News Czech Republic 15.10.2012 - 23.10.2012
24.10.2012 07:21CR: Rebel deputies holding their ground over tax hikes
Six rebel Civic Democrat deputies who may bring down the government over controversial tax-hikes are holding their ground. A meeting on Tuesday morning with a special party working group striving to find a compromise solution failed to break the deadlock. The six rebels are refusing to support a package of tax hikes which the government claims are inevitable for it to meet its fiscal target –i.e. bring the gap in public finances to below 3 percent of GDP in 2013. The rebels’ refusal to support tax hikes puts the government’s fate on the line since the prime minister has linked the bill to a vote of confidence in the centre-right government.
Finance minister says he will revise state budget
Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek said shortly after the break-down of talks that the government would withdraw the proposed state budget for 2013 from the lower house and revise it. The finance minister said that in view of the deadlock within the Civic Democratic Party he would have to review the expenditures side of the budget and consider how the loss in revenues could be made up for by cuts in the public sector. He stressed that he was not prepared to increase the gap in public spending because of the tax dispute. A new draft budget should be ready within 30 days.
Opposition slams ruling coalition for inability to govern
Social Democrat leader Bohuslav Sobotka has accused the government of letting the country slide into chaos and noted that the ruling coalition should either get on with the task of ruling the country or resign. Mr. Sobotka said it was unacceptable for the ruling coalition to continue in the present manner when it was not clear whether it had a majority in the lower house, the votes to pass next year’s state budget, what taxes would be in place next year and whether the pension reform would be in force or not. Communist Party leader Vojtech Filip joined the criticism saying the members of the ruling coalition were not serving the country but merely hanging onto power.
Deputy prime minister says church restitutions may have to be reviewed
Deputy Prime Minister Karolina Peake has not ruled out fresh negotiations on church restitutions in light of the controversy over next year’s state budget. The deputy prime minister said that the church restitution bill in its present form had been agreed on the basis of proposed state revenues which were now being put to question. Under the proposed legislation, the Czech state would return some 56 percent of the physical property worth around 75 billion crowns; for the rest, Czech churches and religious societies would receive some 60 billion crowns in compensation over a period of 30 years.
Jan Fisher would not let communists enter into government
Independent presidential candidate Jan Fischer has said he would not let the communists enter into government. Mr. Fischer, a former caretaker prime minister who is one of the hot candidates for the presidential post, said he considers the Communist Party an extremist party which had not fully accepted the post-1989 democratic changes in the country and had a highly negative stand to the European Union and NATO. Mr. Fisher said he would be extremely careful even in accepting a minority left-wing government with support from the Communist Party. Mr. Fischer himself was a member of the Czechoslovak Communist Party from 1980 to 1989.
Presidential candidate Dienstbier slams rival
Rival candidate for the presidency Jiri Dienstbier slammed Mr. Fisher’s statement on the grounds that it was unconstitutional. Mr. Dienstbier, who is the official candidate of the Social Democratic Party, noted that that the Czech constitution did not give the president the power to decide who should or should not be in government depending on his own preference, he merely appointed a prime minister designate whose task it was to form a government. The constitution is binding for all citizens, the president included, and Mr. Fisher would do well to study it before resorting to populist statements, Jiri Dienstbier said.
President of Kazakhstan in Prague
The president of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbajev is on a two-day state visit to the Czech Republic. President Nazarbajev’s talks with Czech top officials are expected to focus largely on business relations and the two sides are expected to sign a dozen agreements to the tune of 155 million euros in the course of his visit. The Kazakh delegation includes four cabinet ministers and 45 leading entrepreneurs.
Smog situation worsening around the country
Adverse weather conditions have worsened the smog situation around the country including in the Czech capital Prague. Dust particles in the air exceed permitted levels in eight Prague districts with the worst situation reported to be in Karlin, Prague 8. The authorities in the Moravian-Silesian region have called a smog alert and are considering asking the biggest industrial firms in the vicinity of Ostrava and Karvina to scale down production. Children and elderly people as well as chronically ill patients have been advised to stay indoors. No let up is expected until Friday when the weather should change.
Depeche Mode to perform in Prague next summer
The iconic British band Depeche Mode has put Prague on its 2013 world tour. Their concert is scheduled for July 23rd at Prague’s Vrsovice stadium and tickets should start selling at the end of October. The price range is between 1200 crowns to 2000 crowns. Depeche Mode last performed in the Czech Republic at Prague’s O2 Arena in 2010.
Tennis: Berdych secures spot at ATP World Tour finals
Czech tennis player Tomáš Berdych has secured a spot in the ATP World Tour Finals in London, becoming the sixth qualifier in an elite field of eight. Coming off of a tournament victory in Stockholm on Sunday, Berdych joins other world-class players Roger Federer, Andy Murray, David Ferrer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Two single spots remain open; it is also far from certain that Nadal, who is recovering from a lingering knee injury, will play. Berdych, ranked No. 6 in the world, reached the prestigious tournament’s semi-final stage last year. This year marks his third consecutive appearance.
Weather
Wednesday should be grey and rainy with day temperatures between 10 and 14 de
Exile government leader seeks autonomy, not independence, for Tibet
The leader of Tibet’s government-in-exile, Lobsang Sangay, taking part in the 16th Forum 2000 international conference in Prague, has said his government is seeking “genuine autonomy” for Tibet within China and not, by contrast, “independence or separation”. The prime minister, who became the head of Tibet´s government-in-exile last year after the Dalai Lama gave up his political posts (but retained his position as spiritual leader) said Tibetans deserved to take part in the administration, economy, education, environment and other issues. Mr Sangay called the situation in Tibet until now an occupation and also discussed the tragic history of self-immolation by some Tibetans in protest. Tibet´s exile government has been seated in Dharamsala, India since the 1950s, after China took control of Tibet.
Presidential aide Hájek slams late Václav Havel as “tool of Satan”
Petr Hájek, the deputy chancellor to President Václav Klaus, has written that the Czech Republic’s first president, the late Václav Havel, “served as a tool of Satan” spreading “hatred and lies”. The highly controversial presidential aide – who in the past questioned the existence of Osama Bin Laden or questioned who attacked the US on 9/11 – made the statement in a new book to be published in November, Parlamentní listy reports. In Death in Velvet (Smrt v sametu), Mr Hájek reportedly does not hold back on his own boss, saying that many of the current president’s political aims were in shambles, arguing that democracy had been replaced by the rule of the media and charging that the political right had been replaced by a “Europeiste” (or pro-European) caricature. Petr Hájek is known for no shortage of controversial statements in the past, calling homosexuals “deviants” and mocking Darwinism.
