News Czech Republic 23.01.2013 - 17.01.2013

CR: Prague Circuit Court confirms acquittal of Bárta and Škárka

The Prague 5 Circuit Court has acquitted the former Transport Ministrer Vít Bárta and former Public Affairs Party MP Jaroslav Škárka of all charges in a bribery case that the court first ruled on in April 2012. The circuit judge Jan Šott thus confirmed a ruling of the Prague Municipal Court from November. Mr Bárta, who is also the former head of the Public Affairs Party deputies club, was accused of bribing his fellow party members Kristýna Kočí and Jaroslav Škárka to gain influence. Because Mr Škárka had spent part of the money he received from Mr Bárta before reporting it, he was also accused of accepting a bribe. Last April, Judge Šott handed down a suspended 18-month sentence to Mr Bárta and a three-year jail sentence for Mr Škárka. But in November, the municipal court accepted the appeals of both defendants, reversing the previous ruling. After confirming the city’s ruling on Wednesday, Mr Šott said that his hands were tied by the higher court’s decision, and that the whole case has become political. The State Attorney’s office will appeal the case with the Municipal Court.

Government approves not paying lawmakers in jail

The government has approved a draft amendment that would strip lawmakers who are incarcerated or in custody pending trial of their government salaries and benefits. The proposal by the leading government party, the Civic Democrats, is based on the premise that senators or MPs cannot fulfill their mandate from jail. The opposition Social Democrats believe that the Constitutional Court would strike down the law if were to pass through Parliament. The only MP that has been sentenced to jail time so far this term is the former Civic Democrat Roman Pekárek. The Social Democrat David Rath is awaiting trial on corruption charges.

Prague Municipal Court considers amnesty unconstitutional

The Prague Municipal Court judge has submitted a petition to the Constitutional Court to rule on the constitutionality of the whole of the amnesty that was issued by President Václav Klaus on 1 January. The petition deems the entire amnesty as unconstitutional mainly on the basis that it was not discussed by all the members of the government. The amnesty was signed by the president and countersigned by the prime minister. Apparently, the only other member of the government who knew about the amnesty before it was announced was the Justice Minister Pavel Blažek. The Municipal Court asked the Constitutional Court to either strike the amnesty down in its entirety or, as an alternative solution, to strike down a provision that halted some long running criminal cases.

Havlová endorses Schwarzenberg

The wife of the late Václav Havel, Dagmar Havlová, endorsed presidential candidate Karel Schwarzenberg on Wednesday. The foreign minister was President Havel’s chancellor for roughly two years in the 1990s. A number of public figures and artists have expressed support for Mr Schwarzenberg in the past week. His opponent Miloš Zeman received backing, for example, from popular singer Helena Vondráčková and filmmaker Filip Renč.

Zeman would not meet Dalai Lama if elected president

Miloš Zeman says he would not meet the Dalai Lama if he were elected Czech president in a vote that takes place on Friday and Saturday. In a debate with his opponent Karel Schwarzenberg held by the think tank European Values on Tuesday, Mr. Zeman said he would only meet the Tibetan spiritual leader if he himself were a religious leader, or if the Dalai Lama was a big investor. For his part, Mr. Schwarzenberg said his rival’s position was an acceptance of Chinese propaganda. While the late Václav Havel repeatedly met the Tibetan spiritual leader, his successor as president, Václav Klaus, has consistently refused to meet him since he was prime minister in the 1990s.

School principal shoots himself

A principal of a school in the town of Bor near Tachov in the Plzeň region has shot himself, the iDnes news website reported on Wednesday afternoon. According to the police spokesperson it was most likely a suicide, since the thirty-five-year-old man allegedly left a letter. The school where he was from had made it into the headlines last year, when one of its teachers and a former regional head of the Civic Democratic Party Vladimír Dub was given a four-year suspended sentence for having sexual relations with an underage student.

Football Association’s Disciplinary Committee chairman quits post

The chairman of the disciplinary committee of Czech Football Association Jiří Golda has stepped down on Wednesday in protest against the FA’s decision to suspend the investigation of referee bribing. The association has decided to let the police investigate the allegations. FA’s chairman Miroslav Pelta who suggested the move said that the police are better prepared for dealing with corruption cases.

