Download Breakfast Brief in PDF »
NEWS
Supreme Court rejects ban on Dělnická strana
The Supreme Administrative Court yesterday rejected an Interior Ministry proposal to ban the far-right-wing Dělnická strana due to lack of evidence. Interior Minister Ivan Langer defended the ministry saying it was the first time the court had set out the requirements for such a case. Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek said the cabinet will try to identify mistakes in the proposal. ČSSD leader Jiří Paroubek blamed Langer personally.
most Czech press
Právo editor Porybný claims he was blackmailed by ČSSD
In an article yesterday, Právo editor-in-chief Zdeněk Porybný said he had been pressured to stop writing unfavourably about ČSSD or that Právo might lose advertising revenue from companies managed or influenced by the state. Porybný did not name anyone. ČSSD election manager Jaroslav Tvrdík said he values Porybný’s work, while party leader Jiří Paroubek said Porybný no longer had the moral right to lead an independent daily.
most Czech press
Czech skier may have to pay for causing avalanche
A Czech ski instructor who accidentally helped to trigger an avalanche in the Austrian Alps on Saturday might have to pay some CZK 280,000 to cover the costs of a rescue team that checked the area for injuries. The instructor was skiing in an area that was closed off because of an avalanche threat. No one was hurt. Austrian authorities said there were other skiers in the area and the Czech was the only one who did not run away and even helped the rescue team.
LN 1, 8
National Gallery head likely be replaced
The head of the National Gallery, Milan Knížák, could be replaced under a new system by the Culture Ministry. Culture Minister Václav Jehlička wants to replace all directors of cultural institutions that rely on public funds for support and who have been in their posts for more than six years.
LN 1, 3
System to monitor EU funds will cost millions less
Regional Development Minister Cyril Svoboda, who replaced Jiří Čunek in the position, said the ministry will spend hundreds of millions of crowns less than planned on a system to monitor EU subsidies. Čunek had said he would spend CZK 1.5 billion and pay for the system from state coffers, while Svoboda said it could be covered by EU funds. The system will be provided by Tesco SW that won a tender for it years ago.
HN 3
Coalition supports reducing number of MPs
Leaders of the coalition yesterday accepted a KDU-ČSL proposal to reduce the number of MPs from 200 to 199 as part of a cabinet plan to introduce direct presidential elections. The coalition will also discuss broader changes to the electoral code, since KDU-ČSL considers some of the ideas to border on the unconstitutional.
most Czech press
City Hall tries to block insurance money for Výstaviště
Prague City Hall will ask a court to block payment of insurance money to Incheba for the Industrial Palace at Prague’s Výstaviště, which was badly damaged by fire last year. City Hall is worried that Incheba, the building’s current tenant, might use the money for other purposes.
ČTK
Schwarzenberg says US radar plans unchanged
Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg says he thinks the situation surrounding US plans to build an anti-missile radar system in the Czech Republic remains unchanged. He was reacting to reports this week that US President Barack Obama would link building the radar with progress in getting Iran to abandon its nuclear programme.
Právo 10
Czechs, EU worry about freedom of speech
Speaking at a UN Human Rights Council, officials from the Czech Republic and other EU countries have expressed concern over freedom of speech if Islamic states succeed in pushing through a ban on religious defamation at a UN conference on racism in April.
ČTK
Kubek apologises to female doctors
The head of the Czech Medical Chamber, Milan Kubek, has sent an apology to female doctors explaining his controversial statements linking a crisis in Czech healthcare to “feminisation”. In a letter, he said he immensely values the work of doctors and does not distinguish between male and female doctors.
LN 4, iDnes.cz
Klaus meets with Independence/Democracy MEPs
President Václav Klaus met yesterday with MEPs from the Eurosceptic group Independence/Democracy. The only Czech representative of the group, Vladimír Železný, said they spoke about European integration and the Lisbon Treaty.
ČTK
Czech Afghanistan team finishes 14 projects, plans more
The civilian part of the Czech Provincial Reconstruction Team in Afghanistan’s Logar province was replaced by new experts after a year of operation during which they finished 14 projects, including helping to rebuild schools, infrastructure and healthcare. Another 43 projects are currently under way and an additional 15 are being planned. The Czech PRT will stay in Afghanistan for five years.
Právo 3, ČTK
BUSINESS
Česká spořitelna to pay record dividend
Česká spořitelna plans to pay out its highest-ever dividend from a record net profit of CZK 15.8 billion. The dividend works out to CZK 102 per share. Erste Bank, the main shareholder, will receive some CZK 15.5 billion.
HN 1, 13
CzechTrade assists in exports totalling CZK 5.5bn in 2008
The volume of exports realised last year with the assistance of the government agency CzechTrade reached CZK 5.5 billion, 80% more than the year before. Larger companies, such as food manufacturers Hamé and Walmark, are increasingly interested in working with CzechTrade.
HN 15, Právo 18
Crown notches big gains against euro
The Czech crown yesterday strengthened against the euro by more than CZK 0.50 to CZK 27.30 but gained only slightly against the dollar to close at CZK 21.74. Next Finance’s main economist, Vladimír Pikora, thinks the crown was helped by speculation surrounding the acquisition of Zentiva by Sanofi-Aventis.
HN 19, ČTK
RWE to build new gas pipeline in ČR
German company RWE plans to build a new gas pipeline called LBL to connect the Austrian station in Baumgarten to the Czech network. The pipeline would be 60 kilometres long and cost EUR 80 million. It would be launched in three years. The pipeline could serve as a continuation of the planned Nabucco pipeline promoted by the EU that would bring gas from the Caspian region.
HN 13, 16
GTS Travel launches regional bus line to Liberec
GTS Travel will launch regular bus service from Prague to Liberec on 16 March. Tickets will cost CZK 70 and the line will compete with Student Agency, which charges CZK 95. The service will be run in cooperation with the Liberec municipal transport company (DPML). GTS Travel will decide on other regional lines after first seeing how the Liberec line works.
E15 8
Heineken produces 2.8 hl of beer in ČR in 2008
Czech breweries that belong to the Heineken group, including Starobrno, Královský pivovar Krušovice and Drinks Union, produced some 2.8 million hectolitres of beer last year, confirming the group’s position as the country’s third-biggest brewer. The volume of exports reached 859,000 hl, mainly to Germany, Russia and Ukraine.
HN 15
Lidl sees bigger annual loss
The Lidl discount chain saw its loss in the Czech Republic rise from CZK 43.1 million in 2006/2007 to CZK 52.5 million in 2007/2008. Revenue rose last year from CZK 14.18 billion to CZK 16.76 billion. Lidl operates about 200 stores around the country.
ČTK
Crisis shows economy’s weak spots
Analysts cited by ČTK said the financial crisis and recession reveal how fragile the Czech economy is and how dependent it is on a few industries, particularly the auto industry. Economists said they could not estimate how long the recession will last.
ČTK
ČR might face sanctions over waste disposal
Jiřina Vyštejnová of the association for the ecological treatment of waste (STEO) said yesterday the Czech Republic would not be able to meet EU requirements for waste disposal in 2010 and is facing possible sanctions worth billions of crowns. The Ministry of Environment confirmed the possibility and stressed the need for quickly adopting a new waste-disposal law.
ČTK
