News of Radio Prague

Czech budget draft approved, Marvanova abstains from vote

The Czech lower house has approved the state budget draft for 2003, including its record-high deficit, in a first reading. The budget sets a deficit of over 111 billion crowns, or 4.6 percent of GDP, the highest ever for the Czech Republic. One hundred deputies of the three-party ruling coalition voted in favour of the draft, while ninety-nine opposition MPs voted against. The passing of the first of three required readings on the budget draft has ensured the government will continue in its present form. Hana Marvanova, the MP from the right-of-centre junior coalition member the Freedom Union who is strongly opposed to the record-high deficit, abstained from the vote. Her decision helped to avert the government collapse that would almost certainly have ensued, had the budget draft been rejected.

Tosenovsky withdraws candidacy for Civic Democrat chairman

The governor of the region of North Moravia and Silesia, Evzen Tosenovsky, has withdrawn his candidacy for the post of leader of the Civic Democratic Party. Mr Tosenovsky first announced his candidacy in September this year, becoming the first senior Civic Democrat to say he would stand against the party's only leader in its thirteen-year history, Vaclav Klaus. At a special news conference on Friday, Mr Tosenovsky explained his move by saying the current party leadership did not want him to become leader. The party will elect its new chairman at a leadership convention in mid-December. After Mr Tosenovsky's withdrawal, there is currently no other official candidate for the post.

Czech Republic and Slovakia given "safe status"

The Czech Republic and Slovakia have both been given so-called "safe status" in line with a new asylum and immigration law passed in Britain. The status will make it more difficult for individuals, including economic migrants, to seek asylum, since it outlines that countries labelled "safe" are democratic, where citizens do not have to fear political repression. In an earlier debating of the law in the House of Lords it was proposed that the Czech Republic not be included in the list of safe countries for its treatment of the Roma minority, but that proposal was voted down in the British Upper House.

Agriculture commissioner says Czech farmers will benefit from E.U. enlargement in long run

The agriculture commissioner for the EU Franz Fischler has urged Czech farmers to see the benefits of the Czech Republic joining the European Union. On Friday he stated that Czech farmers would benefit from EU enlargement in the long run, while defended the EU. Mr Fischler did acknowledge the hard work that Czech farmers have undertaken in restructuring the agriculture industry since the fall of communism, and assured Czech farmers the agriculture sector would earn more money after enlargement. But, farm leaders are saying that unless the EU sets equal subsidy levels for new and current member states, they will ask Czech farmers to vote against EU accession in a referendum next spring.

Unemployment rate drops by a tenth of a percentage point

Unemployment in the Czech Republic has dropped by a tenth of a percentage point to 9.3 percent. Employment agencies registered 486, 681 unemployed in October, more than six thousand less than the month before. Last year at this time the unemployment rate hovered at 8.4 percent. Analysts say the current rate is unexpected to change dramatically in the coming months.

Weather

Saturday is expected to be cloudy with snow or sleet in places. Daytime temperatures will reach highs between two and six degrees Celsius.