Ice Age topped Czech charts last year

Last year the most watch film in theatres in the Czech Republic was not a local production – it was Ice Age 4. The family friendly cartoon drew in just over 670 thousand viewers in the movie theatres. The Czech film You Kiss Like the Devil came in second with around 501 thousand viewers. The next few spots down on the list also belonged to foreign films. The year before, the top spot was taken by Muži v nadějí, or Men in Hope, that was seen by over 850 000 moviegoers. Nonetheless, 2012 saw 400 thousand more people go to the movies in the Czech Republic than in the previous year.

Dog sledding competition takes off in Orlické mountains

The annual dog sledding race Šediváčkův long has begun in Orlické mountains in the northeast of the country. Around one hundred mushers with some 700 dogs set out on a 245-kilometer long track that they will have to complete in snow and freezing temperatures by Saturday. In the highest parts of the Orlické mountains there was around 60 centimeters of snow, temperatures during the day are somewhere around -10 degrees Celsius. Participants are travelling on different vessels, including cross-country skis and bikes, and with a different number of dogs.

Smog situation worsens around the country

The average daily concentration of dust particles in the air exceeded the permitted limit of 50 micrograms per square meter in all regions of the country on Wednesday. In more of the measuring stations the daily average is around twice the permitted amount. Meteorologists have issued a smog alert in the Moravia-Silesian region on Monday, and in the Ústí nad Labem region on Wednesday. The regional administrations have ask residents to limit car use as much as possible. People with chronic lung or heart problems, young children and seniors are being asked to refrain from strenuous physical activity outdoors.

Weather

It will be overcast with daytime highs between -6 and -2 degrees Celsius. There may be light snow throughout the day.

Prosecutor: Judge’s case should not have come under amnesty

A Czech judge accused of corruption should not have those charges dropped under a presidential amnesty, according to Prague’s chief prosecutor Lenka Bradáčová, the newspaper Právo reported. Ústi nad Labem bankruptcy judge Jiří Berka was cleared under a section of the amnesty that halts prosecutions in cases running for over eight years for which the maximum term is 10 years. The prosecutor says as Judge Berka’s alleged crime was committed as part of a criminal conspiracy the maximum term would have been increased by one third – making him ineligible for the controversial amnesty announced by President Václav Klaus on New Year’s Day. An official from the Prague chief prosecutor’s office has filed a complaint against the halting of the case.

Civic Democrats outline priorities ahead of coalition deal revision talks

The largest party in the government, the Civic Democrats, have put forward a list of 10 priorities ahead of talks on revising a coalition agreement with partners TOP 09 and LIDEM. Many of the demands concern ideas to foster growth in the Czech economy. One of the Civic Democrats’ two negotiators, Transport Minister Zbyňek Stanjura, said the party was putting an emphasis on slimming down elements of the civil service and merging different agencies. Representatives of the three parties are expected to meet on Tuesday and Thursday this week.

Police: dubious IT orders cost state CZK 350 million

Police say suspicious orders for IT equipment placed by the state-owned forestry company Lesy České republiky caused the state CZK 350 million in damages. Anti-corruption police on Monday carried out searches related to the case in three places in Prague and Hradec Králové, but no charges have yet been made, a spokesperson said. Lesy České republiky administers 1.3 million hectares of land and owns about half the forests in the country.

EU court rejects Czech brewer’s appeal against use of Bud trademark by Anheuser-Busch

The Luxembourg-based General Court of the European Union, has rejected an appeal by the Czech brewer Budějovický Budvar against the use of the trademark Bud by the international beer giant Anheuser-Busch InBev NV, the maker of Budweiser. In a statement on Tuesday, the EU’s second highest court said Anheuser-Busch InBev NV could register the trademark Bud because of its insignificant use in France and Austria. The decision is the latest development in a legal battle that has been running in several territories for many years.

Albania revokes CEZ distribution license

An Albanian regulator on Monday voted to revoke the distribution license of a loss-making unit of the Czech energy giant CEZ. It is also holding the company liable for failing to import electricity into the Balkan state and not investing in its power grid. CEZ plans to contest the move and will demand compensation in a court of arbitration. The decision is the latest move in a long-running battle between CEZ and Tirana over power imports and prices.

Communist-era Hotel Praha to make way for flats

Hotel Praha in Prague 6 is due to be knocked down to make way for luxury apartments, the news website ihned.cz reported. The company that has bought the five-star facility, Maraflex, said the hotel had been constructed in such a grand style under the Communist regime that it was not economically viable to run it today. Its employees have already been let go. The hotel is where the Czech national soccer team usually stay when they are in Prague.

