Press Review

All of today's front pages report on Monday's government decision to seek a vote of confidence. LIDOVE NOVINY features three successive photographs - a smiling, a pensive, and a sad Prime Minister Vladimir Spidla and while all papers say he had made the right move, they also warn of it being a risky step. President-elect Vaclav Klaus also makes the front pages with his shocked reaction to the physical state of Prague Castle.

Devastated, depressing and useless are the words Mr Klaus used to describe the villa and the office at Prague Castle in which he will be expected to live and work in the next five years. While entering the premises content and happy, he soon left with an expression of grave disappointment, writes LIDOVE NOVINY. But, according to PRAVO, Mr Klaus has nothing to worry about as the villa is to undergo a 50 million Czech crown reconstruction and will be as good as new in two weeks.

But besides inspecting his new home, Mr Klaus has also begun naming members of his presidential staff. Three names are already certain. Current presidential chancellor Ivo Mathe is to be replaced by Jiri Weigl. Journalist and former advisor to Mr Klaus Ladislav Jakl will become the president's secretary, while Daniela Kralova shall remain his personal assistant. However, there is one name that all papers react to. Jana Bobosikova, one of the country's most confrontational TV personalities, may become the new president's spokesperson.

Will Klaus bring trouble, asks MLADA FRONTA DNES, looking at how the press in the rest of Europe has been commenting on the outcome of Friday's presidential elections. The Social Democratic party's internal conflict of interest as well as the lack of solidarity within the ruling coalition is mostly frowned upon. While Mr Klaus is not criticised directly, most foreign papers find the country's future with Mr Klaus as head of state to be a big question mark.

The Foreign Ministry has begun its campaign to inform Czechs about the pros and cons of the country's accession to the EU. Every Tuesday until the referendum on EU membership in June, LIDOVE NOVINY will carry a special supplement looking at key topics and answering the most asked questions. Full of graphs, tables, statistics and interviews, today's edition looks at how living standards in current EU member states have changed upon accession and speculates what changes the Czech Republic can expect.

PRAVO writes that the transformation to EU norms could force several schools to close down. On July 1, a new law is to come into effect introducing stricter hygiene controls. However, many Czech schools cannot afford to implement the stricter hygienic measures. The ministries of education and health have therefore taken steps to discuss the issue in parliament, hoping to amend the new law in order to postpone the requirements for three years.

And on a similar note, MLADA FRONTA DNES looks at the state of hygiene in Prague swimming pools and devotes a whole page to a largely critical analysis. After an evaluation of the city's most popular pools, it comes to the conclusion that although many come short of the required standards, nothing is being done about it. In some places, visitors are even confronted with mouldy ceilings and cockroaches. Most pool management blames it on the lack of finances and the hygienists themselves do not bother as long as the water is clean, the paper writes.

HOSPODARSKE NOVINY reports on a government plan to reduce tax evasion and money laundering from drug deals, prostitution, and weapon smuggling. All payments above half a million Czech crowns in cash should be made illegal, allowing only bank transfers through bank accounts. During its session on Monday, the cabinet approved a bill drafted by the Finance Ministry, hoping it will make it through parliament.