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         STUDENTS' E-MAIL NEWS FROM THE CZECH REPUBLIC

         Charles University in Prague
         Faculty of Social Sciences
         Smetanovo nabr. 6
  110 01 Prague 1
         Czech Republic
 e-mail: CAROLINA@mbox.fsv.cuni.cz
 tel: (+4202) 22112252, fax: (+4202) 24810987

            *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

       C A R O L I N A  No 339,  Friday, July 2, 1999

FROM THE EVENTS OF THE PAST WEEK (June 23 - June 30)

Havel Visits Kosovo during Trip to Southeastern Europe

     President Vaclav Havel visited the  Serbian province of Kosovo July
27.  Havel visited  the Yugoslavia-Albania  border town  of Morina,  the
small  town Prizren  and the  village of  Piranawas. Although this short
visited was  a planned part  of the president's  Hungary-Austria-Albania
trip, the  Yugoslav state press  agency Tanjug charged  that Havel broke
the  basic  rules  of  diplomacy  by  not  asking  the  Serbian side for
permission to visit its territory.
     Havel's  visit lacked  support  among  most Czech  politicians. The
Government  tried  to  discourage  Havel  from  his  plan, while Defense
Minister Vladimir Vetchy, who accompanied Havel  on his trip, did not go
with Havel to Kosovo. Civic Democratic Party (ODS) Chairman Vaclav Klaus
said  he does  not understand  the meaning  of Havel's  Kosovo visit and
considers  it an  empty gesture.  On  the  other hand,  Havel was  fully
supported by the  Freedom Union and the Christian  Democrats. "This type
of working trip to an area under the international supervision of the UN
is welcomed because the Czech Republic  has clearly declared its will to
bring  the  Kosovo  situation  to  a  normal  state," said Freedom Union
Chairman Jan Ruml.                     Zuzana Janeckova/Zuzana Janeckova

Jiri Ruzek to Be BIS Director from July 1

     Jiri Ruzek,  who has since 1994  been director of the  Czech Army's
military  defense  intelligence,  will   be  director  of  the  Security
Information Service  (BIS), the country's  secret service, from  July 1.
Ruzek  replaces  Karel  Vulterin,  who  was  recalled  by the Government
January 27 for alleged gross negligence (see Carolina 318, 319).
     Ruzek's task for  the next three months will be  an analysis of the
state of  BIS. Ruzek said he  is entering the office  to do professional
work and  motivate his subordinates  to do the  same. He said  BIS is an
indicator  of  the  health  of  Czech  society.  "As  soon  as an affair
concerning BIS fills the front pages  of the newspapers, then that would
be  evidence that  in the  service and  in the  state there is something
unhealthy," Ruzek said.                    Pavlina Hodkova/Michael Bluhm

Race for Prague Senate Seat Begins

     The supplementary  elections for the  Prague 1 Senate  seat (Prague
1 includes  the historic  center of  the capital)  scheduled for  August
27-28 will  primarily be a  fight between non-party  members. The Social
Democrats (CSSD) nominated Artforum-Jazz Section chief Karel Srp, former
politcal prisoner and one of the founders of the Civic Freedom Movement,
while the  Civic Democratic Party (ODS)  nominated actress and Vinohrady
Theater Director Jirina Jiraskova, who recently  won a poll in the daily
Lidove noviny as the most likeable woman of the year.
     Ivan Medek, journalist and President Vaclav Havel's former chief of
staff, will  run for the four-party  coalition (the Christian Democrats,
the  Freedom Union,  the Civic  Democratic Alliance  and the  Democratic
Union). The Communists (KSCM)  nominated Stanislav Fischer, a researcher
at the Astronomy  Institute who specializes in quantum  physics. The one
independent  candidate in  the  election  is travel-agency  owner Vaclav
Fischer, who is planning to spend a great deal on his campaign. The IVVM
polling agency said the choice of non-party members reflects the general
atmosphere of disgust with politics. The seat was opened by the death of
Vaclav Benda  (ODS, see Carolina 335)  . The election of  will determine
whether  ODS  and  the  Social  Democrats  maintain their constitutional
majority in the Senate.                   Zuzana Janeckova/Michael Bluhm

Jiri Pelikan Dies

     Jiri  Pelikan,  an  important  leftist  politician  and  one of the
leaders of the  1968 Prague Spring, died June  26 in Rome at the  age of
76 after a severe illness.
     Pelikan and his wife emigrated to Italy  in 1968 and in 1970 he was
deprived of his Czechoslovak citizenship. From 1979-1989 he was a deputy
of  the  European  Parliament  for  the  Italian  Socialist Party. After
November 1989 he repeatedly visited the  Czech Republic and took part in
searching for leftist positions on the  new situation. Since 1994 he had
been a correspondent for the leftist  Czech daily Pravo and last year he
received  a State  Merit Medal   from President  Vaclav Havel.  He never
stopped being a leftist, which he understood as reform socialism.
      Prime Minister  Milos Zeman expressed deep  sympathy and said that
Pelikan  "did  much  for  the  cause  of  the  democratic left in all of
Europe."                                     Jan Martinek/Sofia Karakeva