Menzel completes latest film “Don Giovannis”

The veteran Czech film director Jiří Menzel has just completed work on his latest film. The picture, which will reach Czech cinemas at the end of May, is named “Donšajni”, which means “Don Giovannis”, and is about a group in a small town putting on a production of the opera. Menzel’s previous credits include the Oscar-winning Closely Observed Trains and I Served the King of England.

Writer apologises to actor over election support spat

Writer Jiří Stránský, one of the creators of the TV series Zdivočelá země (Land Gone Wild), has apologised to star Martin Dejdar, after publicly criticising him for supporting left-wing presidential candidate Miloš Zeman. Mr. Stránský, a former political prisoner, and the director of the series said they would no longer work with Mr. Dejdar on future projects. The actor said he had been stunned by the move. On Monday Mr Stránský retracted the statement, saying it had been written in anger.

Berdych loses to Djokovic in Australian Open quarter-finals

The Czech men’s tennis number one Tomáš Berdych has again failed to reach the semi-finals of the Australian Open, after losing 1-6 6-4 1-6 4-6 to world number one Novak Djokovic of Serbia in Melbourne on Tuesday. It was the third time in a row that Berdych was knocked out in the last eight stage of the year’s first Grand Slam tournament.

 

Anti-corruption police conduct search at Lesy ČR

The anti-corruption police on Monday conducted a search of the offices of the state-owned forestry enterprise Lesy ČR in Hradec Králové. The move, sources reported, is related to an investigation of a number of non-transparent tenders involving the purchase of IT technology. News site E15 reported earlier that the investigation was related to the fate of 340 million crowns said to have ended up in the hands of non-transparent firms with accounts in Switzerland. According to E15, there is reason to believe that IT contracts worth a total of 1.136 billion crowns had been purposely overvalued. The spokesman for the anti-corruption police, Jaroslav Ibehej, revealed on Monday there had been no arrests; the interim head and economic director of the firm, Michal Gaube, meanwhile, said the forestry enterprise was cooperating fully.

Court annuls Trpišovský’s sentence

The regional court in Prague has annulled a two-year suspended sentence only recently upheld by the Supreme Court against road rage driver Aleš Trpišovský. The annulment is in line with President Vaclav Klaus’s New Year’s amnesty, affecting sentences of up to two years. In his trial, Mr Trpišovský was accused of presenting a threat to public safety through dangerous and aggressive driving on the country’s D1 highway. According to eyewitnesses he repeatedly hit the brakes in front of slower vehicles as punishment for slowing him down. The presidential amnesty does not affect a seven-year ban forbidding Mr Trpišovský from getting behind the wheel.

Czech Republic attracted greatest number of investors since 2008

The Czech Republic was able to attract 48 companies to the country in 2012, which is the highest number since the financial crisis began in 2008, the financial daily Hospodářské noviny reported on Monday. Hospodářské noviny reported that the increase in the number and size of the investments is most likely due to the improvements in the tax code that came into effect mid-year, which allows for more tax benefits for companies.

Fischer indirectly backs Zeman

Unsuccessful presidential candidate Jan Fischer, who finished third in the first round of the country’s direct presidential elections, has indirectly expressed support for Miloš Zeman in the second round. Mr Fischer, a former prime minister, said he could not support the other candidate, Karel Schwarzenberg. In a statement for the Czech news agency, Mr Fischer accused Schwarzenberg of having hurt the interests of the country, referring to a statement during a debate in which Mr Schwarzenberg discussed the historic expulsion of 2.5 million Germans from Czechoslovakia after World War II. The candidate expressed the opinion that from today’s perspective the expulsion would be regarded as a violation of human rights. Jan Fischer maintained that by comparison Miloš Zeman’s views were consistent and well-known. The unsuccessful candidate has said he himself will go to the polls but suggested he will not endorse either of the candidates beforehand, to allow those who initially supported him to come to their own decision.

Personalities back Schwarzenberg in new appeal

A number of well-known personalities have expressed support for presidential candidate Karel Schwarzenberg ahead of the deciding round of the presidential election. Public figures who signed an appeal maintaining that Mr Schwarzenberg would unite Czech citizens was signed by sociologist Ivan Gabal, musician Michael Kocáb, former interior minister Jan Ruml and others. The second round of the election is to be held this weekend. Others who had already expressed support for Mr Schwarzenberg include filmmakers Miloš Forman and Zdeněk Svěrák.

