Press Review
The news that former president Vaclav Havel has failed to win this year's Nobel Peace Prize came too late for Friday's papers of course - although several commentators do ponder over Mr Havel's presidential career and falling popularity at home. Also making headlines today - the current president, Vaclav Klaus, invited by Ombudsman Otakar Motejl to explain his recent scathing attack on the institution.
"Havel - for foreigners a symbol, for us a foreigner" says LIDOVE NOVINY, in a column examining the former president's popularity, or lack of, at home in the Czech Republic. In the West, says the paper, Vaclav Havel is seen as a man who spent his whole life fighting for human rights, a struggle rewarded with the highest office in the land. He's so well regarded that winning the Nobel Prize wouldn't change anything, says LIDOVE NOVINY.
Czechs, however, see things a little differently. In general the Czech people couldn't give a toss whether Havel wins the Nobel Prize, writes the paper. In office, Vaclav Havel made many enemies with his controversial and obscure attempts to influence domestic politics, writes LIDOVE NOVINY. Out of office he is conspicuous in his refusal to comment on events at home.
MLADA FRONTA DNES does comment on events at home, conceding that Prime Minister Vladimir Spidla's "baptism of fire" was over almost before it began. The opposition Civic Democrats have gone from one defeat to another - failing to topple the government over the public finance reforms, failing to put the cabinet on the spot over the EU constitution, and even losing one of their MPs in the lower house. All they've done, writes MLADA FRONTA DNES, is help unite the centre-left coalition.
PRAVO writes that Ombudsman Otakar Motejl has asked President Vaclav Klaus to explain his recent scathing attack on the institution. Mr Klaus recently said in a radio interview that the Office of the Ombudsman - which defends civil and legal rights in the Czech Republic - was nothing more than a cushy job for retired politicians. He also said the Ombudsman had done almost nothing in the three years since it was established.
And finally back to LIDOVE NOVINY, and news that musicians at the National Theatre gave a rather unorthodox performance on Thursday: the orchestra, choir and soloists held a free open-air concert to complain about their wages. Standing under a banner reading "We don't want to strike - but we have to speak up", the musicians performed Smetana's the Bartered Bride.
Average earnings for National Theatre musicians come to just 15,000 crowns a month, almost 3,000 below the national average, says LIDOVE NOVINY. Members of the choir take home just 11-12,000 crowns. Culture Minister Pavel Dostal gave the musicians a sympathetic ear - "Czech artists certainly don't live a life of luxury" he told the paper.