Czechs in November, when the book is to be released, will mark the 23rd anniversary of the Velvet Revolution, in which Václav Havel played a key role.
Rebels will not back tax package unless changes implemented
A group of rebels from within the ruling Civic Democratic Party will not vote for the government’s tax package unless it is changed so that taxes are not raised, the group´s informal leader, MP Petr Tluchoř, said on Monday. He did express confidence an agreement on the legislation could still be reached. In his view, there is a “broad consensus” within the party that taxes not be increased; he also rejected the notion the rebels were trying to subvert the government, which has linked the tax package to a vote of confidence.
A party working group will discuss the package again on Tuesday morning before meeting with the deputies’ group. Until now the government has maintained the a proposed VAT hike is essential for it to meet its fiscal target in 2013 – to lower the gap in public spending to below 3 percent of GDP. In view of the fact that no compromise has been reached yet, there have been calls from within the party for the vote on the crucial bill to be postponed until after the Civic Democrats’ party conference in early November.
General Inspection recommends former police chief face prosecution
The General Inspection of the Security Services has recommended that former police president Petr Lessy face prosecution, the spokeswoman for the Prague state prosecutors’ office has said. The General Inspection has been investigating the former police head since late August for alleged libel and abuse of public office. The spokeswoman on Monday declined to discuss whether the nature of the charges had changed; she said a state prosecutor was going over the case file at present. If the case goes to court and Mr Lessy is found guilty of libel and abuse of office, he could face up to three years in prison.
New methanol case registered in Prostějov
A hospital in Prostějov registered a new case of methanol poisoning on Monday, admitting a 48-year-old man in serious condition. In the Olomouc region, it is the sixth case of methyl poisoning since an outbreak related to bootleg liquor began in the Czech Republic in mid-September. Thirty people in the country have died as a result of drinking laced alcohol: two men succumbed to poisoning last Friday.
Poll: Civic Democrats would finish third – behind both leftist parties – if elections were held ‘now’
A new poll released by the CVVM agency has suggested that if the national election were held ‘next week’, it would be won easily by the Social Democrats. According to the survey, the leftist party would secure 33 percent of the ballot, followed by 22.5 percent for the Communist Party. The right-of-centre Civic Democrats would come in third with just 16.5 percent. Other polls have also suggested a rise in voter preference for the oppositon, along with a marked drop in support for the coalition leader. If the election were held next week, the survey estimates that 58 percent of voters would take part.
Supreme Audit Office finds problems in Education Ministry funding
After carrying out an audit at the Education Ministry, the Czech Supreme Audit Office (NKÚ) announced on Monday that the funding requirements for public universities set by the ministry were too lax. The audit of funded projects from 2006 to 2011 revealed that as a result some projects went over budget by as much as 100%. Out of the 14 projects controlled by the office, five were found to be problematic. In many cases, NKÚ has claimed, the ministry did not require the recipients to evaluate the effectivity of the investment in their project applications. The ministry recognized that overspending was registered in some projects from 2003 to 2006, but that later the requirements were made stricter.
Social Democrat candidate racks up 50,000 signatures
The Social Democratic party’s candidate for president, Jiří Dienstbier, has surpassed the minimal 50 thousand signatures needed to run. Mr Dienstbier opted to gather the necessary signatures even though he is guaranteed backing from enough party MPs and senators as his party’s nominee. Others who have met the necessary requirement, or passed the threshold, are former prime minister Jan Fischer (who remains a strong favourite, according to polls), politician Jana Bobošíková, Euro MP Zuzana Roithová, former prime minister Miloš Zeman, and former finance minister Vladimír Dlouhý.
Finance Minister: 10 billion crowns for autumn issue of retail bonds would be a success
Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek has told journalists that if revenue from the planned autumn issue of retail bonds topped 10 billion crowns, the issue would be a success. Investors will be able to order state bonds from November 5 to November 30. The period, however, can be shortened by the Finance Ministry. The ministry will also offer a premium bond with a three-year maturity and annual average yield of 2.77 percent. The bonds will be distributed through branches of postal service operator Česká pošta and of banks Česká spořitelna, ČSOB, Komerční banka and J&T Banka.
The first retail bond issue took place a year ago and investors ordered over 20 billion crowns worth of bonds; the spring issue this year generated around 15 billion. Bonds were available for both Czechs and foreigners, civic associations, foundations and churches, among others, and in the spring also included regions, towns and public universities.
Czech National Bank: banks tighten standards for corporate, housing loans
Czech banks tightened credit standards overall for corporate loans and loans for house purchase in Q3 2012, while leaving them unchanged for consumer loans, according to the Bank Lending Survey published by the Czech National Bank (ČNB) on Monday. The tightening of standards for both corporate and housing loans was due mainly to perceptions of risks relating to expected general economic activity and manifested itself during the approval of loans chiefly via a higher collateral requirement for corporate loans and a rise in margins, the national bank said. The demand for corporate loans and loans for house purchase declined. By contrast, demand for consumer loans increased, the central bank said. In Q4, banks expect credit standards to tighten for corporate loans and to ease for loans for house purchase. According to banks, demand for corporate loans should continue to fall. On the other hand, banks expect demand for loans to households to rise, the survey suggests.
Analysts say left-wing dominated Senate may complicate, not block reforms
Analysts say the constitutional majority of left-wing parties in the Senate may slow down reforms but will not influence the country’s overall direction. Unicredit Bank analyst Pavel Sobíšek said the left-wing parties§ strengthened position in the upper chamber would start to be important if the same result were attained in the lower chamber after the next general elections. At present the Senate can only veto bills which the lower house has the power to override. Although the result of the Senate elections has further polarized the two chambers of Parliament there are no fears that this could influence investors who are far more sensitive to the political make-up of the lower house.
Lower house speaker says time running out for tax package
The speaker of the lower house, Miroslava Němcová, has said the government’s tax package must win approval by November 7th for next year’s state budget to be approved in time. The package of government proposed tax hikes is being blocked by six deputies from the prime minister’s own Civic Democratic Party who are against tax hikes in principle and argue that the party should respect its election promise to voters. The government claims the proposed VAT hike is essential for it to meet its fiscal target in 2013 – i.e. lower the gap in public spending to below 3 percent of GDP. In view of the fact that no compromise has been reached there have been calls from within the party for the vote on the crucial bill to be postponed until after the Civic Democrats’ party conference in the first week of November. The vote is scheduled to take place at a session of the lower house due to start on Tuesday.