Miloš Zeman, the other candidate running, has also received his share of support from well-known personalities: they include performers Daniel Hůlka, Helena Vondráčková, Lucie Bílá, and actors Jiřina Bohdalová and Martin Dejdar.

Two seniors die in nursing home fire

Two old age pensioners, both women, died in a fire at a nursing home in Příbor in the area of Nový Jičín; four others were taken to hospital for treatment. Overall, 20 people had to be evacuated from the building. Police are investigating possible casues, focussing on the apartment where the fire broke out.

Supreme Audit Office: Environment Ministry erred in purchase of information technology

According to Supreme Audit Office of the Czech Republic, the Environment Ministry erred in the purchase of information technology. The ministry allegedly broke a number of laws in the process. Mistakes in public tenders worth almost one billion crowns are the most serious. Criminal charges are expected.

Several flights cancelled from Václav Havel Airport

Prague’s Václav Havel Airport had to cancel several flights on Monday due to poor weather conditions including in western Europe. Three flights for Frankfurt were cancelled, as were flights to Ostrava in the east of the Czech Republic.

Five-year-old injured in skiing accident

A five-year-old boy was seriously injured at a ski hill in the Jeseníky Mountains on Sunday when he was accidently struck by an adult skier. He suffered a broken upper arm and collarbone in the collision. The 23-year-old who crashed into the boy could be charged with negligence leading to bodily harm; if found guilty, he could face up to a year in prison. The Jeseníky Mountains saw more than 25 incidents in which rescuers were called at the weekend; areas were busier than usual, with skiers out in force to enjoy ideal snow conditions.

Preschooler saved from falling down elevator shaft

A 12-year-old boy saved his four-year-old sister from certain death in their pre-fab apartment building in Chrudim at the weekend, after the little girl opened the door to the elevator and the lift was not there. She came close to falling 20 metres down the elevator shaft but her sibling was able to pull her back in time. The elevator in the apartment building, according to news site tn.cz, had been under renovation, for several days. The firm involved denied it had made any mistakes. Police are investigating the incident.

Seventeen-year-old fighting for life in Ústí hospital

A 17-year-old girl is fighting for her life in a hospital in the region of Ústí after suffering methanol poisoning. She was transferred to hospital on Sunday. The cause of the poisoning has not yet been determined; the police are interviewing witnesses while a toxicology report on Tuesday is expected to reveal more. Forty people in the Czech Republic died of methanol poisoning following an outbreak last September after the chemical was used in illegal alcohol production by bootleggers.

Hockey: Jágr scores two, earns two assists for Dallas

Czech hockey star Jaromír Jágr got off to a dream start with his new NHL club the Dallas Stars. On Saturday the forward, who recently played in the Czech league during the NHL lockout, was involved in all four goals by his club, scoring two and earning two assists against the Phoenix Coyotes. The Stars edged the Coyotes 4:3.

In other NHL action, goalie Tomáš Vokoun got off to a good start with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The team’s No. 2 goalie stopped 31 of 34 shots by the New York Rangers after a 10-month layoff due to a groin injury and the NHL lockout. The Penguins won the game 6:3.

Icy conditions lead to dozens of car accidents

Icy conditions caused by freezing rain were behind dozens of car accidents across the country on Monday, as well as injuries to pedestrians who lost their footing on sidewalks. The situation in Bohemia is expected to improve by the evening with drizzle turning to snowfall. Icy conditions in Moravia, by comparison, are expected to continue in the early hours of Tuesday. Motorists have been warned to exercise caution.

 

Man lights himself on fire on Wenceslas Square

A 36-year-old man has attempted to commit suicide by lighting his jacket on fire on Sunday afternoon after pouring an unknown flammable liquid on himself. Police officers who were standing nearby helped put out the flames. The man is currently being treated for possible injuries. His motives have not been clarified yet.

The incident happened near the National Museum building on Prague's Wenceslas Square close to the spot where a young student Jan Palach lit himself on fire on January 16, 1969 in protest against the Soviet occupation of Czechoslovakia. Palach died three days later.

