Czech Update

Czech president sulky over same sex unions

Dominik Lukeš — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 07:19:27 +0100

For an atheist and reasonably liberal country, same-sex unions are having a tough time in the Czech Republic. Finally, a new laws gives some rights to same-sex couples but it sent the president Václav Klaus into a tizzy. The president, as always happy to bolster his typical opportunistic populism with inherent homophobia, decided to signal his opposition by not signing the bill. read more »

Mašín brothers, history, present

Dominik Lukeš — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 03:08:00 +0100

The International Herald Tribune offers a very good write up of a rather small event in the history of early communist rule in Czechoslovakia that has caused much controversy in more recent times. read more »

Czech Healthcare Update

Dominik Lukeš — Mon, 26 May 2008 23:35:38 +0100

An interesting write up of the Czech health system in the NY Times. read more »

Can you teach an old president new tricks?

Dominik Lukeš — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 13:56:21 +0000

"Starého psa novým kouskům nenaučíš" goes the saying. But the freshly re-elected right-wing nationalistic populist Václav Klaus isn't particularly interested in anything new: “I will fight to retain the Czech koruna for as long as it is advantageous for Czechs,” he boasted. read more »

Translating Prime Minister's profanity

Dominik Lukeš — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 02:28:22 +0000

Now, the prime minister Topolánek is getting sued for saying this: "Češi obvykle ale vidí všechno negativně a když k něčemu dojde, podělají se". read more »

Velvet Revolution in video (YouTube weekly)

Dominik Lukeš — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 20:01:27 +0000

YouTube is a great source of video to illustrate historical events and the Velvet Revolution is no exception. Here are a few clips.

Montage of moments from the days of and after 17 November: read more »

Ex-premier has some apologizing to God to do, says church

Erik Piper — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 17:38:21 +0100

The divorces and planned re-marriages (to their respective mistresses) of premier Mirek Topolánek and ex-premier Jiří Paroubek have been in and out of the news for quite a few months now; below is one report among many from Paroubek's saga. Overall the Czechs' attitude towards the sex lives of their politicians is quite "European," that is, much more forgiving than the Americans'. There is the occasional columnist who thinks otherwise, though. I'm undecided, myself.
read more »

Dictionary of Czech culture

Dominik Lukeš — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 21:56:48 +0100

The Amazon reviewer got it right! read more »

Czech president at it again

Dominik Lukeš — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 14:36:03 +0100

It might be a bit unfair to say that Václav Klaus is a complete idiot. He's quite obviously reasonably well educated and pretty intelligent. But even well-educated and intelligent people do moronic things and this is one. Not so much the disagreement with the global warming lobby but the ease with which he lets himself be used by special interests. read more »

All Czechs to receive government-issued email address

Dominik Lukeš — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 13:05:08 +0100

According to a new draft law, lower-court summons should be delivered via email. To that end all Czech citizens would receive a government-issued email address. This is to avoid problems with people not picking up their summons from the post office and thus delaying the proceedings. It will be possible to opt-out but then summons not collected withing 10 days will be considered delivered. read more »

Fostering but not adoption for Czech gay couples

Dominik Lukeš — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 09:53:35 +0000

I homosexuální páry můžou vychovávat děti - iDNES.cz I dva homosexuální muži mají šanci legálně vychovávat dítě. Tou možností je pěstounská péče. Zatímco české zákony zakazují gay párům adoptovat dítě, pěstounskou péči mají povolenou stejně jako smíšená manželství.

Czech law does not allow for gay couples to adopt but it is possible for them to become foster parents. This article describes the first gay couple who is going through the approval process. read more »

Czechs don't see change in politicians' honesty

Dominik Lukeš — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 11:34:03 +0000

Czech Unconvinced About Their Politicians: Angus Reid Global Monitor Many adults in the Czech Republic are disappointed with their current public servants, according to a poll by STEM. 72 per cent of respondents believe today’s politicians are not more honest than those from the communist era.

Of course, in most countries people don't have particularly high expectations of politicians' honesty. It might be dispiriting, though, that Czechs don't think theirs are any better now than when they were representing a totalitarian regime. But, on the other hand, there's a good chance that public representatives then were no more mendacious and self-serving as people and dismissive of their electorate then they are likely to be anywhere. Only, they were operating in a totalitarian context. read more »

Take the Czech quiz!