NEWS IN BRIEF
     * A special military train with the first 30 soldiers of the ground
survey platoon of the Czech Army who  will join the KFOR peace forces in
Kosovo, left June  28 from the Prostejov train  station. It should reach
Skopja  on the  night of  June  4.  The transportation  of the  enlarged
platoon of 124 men and two  women, along with their technical equipment,
all to be under the command of  the British in Kosovo, should last about
a week and cost 10 million crowns, to be covered by the Czech Army.
     * Josef Lux,  who resigned last  year as chairman  of the Christian
Democratic  Union-Czechoslovakia  Peoples  Party  (KDU-CSL)  because  of
leukemia,  will undergo  a bone-marrow  transplant in  Seattle. Lux will
undergo  an   operation  within  the  next   six  weeks,  after  radical
anti-tumor treatment. Considering that the  donor is not a perfect match
for Lux, the operation is not without risk.
                        Pavlina Hodkova, Zuzana Janeckova/Sofia Karakeva
FROM SLOVAKIA
Hungarian Parties Oppose Cabinet's Minority-Language Bill

     The Slovak Cabinet June 23 approved a bill on the usage of minority
languages that  has been prepared since  last year. Passing the  bill is
the last political precondition set for joining the European Union (EU).
The  deputies of  the Hungarian  Coalition Party  (SMK) were against the
bill and presented their own draft.
     The bill grants ethnic minorities  the usage of their mother tongue
in  communication  with  public  offices  in  communities  where  ethnic
minorities  comprise  at  least  20  per  cent  of  the  population. The
Hungarians demand  lowering the 20-per-cent  minimum to 10  per cent and
also the opportunity to hold official ceremonies in their native tongue.
     Possible  ethnic  conflicts  between  Slovaks  and  Hungarians were
underscored by a  demonstration against the bill in  front of the Office
of the Government June 30 attended  by about 1,000 Slovaks and organized
by the ultra-nationalist Slovak National Party (SNS)
                                               Jan Martinek/Jan Martinek
ECONOMY
Currency Market's Expectations Fulfilled, CNB Lowers Repo Rate Again

     The Czech National Bank's (CNB) Banking Council June 24 lowered the
14-day repo rate  from 6.9 per cent to 6.5  per cent, effective June 25.
Economic  analysts were  expecting the  step after  the statement by CNB
Governor Josef Tosovsky June 23 about  the crown being overvalued. It is
unclear whether commercial  banks will be more willing  to provide loans
as a result of the decrease.
     CNB spokesman  Martin Svehla said he  sees a slight revival  of the
economy while inflation pressures remain under control, meaning there is
no reason  not to reduce  rates further. Marek  Fer of the  Czechoslovak
Trade Bank  (CSOB) said, "Considering  the caution of  commercial banks,
the Central Bank needn't fear  excessive currency expansion. By lowering
the rate  it at least offered  relief to the firms  that are functioning
and can get loans."                        Pavlina Hodkova/Michael Bluhm

KBC Bank Owns Two-Thirds of CSOB

    Representatives  of  the  National  Property  Fund  (FNM), the Czech
National Bank (CNB) and Belgium's KBC Bank June 24 signed a contract for
the sale  of 66 per  cent of the  shares of the  Czechoslovak Trade Bank
(CSOB), which  had been under  the control of  the state. KBC  Bank paid
40.05 billion crowns for the shares. Another 4 per cent was purchased by
the International Finance Corporation, part of the World Bank, for about
2.5 billion crowns. IFC representative  Harold Rosen said the IFC's role
in  managing   CSOB  would  be  significant,   which  is  guaranteed  by
cooperation with an  institution like KBC.
     Perhaps the highlight of the press conference after the signing was
when  Government  spokesman  Libor   Roucek  mistakenly  introduced  the
president of  KBC as president  of the KGB.  Prime Minister Milos  Zeman
corrected the mistake, saying CSOB was being sold not to the KGB, but to
"another internationally renowned institution."
     The National  Bank of Slovakia, which  holds 24.13 per cent  of the
shares of CSOB, would like to sell  its shares to KBC for the same share
price paid to the Czechs.                  Pavlina Hodkova/Michael Bluhm