Senators to file constitutional complaint against S-cards
Senators for the Social Democratic Party will file a complaint to the Constitutional Court against the introduction of electronic S-cards for pensions and welfare benefits. Speaking shortly after the party’s election victory in senate elections, party leader Bohuslav Sobotka said this would be one of the first of many government steps the party would try to get revised. The new S-card system has evoked enormous controversy, with critics pointing out that pensioners living in small villages may have problems getting to a money machine and would inevitably lose money on the transaction from their already meagre pensions. Senators moreover point out that people will be forced to have an account at Česká Sporitelna -selected by the government to run the operation - even if they already have an account elsewhere.
TOP 09 leader happy with election result
TOP 09 leader Karel Schwarzenberg has said he is satisfied with the two seats his party won in the senate elections. The TOP 09 leader noted that in view of the fact that his party was established just over three years ago the four seats it now has in the Senate can be regarded as a success. The party’s two new senators are Jiří Šesták from the Ceske Budejovice constituency and Ludek Jěništa from the Benešov consitutency.
Newly-elected senator announces candidacy for president
Czech-Japanese entrepreneur Tomio Okamura, who won a seat in the Senate in the weekend elections, has announced his candidacy for president. Mr.Okamura who is a well-know personality in the Czech Republic said that his success in the senate elections had convinced him he could do a lot for the country by entering public service. Mr. Okamura made it clear he would be losing out financially by entering politics but said it was time for people like him to show initiative and turn around the negative course of developments. Unlike many of his rivals, Mr. Okamura refused to invest in billboards and other traditional forms of campaigning opting instead to meet with voters in person and discuss their concerns.
Plaque unveiled to dissident novelist Zdeněk Urbánek
Government officials, former dissidents, family and friends on Sunday attended the unveiling of a plaque to Zdeněk Urbánek, novelist, translator, Charter 77 signatory and a close friend of the late Vaclav Havel. The plaque was unveiled on the 95th anniversary of Zdeněk Urbánek’s birth and placed on the Prague building where he lived and worked. His former home, a frequent meeting place of Czech dissidents, is linked to the birth of Charter 77. The unveiling ceremony was attended by Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg, Defence Minister Alexander Vondra, actor Pavel Landovský and other close friends of Zdeněk Urbánek from the dissident years.
Forum 2000 opens in Prague
The 16th annual conference Forum 2000 opens in Prague on Sunday evening, the first to be held without its founder, the late ex-president Václav Havel. In accordance with his wishes the tree-day event will examine the relationship between the media and democracy. The conference will also address key aspects of Václav Havel´s legacy and discuss ways to build upon it. More than a hundred policymakers, intellectuals and journalists will participate in open discussions dealing with these issues. Among the participants this year are the Czech-born former U.S. secretary of state Madeleine Albright, the head of Tibet's exiled government Lobsang Sangay, Serbian Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs Suzana Grubješić and former Australian foreign minister Gareth Evans.
Left wing parties win constitutional majority in Senate
Czech left-wing parties have secured a constitutional majority in the Senate, the upper house of Parliament. Elections took place in 27 constituencies in which the Social Democrats won 13 seats, the Communist Party won in one constituency and a candidate for the centre-left party of Citizens Rights of Milos Zeman also got one seat in the upper chamber. This brings the overall number of left-wing senators in the upper house to 49.
The second round of elections to the Senate was another crushing disappointment for the ruling Civic Democrats who entered the second round with 13 candidates but only won four seats, bringing the overall number of Civic Democrat senators to 15, the lowest ever. Prime Minister Petr Necas said the Civic Democrats should accept the defeat with humility and analyze its cause. He thanked voters for not strengthening the role of the Communists who went into the second round of elections with 12 candidates but only won 1 seat. The rest of the constituencies are divided among small parties and independents.
Social Democrat leader welcomes election victory
Social Democrat leader Bohuslav Sobotka thanked voters for his party’s election victory and pledged to use the party’s newfound strength in the upper chamber to prevent controversial and socially unjust reforms. He said the outcome of both the regional and senate elections was a clear signal that the public was unhappy with the present government’s course and would help increase the pressure on the Nečas government to resign from office. The Social Democrats will now have 46 senators in the upper chamber, the highest number any party has achieved so far.
Air pollution worsens in Moravia-Silesia
Air pollution is reported to have worsened severely in parts of Moravia and Silesia overnight with the concentration of dust particles in the air far exceeding permitted norms at 13 of 15 monitoring stations. According to data from the Czech Hydro-meteorological Institute the concentration of harmful substances in the air is more than double the permitted norm in Ostrava and Karvina where the authorities have advised elderly people and children to stay indoors as much as possible. The situation is being closely monitored by city hall which has the right to call a smog alert and ask industrial plants to scale-down production.
Areva appeals its exclusion from Temelin tender
France’s Areva has appealed against ČEZ’s decision to exclude it from a 10 billion dollar tender for the completion of the Temelin nuclear power plant in south Bohemia. The state-owned French company addressed all the reasons given for its exclusion and said its offer was the most competitive. ČEZ has 10 days to review Areva’s appeal and publish its decision. In the event of a rejection, Areva would be entitled to file a complaint to the Czech anti-monopoly office, which would have 60 days to review the case. Areva was rejected from the tender for allegedly failing to meet legislative and commercial requirements. Westinghouse Electric Corp. and a Russian-Czech group led by Rosatom Corp.’s unit ZAO Atomstroyexport are still competing for the deal to build two more nuclear reactors at Temelin. ČEZ should choose the winner in mid- 2013 and sign a final contract with the respective company by the year’s end.
Pravo article incites anti-Roma sentiment
An article in Friday’s edition of the daily Právo which claimed that 60 percent of the Roman minority are unemployed by choice and are not looking for work has elicited a stormy debate and given rise to fresh anti-Roma sentiment. The paper published the figure citing the government’s agency for social inclusion as its source. The agency in turn cited the World Bank as its source and noted that the figure only reflected the situation in the worst affected areas around the country where Romanies live in utter social exclusion and have often given up on finding work. Despite the revision, the article has aroused deep public discontent with close to 800 readers taking part in an online debate that was in part vulgar and racist. One reader said he was considering taking the paper to court for inciting anti-Roma sentiment.