Dominik Lukeš — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 23:53:51 +0000

Tiscali Europa It's not all beer and the Vltava you know... Ten countries in Central Europe and the Mediterranean joined the European Union in 2004 - how well do you know them? Can you tell a Becherovka from a Jan Huss? Or a Škoda from a Schroeder? Try your luck with our great photo quizzes... but make a mistake and you get sent back to the beginning!

Tiscali Europe has provided this fun quiz on what is important to know about the Czech Republic. They hit many of the major points (although they read more »

Perceptions of bribery

Dominik Lukeš — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 16:42:34 +0000

Czech clerks take bribes from big firms -politicians, managers Prague- Clerks at Czech ministries and other central state offices take bribes most frequently, and primarily large Czech companies corrupt them, politicians and managers said in a poll released today. ... Politicians and businesspeople said in the poll that in their opinion corruption in the Czech Republic has not increased since 2001. According to them, the situation is slightly worse in Prague over a higher concentration of state offices in the capital. read more »

Czechs give go-ahead for US 'son of star wars' base

Dominik Lukeš — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 13:06:41 +0000

Czechs give go-ahead for US 'son of star wars' base | Special reports | Guardian Unlimited The Czech government has announced that it wants to host a large US military site for the Pentagon's much-criticised missile shield system, confirming for the first time that Washington had asked Prague for permission to build a radar site for the national missile defence programme.

Not much to say. The long fascination of the Czech Republic with the US continues. Of course, there's also the visa problem...

President says EU membership brought little to Czech Republic

Dominik Lukeš — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 22:00:14 +0000

Czech president says EU membership brought little to Czech Republic, Slovakia - International Herald Tribune BRATISLAVA, Slovakia: Czech President Václav Klaus said Thursday he believes that the accession of his country and neighboring Slovakia to the European Union has brought little benefits to the two countries.

Not surprising given the strong Thatcherite leanings combined with increasingly strident nationalistic populism of the president (biased view of mine). He is also, tr read more »

More women politicians in Prague (and rest o CR)

Dominik Lukeš — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 17:15:04 +0000

Političek v Praze přibývá - www.lidovky.cz PRAHA 10. ledna 2007 | 14:54 Karlovy Vary, Zlín, Havířov, Chomutov. Tam všude sedí v primátorském křesle ženy. Praha zatím nikdy svou primátorku neměla. Podle stoupajícího počtu žen v zastupitelstvu i podle přání veřejnosti se ale možná hlavní město v nedaleké budoucnosti své ženy v čele dočká.

Four important Czech municipalities (two in Bohemia and two in Moravia) are headed by a woman holding the post of primátor (mayor) or in their case primátorka. And there is a good chance that in the future Prague could join them. read more »

„Estébák“ forced to return honor

Dominik Lukeš — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 17:00:40 +0000

„Estébák“ musí vrátit medaili, rozhodla Akademie - iDNES.cz Akademie věd vymazala jméno teologa Františka Jindřicha Holečka ze seznamu osobností, které získaly medaili profesora Jana Patočky.

Even though Charter 77 commands much less respect today than it did 15 years ago, some subjects are still sore. A theologian F. J. Holeček was asked today to return a medal awarded to him 2000 for achievements in theology and the study of Jan Hus. Unfortunately, it appears (the facts are as usual a little fuzzy) that he cooperated with StB (Státní bezpečnost - State police) in the early 1980s. And given that the award bears the name of Jan Patočka (a philosopher, the first signatory of the Charter, and the first victim of the subsequent prosecution) Holeček was asked to return it. This is still a sore subject for many Czechs and although revelations of somebody's communist past are not as common as they were not long ago, they still crop up at least once every few months. read more »

New government - at least for a month

Dominik Lukeš — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 09:52:01 +0000

Czech bid to end political crisis - CNN.com PRAGUE, Czech Republic (Reuters) -- Czech President Vaclav Klaus named a new government led by rightist Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek on Tuesday as the EU member tries to extract itself from a seven-month crisis sparked by an inconclusive election. Topolanek has formed a three-party coalition with the centrist Christian Democrats, the Green Party and his own rightist Civic Democrats. But the grouping has only 100 seats in the 200-seat parliament, while leftists also control 100 seats, the results of an inconclusive election last June. The constitution calls for a confidence vote to be held within 30 days but Topolánek has said he would move faster.

