The Czech Republic in the International Herald Tribune

The Czech Republic in the International Herald Tribune

The following are the dates, headlines and edited contents of articles found in the International Herald Tribune about the Czech Republic in the last month.
October 31-November 1 -- Prague is Uneasy With a Guest: RFE
In the grim days of Communist rule in Eastern Europe, Radio Free Europe was among America's most potent Cold War weapons. ... After weeks of public questioning, Prime Minister Miloš Zeman and other ministers have agreed to let the stations stay, but they plan a full review of the "economic and security consequences" before the end of the year. ... President Havel, who invited the radio stations to move to Prague from Munich in 1995, is outraged by such reluctance. "We can't ask others to spread the message of freedom to us when we need it, and refuse to let them spread it when somebody else is involved."
November 9 -- Praise for Prague
So many governments duck when the hard questions come up that it is worth saluting one that faced up to a potentially nasty challenge and is doing the right thing. ... Iran promptly criticized the Czechs, yanked its ambassador and warned of trade troubles. ... At least one other NATO country spurned the American request for broadcasting help before Washington turned to Prague. The Czechs surveyed the risks and decided not to break with their tradition of respect for free and independent media.
November 12 -- Czechs Say School Abused US Children
Czech police have arrested four people, including two Americans, on charges of physically abusing and imprisoning American youths at an unlicensed reform school. ... Questions about the school arose in October when a Czech teacher who had taught there said that students were forbidden to leave (school) grounds, which are protected by guard dogs. ... "Sometimes (students) were forced to lie on their bellies with their hands tied. They were denied hot food and given limited amounts of liquids, and they were all refused medical care."
November 16 -- Czech Opposition Leads in Elections
The Civic Democratic Party of former Prime Minister Václav Klaus advanced the most candidates to the second round of Senate elections. ... The governing Social Democrats were next with 15 candidates, a showing they called disappointing.
November 19 -- Very Briefly
Czech internet users stayed off-line and off the phone to protest a proposed increase in local calling rates by SPT Telecom AS, the national phone company.
November 27 --Czech Curb on Pork 'Regretted' by EU
"It's a regrettable measure, particularly as the discussions are still going on," said Gerry Kiely, spokesman for the EU agriculture commissioner Franz Fischler. ... The Czech government decided to scrap a preferential import duty of 15 percent on EU pork imports, raising the tariff to nearly 41 percent.
December 1 -- Czechs Wary of Reviving Communist-Era TV Hit
... Major Zeman, to put it bluntly, was a commie. ... Thus, a fierce political debate has broken out. And in the Czech Republic, where "lustration", the exorcism of former Communists from all corners of society was carried on with more gusto (more completely-editor's note) than elsewhere in Central Europe, Major Zeman is seen by some as just another despicable functionary. ... "It's a moral issue. We're trying to give momentum to a discussion of the past. It's been 10 years since the Revolution. Let's be mature and face history. ... I watched one episode recently," said Jakub Puchalský, general director of Czech television, "and I laughed the whole way through it."

Compiled by George Griffis