Press Review

The upcoming NATO summit in Prague is the lead topic in all the Czech papers which are already competing for the best scoop on what they call "the lead political event of the year". The papers all promise exclusive interviews with VIPs and special reports every day of the week.

The headlines in Mlada Fronta Dnes have turned dramatic -"Prague is turning into a fortress" the paper says. "NATO summit to paralyze Prague traffic", "Inhabitants flee to quieter locations" and even "Al Qaeda are in the Czech Republic".

The last headline is based on speculation that the intelligence service has reason to believe Al Qaeda may have contacts in the country. The speculation relates to the arrest of a gang which smuggled Afghan refugees into the Czech Republic, with part of the profit allegedly going to Al Qaeda's coffers. We have no proof - an unnamed source from the intelligence service tells the paper. "If we had anything at all, the people in question would have been arrested."

The papers all devote plenty of attention to the case of the Belarussian and Ukrainian presidents who both asked for a place at the NATO summit. Their snapshots carry the caption "the uninvited guests" and Pravo reports that while Lukashenko has been forced to stay at home, after the Czech government refused to issue him an entry visa, the Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma is still packing his bags.

Mlada Fronta Dnes carries a cartoon of Osama Bin Laden with the man described as the last dictator in Europe - Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko. "How could you be so stupid to ask for a visa under your own name? " says Bin Laden. Lidove Noviny links the upcoming NATO summit to outgoing President Vaclav Havel, expressing the view that the Czech Republic was chosen as the first post-communist state to host a NATO summit entirely due to the Czech President's excellent reputation abroad. The paper says that one of the social events of the two day summit will be an informal "leave-taking" ceremony for the outgoing Czech president whose term in office ends in February.

Pravo says that anyone scanning the Prague skyline at night will be reminded of the president's imminent departure. A huge neon heart - the president's chosen "logo" can now be seen shining over the Basilica of St. George at Prague Castle. The heart is to remain there for the rest of the President's term in office. Its author, the controversial artist Jiri David, has told the paper that the heart is to honour the President and has nothing to do with the upcoming NATO summit.

And finally, Lidove Noviny has interviewed some Prague inhabitants who will be directly affected by the NATO summit, since they live and work in heavily guarded parts of Prague that will been closed to the public and accessible by special pass only. Many people say they've been given leave from work and will spend it at their country cottage. Some entrepreneurs in the region say that they will be closing their businesses -for the duration of the summit - because they don't expect many customers but for many others it will business as usual.