President Klaus 'cannot forgive' Schwarzenberg

President Václav Klaus has condemned the presidential candidate Karel Schwarzenberg for his criticism of the Beneš decrees. The president told an online news server novinky.cz on Saturday evening that he cannot forgive the foreign minister for doubting the post-World War Two "settlement" instituted by president Eduard Beneš. Mr Schwarzenberg said in a presidential debate on Thursday that the deportation of Germans from Czechoslovakia at the end of the war would be considered a gross violation of human rights by today's standards. Responding to the president's statement, the presidential candidate said he feels the matter of the Beneš decrees to have been settled, and that nobody's property is at stake. Mr Schwarzenberg thus refered to Mr Klaus's long-term efforts to prevent descendants of Sudeten Germans from making claims on Czech land and property.

Public Affairs propose free services for those affected by amnesty

MPs from the Public Affairs party have put forward a proposal to free those seeking damages as a result of the amnesty from court fees. They also propose that plaintiffs would be able to request free legal counsel form the state. Chairman of the Civic Democratic MPs Marek Benda is sceptical of the proposal, while the opposition Social Democrats came out against the provision of free legal counsel.

Austrian man commits suicide with a bomb

In a south Bohemian town of České Velenice an Austrian man blew himself up with a bomb on Saturday. The 42-year-old had the bomb strapped to his body. No other person was hurt and no property was damaged. Police have not yet determined the origin of the explosive or the reason why the man committed suicide in Velenice.

Musicians to support Schwarzenberg at Sunday night concerts

Concerts will take place in more than 60 locations across the Czech Republic on Sunday night in support of one of the presidential candidates, Karel Schwarzenberg. Famous Czech acts like Tata Bojs, Čechomor and others will appear in support of the second-place winner of the first round of the presidential elections. A number of artists including Jiřina Bohdalová and Lucie Bílá have in the past weeks come out in support of the other presidential candidate Miloš Zeman.

Girls' volleyball team injured in van crash

Eight people were injured, with three people in serious condition, after a van collided with a concrete pole near the village of Drysice in southern Moravia. Nine passengers in the van were members of a girls' volleyball team and the coach. The girls in the van were all around 13 years of age.

Barta, Okamura offer alternatives to current government

A few hundred people opposed to the current government gathered in the National House in Prague's Vinohrady district on Saturday to listen to speakers offer alternatives to the current system of government. Among the speakers was the former head of the Public Affairs party Vít Barta, senator Tomio Okamura and the economist Pavel Kohout and representatives of the civic movement Holešovská výzva.

Berdych goes through to Australian quarterfinal

Tennis player Tomáš Berdych has advanced into the quarterfinals of the Australian Open on Sunday, beating the South African Kevin Anderson. Berdych, who has not lost a single set in the first Grand Slam of the year, dominated over Anderson with the final score 6:3, 6:2, 7:6. The sixth seeded Czech will most likely face the world number one Novak Djoković on Tuesday. The two faced each other 12 times, and Bedych beat the Serb won only one match at the 2010 Wimbledon.

Zeman takes jab at Schwarzenberg over Beneš

The two presidential candidates - Miloš Zeman and Karel Schwarzenberg - faced off in a second televized debate on Friday evening, this time on the private Prima Family channel. The atmosphere was more laid back than in the Czech Television debate the night before, but candidates took the opportunity to take stabs at each other. Mr Zeman came back to the issue of the Beneš decrees and the expulsion of Sudeten Germans at the end of World War two, which Mr Schwarzenberg described on Thurdsay as a gross violation of human rights according to today’s standards. The former prime minister strongly retorted in the Friday debate that describing a former Czechoslovak president as a war criminal is not presidential. According to some polls, Mr Zeman has been gaining more ground over his opponent in the last week, after the two finished less than a percentage point apart in the first round of the elections.

Klaus’ wife endorses Zeman

During the presidential debate, Prima Family broadcasted a video where the Czech first lady Livia Klausová endorsed Miloš Zeman. Mrs Klausová said she does not want her successor to speak only German, refering to Karel Schwarzenberg’s wife who does not speaks Czech. She also said that Mr Zeman has spent his whole life in the Czeech Republic and has a relationship to the country and its people, echoing her husband’s remarks from a few days ago.

Week of anti-communist protest culminates in Prague

A week-long relay of protests against the presence of Communists councillors in regional governments will finish off with a protest on Saturday at Prague’s Wenceslas Square. During the so-called Palach week, protests were held in Olomouc, Ústí nad Labem, Karlovy Vary, České Budějovice and Zlín. Attendance varied between dozens and a couple of hundred people. Protesters want to warn the public against communist ideology and are asking members of the Communist Party to step down from regional council seats.

