Compact archive April 29, 2008

Four groups of the town-council officers will be in the streets assisted by the police, ready to disband demonstrations prepared for the day, at the first violence shown. 56 events were reported to take place, but there will be probably less of them, as e.g. only the Jewish community have registered 20 gatherings.

Two from the registered gatherings were forbidden already. Those were gatherings of right-wing extremists of the National Party, who wanted to demonstrate ‘National Power’ The deputy of the Mayor Rudolf Blazek informed they intended to appeal for limitation of human rights according to race, political or religious beliefs.

The exhibition of Czech Crown Jewels drove to the end. The Prague Castle doors closed yesterday and at 6 pm, the jewels went back to the Crown Charmer in the Chram Sv. Vita (St. Vitus chapel) seven key makers will once again lock them for at least five years.

During the ten days of the exhibition, more than 30 thousands visitors came to see it. This means ten thousand people more than five years ago. The main reason is probably the exhibition was moved to larger Vladislavsky Sal, together with other interesting pieces which were uniquely exhibited.

The plan of Slovakia, to convert to Euro in 2009 seemed maybe too ambitious at the beginning, however yesterday news revealed it was quite realistic. European Commission stated they believe Slovakia will hold its growth at reasonable level even after the Euro adoption.

All in all, this suggest the European Ministers of Finance will say ‘yes’ as their final verdict next year. Czech Crown is gaining its value at very good speed, so the Czech Republic doesn’t plan to convert quickly. The ex-presidential candidate Jan Svejnar supposes that Euro adoption in 2012 would work, however the Prime Minister Pavel Topolanek stated that the idea of adopting the Euro in 2012 is unreal.

The term of analog broadcast end is finally known. After two years of obscure debates the digital TV age in the CR finally begins. In June, a new station Z1 of financial group J&T wants to be the first Czech ‘commercial news station’ TV Barradov, another of those six new channels, we have been waiting for two years.

Z1 wants to make money by the yet unexplored way in the Czech Republic; every half an hour broadcast news and the rest fill with ‘publicistics for richer and more demanding audience’ the TV Z1 leader announced yesterday.

At first, let me explain the title. How do I perceive freedom of a square? People should be at least able to walk from one end to another, which is, in the case of Wenceslas Square, impossible. During the communist era, when to be a city architect was conditioned to be a communist, a speedway was placed among the cherry on the cake, and the cake – the National Museum building was cut off from the rest of the Wenceslas Square.

The Prime minister Mirek Topolanek, Pavel Bem and the Minister of Culture Vaclav Jehlicka are going to sign a memorandum today, to confirm moving the incriminated speedway under the ground. From the point of view of a Prague Citizen, this is a sign of hope the Wenceslas Square could return to the times of glory. The project will cost approximately 10 billions czk (400 mil €).