Mlada Fronta Dnes says S-cards to serve pensioners as well
The daily Mlada Fronta Dnes has accused Labour and Social Minister Jaromir Drabek of lying to the public when he promised that the newly introduced electronic system for paying out welfare benefits would also be used for pensions. The paper says that an agreement on the so called S-cards between the ministry and the Česká Spořitelna bank clearly states that the cards will serve to pay out pensions as well. The new S-card system has evoked enormous controversy, with critics pointing out that pensioners living in small villages may have problems getting to a money machine and would inevitably lose money on the transaction from their already meagre pensions. In the wake of last week’s election defeat the prime minister said the system would have to be revised, but Mlada Fronta Dnes points out this will not be at all easy since it would not only require a change of legislation but moreover the bank would almost certainly take the matter to court.
Skoda Rapid goes on sale in Czech Republic
Skoda’s latest model –a mid-sized sedan Rapid –went on sale in the Czech Republic on Saturday. The roomy, elegant sedan billed as “an affordable car for the whole family” attracted crowds of people to Skoda’s sales outlets for a closer look and a trial run. A Skoda spokesman said several hundred sales orders had been placed. Skoda Auto is expecting to produce 50,000 Rapid models next year.
Second round of senate elections has begun
Voting has begun in the second round of Senate elections. Polling stations are open from 2pm until 10 pm on Friday and from 8 to 2 pm on Saturday. Seats are being contested to a third of the senate, with voting taking place in 27 districts around the country, The Social Democrats are contesting seats in 23 constituencies, the Communists in 12, the Civic Democrats will be contesting 19 seats and the remaining 9 will be contested by smaller parties and independent candidates. No matter how the vote turns out, it is clear that the left-wing parties will defend their majority in the upper house.
Social Democrats aim to delay pension reform
The opposition Social Democrats are set to propose a two-year postponement of the country’s pension reform. Chairman of the Social Democrat deputies, Jeroným Tejc, said that the introduction of the controversial second pillar of the pension reform should be decided on after the next parliamentary elections. Although the lower house has already passed the pension reform package, it is yet to vote on overriding the president’ veto of an essential bill, which would allow for the reforms to come into effect as of next year. The Social Democrats have already submitted a similar proposal in the past, but were not successful.
President Klaus says the losers of the elections are to blame for communists’ victories.
At a meeting of the Confederation of political prisoners on Thursday President Václav Klaus said that those responsible for the growing popularity of the Communist Party should accept the blame. Referring inexplicitly to the parties currently in the ruling coalition, President Klaus said that those who took a beating in last weekend’s regional elections have to learn from their defeat and take corrective measures. The president had commented on the election results previously on Sunday, simply saying that they were “clear, unequivocal and comprehensible“ and that people should draw their own conclusions from them.
Two more men die of methanol poisoning.
Another man that was admitted for methanol poisoning in early October to a hospital in Brno has died on Friday afternoon. The man is the 30th victim of contaminated bootleg liquor since the start of the methanol crisis in early September. The cause of death will be confirmed by an autopsy. A 60-year-old man also died on Friday in a hospital in Opava.
Likérka Drak chief Čaniga will not go to jail
A district court in Zlín ruled on Friday that the head of the liquor producer Likérka Drak, Pavel Čaniga, will not be remanded in custody while under investigation. Mr Čaniga has been charged with endangering public health by distributing harmful products. He was arrested on Wednesday after 7,600 bottles of Tuzemák rum were found in the warehouse of Drak’s distributor, containing a lethal 50% methanol content. Authorities banned the sale of Tuzemák produced by Likérka Drak on Thursday. The head of the company’s distributor, who is suspected in the same case as Mr Čaniga, is still at large.
Meanwhile analysis revealed on Friday, that bottles of another Likérka Drak liquor, Original vodka, that were discovered in the Verdana warehouse have 50% methanol content as well.
Court disqualifies part of the evidence in the Bárta case
The Czech Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that the former transport minister and Public Affairs party MP Vít Bárta should no longer be investigated for offering bribes in the form of loans to fellow deputies. Mr Bárta had discussed these loans during meetings of the Public Affairs deputies club, where he had immunity as an MP, making the evidence from these meetings inadmissible. The court, though, upheld a suspended 18-month sentence that Mr Bárta received in April for offering bribes to former MPs Jaroslav Škarka and Kristýna Kočí. The two plaintiffs in the highly-publicized case received bribes worth 170,000 and 500,000 crowns, respectively, outside of the deputy meetings.
'Independents' demand a recount in Olomouc regional elections
The political movement Independents filed a complaint with the Regional Court in Ostrava over irregularities during last week’s regional elections in the Olomouc region. Independents have asked for a recount of the vote on the basis of allegations by their voters that some votes were not recorded. Independents’ representative from the Olomouc region Jana Zwyrtek said that during the count, the name of her movement ‘Nezávislí’ may have been confused with a group of independent candidates that ran under a similar name ‘Nezávislá volba‘. The Independents political movement received 4.95% of the votes in the region, just below the 5-percent cutoff.
PM Nečas: a veto of the EU banking plans is not out of the question
Prime Minister Petr Nečas said that the Czech Republic may still veto the proposal to form a single European banking system. The prime minister made the announced in Brussels after a summit, where representatives of EU member states decided to create the banking supervisory system by the first of January. The Czech leader said that it is still not clear how the supervisory system will actual work, and whether it can potentially lead to the destabilization of the Czech banking system, which is why he may still try to block the proposal.
Karel Schwarzenberg wants to follow in Havel’s footsteps
The Czech Foreign Minister and TOP 09 chairman Karel Schwarzenberg has launched his presidential campaign at a press conference on Friday. The 74-year-old candidate expressed his wish to uphold the legacy of the late former president Václav Havel and defend freedom and openness. Expressed concern over the course on which the Czech Republic is heading and that he would like to see an improvement. Mr Schwarzenberg expressed his belief that the president should not be that much involved in politics, but said that as president he would like to use his power to effectively fight corruption.
Pojar’s funeral ceremony takes place in Prague
The funeral of the famous Czech animator Břetislav Pojar took place on Friday in the Strašnice krematorium in Prague. The author and director of numerous animated films passed away a week ago at the age of 89. Mr Pojar began his career in the 1940’s and used puppet animation and stop motion animation styles in his films. He had emigrated to Canada in the 1960s, where his work for the Canadian Film Board won numerous awards.