Number of victims and car accidents decreased in 2012

The number of victims of car accidents in Prague was at an all-time low in 2012. According to the Prague Traffic Police Chief Pavel Švrčula, 26 died in the capital in the course of last year. The number of serious injuries and the number of accidents also went down from the year before. The police were called to the scene of 17,800 accidents, which is the lowest number in the past 14 years. Though, the number of people with minor injuries went up by 50 from 2011.

Number of flu patient grew last week

The number of deaths in the Czech Republic this season due to severe cases of the flu has gone up to 24, while the number of hospitalized is currently around 140, according to the Friday statement of the Chief Hygiene Officer Vladimír Valenta. The number of people with acute respiratory problems grew by seven percent and those sick with the flu by 60% in the second week of January. The flu epidemic has spread from western regions of the country to the east in the past few weeks. Mr Valenta noted that the decrease in the number of newly infected in the Karlovy Vary region may be a sign that the epidemic is coming to an end. But some regions are still struggling with an increasing number of patients. In the Prostějov region, in western Moravia, there were 2041 people per 100,000 inhabitants with the flu as of Saturday – well above the country-wide figures.

New underground tunnel opened for public

Prague’s Public Transportation Company has opened a part of the new tunnel where the extension of the A line of the underground will be located to the public. Visitors can take an hour-long tour through the bare tunnel between the future stations Veleslavín and Vypich on Saturday between 9 am to 4 pm on Saturday.

Matura wins first ski jump World Cup tournament

Czech ski jumper Jan Matura has won his first World Cup tournament in Sapporo, Japan. Matura became the first Czech in four years to win a World Cup ski jumping tournament. The 32-year-old took first place with 132 and 135-meter jumps, seven-tenths of a point ahead of the Norwegian Tom Hilde. Matura had his previous career record also in Sapporo two years ago when he took fourth place.

 

Prague Civic Democrats take back Bém

The Prague branch of the Civic Democratic party voted on Friday to renew membership for the former Prague mayor Pavel Bém. Mr Bém suspended his party membership last March after a scandal broke out over secret phone calls between him and a lobbyist Roman Janoušek from 2007. The conversations were made public in the Czech press causing speculations that Mr Bém was influenced by the lobbyist in decisions concerning a number of public tenders. Representatives of the Prague Civic Democrats said they see no reason to keep a high-ranking member out of the party when there is no concrete proof of wrongdoing.

First televised presidential duel ends in draw

Most political commentators have agreed that the Thursday night debate on Czech Television between the two presidential candidates – Karel Schwarzenberg and Miloš Zeman – ended in a draw. Mr Zeman tried attacking his opponent on a number of issues including his stance on the recent presidential amnesty, his opinion of the deportation of Germans from Czechoslovakia at the end of World War Two, and the mistakes the foreign minister makes when speaking Czech. Mr Schwarzenberg fended off the criticism without changing his previously held positions on the issues. The candidates are scheduled to appear in two more televised debates and one more radio debate before Czechs vote in the second round of the presidential election next Friday.

Krejčíř is again under investigation

The Prague state attorney’s office filed a lawsuit against the Czech fugitive businessman Radovan Krejčíř and ten other suspects on Friday. Mr Krejčíř is facing a number of charges including the intention to kill an important witness. Some of the defendants in the case who were previously under investigation were recently cleared of charges as a result of the presidential amnesty from January 1, but this will not apply to the new charges. The group is accused of a number of legal and financial crimes. Mr Krejčíř, who was handed a 15-year sentence last November for a number of other crimes, will so far be investigated and tried in absentia, since he escaped the country in 2005 and is currently residing in the Republic of Seychelles.

Education Ministry plans changes to regional financing

The Education Minister Petr Fiala met with regional governors to discuss planned changes to the financing of education that would give all regions the same amount of money per student depending on the field of study. Currently, there are different financing rules for all the regions. Mr Fiala is hoping to equalize the level of education in different regions by unifying the financing structure. The regional governments will form a working group that will work with the minister on the details of the changes.

Public Affairs case against restitution law will not be considered

The Constitutional Court will not deliberate on the complaint filed by members of the Public Affairs party over the law on church property restitution, because not enough parliamentarians had signed it. The Public Affairs party asked the court to strike the law down. The head of the party, Radek John, said that the requirement to have either 41 deputies from the lower house or 17 senators sign such a request to be considered by the court was discriminatory. He added that he plans to approach senators for support. Communist deputies are also preparing to file a legal complaint against the restitution law that was pushed through in the fall by the governing coalition.

