News
Prime Minister slams police president amidst row over political interference
Czech Prime Minister Petr Nečas has slammed the head of the country’s police service, Petr Lessy, over a letter that was issued to subordinates on Sunday. In it, Lessy called on fellow officers to resist political pressures while investigating cases of corruption. The letter came in the wake of accusations by Lessy that Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek had pressured him over a controversial arms sale investigation. Reflecting on Sunday’s pronouncement, the PM called the remarks incompatible with Lessy’s position as police president and stated that Lessy must decide whether he is becoming a “political activist” rather than a politician. Reacting to the comments Social Democrat head Bohuslav Sobotka accused the Civic Democrats of being afraid of a truly independent police service. Czech president Václav Klaus has invited Lessy for an in person discussion between the two men at noon on Wednesday.
Czech pilot arrested in CASA corruption case
The police have arrested a Czech pilot who is related to investigations over the CASA military planes scandal involving former defence minister Vlasta Parkanová back in 2009. The pilot, 31-year-old Karel Daňhel, has reportedly been providing police with information regarding suspicions he experienced in relation to the CASA purchases; details regarding why he was arrested remain sketchy, but reports suggest it may be related to an as yet unspecified case of sexual misconduct. Ondrej Páleník, chief of Czech military intelligence is alleged to have claimed that Daňhel was taking kickbacks from the arms producer Omnipol – this has been denied by the company. Meanwhile, Daňhel has reportedly claimed that pressure was exerted to purchase the overpriced CASA military jets by Martin Barták, Parkanová’s deputy.
Czech scientist Antonín Holý dies at 75
Czech scientist Antonín Holý, internationally-renowned for his work as a chemist and for cooperation on the development of important antiretroviral drugs used in the treatment of HIV and Hepatitis B died on Monday. He would have been 76 in September. The news was released by the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry where Mr Holý first began working in 1960. According to sources, the scientist headed hundreds of scientific discoveries and was the holder of 60 patents. Mr Holý received an Honorary Professorship at the University of Manchester's School of Chemistry in 2008.
Supreme Public Prosecutor’s report warns that corruption has also infested smaller towns and villages
Corruption is not only endemic at the highest levels of the Czech government but has also permeated into the smallest local village and town authorities, according to a new report published by the Supreme Public Prosecutor’s Office. Specifically, untoward connections between public officials and lobbyists, contractors and consulting firms are causing corruption in transactions affecting public property and the public purse. The report, compiled with the aid of the country’s intelligence service BIS, also warns that many cases of localised corruption are going unnoticed or unpunished due to fears of political consequences. Only around 50 cases of bribe taking were investigated last year in this sphere, which the Prosecutor’s Office says is indicative of poor police work. One solution is believed to be better legislation to protect whistle-blowers, and is currently under discussion by the government.
Last year, Czechs collected 6 billion crowns worth of mushrooms
In 2011, Czechs collected a staggering 46,300 tonnes of mushrooms from Czech forests, or 11 kilogrammes for every household. The data was revealed via a government report conducted by the country’s forestry service and suggests volatility in the mushroom bounty across the years, highly dependant on the weather. The ultimate bumper yield was in 1995, when Czechs collected 58,500 tonnes. Additionally, Czechs collected 8,900 tonnes of blueberries, 2,100 tonnes of raspberries and 2,300 tonnes of blackberries last year.
Civic Democrats formally back Sobotka for president
The Czech Civic Democrats have formally backed the former Senate President, and current deputy Senate head, Přemysl Sobotka for their party’s nomination in the Czech presidential race. According to PM Petr Nečas, Sobotka enjoys the full support of all Civic Democrat MPs and Senators; the endorsement comes on the back of the Czech Senator emerging victorious from the party’s presidential primaries against former governor Evžen Tošenovský at the end of June. Sobotka is one of around a dozen candidates for the 2013 Czech presidential elections, which will be decided by a popular vote for the first time in history. Recent polling suggests Sobotka will have a hard time against independent candidates, specifically Jan Fischer, who leads the pack in current polls. Analysts suggest that corruption scandals make independents favoured over major party candidates by a wide margin for 2013.
Education ministry announces examinations shake-up
Final school exams for Czech Secondary School teenagers are to be simplified according to new plans unveiled by Czech Education Minister Petr Fiala. Among the changes are that the exams will no longer be marked by independent evaluators but rather by the teachers who educate the students. Also, a two-tier difficulty level choice will also be eliminated. According to Fiala, the changes will ease administrative burdens, save millions of crowns and make for more understandable marking of papers; he also added that he expects the proposals will receive wide support in parliament. The changes were proposed after the most recent round of such exams led to widespread complaints by students over various components of the exams, particularly in the Czech language and mathematics fields.
Fifth of Czech female managers lacking childcare options, study finds
More than a fifth of Czech female managers are having to decline lucrative career advancements due to a lack of childcare, according to an analysis by Stanton Chase, a head-hunting company. The figure is far higher than in Western Europe and Northern America, where the number is around 4% to the Czech Republic’s 22%. The study also found that more than half of Czech women want to work during their maternity leave, but 29% of these cannot make extra money for want of childcare facilities.
Czech banks get clean bill of health in IMF analysis
An IMF report issued on Tuesday appeared to give the Czech financial sector a clean bill of health, noting that it could withstand substantial shocks thanks to strong capital, liquidity and profits. But it also warned that it is vulnerable to potential negative occurrences in the EU and also at its foreign parent banks, particularly in light of the large dependence of the Czech Republic on exports to the EU. The IMF also stated that the Czech regulatory framework for banks was largely sound, but called for more staff and for an increase in bank inspections.
Czech Position to cease English-language publication
The English-language version of the online journal Česká Pozice, namely Czech Position, has announced that it will cease publication. In a statement released on their website on Tuesday, editor Brian Kenety noted that advertising revenue had proven insufficient to continue the project, particularly in light of a weak economic outlook. The English section launched in 2010, seeking, as Kenety noted in his statement, to become “the world’s daily English-language source for Czech political, business and cultural news”. Local reporters, including those affiliated with Radio Prague, contributed to the publication. The Czech version is set to continue publication
Weather
Cloudy and relatively cold conditions are expected to continue, with more showers and storms as the week continues. Daytime temperatures are expected to reach around 18 degrees Celsius, reaching 26 degrees on Thursday before sharply falling again approaching the weekend.