ECONOMY IN BRIEF
     * The Government will not post the  announcement of the sale of the
state's share  in the Commerce Bank  by June 30, which  the Government's
schedule anticipated.  The Finance Ministry  said the delay  was part of
privatization  strategy. Commerce  Bank spokeswoman  Hana Burdova  said,
"The  main reason  for the  delay is  to enable  unsuccessful interested
parties in the  Czech Savings Bank to participate in  the tender for the
Commerce Bank."
     * According  to a  report published   June 24  in Paris,  the Czech
Republic is one of three countries  (along with Japan and Great Britain)
for  which the  Organization  for  Economic Cooperation  and Development
(OECD)  predicts  an  increase  in   unemployment  for  next  year.  The
unemployment rate  for 1998 was  6.5 per  cent,  for 1999 it  is 7.7 per
cent, and the OECD  predicts a rate of 8.5 per cent  for next year. Such
a figure would still be below the average of the European Union.
                                           Pavlina Hodkova/Michael Bluhm

Exchange Rates at the Czech National Bank (valid July 1)
------------------------------------------------------------
                   1 EUR = 36.440

country currency CZK
------------------------------------------
Australia          1     AUD      23.375
Great Britain      1     GBP      55.592
Denmark            1     DKK       4.903
Japan            100     JPY      29.159
Canada             1     CAD      23.942
IMF                1     XDR      47.222
Hungary          100     HUF      14.602
Norway             1     NOK       4.494
New Zealand        1     NZD      18.755
Poland             1     PLN       8.991
Greece           100     GRD      11.225
Slovakia         100     SKK      80.400
Slovenia         100     SIT      18.794
Sweden             1     SEK       4.169
Switzerland        1     CHF      22.737
USA                1     USD      35.310

Exchange Rates of countries participating in the euro
(converted from the euro rate)
country            currency       CZK
-----------------------------------------
Germany            1     DEM      18.631
Belgium          100     BEF      90.332
Finland            1     FIM       6.129
France             1     FRF       5.555
Ireland            1     IEP      46.269
Italy           1000     ITL      18.820
Luxemburg        100     LUF      90.332
Netherlands        1     NLG      16.536
Portugal         100     PTE      18.176
Austria            1     ATS       2.648
Spain            100     ESP      21.901

CULTURE
Milan Knizak Head of National Gallery

     Academy  of  the  Arts  professor,  multimedia  artist  and  1960's
avantgarde leader,  Milan Knizak was appointed  the new National Gallery
general director  effective July 1.  He won a  public search competition
organized by  the Culture Ministry  to replace National  Gallery interim
General Director Dagmar Sevcikova.
     The  finalists, as  voted upon   by a  special advisory  council to
Culture Minister  Pavel Dostal, were Knizak,  Sevcikova, Tomas Vlcek and
Monika  Burianova.  After  all  the  candidates  were interviewed by the
advisory council,  Knizak was selected  and appointed by  Dostal. Knizak
described  his managerial  concept in  the daily  MF DNES: "In principle
I am  for  personal  responsibility,  and  therefore  I  will  ask  that
a specific and visible  person be responsible for any  decision. I might
consider  reorganizing individual  departments of  the National Gallery.
I will  stress the  presentation of  the modern  art collection  and the
making  up  the  debt  owed  to  this  collection  by the past." Another
important task, Knizak said, would be  appointing a new director for the
Exposition  palace  (Veletrzni  palac),  where  the  National  Gallery's
collection of 19th- and 20th-century art  is on display. "I would prefer
somebody who is  not connected with the National Gallery  in any way and
only loosely connected with our  artistic community. I would most prefer
someone from abroad."                           Tomas Polacek/Milan Smid

SPORTS
Emil Zatopek Is Czech Olympian of the Century

     The results of two polls, Olympian  of the Century and Medal of the
Century, were announced in Prague's Theater without Balustrades (Divadlo
bez zabradli)  June 26. The  polls were organized  by the Czech  Olympic
Committee (COC) to celebrate the 100th anniversary of its founding.
     Emil Zatopek  won the poll  as the Best  Olympian with 751  points.
Zatopek, the only  track and field athlete to win  the 5,000 meters, the
10,000  meters  and  the  marathon  in  one  Olympic  Games  (in 1952 in
Helsinki; he won another gold in London in 1948), finished ahead of Vera
Caslavska, seven-time gold  medal winner in gymnastics in  Tokyo in 1964
and  Mexico in  1968, and  ahead of  javelin thrower  Jan Zelezny,  gold
medalist from Barcelona in 1992 and Atlanta in 1996.
     Results of the Olympian of the Century poll: 1. Emil Zatopek (track
and  field) 751,  2. Vera   Caslavska (gymnastics)  690, 3.  Jan Zelezny
(javelin) 467, 4. Ludvik Danek (discus) 399, 5. Martin Doktor (canoeing)
326,  6. Jiri  Raska (ski-jumping)  286, 7.  Dominik Hasek  (ice hockey)
229, 8. Josef Holecek (canoeing)  139, 9. Robert Zmelik (decathlon) 111,
10. Alois Hudec (gymnastics) 107.
     In the  Medal of the  Century poll, the  successes of the  50's and
60's finished  behind the still fresh  gold in ice hockey  from the 1998
Nagano Winter  Games. Of the 6,807  votes cast, 3,757 votes  belonged to
the hockey team, with Emil Zatopek's 1952 marathon gold in second place.
                                              Robin Rohrich/Mirek Langer
Patrik Stefan Is NHL's Top Draft Pick

