Archive: Domestic affairs | Politics Politics
Miroslav Kalousek named Finance Minister of the Year for Emerging Europe 2011
Czech Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek has been named “Finance Minister
of the Year for Emerging Europe 2011”, an award presented by the
Washington-based Emerging Markets magazine. The award, given for Mr.
Kalousek’s commitment to consolidating public finances amidst a worsening
global outlook, is seen as confirmation of the Czech government’s prudent
fiscal policy and on picking up the award a beaming Miroslav Kalousek was
quick to promise the nation “more cuts in public spending” in the year
to come. More
Cabinet adopts strategy on fighting Romany exclusion
Amidst social and ethnic unrest in parts of the country caused by growing
tension between the majority population and Romanies, the Czech government
on Wednesday adopted a strategy to combat the social exclusion of the
Romany minority. Over the next four years, the government plans to spend up
to 15 billion crowns on a series of measures ranging from fighting crime to
improving the education of Romany children. More
Government approves 2012 draft budget
The Czech coalition government on Wednesday approved the 2012 draft budget
with one priority in mind – fulfilling its promise to bring the
country’s public finance deficit under control. The projected deficit of
105 billion crowns fulfills that target. It would narrow the gap in public
finances to 3,5 percent of the GDP, but analysts say that the latest growth
predictions for the Czech economy in 2012 will almost certainly throw a
spanner in the works. More
Direct presidential election passed for further debate in lower house
A government proposal seeking direct, popular election of the Czech
president made it through the lower house of Parliament on Tuesday – a
significant success for an idea that lawmakers have dealt with eight times
already. Nevertheless, while the coalition and the opposition may have
reached a rare consensus for the time being, any such change to the
constitution remains fraught by the fact that each party envisions very
different conditions for popular elections, and many pundits and political
scientists see the popular issue as a non-starter. Professor Jiří Pehe of
New York University, for one, tells me the prospect of direct presidential
elections is science fiction. I asked him why. More
ČEZ general director suddenly quits
Investors, politicians and the public were taken aback on Wednesday by the
news that Martin Roman, the 42-year-old general manager of power company
ČEZ, was stepping down, also leaving the company’s board of directors.
Mr Roman leaves his post after seven years reportedly of his own
initiative, and will be taking up a position on the company’s supervisory
board. Shares in ČEZ teetered slightly on Thursday with the announcement,
and word that the new ČEZ chief would be second in command Daniel Beneš.
Meanwhile, analysts have gone into high gear assessing what the change of
management might mean for the largest public utility company in Central
Europe. That was the question we put to financial journalist Chris
Johnstone of Czech Position. More
Future of massive clean-up tender uncertain
The future of the Czech Republic’s largest public tender is uncertain
after the Finance Ministry revealed that three firms had bid between 57 and
65 billion crowns to remove environmental damage inherited from the
communist regime. Prime Minster Petr Nečas, as well as several other
cabinet ministers are increasingly receptive to arguments by the
project’s critics who warned the tender might become the country’s
“largest single corrupt deal”. More
BIS slams justice officials for corruption and criminality
The civilian intelligence agency, BIS, has issued a scathing report on
malpractice and criminal activity within the Czech justice system. The
agency’s annual report accuses judges and state prosecutors of a litany
of shortcomings from sluggishness to connections to organised crime. On
Thursday the Czech judges’ association went on the offence, comparing the
allegations to a baseless tabloid report. More
Latest government crisis leaves commentators baffled
A drawn-out government crisis over the controversial head of human
resources at the Czech Education Ministry has been resolved in a most
surprising way. Ladislav Bátora, the figure at the centre of the dispute,
who came under fire for his past links to the extreme Nationalist Party and
for insulting the foreign minister online, has not been sacked but is to be
relocated to the less visible but technically higher position of
vice-chancellor to the education minister. TOP 09 leader Karel
Schwarzenberg, who was insulted by the civil servant in question has
thanked Education Minister Josef Dobeš for his accommodating approach in
the matter, explained that his party’s firm stand was a matter of
principle in combating extremism and promised that the party’s ministers
would no longer boycott cabinet meetings. After two weeks of muscle-flexing
over the fate of a civil servant the government crisis is ostensibly over
– but it has left many people wondering what exactly the dispute was all
about. Radio Prague asked political analyst Petr Just for his take on one
of the most bizarre crises in Czech politics. More
Government approves proposed tax reform
The Czech government on Wednesday approved a package of tax reform measures
intended to simplify the tax system and shift taxation from direct to
indirect taxes. The planned reform should abolish the so-called
“super-gross salary”, levy a new 20 percent tax on gambling and remove
tax breaks on some employees’ benefits such as lunch vouchers. Radio
Prague asked economist David Marek about the most significant changes
introduced and their overall impact. More
Analyst: “Bátora affair” just pretext for government crisis
Ministers from the TOP 09 party made good on their promise on Wednesday and
boycotted a cabinet meeting in protest of the continued presence of the
controversial, highly-placed civil servant Ladislav Bátora at the
Education Ministry. The party has slammed the official for past ties to the
extremist National Party and for insults recently aimed at its leader,
Karel Schwarzenberg, indicating things won’t return to normal until Mr
Bátora is replaced. Some, however, argue that Mr Bátora is not the real
issue at all, and that the scandal is being exploited by TOP 09 for its own
political ends. More
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