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Current Affairs'Stench of Czech pig farm reaches Brussels'
Singled out for extermination by the Nazis along racial lines, only five
out of every hundred Czech Roma are thought to have survived the Second
World War. The majority were interned in the Czech-run camps of Lety and
Hodinin, where hundreds of Roma—mostly children—died from disease, hunger
and abuse at the hands of Czech guards, and from where thousands more were
sent on to Auschwitz and other Nazi death camps. As Brian Kenety reports,
the European Parliament's recent call for the Czech state to tear down a
pig farm built atop the Lety camp lent a charged atmosphere to this year's
memorial service to those who died there. More
Current AffairsMPs agree on compensation for victims of 1968 Soviet-led invasion
Victims of the 1968 Soviet-led invasion of the former Czechoslovakia may
finally win compensation. The lower house of the Czech parliament has
approved a bill, now awaiting Senate approval, which would provide
compensation to relatives of those killed during the invasion, as well as
to those killed, raped or injured by Soviet or Warsaw Pact troops who
occupied the country until 1991. More
Current AffairsSocial Democratic Party left high and dry in Senate elections dominated by opposition Civic Democrats
It was the result the ruling Social Democrats had feared the most: in the
second round of elections to a third of the upper house of parliament, the
Senate, they were stranded high and dry failing to win a single seat, while
rivals, the right-of-centre Civic Democrats romped to victory. The
opposition Civic Democrats now hold well over a third of the Senate, with
enough clout to make it tough for the government to push through
legislation. Following regional elections last week the results mark a 2nd
major political defeat for Prime Minister Stanislav Gross, raising the
question 'What will his Social Democrats do next'?
More
Current AffairsMoscow archives open for Czech historians to search for truth about the 1968 invasion
Czech historians are to be allowed access to much of the Russian archival
material that was closed to them up to now. Likely to be of the greatest
interest to Czech researchers is documentation connected to the Soviet-led
invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968, which brought an end to the country's
attempt at reforms aimed at bringing "socialism with a human
face". More
Press ReviewPress Review
Making headlines in the papers today - claims that British Prime Minister
Tony Blair is worried about an influx of Czech Romanies following EU
enlargement, a dispute in the cabinet over registered partnerships for gay
couples, and denials from Labour and Social Affairs Minister Zdenek
Skromach that the government has reached an agreement over regulated rent.
More
Talking PointThe Presidential Elections viewed by the average Czech citizen
Yes, everybody's talking about the presidential election. Or are they not?
The press reports on it daily and Czech television stations even go as far
as visiting the official presidential candidates in their own homes to
introduce them to the public. But has that been enough to get the average
Czech interested? It seems not.
More
Current Affairs Presidential candidates step forward as Vaclav Havel's term draws to an end
President Vaclav Havel's term in office is coming to an end next month and
the election of his successor is drawing ever nearer. At this stage it's
extremely hard to predict who will replace Mr Havel. We take a look at the
official candidates put forward by the various parties in parliament.
More
