• Verheugen: Irish "no" will delay EU enlargement
    06/09/2002

    The European Union's commissioner for enlargement Guenter Verheugen has warned that a second rejection of the EU's Nice Treaty in an Irish referendum later this year would lead to a delay in the bloc's plans to expand to the east. Mr Verheugen told reporters a second "no" vote would cause extremely serious problems for which he had no solutions. He said the EU had no "plan B" should ratification fail. Up to 10 countries - including the Czech Republic - are hoping to join the EU in 2004. The Nice Treaty implements reforms the EU says are needed in order to admit more states. Last June's referendum in Ireland - the only EU member to require a referendum on the issue - rejected the treaty, amid fears of a threat to Ireland's neutrality and concern that smaller states would lose out.
    Author: Rob Cameron

  • Verheugen: Irish "no" will delay EU enlargement
    06/08/2002

    The European Union's commissioner for enlargement Guenter Verheugen has warned that a second rejection of the EU's Nice Treaty in an Irish referendum later this year would lead to a delay in the bloc's plans to expand to the east. Mr Verheugen told reporters a second "no" vote would cause extremely serious problems for which he had no solutions. He said the EU had no "plan B" should ratification fail. Up to 10 countries - including the Czech Republic - are hoping to join the EU in 2004. The Nice Treaty implements reforms the EU says are needed in order to admit more states. Last June's referendum in Ireland - the only EU member to require a referendum on the issue - rejected the treaty, amid fears of a threat to Ireland's neutrality and concern that smaller states would lose out.
    Author: Rob Cameron

  • EU talks entering final stages, says chief Czech negotiator
    06/07/2002

    The Czech Republic is now entering the final stage of its accession talks with the European Union, the chief Czech negotiator with the EU, Pavel Telicka, said on Friday. Mr Telicka said that the main outstanding areas to be discussed were support for agriculture in new member countries and budgetary and financial resolutions. The general elections which take place in the Czech Republic next weekend will not have any bearing on the country's plans to join the EU, said Mr Telicka. The Czech Republic is hoping to join the union in 2004.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Spidla for referendum on EU membership
    06/07/2002

    The leader of the governing Social Democrats, Vladimir Spidla, has said that he is in favour of a referendum on the Czech Republic's accession to the European Union. Mr Spidla said on Friday that he could not imagine how such an important issue as joining the EU could be decided without a referendum, adding that he still had a "bad taste" in his mouth over the fact that Czechoslovakia was divided in 1993 without a referendum being held.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Most Czechs dissatisfied with state of politics, suggests poll
    06/07/2002

    With just a week to go before general elections are held here in the Czech Republic, a poll suggests that 61 percent of Czechs are not satisfied with the state of politics in the country. The findings of the poll, which was conducted at the end of May by the CVVM polling agency, are similar to those recorded the previous month. The latest polls of party support suggest that the governing Social Democrats are slightly ahead of the right of centre Civic Democrats.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Email defaming Marvanova sent from PC in Czech Radio
    06/07/2002

    An email defaming the leader of the opposition Freedom Union, Hana Marvanova, was evidently sent from a computer at Czech Radio, a spokesman for the station said on Friday. The email, which was sent on May 29, is entitled The Two Faces of Hana M and describes Miss Marvanova as unscrupulous and cynical. Czech Radio has asked the police to investigate the case.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • CVVM backs Sofres-Factum poll: Social Democrats ahead by slsim margin
    06/06/2002

    A second opinion poll to be released this week has claimed that the ruling Social Democrats are slightly ahead of the opposition Civic Democrats as general elections in the Czech Republic approach. The survey, conducted by the state-funded Centre for Public Opinion Research (CVVM), put the ruling Social Democrats on almost 22 percent of the vote, and the Civic Democrats in second with just under 20 percent. The results echo a poll released on Wednesday by the Sofres-Factum agency. The narrow gap between the two leading parties suggests that neither will win an outright majority, meaning that the next government could be formed by a coalition.
    Author: Jan Velinger

  • Verheugen: return of Klaus would not affect Czech EU entry
    06/05/2002

    The European Union's Commissioner for Enlargement, Guenter Verheugen, has said he is sure the Czech Republic will remain on track to join the EU, even if former prime minister Vaclav Klaus returns to power. Mr Verheugen said no possible government in the Czech Republic would turn the country against European integration. Mr Klaus is accused by some of being Euro-sceptic. He denies the charges, describing himself as a Euro-realist. Public opinion polls have shown his right-of-centre Civic Democrats, whose election campaign has often had nationalist undertones, running neck and neck with the ruling Social Democrats.
    Author: Rob Cameron

  • Hundreds of Czech and Slovak Roma apply for asylum in Sweden
    06/04/2002

    Hundreds of Romanies from the Czech Republic and Slovakia have been applying for asylum in Sweden. In May, 74 Czech and 206 Slovak Roma asked for political asylum in the country, which is the same number as in the whole of 2001. None of the Czech and Slovak applicants were granted political asylum in Sweden either this or last year. Since January 111 Czech and 421 Slovak Roma have applied for asylum in Sweden. The majority of the Czech applicants are said to come from the north Moravian region of Ostrava. Swedish authorities say they think the attempts at mass-immigration from former Eastern Bloc countries are well organised.
    Author: Pavla Horáková

  • EU hotline receives its 100,000th query
    06/04/2002

    A toll-free hotline for questions about what Czechs can expect from the European Union has received its 100,000th query since the phones started ringing in October, the Czech government said on Monday. The milestone was reached on Friday at 3 p.m. when accountant Petra Dvorakova telephoned with questions about the practical changes she can expect at work after the Czech Republic joins the E.U., probably in 2004. The phone line, operated on weekdays by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, gets about 1,000 calls a day. Most questions concern the advantages and disadvantages of EU membership Recent polls have found a majority of Czechs favour EU membership, although EU scepticism among conservative voters is expected to play a role in next week's parliamentary elections.
    Author: Pavla Horáková

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