Government survives vote of no confidence

The coalition government, led by Prime Minister Petr Nečas, survived a vote of no confidence on Thursday evening. The opposition initiated the vote in reaction to the recent presidential amnesty which had been counter-signed by the premier, which saw the release of more than 7,000 prisoners and halted, or threatens to halt, a number of major corruption and economic crime cases. The opposition was able to find support of 92 MPs - far short of the 101 needed to bring down the government. The attempt was the fifth by the opposition to topple the centre-right cabinet.

Last day to submit written absentee ballots requests

Friday is the last day that Czech citizens can submit written requests for absentee ballots for next week’s second round of the presidential election. In-person requests that can be submitted to the local administration offices in one’s home district by next Wednesday. Absentee ballots are meant for people who plan on voting in the upcoming elections outside of their permanent residency district.

Greek Golden Dawn criticizes Czechs’ release

The Greek right-wing extremist party Golden Dawn strongly criticised of the government’s decision to release from jail two Czechs – Ivan Buchta and Martin Pezlar – suspected of espionage. In an article on its webpage, the party said the court’s decision shows once again that the Greek government is not concerned with national security. It also supported the unsubstantiated allegations that the two Czech videogame developers were recruited to spy for the Turkish government. Mr Buchta and Ms Pezlar were released from jail this week after spending four months in custody and returned to the Czech Republic on Thursday.

Auto*mat commemorates cycling and pedestrian victims of car accidents

Dozens of people paid tribute to cyclists and pedestrians who have died in Prague as a result of car accidents by participating in a communal bike ride across the city on Thursday afternoon. Similar bike rides are organized by the civic association Auto*mat once a month to promote cycling and safer roads in the capital. This particular event was dedicated to a former member of the association Jan Bouchal, who was hit by a car in 2006 while riding his bike and died from the injuries. Auto*mat is planning to install a memorial to Bouchal and other victims of car accidents, which was designed by the contemporary Czech sculptor Krištof Kintera.

Tennis: Djokovic downs Štepánek at Australian Open, Berdych advances to quarterfinals

Czech tennis player Radek Štepánek threw everything he had at world no. 1 Novak Djoković in their third-round match at the Australian Open, coming to the net on 67 occasions to try and dominate. But it wasn’t enough against the Serbian, who is the two-time defending champion. The match lasted two hours and 22 minutes and the final score was 6:4, 6:3, 7:5. Štepánek’s teammate Tomáš Berdych on the other hand had no trouble winning his third –round match against Jürgen Melzer. The only Czech left in the tournament, Berdych will face the South African Kevin Anderson in the fourth round.

Government survives vote of no confidence

The coalition government, led by Prime Minister Petr Nečas, survived a vote of no confidence on Thursday evening. The opposition initiated the vote in reaction to the recent presidential amnesty which had been counter-signed by the premier, which saw the release of more than 7,000 prisoners and halted, or threatens to halt, a number of major corruption and economic crime cases. The opposition was able to find support of 92 MPs - far short of the 101 needed to bring down the government. The attempt was the fifth by the opposition to topple the centre-right cabinet.

Schwarzenberg criticizes presidential amnesty

In related news, Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg, the chairman of coalition partner TOP 09 and candidate in the second round of the presidential election, has said he was shocked by the amnesty declared this month by Václav Klaus. Speaking in the lower house ahead of the vote of no confidence on Thursday, Mr Schwarzenberg made clear he was most concerned with article 2 of the amnesty, which affects unresolved criminal cases lasting eight years or longer. Mr Schwarzenberg said he learned of the amnesty only through the president’s televised speech on January 1 and criticized the prime minister for not fully informing the cabinet in advance; he suggested it was a sign of mistrust. Along with the vote of no confidence, the opposition is pushing a proposal that would express fundamental disagreement with the presidential amnesty.

Fellow presidential candidate Miloš Zeman (not a member of Parliament) has also come out against the amnesty.

President, on ski trip, outlines candidate he'd prefer

Outgoing Czech President Václav Klaus, while skiing on Thursday, issued an apparent dig against one of the two candidates running to succeed him, Karel Schwarzenberg. Speaking to the Czech news agency and Czech Radio, Mr Klaus said he would prefer to see a candidate elected who "belonged to the country" and had spent his life here in “good times and bad”. The statement was a clear snub of Mr Schwarzenberg, the foreign minister, who grew up and spent much of his life in neighbouring Austria; his parents emigrated with him as a boy after the Communists seized power in 1948. Mr Schwarzenberg, a titled prince, said in an earlier debate he never gave up his Czechoslovak citizenship, even when abroad, and always kept strong ties to his homeland.

