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Talking PointThirty years since birth of Charter 77 human rights initiative
Thirty years ago a handful of people met in a flat in Prague to discuss the
communist regime's failure to observe fundamental human rights. What grew
out of that meeting was to become the first dissident movement in the
Soviet bloc, a movement which played a key role in bringing about the end
of totalitarian communism in Czechoslovakia. And, perhaps typically for a
country that seems to produce more than its fair share of oddities and
idiosyncracies, it all began with a psychedelic rock band. More
Talking PointAddressing the Ghosts of Communism
More than a week after elections in the Czech Republic saw support for the
Communist Party fall to 12% of the vote, there are still many voices on
the Czech scene concerned with questions of the communist past. Some
Czechs who once immigrated to escape the communist regime are dissatisfied
with outcomes of property restitutions settlements, and historians and
politicians are pushing for an Institute of National Memory to finally be
established in the Czech Republic. In this week's Talking Point, we take a
closer look behind the scenes and speak with some of those involved in
making sure that the communist past is not forgotten.
More
PanoramaMay Day without the Communists forever?
For decades Letna Plain was reserved on May 1st for the Communist Party -
whether it was the totalitarian Communist Party of Czechoslovakia before
1989 or the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia after it. Each year
this large open space a few hundred metres from Prague Castle was filled
with red flags, and Letna rang out to the sound of the Internationale. But
this year, Letna was moving to a different rhythm.
More
SpecialLove or Labour - the significance of May Day in the Czech Republic
In the Czech Republic the first of May traditionally marks Labour Day, a
national holiday which is celebrated not only here but all around the
world, in commemoration of various historic achievements of the Labour
movement. In the days of the Cold War Czechs were as good as forced to
take part in massive May Day parades, and not surprisingly now most prefer
to treat the holiday as nothing more than a welcome day off work.
Alternatively, they celebrate May Day as a symbol of spring and love, as
most famously marked in the great Czech romantic poem, Maj, by Karel Hynek
Macha. So does Labour Day bear any significance at all for Czech people any
more?
More
Current AffairsCzech Senate proposes law banning Communist Party symbols
In October last year, an explicit ban on the propagation of Nazism and
Communism was proposed by the upper house of Czech parliament, intended to
force the Communist Party to distance itself from its past. The amendment
to the penal code was rejected earlier this month by the Chamber of
Deputies, where Communist and Social Democrat deputies hold a majority,
but its authors said they would resubmit it if the balance of power
changed after the elections. Now, a group of senators, led by Martin
Mejstrik and Jaromir Stetina, want to propose a new law, extended to
include all Communist symbols.
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Current AffairsUnion of Communist Youth face ban for advocating workers' revolution
The Czech Communist Party has been slowly regaining respectability in
recent years. It is the third biggest force in the Chamber of Deputies,
with around 15 percent voter support. But while the Communists seem to be
going strong, the party's youth wing could soon find itself outlawed.
What's more, the Union of Communist Youth say they are prepared to ignore
any ban and continue illegally.
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Current AffairsSenate proposes to ban propagation of Nazism and Communism
The upper house of Parliament on Thursday approved a bill that would ban
propagation of Nazism and Communism in the Czech Republic. Anyone caught
violating the ban could be sentenced to up to eight years in prison.
Although the bill stands little chance of becoming law, it has evoked many
questions: primarily why wasn't the issue confronted 16 years ago,
immediately after the fall of Communism.
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