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The opposition Social Democrats held a one-day party conference in Prague on Saturday to discuss the party’s strategy in elections to the European Parliament, address economic problems relating to the financial crisis and approve a new way of electing the party leadership in March. In the wake of the party’s resounding success in Senate and regional elections last October no one has stepped forward to challenge Jiří Paroubek for the post of party leader. Since there is only one candidate for the top post the party has voted to abandon a direct vote in favour of a vote by party delegates which will save the party three to four million crowns. Mr. Paroubek told the conference his main ambition at present was to lead the party to a victory in the June elections to the European Parliament.

Addressing the Social Democrat conference as a guest of honor, General Wesley Clark thanked the Czech Republic for accepting the US missile defense project and showing a high degree of solidarity with the US. He indicated that no matter how the project developed, Prague’s allegiance was much appreciated. Washington recently issued signals that it might be prepared to revise its missile defense plans to include Russia and there have been indications that the economic crisis could see them postponed by several years.

Czech Šárka Záhrobská won the silver medal in the women's slalom at the Alpine Skiing World Championships in France on Saturday. The Czech defending champion lost to Germany’s Maria Riesch who clocked a combined total of 1min 51.80 sec to finish a massive 0.77 sec ahead of Zahrobska. Finn Tanja Poutiainen took the bronze, a further 0.32sec adrift.

The Czech president, Václav Klaus, signed on Friday a controversial bill barring the media from publishing or broadcasting police wiretaps. After the law enters into force in May, any journalist who publishes transcripts of phone calls intercepted by the police will face a fine of five million crowns or five years in jail.

Last week MPs from most parties in the Chamber of Deputies voted to overturn a Senate veto on the law. A number of Czech and international journalists’ groups, including Reporters without Borders and European Newspaper Publishers’ Association, have called on Mr Klaus not to sign the bill, which they say is an infringement on the freedom of the press.