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Schwarzenberg: President not familiar with EU reality.

Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg has said that President Václav Klaus is not fully familiar with the reality of the European Union. In an interview published by the Austrian daily Der Standard on Saturday, Mr Schwarzenberg said that like every critic, President Klaus was right in many issues, but the EU reality escaped him. Czech President Václav Klaus, known for his euro-scepticism, met with a leading opponent of the Lisbon treaty, Declan Ganley during his recent visit to Ireland. The meeting provoked a strong reaction from the Irish government. In the interview for the Austrian daily, Mr Schwarzenberg also rejected doubts about the adoption of the Lisbon treaty in the Czech Republic, and said that the Czech government was stable and in no danger of falling during the country’s upcoming EU presidency.

Rebelling Green MPs leave party’s deputies club

Green MPs Olga Zubová and Věra Jakubková left their party’s deputies’ group on Saturday during a party congress in Pardubice. Ms Zubová also resigned as the head of the Green Party’s national council. The two politicians cited long-term disputes with party leadership as the reason but said they were not going to leave the Green Party as well. Both MPs have consistently voted against the ruling coalition in the lower house of the Czech Parliament; they are opposed to some of the key coalition projects such as the health care reforms and the positioning of a US radar base in the Czech Republic. Both MPs said however that they still considered themselves part of the coalition.

Authorities raid Prague’s Vietnamese marketplace

Hundreds of police and customs officers and other officials raided the largest Vietnamese marketplace in Prague on Saturday. The authorities suspect that various kinds of criminal activities take place at the marketplace in Prague-Libuš, known as Little Hanoi. Officials were looking for counterfeits, illegal aliens and wanted persons. Foreigners’ police have detained more than 40 people since the start of the raid. Czech authorities claim that criminality within the Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic is on the rise; the Czech foreign ministry recently suspended the issuing of long-term visas for Vietnamese citizens as a result.

Havel: Sarkozy speaks faster than he thinks

Former Czech President Václav Havel told the Italian paper La Stampa on Saturday that French President Nicolas Sarkozy “had a tendency to speak faster than he thinks”. In the interview, Mr Havel was reacting to Nicolas Sarkozy’s remarks about a planned US anti-missile defence shield in Central Europe. The French President said that the defence system would not enhance Europe’s security. The former Czech president Václav Havel also said that Mr Sarkozy reminded him of Edouard Daladier, the French prime minister who signed the Munich Agreement in September 1938.

Roma to government: mass emigration a possibility

Members of the Romany minority from northern Moravia have warned that mass Romany emigration might occur if the government does not deal with right-wing extremism in the country. In a letter addressed to PM Minister Mirek Topolánek on Friday, they said the many Romany families were already seriously considering leaving the country. Last week, a march of some 500 right-wing extremists took place in the northern Bohemian town of Litvínov, with a large Romany community. 16 people were injured in clashes with the police. Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Jiří Čunek told the local authorities in Litvínov on Friday that the government was going to address the problem at its next session.

Pálava wine wins international champion title

The Pálava white wine variety produced by Vinselekt Michlovský from Rakvice in South Moravia won an international champion title at the Terravino Mediterranean International Wine and Spirit Challenge in Israel on Saturday. This is the first time any Moravian wine has won such title at an international competition. Moravian winemakers also won eight gold medals at the competition.

Most loyal Czech employee spent 53 years in single company

The most loyal Czech employee, 77-year-old Herbert Miech from the Silesian town of Kravaře, has spent 53 years working for a single company. In 1955, he got his first job as a tool-maker at a paper works that still exists today. During his career, he has been a mechanic, production manager and even the head of the whole company. For the last even years, he has been the company’s sales manager. Mr Miech says the key of how to remain loyal to one employer is to stick with the company at all times, good or bad. Mr Miech will retire by the end of the year.

Weather

The weekend skies will be overcast with snowing in places and the highest day temperatures ranging between -3 and +1 degrees Celsius.