News

Ten thousand people have signed a petition calling for the preservation of Ježíšek (Baby Jesus) and other Czech Christmas traditions. The petition was started by a group of students who fear Czech children will become confused by the figure of Santa Claus, which has no tradition in this country. A “Save Baby Jesus” demonstration will be held at the Office of the Government next Friday, with some protesters expected to come dressed as snowmen.

Tomáš Verner has finished fourth in the final of the figure skating Grand Prix in Gojang, South Korea. The reigning European champion had come fifth in the short programme on Friday, improving his overall position with a result in Saturday’s freestyle which fell 18 points short of his personal record of 137.31. It was Verner’s first appearance in the figure skating Grand Prix final.

Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek has said that the EU’s Lisbon treaty could come into effect in late 2009. The prime minister made the statement in Brussels on Thursday evening at the close of the first day of the EU summit. At the meeting, EU leaders agreed that member states will continue to have their own commissioner – provided the treaty is approved. As it stands, the ratification process remains stalled in both Poland and Germany, while the Czech Republic has yet to vote on the document in Parliament. The Czechs are expected to do so in the first months of 2009, after they take up the EU presidency.

Meanwhile, on Friday, EU leaders agreed to provide a number of guarantees for Ireland to pave the way for that country to hold a new referendum on the Lisbon treaty in 2009; the document was rejected by voters there earlier this year.

Citing diplomatic sources, the Czech news agency ČTK has reported that the European Commission will provide a subsidy of almost 400,000 euros for events related to the Czech EU presidency in the first half of 2009. The EC will reportedly subsidise events such as so-called “Eurofestivals” to accompany informal meetings by EU ministers. Six open-air festivals, including music and discussions, are to be held over six months. The first will take place in Luhačovice, south Moravia, during a meeting of EU labour and social affairs ministers on January 23. The last, on June 1, will complement an informal meeting of EU agriculture ministers in Brno. The remaining festivals are to take place in Olomouc, Ceské Budějovice, Karlovy Vary, and Ustí nad Labem. The EC will also subsidise a conference marking the 5th anniversary of enlargement of the EU by ten new members (including the Czech Republic) in 2004.