Two more methanol poisonings in Silesia
Two more victims of methanol poisoning have been hospitalized in the region of Moravia-Silesia. A 60-year-old man was admitted in critical condition on Thursday morning. A 64-year-old man who had been drinking with him was also hospitalised later on, making the 33rd case of methanol poisoning in that region alone. With 17 deaths since the beginning of the outbreak in September, Moravia-Silesia has been the region hardest hit. Starting Thursday, a ban was imposed on the sale of Tuzemák rum produced by Czech company Likérka Drak and distributed by Verdana, after 7,600 bottles of Tuzemák rum containing 50 percent of methanol were discovered in a warehouse belonging to Verdana.
Police charge international gang of arms dealers
Police have charged five Czechs they believe are members of an international gang of arms dealers. They were arrested in September on suspicion of having sold components of tanks and infantry vehicles over the previous two years, primarily to Poland. The organised crime department of the police says that a part of the illegal trade was being carried out through the head of a Czech company licensed to sell military technology. If convicted, the suspects face up to ten years’ imprisonment.
Czech Republic loses EU dispute over definition of butter products
The Czech Republic has lost a long-running dispute over the designation of butter products. The European Court of Justice ruled on Thursday that the phrase “butter spread” could not be applied to products with the equivalent name in Czech because their milk-fat content is lower than required by EU norms. According to the European Commission, which brought the suit, only products with at least 80% milk-fat can be called butter, while Czech regulations require only a 31% milk-fat content. The product in question is considered a traditional speciality by some.
Olah Romanies gather for “royal” funeral
Hundreds of Olah Romanies have gathered in the north-eastern city of Ostrava to pay final respects to their “king”, Jan Lípa, who died on Monday aged 72. Guests arrived from around Central Europe and even the USA for the funeral, which was accompanied by music and discussions of his life, decrees and settled disputes. The king was buried with some of his favourite items, such as his hat and pack of cards, and bottles of wine and even money. The community will mourn for one year before electing a new king, expected to be one of Jan Lípa’s sons. The Olah community, which accounts for around 15 percent of Romanies living in the Czech Republic, is a relatively closed group which has preserved its traditions much more than other Romany groups.
Iraq interested in Czech small arms
Iraq is interested in purchasing small arms from the Czech Republic, according to the weapons manufacturer Česká zbrojovka. The company’s sales manager told the Czech Press Agency on Thursday that the recent Iraqi delegation to the Czech Republic, which was headed by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, showed interest in the company’s rifles, submachine guns and pistols. Iraqi representatives are also negotiating a gun servicing and training centre with the company. The main point of Maliki´s visit to Prague was to arrange the purchase of 28 Czech-made L-159 combat aircraft worth about one billion dollars. That contract has yet to be approved by the Iraqi government.
Appeals court upholds imprisonment of former MP Petr Kott
An appeals court has upheld the imprisonment of former MP Petr Kott, who is being charged with bribery along with former governor of Central Bohemia David Rath. The court concurred with the decision of a lower court to deny bail on the grounds that Mr Kott could commit further criminal acts or flee the country. In addition to Kott and Dr. Rath, the director of the Kladno hospital Kateřina Pancová has also been denied bail. Eight people were arrested in May after David Rath was caught receiving seven million crowns in cash from Kott and Pancová, which police believe was a bribe for manipulating public tenders.
Klaus pardons two on humanitarian grounds
President Václav Klaus pardoned two men this week on humanitarian grounds, halting their investigations. The president’s spokesman Radim Ochvat said that said that serious injuries had left the men incapable of comprehending the charges against them, and the state prosecutor had said he was therefore unable to prosecute them in accordance with the law. One of the men was charged with posing a public threat under the influence of drugs, the other with neglecting child support. As per a new constitutional amendment, the pardons were countersigned by the prime minister.
Stop the Government initiative planning November demonstration
The Stop the Government initiative has announced a demonstration on November 17. The group of affiliated unions and civic associations says they want to call attention to the poor state of democracy in the Czech Republic, where they say social assurances are disappearing, education is worsening and the state is dysfunctional. Stop the Government organised one of the largest demonstrations in post-communist Czech history in April of this year, when an estimated 100 thousand people turned out. November 17 is a state holiday marking the end of the communist regime.
Civic Democrats may postpone key vote until after party congress
The governing Civic Democratic Party is considering moving back a vote on the government’s stabilisation package, which Prime Minister, and Civic Democratic chairman Petr Nečas, has tied to a vote of confidence. The prime minister himself has neither confirmed nor denied the move, however party insiders have indicated the vote may be postponed until after the party’s congress, where the leadership can vie for greater support. Several Civic Democrat MPs have sided with the opposition to oppose the bill, which entails increasing VAT rates by one percent.
Poll: 85% believe economic situation will be the same or worse in five years
A large majority of Czechs believe the country’s economic situation will be the same or worse in five years’ time, according to a poll by the STEM agency. The poll suggests that view is held by 85% of people, with 57% of respondents expecting further downturns. Only 15% of those polled expressed optimism about the economic future. STEM, which has carried out the poll since 1993, says public expectations for the future have never been grimmer than this year and last year.
Police arrest executive director of liquor producer Likérka Drak
The police have arrested Pavel Čaniga, the executive director of the liquor company Likérka Drak, and are still searching for the head of Drak’s distribution company Verdana, Robert Sedlařík. The two men are suspected of endangering public health with harmful products, after 7,600 bottles of rum containing 50% methanol were discovered in a storage facility belonging to Verdana at the end of last week. According to the police, the bottles were ready for distribution to stores, which could have caused a considerable number of deaths. Both Mr Čaniga and Mr Sedlařík denied any knowledge of the dangerously mixed liquor, but failed to produce documentation for more than 56 thousand liters of alcohol found in the Verdana warehouse. Mr Čaniga is currently being questioned by the police, but no charges have been brought against him so far.
PM Nečas is willing to block the proposal for EU banking supervisor
Czech Prime Minister Petr Nečas has said that the government is ready to block the establishment of the single EU banking supervising agency unless the disputed proposals that could threaten the Czech financial system are resolved. Mr Nečas made the announcement at a press conference on Wednesday, saying that given the fact that 95 percent of the Czech banking market is controlled by foreign banking groups, the government has to be careful with regard to EU-wide regulations. The banking supervising system is deemed to be one of the building blocks of the new banking union that EU legislators in Brussels are currently working on. According to the Czech prime minister, the current proposals of the supervising agency and the banking union are not satisfactory, and the Czech Republic would veto them if they were put to a vote today.