We'll see how long the government will last but it seems that Czechs have been managing without it quite nicely. As this Independent article points out. The outlook is not particularly rosy:

IOL: New Czech government unlikely to end crisis But analysts said even if Topolanek gets the simple majority needed to survive the vote, the hung parliament will make it difficult for him to push through his programme of tax and spending reforms, welfare cuts and new healthcare user fees.

Sex scandal and gender equality for Czech third church

Dominik Lukeš — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 09:58:16 +0000

Czech Hussites rocked by sexual scandal - press "New patriarch Tomas Butta, Bishop Stepan Klasek, Petr Sandera and I have asked Bican to consider his resignation," Bishop Jana Šilerová from Olomouc, North Moravia, told the paper. ... MfD writes that the Hussite church is the third most populous church in the Czech Republic and now it is celebrating 87 years since its establishment.

What can we learn form this story? Gay priests having affairs? Nothing new or surprising here. However, a female bishop? Certainly a point of interest. The Czechoslovak Hussite Church not only allows women priests, they number almost half of the total 300 clergy. It should also be noted that the most populous church by far is the Catholic from which the Hussites split during the early years of the Czech Republic over ordination of women and other issues. The Hussites are not really a protestant denomination of the Lutheran tradition (they're closer to Anglicans) and having Jan Hus in their title is more a matter of national pride than ideology. They're one of the more tolerant churches out there but they were also one of the more willing to do the communist regime's bidding (although that has to be taken in the context of its time). read more »

Czechs say no to drugs

Dominik Lukeš — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 09:44:33 +0000

Every fourth Czech tried drug - poll in press - Prague Daily Monitor Prague, Jan 6 (CTK) - About 22 percent of Czechs have tried a drug at least once in their hitherto life, the share being 40 percent in the 18 to 24 years age category, according to a poll carried out by the Health Information and Statistics Institute. ... The poll at the same time revealed that Czechs are not tolerant of drugs, and a mere 17 percent of them would agree with marijuana´s legalisation.

Charter 77 - 30 years on legacy questioned but unavoidable

Dominik Lukeš — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 23:23:40 +0000

Czech press survey Prague- Not much has be left of the Charter 77 human rights movement that was launched 30 years ago, Bob Fliedr writes in Lidove noviny today, and adds that only few signatories have succeeded in politics. The group, headed by later president Vaclav Havel, who took over power in late 1989, has practically disappeared from public life, he says. The few Charter signatories who have succeeded in politics. "were not much good in team work in managing public affairs, the less so in the power struggle," Fliedr writes.

Czech Gays in Partnerships and without Initiative in the New Year

Dominik Lukeš — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 13:32:23 +0000

Gay Marriages Growing In Czech Republic - World News - Playfuls.com - Business & World More than 200 gay and lesbian couples registered their partnerships in the Czech Republic in the past six months, Prague Radio said Tuesday. Jiri Hromada, of the Gay Initiative, said his non-governmental organization had expected "much less interest" in registered same-sex marriages, the Czech Mlada Fronta Dnes newspaper reported.

Czech Republic enters 2007 with 200 gay couples more (up from zero) than last year. What surprises me is that the number is relatively small and that the Gay Initiative expected even less. Part of the problem may be that gay unions are denied the right to adopt children. read more »

Every third Czech has been crime victim

Dominik Lukeš — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 16:59:18 +0000

Every third Czech has been crime victim - survey - Prague Daily Monitor Prague, Jan 1 (CTK) - Every third adult Czech has ever become victim of a crime in his/her life, which is about three million people, experts from the Criminology and Social Prevention Institute have told CTK referring to victimology surveys. The situation is roughly on European as well as U.S. level, Martin Cejp, from the institute said.

I was about to point out how lucky I was not to have been among the 33 percent of crime victims when I realized that I have had my apartment burgled in the late 1990s when I still lived in Prague. But overall I have to agree with the following statement: read more »

Czech "civil cold war"

Dominik Lukeš — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 22:34:36 +0000

FOCUS Information Agency Prague. In his New Year’s Eve address Czech President Vaclav Klaus criticized those responsible for the political crisis in the country, describing it as “civil cold war”, AFP informs. “We did not manage to get through the situation, which looks more or less like “cold war”,” Klaus said. The political crisis has been continuing for seven months now after the right and left wings won nearly equal number of votes at June’s parliamentary elections.

Alliteration aside, thi read more »