Section Archive Current Affairs
Constitutional Court defies EU with ruling on Czech-Slovak pensions
The Constitutional Court on Tuesday made a landmark ruling regarding the
difference in pensions between the Czech and Slovak Republic. Cases exist
where Czechs who worked in the other half of Czechoslovakia now receive the
lower pension rate of the Slovak Republic. According to the new decision of
the court, such citizens never worked in a foreign country and thus are
entitled to compensatory payments to raise their pensions to Czech
standards. Among the chaos this creates for the Social Affairs Ministry now
is that fact that the ruling directly contradicts the European Court of
Justice. More
Czech soldier in Afghanistan decorated for bravery
A Czech soldier serving in Afghanistan’s southern province Logar has been
awarded the United States Armed Forces Bronze Star Medal. Staff Sgt. Michal
Novotný who is squad leader of the Prostějov reconnaissance unit was
decorated for helping to save the life of an American soldier. More
Baroque Bohemian Carnevale recreating centuries-old tradition long lost
The annual Bohemian Carnevale got underway this week, and for the next
seven days carnival-lovers will have a chance to forget the freezing
temperatures in Prague with masked balls, parades and acrobatic
performances. The event is an attempt to revive what was a major social
event in days gone by – one that attracted big-name celebrities such as
Mozart and Casanova. More
Police crack down on women’s branch of Czech neo-Nazi movement
The Czech police have cracked down on a group called Resistance Women
Unity, a women´s branch of the Czech neo-Nazi movement National
Resistance. Fifteen women were arrested and charged with promoting and
supporting a movement aimed at suppressing human rights and freedoms. I
spoke to Miroslav Mareš of Masaryk University in Brno, one of the Czech
Republic’s leading experts on far-right extremism, to find out more about
the role of women in neo-Nazi groups in the present day Czech Republic. More
Roma kids from special schools put Czech education system to shame in Great Britain
Thousands of teachers around the country are up in arms. They are unhappy
about the government’s plans to gradually phase out special schools –
or schools for children with a mental or physical handicap – and
integrate as many of these children as possible into the education
mainstream. More
EU human rights court rules Czech state denied Kinský fair trial in property restitution case
The European Court of Human Rights denounced the Czech state for having
denied a fair trial to František Oldřich Kinský, an Austrian aristocrat
who sued the country over his property claims. The court said that Mr
Kinský, who passed away nearly three years ago, had been subjected to
abusive treatment by the Czech authorities when he sued to get back family
property worth around 40 billion crowns. More
Czech lighting producer Preciosa aims to expand on US, Russian markets
A leading Czech producer of lighting products, Preciosa Lighting, aims to
expand its position in the United States. The firm with a centuries-old
glass making tradition has now opened a permanent showroom in Dallas,
Texas, a must for everyone who’s anyone in the industry, says Preciosa
Lighting’s sales director Petra Macháčková. Radio Prague talked to Ms
Macháčková about her company’s plans. More
Czech Parliament passes direct presidential elections
Czech citizens themselves will choose their next president in 2013 for the
first time in history. After years of public and partisan discussion, and
five final hours of heated debate on Wednesday, the Czech Senate passed a
Constitutional amendment allowing direct election of the head of state by
the people. As the current president, Václav Klaus, who called direct
elections a "fatal mistake", is unable to veto a constitutional
amendment, I asked political scientist Jan Outlý of the University of
Hradec Králové if anything at all can stop direct presidential elections
now. More
Nuclear Faith: Documentary explores Czechs’ trust in nuclear energy
Two-thirds of Czechs are in favor of expanding the country’s nuclear
power sources and nearly half of them trust this source of energy: that was
the result of a SANEP poll published briefly after the Fukushima nuclear
disaster. The Czech’s attitude towards nuclear power remains strikingly
positive compared to other European countries, such as neighboring Germany.
A fresh documentary – titled Nuclear Faith – explores the country’s
perception of nuclear energy. Its director Ivo Bystřičan speaks about the
film. More
Legislators approve changes covering denial of fatherhood
Czech lawmakers have approved changes to legislation covering the denial of
fatherhood, overriding an earlier Senate veto. The amendment will extend a
previous six month period for denying fatherhood (upon learning the
biological parent was someone else) to three years. Experts have argued the
earlier time frame was too short; at stake, of course, are not just the
rights of the parent, but also of the child. More
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