Telefónica Czech Republic has received a 93.1 million crown fine for breaking
The Czech Office for the Protection of Competition (ÚOHS) has issued the telecommunications giant Telefónica Czech Republic a 93.1 million crown fine for breaking fair competition rules and taking advantage of the dominant position of the then Czech Telecom to impose unfair rules for telephone services to business clients in 2001 and 2002. ÚOHS chairman Petr Rafaj said that the terms of the contracts provided to entrepreneurs not only threatened the growth of competition on the market, but also discriminated against this group of clients. The regulating body’s decision has not yet come into effect, and Telefónica is planning to appeal.
Eight members of a far-right group are cleared of charges
The Prague 1 District Court on Wednesday acquitted eight defendants on charges of promoting and organizing neo-Nazi events. The State Attorney immediately appealed the verdict and the case will now be tried in the Prague City Court. Seven men and one woman allegedly promoted the activities of the neo-Nazi group National Resistance and organized events such as marches and white power music concerts in Prague, Jihlava and in the Central Bohemian region. At least four of the defendants are former members of the banned far-right Workers’ Party.
Prague appellate court has confirmed prison sentence for the fugitive businessman Viktor Kožený
A Prague court of appeals on Wednesday upheld the guilty verdict for the controversial fugitive businessman and founder of the fraudulent Harvard Funds, Viktor Kožený, and his associate Boris Vostrý. The 10-year prison sentence handed to Mr Kožený in absentia two years ago was upheld, while Mr Vostrý’s was lowered to nine years. The two men were found guilty of committing fraudulent practices that cost the fund’s investors 10 billion crowns. Mr Kožený founded the Harvard Funds in the early 1990’s and gained most of his capital thanks to the government’s so-called coupon privatization. He is an Irish citizen and is currently residing in the Bahamas, which have so far refused all requests for his extradition.
Man without heart dies six months after operation
A 37-year-old former firefighter, who for more than six months lived with two artificial pumps instead of a heart, died on Saturday while awaiting a suitable donor, the daily Blesk reported on Wednesday. The man, who had a large tumor on his heart, underwent the operation on April 3; doctors at Prague’s IKEM institute removed his heart and replaced it with two pumps. The father-of-one became the first patient in the world to live without a palpable pulse. The head of IKEM’s cardio centre, Jan Pirk, said the cause of the man’s death is yet to be established but noted the pumps worked without problems.
Government approves new asylum regulations
The Czech government approved a draft amendment on Wednesday that brings Czech regulations on asylum in line with the single EU asylum system. This will give foreigners who are recognized as refugees, or were granted additional protection, in the Czech Republic the ability to travel within the European Union after a certain period of residency in the country. The bill should improve the rights and the integration process for refugees and persons with additional international protection. The amendment could come into effect starting in 2014, once it is approved by the parliament and signed by the president.
Court gives the whole of Lucerna Palace to Havel’s sister-in-law
After years of appeals, Dagmar Havlová, the sister-in-law of the late former Czech president Václav Havel, received a court ruling on Wednesday that confirmed her ownership rights to the whole of the Lucerna Palace, located on Prague’s central Vodičková street. The wife of Václav Havel’s brother Ivan received ownership rights to one half of the building as a gift from her husband in the early 1990’s and was looking to buy the other half ever since. The former president, though, sold his half of the building to a company Chemapol Realty in 1997. The company sold it two years later to Ms Havlová before it filed for bankruptcy, for a sum that was 55 thousand crowns lower than what it had paid for the palace to Mr Havel. The bankruptcy administrator filed a complaint against the sale claiming that the reduction in price was unsubstantiated and that the company sold the real estate during bankruptcy proceedings when it could make these kinds of decisions independently. The Wednesday decision of the Prague High Appeals Court upheld the April verdict of the City Court that determined that Chemapol Reality sold its half of the Lucerna Palace for the market price and that the sale was not part of the bankruptcy proceedings.
Czech Senate receives recommendation to approve leaving exam changes
The Education Committee of the Czech Senate issued a recommendation today for the Upper House to pass without changes an amendment that would change the format of the state high-school leaving exams. The amendment proposes to leave only one basic version of the test, and would limit the number of required subject test to two – Czech language and a foreign language or mathematics. Education Minister Petr Fiala assured the committee that the proposed changes would only be temporary and that more systematic changes to the exam system will be introduced within two years. The current changes are a reaction to the intense criticism of the trail run of the exams from last year. The Senate should discuss the amendment next week.
European Commission to cut billions in subsidies for Czech programmes
The European Commission is planning to cut 12.5 billion crowns in subsidies for two Czech operational programmes, a spokeswoman for the commission said on Tuesday, quoting serious problems with the administration and supervision of the funds as the reason. The planned move will affect the Transportation and Environment programmes which will have to be covered by the state budget; Czech authorities might be however able to use the funds to finance other projects next year. Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg said he had been worried the losses would be even bigger. However, the European Commission is yet to decide whether it will also slash funding for another two Czech operational programmes.
PM backtracks on tax reforms in wake of election defeat
Prime Minister Petr Nečas, who has come under fire for his party’s defeat in the weekend regional and senate elections, has expressed readiness to temper some of the government’s reforms. At a stormy meeting of the Civic Democratic Party’s executive council on Monday Mr. Nečas presented the party leadership with an alternate tax-hike proposal according to which only the lower VAT rate would be raised from 14 to 15 percent next year while the basic higher rate would remain unchanged at 20 percent. The government’s original tax-package that called for a 1-percent hike in both VAT rates was rejected by the lower house of Parliament with the help of six rebels from the prime minister’s Civic Democratic Party. Mr. Necas has also expressed readiness to revise some steps in the area of social welfare benefits.
Inspectors seize thousands of bottles of rum with 50 percent methanol
The Czech food inspection authority seized 7,600 bottles of methanol-contaminated rum in a warehouse in Zlín, in the east of the country, after getting tipped off by an anonymous source, a spokesman for the agency said on Tuesday. He said the methanol-laced alcohol, which was ready for distribution, could have killed thousands of people. The deadly beverages were made by the Drak spirits producer whose manager said he did not understand how it was possible.
