Compact archive October 23, 2008

The Incheba company agrees with the endeavour of Prague of fast renewal of the left wing of the Industrial Exhibition Palace, which was destroyed by fire. They stated it in a reaction to the Prague city addition to the contract. According to the addition the Incheba would pledge to use the money from policy to rebuild the left wing of industrial palace, and the rest eventually pay from their budget.

In the case the invested part would be lower than the policy, Incheba would transfer the the rest of money to the city of Prague. Incheba informed, they have insured the area of the Exhibition ground with 2,5 billions czk. Both sides now negotiate the contract addition.

The historical palace from 19th century caught fire from spray explosion. The sprays, intended as a cleaning means for teeth drill were stored at a stance of Pragodent company.

On Thursday 28th October, on 90th anniversary of independent Czechoslovakia foundation, must everything be perfect. There will be 1 692 participants and almost 200 pieces of military hardware on the 2 hour parade. The organizers promise that it will be different from that pompous marches, as we remember them form the communist age. It is also going to be the first real military parade after the Velvet Revolution. There was one in 2003, but it was a parade in historical uniforms.

The parade is going to take place in Prague, Everopska street, the start is planned on 1 pm. In the front of the units is going to go 16 originals of historical standards from the First and Second WW, and which once belonged to Czechoslovak Units in the Great Britain, USSR and in Africa. Those pieces of fabric probably survived communism by a miracle.

The programme starts by a flyover of air forces. On the standard carriers connect the marching units of the army, police, firemen and police officers, in the complete length of 850. Their march will last for 11 minutes. The longest part of about 30 minutes belongs t the hardware, among which are tanks, helicopters and even snow scooter.

The writer Milan Kundera wants an apologize from the Respect Magazine, which printed the article about Kundera reputedly informing against Miroslav Dvoracek in 1950, who was later sentenced to many years in prison.

Kundera described, which should be the formulation of the apology. In the case Respect is not going to do it, he is going to sue the magazine.

Respect published the article a week ago. It is called Udání Milana Kundery. According to it, the former western agent Miroslav Dvoracek returned from western Germany to Prague, where he accidentally met his friend. He let a briefcase at her apartment at college, where Kundera allegedly saw him and rushed to lodge information against him to the communist police.

Kundera denied he would inform against anyone, he doesn’t know how his name got to the report. Publishing of the information, with visible anti-Kundera coloring and with no other basis than the one paper got criticized by many historians. Hradilek (the author) also didn’t discuss it with the writer. On Tuesday, the Academy of Sciences had openly spoke in support of Kundera.

It is hard to find a better proof of automobile industry crisis in the Czech Republic than this. First time in the history of the label the cars got cheaper, some of the models up to 100 000 czk. “We have get to the decision at the basis of increasing competition pressure and the ongoing economic crisis.” Jana Skocdopolova from Skoda Auto stated.

The car company brought their new price list yesterday, 22th October. Prices of all the models dropped, for example Skoda Superb without equipment dropped of 50 thousands czk, the best equipped model of about 100t czk. The model Roomster is now available for less than 300t czk.

Skoda Auto now fight, like the most of European car companies, with great recession in car sale. Because of it, the whole next week is going to go with constructing of new cars.

Paroubek doesn’t have enough votes to invalidate the government, which also agreed on the state budget. However, the prime minister Topolanek doesn’t have parliamentary majority anymore. Topolanek must feel double stimulated now. When his position is weakened after the debacle in regional elections. It appears CSSD don’t have the 101 necessary votes in the parliament.

Jiri Paroubek labelled it as a ‘terrible moral strike for the coalition’. According to him it is not possible that a government with such a weak mandate would organize the EU chairmanship. And Topolanek? He says that they are in front of a fundamental discussion about what they are going to make in the rest of their functional period, and where they made the mistake.

The prime minister denied Paroubek’s appeal for his resignation with the comment, that “If the chairman of CSSD should lay down every time he loses an elections, he would still owe me a few of them” hinting at the fact this was the first CSSD victory.