     Two days  after the NHL's  awards ceremony (see  the last issue  of
Carolina), the  NHL's draft took place  in Boston June 26.  Czech hockey
celebrated another triumph here: Patrik  Stefan was taken with the first
overall pick by the Atlanta  Thrashers, an expansion. Stefan left Sparta
Praha last year and played for the IHL's Long Beach Ice Dogs. He was the
second Czech player  to be taken with the first  pick in the NHL's draft
after the Tampa Bay Lightning took defenseman Roman Hamrlik in 1992.
     Another  Czech was chosen fourth overall: The New York Rangers took
Pavel Brendl, high-scoring forward of the WHL's Calgary Hitmen.
                                              Stepan Etrych/Mirek Langer
Jana Novotna Will Not Repeat Last Year's Wimbledon Title

     After the first  week, only one Czech - Jana  Novotna - remained in
the  singles' competitions  in Wimbledon.  Novotna, Wimbledon's reigning
women's champion, advanced  to the quarterfinals, where she  lost to the
United States' Lindsay Davenport 3-6,  4-6. Daniel Vacek, the last Czech
man in the  singles bracket, went home after the  third round, losing to
Slovakia's Karol Kucera.                      Robin Rohrich/Mirek Langer

Basketball Players a Pleasant Surprise despite Loss

     After  their  wins  against  Lithuania  and  Greece  and  a loss to
Germany,  the  Czech  men's  basketball  team  lost  three  games in the
second-round  group  to  Croatia   (64-86),  Italy  (68-95)  and  Turkey
(73-78).  They finished  last in  the group  and did  not advance to the
quarterfinals nor to the next European Championships.
     However, the Czech  players made a very good  impression in France,
where the championships  took place. The team played  against five teams
which  won  medals  in  the  last  World  and European Championships and
Olympic Games.
     Lubos Barton, 19, was the  leading scorer of the tournament's first
and second  phases, also finishing second  in three-point percentage and
third in free-throw percentage. He  was chosen to the European all-stars
team, which will participate in an exhibition in Limoges, France.
                                              Robin Rohrich/Mirek Langer
Track and Field National Championships

     Czech  track and  fields athletes  met in  the 30th  Czech Republic
Championships in  Ostrava-Vitkovice June 26-27, with  the meet marked by
good performances by the jumpers.
     Triple-jumper Jiri Kuntos  set a personal best of  17.29 meters. In
the men's  high jump, the fans  were thrilled by the  battle between the
Janku  brothers. Jan  Janku  jumped  228 centimeters  (the qualification
minimum  for  the  World  Championships  in  Seville), while Tomas Janku
jumped  232  centimeters.   Also,  Zuzana  Kovacikova-Hlavonova,  silver
medalist  in   this  year's  indoor  World   Championships,  jumped  193
centimeters.
     Pavla  Hamackova  (405  centimeters)  defeated  former world-record
holder Daniela Bartova (405 centimeters) in the women's pole vault. Good
performances  by  decathletes  Tomas  Dvorak  and  Roman Sebrle are good
augurs for the upcoming men's  decathlon and women's septathlon European
Cup Superleague, which will take place in Prague July 2-3.
                                               Tomas Kohout/Mirek Langer
WEATHER
     Last week's weather was rainy. We did not sweat, nor could the lazy
wallow on the dried-out, yellowed grass.  There were still a few degrees
missing for us to go swimming.  Fortuna smiled on vintners and gardeners
with rain every morning.                  Tomas Polacek/Zuzana Janeckova

English version edited by Michael Bluhm

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Dear Readers,

     Carolina will be published fortnightly  for the summer months, with
release  dates scheduled  for July  15, July  29, August  12, August 26,
September  9  and  September  23.  From  October  Carolina will again be
published as a weekly. We wish you a pleasant summer holiday.
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