The methanol crisis, which broke out last month, has claimed the lives of 28 people who died after drinking contaminated bootleg liquor. The police have charged over 50 people in connection with the case.
Election posters defacer turns himself in
Roman Smetana, a former bus driver from Olomouc who is to serve the rest of his sentence for defacing election posters, turned himself to the police on Tuesday. The 30-year-old man, whose case attracted a lot of public and media attention, was sentenced to a fine and 100 hours of community work for adding feelers to politicians on over 30 adverts. He paid the fine but refused to do community work and his sentence was changed to 100 days in prison. He was released in May after 33 days in jail when then justice minister Jiří Pospíšil filed a complaint in his favour. However, the Supreme Court later dismissed the minister’s petition and ruled Mr Smetana must serve the rest of his sentence.
Environmentalists criticize factory’s plans to use mercury in chlorine production
Czech environmentalists on Tuesday criticized a request by a major chemical producer, Spolana Neratovice, to be allowed to use mercury in the production of chlorine until the year 2020. The plant, located in Neratovice, some 30 km north of Prague, was ordered to change its production process by 2014. Environmentalists warn that the plant releases more than 200 kg of mercury into the environment every year. The producer’s request will be reviewed by the Central Bohemian regional authorities.
Court raises sentence for former Social Democrat MP
An appellate court in Olomouc on Tuesday raised the sentence for former MP Petr Wolf from five to six years in prison. Mr Wolf, who joined the lower house in 2006 on Social Democrat ticket but later supported the centre-right government, was convicted of embezzling 11 million crowns of public money. The court also handed him a fine of 5 million crowns and banned him from holding positions in commercial firms for eight years.
“King” of Czech Olah Romanies dies aged 72
The leader of the Czech Republic’s community of Olah Romanies, “Olah King” Jan Lípa, died on Monday in Ostrava aged 72, the head of the Union of Olah Romanies said, adding that Jan Lípa enjoyed great respect among Romanies in the Czech Republic and the whole of Europe. The late Olah leader’s funeral will take place in the Ostrava cathedral on Tuesday. One of his sons is set to become the new Olah king, the news agency ČTK reported.
The Olah community, which accounts for around 15 percent of Romanies living in the Czech Republic, is a relatively closed group which has preserved its traditions much more than other Romany groups.
NGO launches online map of CCTVs
The Czech human rights watchdog Iuridicum Remedium on Tuesday launched an on-line map of CCTVs in public spaces across the country. The NGO said the online map should highlight the fact that despite a rising number of CCTVs I the country, there is no legislation regulating their use. The project so far includes only a small number of existing camera systems but the group has invited members of the public to add their own data on cameras and their locations.
Football: Czechs take on Bulgaria in World Cup qualifier
The Czech national football team plays Bulgaria in Prague on Tuesday, in their third qualification game for the World Cup 2014 in Brazil. The Czechs will keep the same starting line-up – with the strikers Tomáš Pekhart and Jan Rezek – from Friday’s match against Malta which the Czech team won 3:1. The Czechs are ranked third in the qualification Group B, one point behind Bulgaria and three points behind Italy.
Czechs lose to Russia in play-offs for U21 European Championships
The Czech U21 national team drew 2:2 against Russia in Yekaterinburg on Tuesday, in the second leg of play-offs for the U21 European Championships 2013. However, they lost 2:0 in Friday’s first leg which means they were knocked out by Russia. The Czechs pushed for much of the game and came one goal away from advancing when in the 61st minute, Tomáš Wagner scored his second goal in the game, giving the visiting side a 2:1 lead. But the Russians managed to equalize in 83rd minute, setting the score at 2:2.
Talks underway in the regions on forming governments
Negotiations have got underway on the formation of regional governments in the wake of the weekend elections. The overwhelming support for left-wing parties –seen as a show of opposition to the government’s austerity drive – opens the way for the formation of left-wing coalitions with a significantly bigger role for the Communist Party than in previous years. The opposition Social Democrats came first in 9 out of 13 regions, though they had won in all of them in 2008, with the Communist Party hard on their heels in most. While the Civic Democrats triumphed in the Pilsen region alone, the current coalition of the Social Democrats and Communists is likely to continue there as well. In other regions the Christian Democrats, the Zemanites and regional groupings have a chance of playing a role in government.
MP Florian: party leadership to blame for poor showing in the regions
Civic Democrat MP Jan Florian has slammed Prime Minister Petr Nečas for trying to lay the blame for his party’s defeat in the weekend elections squarely on the regions. Mr. Florian said the regions had worked hard for a good showing but had born the brunt of public discontent with the policy of the Civic Democratic Party’s leadership. He said the Civic Democrats were reaping the fruits of their policy in government: abandoning the party’s election programme and disregarding promises made to voters. MP Jan Florian is one of the six Civic Democrat rebels who are holding out against government-proposed tax hikes.
PM says some steps in welfare may undergo revision
Prime Minister Nečas –who is under fire for his party’s election debacle - has said the government may review some of the labour ministry’s decisions in the sphere of welfare payments. The prime minister said that the introduction of the so-called S-card – and electronics card for welfare payments – was a case in point. The card has come under fire by the opposition and those eligible for welfare support who say they would lose money on it. TOP 09 leader Karel Schwarzenberg also said on Monday he would be in favour of tempering somewhat the social impact of the government’s reforms. Labour Minister Drábek, who is leaving office at the end of the month in connection with the bribery scandal surrounding his deputy, said it was possible to back-track on any of the ministry’s projects –the question was who would pay for the money wasted.
Invalid votes believed to be form of protest
Election commissioners say the number of invalid votes in the weekend elections was exceptionally high and may have been a form of protest on the part of disgruntled voters. Statistics reveal that the number of invalid votes was double the number in past years in several regions and analysts are linking it to calls made by a number of public initiatives who advised people to go to the polls but to invalidate their vote by casting an empty envelope or ripping up the ballot sheet.
Presidential candidate Jan Fisher surges ahead in polls
Presidential candidate, former prime minister, Jan Fischer has forged ahead of his rivals with close to 30 percent voter support, according to the STEM polling agency. His main rival –another former prime minister- Miloš Zeman is in second place with 16.5 percent support and Senator Jiří Diensbier, the official candidate of the Social Democratic Party, is third with 13.9 percent support. The surge in support for Mr. Fisher is widely ascribed to the fact that economist Jan Švejnar recently announced his decision not to run for president resulting in a strong shift of support for the former caretaker prime minister.
