fischer said he would have preferred for the artwork to remain in place until the end of the Czech presidency, but he fully respected the artist’s ownership rights.

Three-quarters of Czechs are of the opinion that the country’s EU membership offers them better living conditions and work opportunities, but it also leads to increasing red tape, according to the latest poll conducted by the CVVM agency. Enumerating the advantages, respondents praised subsidies from EU funds and said membership had increased the country’s visibility. Among the disadvantages cited was the brain drain to other EU states and the limitations imposed by EU legislation. The Czech Republic joined the EU in May, 2004.

The new Czech foreign minister, Jan Kohout, visited Slovakia on Sunday on his first trip abroad two days after he assumed office. Mr Kohout met for talks with his Slovak counterpart, Miroslav Lajčák to discuss the Czech presidency of the EU that the new Czech government has to complete. The ministers also said they would like to enhance the knowledge of the Czech and Slovak languages in their respective countries, particularly in the young generations. Czech and Slovak are similar Western Slavic languages and their knowledge was common in both parts of the Czechoslovak federation.

Slovakia has traditionally been the first destination Czech officials visit after taking office. Both President Klaus and the former PM, Mirek Topolánek, visited the country at the start of their terms.

Ladislav Jakl, a secretary of the Czech President, Václav Klaus, told Czech TV on Sunday that the ratification of the Lisbon treaty by the Czech Republic will only be completed after it is signed by the president. Czech Foreign Minister Jan Kohout said that the president should sign the treaty but refused to give an opinion on whether the Czech head of state is obliged to do so. President’s secretary Jakl also said that there are already enough senators to petition the Constitutional Court with a further review of the treaty.

The Czech president is a staunch critic of the EU’s reform document; Social Democrat Senator Alena Gajdůšková told the news website tyden.cz that the president could be impeached if he refuses to sign the treaty that had been approved by both chambers of the Czech Parliament.