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In this week's Insight Central Europe: Austria is blocking the movement of US troops through the country from Germany to Italy, and the country's defence minister says without a UN mandate for military action there can be no overflights or troop movements through Austria; tourism officials of the four Visegrad countries (Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia) have signed an agreement aimed at closer co-operation in the tourism industry; meanwhile, Austria is seeing a marked increase in tourists from Central and Eastern Europe; and why doesn't the best-known Czech author Milan Kundera allow his latest novels to be published in Czech? More
Current AffairsEU offers hundreds of jobs to Czechs
Less than a month ago, news broke that the Czech Republic's unemployment
rate would surpass the ten percent mark. With such pessimistic numbers,
why not try for a job in the EU? The Czech Republic and nine other
countries expected to be fully-fledged members in 2004, and the European
Union has to prepare for the changes. Practically overnight, its
population will increase by twenty percent, it will have two thirds more
member states and many more official languages. The EU is therefore
offering Czechs five hundred job opportunities at its institutions -
including the commission, parliament, and council - in Brussels,
Luxembourg and Strasbourg. Daniela Lazarova spoke to the acting head of
the selection policy unit at the European Personnel Selection Office, Mr
Guy Vanbisen, to find out more about the conditions involved and how tough
the requirements are:
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Current AffairsMixed Czech feelings on the French-German axis in Europe
It couldn't have been better timed. Just when all eyes are on France and
Germany, the Czech Foreign Ministry on Wednesday hosted a discussion on
the two countries' role in the new Europe. The current Czech government
comes close to the Franco-German pro-federalist view of European
integration, but over Iraq Prague has sided itself with the United States
and Britain. During the discussion the Social Democrat MP Libor Roucek,
who is also vice-chair of the Czech parliament's European Integration
Committee, firmly criticized France and Germany's recent reluctance to
offer military support to Turkey, and in an interview with Radio Prague's
David Vaughan he explained why.
More
Current AffairsCzech politicians condemn Chirac outburst over Iraq
French President Jacques Chirac's furious and very undiplomatic outburst at
the EU candidate countries of Central Europe has elicited an equally
furious reaction from the countries themselves. Poland, Slovakia, Hungary
and the Czech Republic have all hit back at Mr Chirac, saying that France
has no right to dictate the foreign policy of other countries. But Czech
officials, while clearly rattled at Mr Chirac's fit of pique, have also
expressed dismay at the divisions in Europe over the Iraq crisis. Rob
Cameron has more.
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Press ReviewPress Review
Angry reactions to French President Jacques Chirac's verbal attack on the
EU candidates on Monday are splashed across all of today's front pages.
"Chirac's words evoke outrage", "the Czech Republic rejects
Chirac's verbal beating" and "why did Chirac attack Washington's
allies?" those are some of the headlines in the Czech papers, along
with snapshots of Mr. Chirac as Prime Minister in cordial conversation
with Saddam Hussein dating back to the 70s when French-Iraqi ties
flourished. Predicting this reaction, the Czech Foreign Minister Cyril
Svoboda has told Lidove Noviny "President Chirac has not helped
anything".
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Press ReviewPress Review
All of today's papers offer a variety of top stories ranging from French President Jacques Chirac's scorning words to EU candidate countries over their stand on Iraq to Senator Richard Falbr's possible candidacy for president. More
Current AffairsDemand for organic foods increasing in Czech Republic
Czech farming has seen huge changes since the days of communism, when the
majority of farmers were forced to work on collective farms. Now all that
has changed, and more and more farmers are choosing to follow the
international trend towards organic farming, partly in response to worries
over food safety. Martin Hrobsky reports.
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Current AffairsMonetary separation sealed split of Czechoslovakia ten years ago
Less than six weeks after Czechoslovakia split up on the 1st of January,
1993, two new currencies emerged, replacing the Czechoslovak crown which
had existed since 1919. The two countries divided their monetary assets,
liabilities and reserves according to a ratio of two to one in favour of
the Czech Republic. After monetary separation was publicly announced, all
payments between the two new countries stopped and border controls were
stepped up to prevent transfers of cash. The new currencies became valid
on February 8, ten years ago.
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