Archive: Domestic affairs | Army Army
Three months after sacking of Karolína Peake, General Vlastimil Picek to be named Czech defence minister
Almost three months after the swift sacking of Karolína Peake, the Czech
Republic is finally getting a new minister of defence in the form of career
soldier General Vlastimil Picek. General Picek is currently deputy minister
and has a good deal of experience, having also served as chief of the
general staff of the Czech Army for five years. More
Peake firing escalates new government crisis
The country’s fragile centre-right government is once again teetering on
the brink: a major crisis flared up on Thursday when the prime minister
fired newly-named Defence Minister Karolína Peake, the head of the LIDEM
Party, after just eight days in office. The leadership of the Liberal
Democrats in response called on its ministers to quit the cabinet by
January 10, threatening the survival of the government. More
Cabinet reshuffle complete
The cabinet reshuffle, announced on Tuesday, brings to an end speculation
over who will lead which ministries in the government’s final
year-an-a-half. Despite criticism from the president and members of the
opposition, Deputy Prime Minister Karolína Peake takes over as Defence
Minister, while Zbyněk Stanjura, somewhat surprisingly, will serve as
Minister of Transport. More
Defence Minister Vondra announces decision to step down
Civic Democrat Alexandr Vondra announced on Wednesday he was stepping down
as defence minister. The straw that broke the camel’s back in Mr
Vondra’s case, was defeat in the recent Senate elections as well as his
failure to retain a top spot in his party’s leadership. His departure has
led to speculation of a possible broader cabinet reshuffle even as the
parties in government begin negotiations on a revamped coalition agreement. More
Plane crash sees fleet of L-159 fighter jets grounded
The Czech military has grounded its fleet of L-159 fighter jets after one
of the planes crashed on its way back from a training session near Kolín
in central Bohemia on Thursday. The pilot did not survive the crash. It is
the second fatal accident involving the Czech-made military aircraft since
they were first introduced in 2003. More
NATO Secretary General: in times of austerity, allies need to pool resources
The Czech Parliament has just been hosting an annual session of the NATO
Parliamentary Assembly, which serves as a consulting body to the alliance.
Much of the debate was devoted to the financing of the armed forces at a
time of economic austerity. So how can NATO’s defence capabilities be
maintained when member states are cutting their defence budgets? That’s a
question Czech Radio’s Pavel Novák put to NATO Secretary General Anders
Fogh Rasmussen. More
Czech Army to lay off 1,500 personnel in 2013
Next year, the Czech Army will see 1,500 members of the military,
especially high-ranking officers, laid off, part of necessary changes in a
period of strict austerity measures and budget cuts. As part of the plan,
the army will close headquarters in both Olomouc and Stará Boleslav,
following up on the layoffs of almost 3,000 military and civilian personnel
three years ago. More
Tatra CEO arrest raises questions about his accuser
An unprecedented number of high-level corruption cases have been uncovered
in the past months in the Czech Republic. Police and state attorneys appear
to be investigating corruption charges brought to them with greater
urgency. The arrest of Ronald Adams, the CEO of Czech truck maker Tatra
this week, is the latest scandal, adding a new layer to an on-going
investigation. More
Parliamentary committee recommends for MP and former defence minister to be stripped of immunity
Parliament’s Mandate and Immunity Committee has advised deputies in the
lower house to strip coalition MP Vlasta Parkanová of immunity. The former
defence minister is suspected of abuse of public office and breach of trust
in connection with a 3.5 billion crown purchase of military planes during
her term in office. More
Legal assessment on Parkanová case sparks fresh political controversy
Former defense minister Vlasta Parkanová, who has come under suspicion of
abusing her position in an overpriced military aircraft deal, has a loyal
defender in Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek. The finance minister, who
previously served in the same cabinet in which Mrs Parkanová had the
defense portfolio, has called her possible prosecution unconstitutional. He
is basing his criticism on a statement from the Czech Institute of State
and Law. More
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