Tofl gang goes on trial
Members of the so-called Tofl gang have gone on trial in Brno. The gang is named after a former head of the regional economic crime squad who together with several former colleagues threatened and bribed entrepreneurs. They elicited large sums of money for withdrawing trumped up charges against them and in some cases even threatened to murder or abduct family members if the money was not delivered. Thirteen members of the gang are standing trial in a process that may take months. The court is preparing to hear over 100 witnesses. If convicted the men would each face up to 16 years in prison.
Geraldine Mucha dies at 95
The Scottish-born composer Geraldine Mucha, daughter-in-law of Alphonse Mucha, died in Prague on Friday at the age of 95, the ctk news agency reported on Monday. Mrs. Mucha who has lived in Prague since 1945, is reported to have died at home among family and friends. The funeral ceremony is to take place on Monday October 22, at Prague’s Strašnice crematorium.
Czechs not loaning their Europa Jagelonica arte facts to Poland
The Czech Republic will not lend a series of valuable arte-facts currently shown within the Europa Jagelonica exhibition to Poland. The exhibition co-organized by the Czech Republic, Poland and Germany is to move from Kutna Hora to Warsaw. The culture ministry fears that the Czech cultural arte-facts could be confiscated on a court order over the country’s drawn-out dispute with Diag Human. The culture ministry said that, unlike Germany, Poland had not been able to offer guarantees that the arts objects would be protected from seizure.
EU may withhold subsidies for Czech operational programme
The EU may withhold hundreds of millions of crowns in subsidies for the Czech operational programme Education for Competitiveness, the Czech Supreme Auditing Office said on Monday. The auditing authority revealed problems with project- evaluation, selection and supervision, a spokeswoman for the office said. The Education for Competitiveness operational programme has faced problems for years; Education Minister Petr Fiala warned earlier this year the Czech Republic may be unable to receive between four and five billion crowns from the programme due to poorly prepared projects and delays.
Šumava National Park laying off employees
The Šumava National Park is laying off employees after getting lower funding from the Environment Ministry. The park’s management said it had been forced to sack thirty people in order to be able to operate on a reduced budget next year. Due to austerity measures the ministry has slashed 11 million crowns from its budget, bringing the overall sum down to 319 million crowns in 2013. The National Park said it would be effecting other cost costing measures such as selling 25 percent of its car-park.
Photo of people mourning ex-president Vaclav Havel wins Czech Press Photo
The winner of this year’s Czech Press Photo is photographer Milan Jaroš of Respekt with his photo of people mourning ex-president Vaclav Havel on Wenceslas Square. A photograph of Mr. Havel’s widow Dagmar won in the People in the News category. And David W. Černý, a Prague based photographer for Reuters won in the Contemporary Issue category with a photo of a bar during the recent prohibition on spirits.
Fate of government-proposed tax hikes still uncertain
Photo: Radio PragueThe fate of the government-proposed tax hikes for 2013 which are linked to the approval of next year’s state budget remains uncertain. The prime minister’s compromise proposal according to which only the lower VAT bracket would be raised by a percentage point instead of both has not won over the six rebel Civic Democrat deputies who have been blocking the bill. The lower house was expected to vote on the legislation next week and the prime minister had linked his government’s future to the outcome of the vote but according to the ctk news agency the senior governing party is now considering getting the vote postponed until after its election conference on the first weekend of November. According to the news agency’s sources the prime minister would like the conference to pass a resolution binding all party MPs to support the bill.
Economists warn that continuing tax uncertainty extremely damaging
Photo: Radio PragueMeanwhile, economists are warning that continuing uncertainty regarding tax changes is having a far worse impact on the economy that the proposed 1 percent hike itself. David Marek, chief economist at Patria Finance says it is high time for companies and the public to learn what tax rates will be in force next year and notes that the government should strive for a few years of tax stability which would allow entrepreneurs to plan ahead. If no agreement on VAT is reached, a single VAT rate of 17.5 percent would come into force as of next year according to legislation already in force.
Iraq interested in Czech small arms
CZ 805 BREN, photo: Czech TelevisionThe Česká zbrojovka arms maker this week reported on an emerging arms deal with Iraq. According to the company’s sales manager the Iraqi delegation which visited Prague earlier this month expressed serious interest in the company’s Bren assault rifles, Scorpion submachine guns and Phantom pistols. The size of the purchase is still being discussed. Česká zbrojovka’s sales in 2011 exceeded two billion crowns; the highest turnover in the company's history. Iraq will also buy 28 Czech L-159 training aircraft worth one billion US dollars.
Czech exporters seeking to reduce their dependence on EU
Photo: Hafiz343, CC 3.0 licenseCzech exporters are increasingly turning to markets in Eastern Europe, Asia and Latin America within a government drive to reduce the country’s dependence on EU member states. According to a survey made among Czech exporters, local firms are increasingly tapping business opportunities in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus and there is increased interest in Asian and Latin American markets. Russia was named most frequently for its export potential -by 31 percent respondents. Ukraine with 29 percent placed second and Brazil with 28 percent third, followed by Kazakhstan and India. From the Arab states, Egypt and Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates reportedly present the biggest opportunities.
Ikea plans to open three more stores in Czech Republic
The Swedish furniture chain Ikea plans to open three new department stores in the Czech Republic in the next 3 to 6 years, spending some 4 billion crowns on the new outlets, the chief executive of the company’s Czech branch Marek Feltl told the CTK news agency this week. The new department stores are to be built in Prague, Plzen and Hradec Kralove. Ikea raised its sales in the Czech Republic by 5 percent to 7 billion crowns in the financial year ending in August. This year Ikea expects a 4 percent growth of turnover. Ikea also plans to launch a new online shop in the Czech Republic within the next three years.
Number of dollar millionaires in Czech Republic growing
Photo: Alexander Korabelnikov, stock.XCHNGThe number of dollar millionaires in the Czech Republic grew by more than 5 percent to over 17,000 last year, while worldwide the growth did not exceed 1 percent, according to a report produced by the companies Capgemini and RBC Wealth Management. The increase in the number of rich people in the Czech Republic was influenced by GDP growth, relatively low inflation and the strength of the crown. In contrast, a drop in real estate prices and a decrease in market capitalisation had a negative impact.
———
Zpět