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One on OnePavel Telicka - Czech Republic's first European Commissioner
My guest in this week's One on One is Pavel Telicka, recently nominated as
the Czech Republic's first ever European Commissioner. Mr Telicka,
currently Czech Ambassador to the EU, certainly has the experience for the
job; he was the man who led the accession negotiations on behalf of the
Czech government. But his nomination follows an embarrassing few days for
the Czech Republic: he was only asked to do the job after the government's
first choice, former Environment Minister Milos Kuzvart, changed his mind
at the last minute, prompting the Prime Minister Vladimir Spidla to
collapse in parliament.
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Press ReviewPress review
The situation in Haiti, where the UN Security Council authorized the
deployment of a multi national force, fills the front pages of all Czech
dailies. "The fall of a dictator", reads the lead headline in
today's Mlada Fronta Dnes reporting that Haiti today is a mixture of
euphoria and chaos. Closer to home, the situation in eastern Slovakia,
where the Roma minority has been looting shops in protest of lowered
social benefits, remains at the centre of attention.
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Press ReviewPress Review
Wednesday's papers are dominated by the alarming situation in Eastern
Slovakia, where the government has decided to deploy troops to help put
down a wave of looting and rioting by members of the country's large Roma
minority. The story features on all the front pages, with several papers
carrying large colour photos of the unrest.
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Current AffairsRebel ambassador runs for European Parliament
After the original candidate dropped out, the government has approved
diplomat Pavel Telicka as the Czech Republic's first ever European
Commissioner. While finding a suitable candidate for that post proved to
be a difficult task, there seem to be plenty of contenders for the 24
Czech seats in the European Parliament.
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Press ReviewPress review
The choice of a new candidate for European commissioner following Milos
Kuzvart's embarrassing resignation after just a few days in Brussels fills
the front pages of all Czech dailies. "Pavel Telicka: heading for
Brussels" says Lidove Noviny, noting that Mr. Telicka, the country's
chief negotiator with the EU, is the best possible choice - but that there
is little to thank the government for.
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Current AffairsDiplomat Pavel Telicka chosen as Czech European Commissioner after original candidate drops out
After the surprise resignation of the man chosen to be the Czech Republic's
first ever European Commissioner, Milos Kuzvart, the President of the
European Commission, Romano Prodi, insisted that the Czech government find
a suitable replacement by Wednesday at the latest. At 11 o'clock on Monday
night the government announced that it had chosen Pavel Telicka, an
experienced diplomat who was the Czech Republic's chief negotiator during
the country's EU accession talks.
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Press ReviewPress Review
Most, if not all of today's Czech dailies reflect on the meeting of the
so-called "Big Three" - Tony Blair, Gerhard Schroeder, and
Jacques Chirac - in Berlin, exercising an attempt to focus on needed
changes in the EU, including the economic sphere. Mlada Fronta Dnes notes
critical reaction from other EU countries and politicians like Italy's
Silvio Berlesconi; Czech Prime Minister Vladimir Spidla is also quoted
downplaying the risk of various power circles, though the prime minister
does say European integration should not see countries integrate more
rapidly while others remain on the margins. Mr Spidla made the comments on
his visit to Berlin on Wednesday.
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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.
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Current AffairsIs UK right to fear wave of Roma welfare claimants from Czech Republic, other new EU states?
When the European Union enlarges on May 1 several of the EU's bigger
countries - such as France, Italy and Germany - will restrict access to
migration from the ten new member countries. One of the few countries
which will not place such restrictions is Great Britain. In recent days
there have been press reports in the UK that Tony Blair's government plans
to tighten welfare regulations before May 1, fearing an influx of Romany
welfare claimants from the Czech Republic and other former Eastern Bloc
states.
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