Czechs held in Greece on espionage charges return to Prague

Two Czech citizens held in Greece since September on espionage charges returned to Prague on Thursday morning. The two were released from jail on Wednesday on a 5,000 euro bail. Their release came after the Greek authorities stated that they did not represent a security threat. The two video games developers were arrested and accused of espionage after they took photos of a military facility on the Greek island of Lemnos. The men said they took the pictures to use them in a new game. They may still have to return to Greece for trial. The two suspects on Thursday were awaited by members of their families at the airport in what was an emotional reunion that drew marked attention from the media. One of the two men said the release had gone unexpectedly smoothly; both expressed relief to be back on Czech soil.

Health Ministry makes Tamiflu available in response to flu epidemic

The Health Ministry has made available 9,000 packages of Tamiflu in response to the flu epidemic hitting the country. One-hundred-and-thirty five people have been hospitalized in serious condition and the ministry has revealed that the flu this season has claimed 23 lives. Last week, the ministry made available 1,440 packs of the antivirotic Relenza in the keeping of the General Teaching Hospital in the Czech capital. Three-thousand packs of Tamiflu will go to the General Teaching Hospital, while further packages of the medicine will be delivered to other facilities across the country. The flu epidemic in the Czech Republic is expected to peak in the coming days or weeks, the chief hygiene officer has said.

Jan Palach remembered

Dignitaries from Prague’s Charles University, headed by rector Václav Hampl, laid flowers at Jan Palach’s plaque at the Philosophy Faculty, 44 years after Palach set himself on fire in protest of the 1968 Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia. He died on January 19 1969. Dozens in attendance on Wednesday lit candles in the student’s memory and held a minute of silence. Traffic at the square bearing Palach’s name was also temporarily halted. A new website dedicated to him has also been launched by the university, in cooperation with Czech TV, Czech Radio, the National Film Archives and other institutions.

Aviation accidents drop to lowest in 10 years

The number of aviation accidents in the Czech Republic fell to its lowest in 10 years in 2012, according to information released by the country’s Air Accidents Investigation Institute. According to the organization, the country saw 50 aviation accidents last year; there was, however, no significant drop in the number of fatalities – 13, just one fewer than the previous year. Eight people died in plane crashes, two in a helicopter crash, and three in parachute jumps. The head of the Air Accidents Investigation Institute, Pavel Štrůbl, suggested that nevertheless the generally low number of fatalities could be considered a success. He explained at a seminar on Thursday that since the 1990s the number of small sports planes and ultra-light planes in the country, considered the highest-risk, had gone up ten times, while the number of fatalities had gone up four.

Nečas marriage in trouble

Prime Minister Petr Nečas and his spouse Radka have revealed in a joint-statement that they are currently going through a difficult period in their marriage, confirming to the Czech news agency that they had been living separately for several months. The statement was issued following increased speculation by the media over several weeks; the prime minister turned down a traditional New Year’s lunch with the president earlier in January, where both wives would have been present. Mr and Mrs Nečas revealed they had no concrete plans on how to proceed but made clear their dedication to their four children, as well as continuing respect for each other, was of primary importance.

Snow worsens conditions on roads

Fresh snowfall worsened conditions on Czech roads on Thursday especially in the regions of central and southern Bohemia and Plzeň. Areas in the region of Plzeň saw between 5 and 10 new centimeters of new snow. Although all major roads remained accessible, motorists were warned to exercise extra caution due to the risk of snow drifts and also icy patches. Worsening conditions were the main factor in a number of car crashes.

Tennis: Kvitová loses thriller against Robson

Czech tennis players have had a rough time at the Australian Open, many of their campaigns to progress far into the tournament being cut short. Eighth-seeded Petra Kvitová was stunned by Great Britain’s Laura Robson in an epic three-setter that ended at 12:30 am local time. The match went three sets and came down to a tie-break: the final score was 2-6, 6-3, 11-9 in Robson’s favour. The two had never met in competition before. Other Czechs who lost include Lukáš Rosol and Lucie Šafářová, while the defending doubles champion from last year, Radek Štepánek and doubles partner Leander Paes, were defeated in the first round.