Daily news summary
President Zeman and PM Sobotka meet at Lány Chateau to discuss government's performance
President Miloš Zeman met with Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka at Lány Chateau on Saturday to discuss the performance of the coalition government to date as well as its plans for the future. Mr Sobotka said after the meeting that there were no major conflicts between him and the President regarding the fulfillment of the government programme.
Mr Sobotka also said that the Czech Republic was doing enough to help other EU countries deal with the migration crisis. His words came in reaction to the criticism from Austria's Defence Minister Hans Peter Doskozil, who said that the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary showed lack of solidarity towards the EU.
Several hundred people gather in support of Prague's Klinika centre
Several hundred people gathered in Prague 3 to support the Autonomous Social Centre Klinika, which helps the homeless and migrants. The local construction office refused to extend Klinika's lease on the Žižkov building where it now operates on the grounds that the building had been certified as a health facility and could not legally serve for other purposes. Its lease expires on March 2. The demonstrators plan to march from the centre on Jeseniova street to Prague 3 Town Hall at Jiřího z Poděbrad square. Klinika was recently attacked by extremists during an anti-migrant demonstration in Prague.
Political prisoners outraged by Communist Party statement on February 1948 events
The Confederation of Political Prisoners has expressed its outrage at the statement issued by the Communist Party on the anniversary of the February 1948 events, in which the party claimed adherence to the ʻrevolutionary legacyʼ of the Communist takeover. The party said it appreciateed the work and devotion of the generations of the developers of socialism and regretted tragic deformations and deficiencies that harmed the idea of socialism. They also said they had already apologised to all those whose lives were affected by this. The Confederation of Political Prisoners said the Communists could only be excused by dissolving their party. The Communist Party seized power on February 25, 1948, when president Edvard Beneš agreed they could form a new government after members of democratic parties resigned.
Awards handed out at Mene Tekel festival
Awards were handed out at the Mene Tekel festival against totalitarian regimes at Prague's Vinohrady Theatre on Friday to people who opposed or were persecuted by totalitarianism. The Dame of Czech Culture title was given to actress Marie Tomášová and artist Helga Hošková-Weissová. The Knight of Czech Culture title was given to actor František Miška and artist Jiří Sozanský. Actor Karel Hašler and author Božena Kuklová-Jíšová were honored posthumously. Minister of Culture Daniel Herman gave Meda Mládková, founder of Museum Kampa, the honorary title of Czech Culture Patron.
Czech production designer Martin Kurel receives French César film award
Czech production designer Martin Kurel has won the French César Award for Best Production Design for the film Marguerite, a French-Czech coproduction shot partly in the Czech Republic. The annual awards were handed at a ceremony at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris on Friday night. Mr Kurel is the first Czech to receive the French national film award. The period drama Marguerite, inspired by the real-life tale of the doomed soprano Florence Foster Jenkins, was directed by Xavier Giannoli and has been a hit in France. The film also received a César for Best Actress, Best Costume and Best Sound.
Snowboarder Ledecká wins last paralell slalom event to clinch small Crystal Globe
Snowboarder Ester Ledecká has won this season's third and last paralell giant slalom World Cup event in Kayseri, Turkey on Saturday, clinching the first small Crystal Globe of her career. The 20-year-old Czech finished four seconds ahead of Austria's Sabine Schöffmann. Ledecká also leads in the overall alpine snowboard World Cup ranking, with only one more race to come in Winterberg, Germany on 6 March.
Czech snowboarder Samková finishes third at World Cup event in Korea
The Czech snowboarder Eva Samková has finished third at a World Cup snowboard cross event at Bokwang, South Korea, reaching the podium for the third time this season. The Olympic champion currently holds a second place in the overall World Cup standings, only 40 points behind Italy's Michela Moioli.
