JUNE 29, 1998

P R E S S  R E V I E W

[ June 26 ]
[ June 25 ] [ June 24 ] [ June 23 ] [ June 22 ] [ June 20 ]

"The Freedom Union sweeps aside Zeman's proposals and puts a knife to the throat of the ODS" declares PRAVO in this morning's headlines. The paper looks at the latest developments in the negotiations surrounding the formation of a new cabinet, during which the Freedom Union has shown its aversion to Zeman's Social Democrats and proposed a coalition with the Civic democratic Party, the ODS.

PRAVO is unimpressed with the antics of the Freedom Union, which announced over the weekend that it would enter a coalition with the ODS and the Christian democrats, only on condition that no one party holds a majority. "The union has tried to put a knife to Vaclav Klaus's throat and at the same time swept Milos Zemans' offers off the table" remarks the leftist daily.

The people's paper LIDOVE NOVINY takes a look at the role being played by President Vaclav Havel in the aftermath of the elections. Writing that Havel has ended the political isolation of the Communist party, the article informs readers that the former dissident mentioned over the weekend in an interview for Czech radio, that he is thinking about holding talks with communist officials.

LIDOVE NOVINY notes that this indirect rehabilitation of the communist party, has brought on a wave of criticism and confusion among people. The article discusses the differing views between politicians. Social Democrat official Stanislav Gross is quoted as reminding people that the Communists were after all voted in by 660 000 people. His counterpart in the Freedom Union, Vladimir Mlynar however, makes his views clear to the paper, that any form of dialogue with the party is out of the question, since the communists have not changed in nine years and that a change of regime is still one of its programme goals. Mlynar tells the paper that the communist party will only be kept at bay by political isolation. Presidential advisor Jiri Pehe is quoted at the end of the passage as saying that Vaclav Havel is a flexible politician, capable of sitting round the negotiating table with the communists if it will lead to something constructive.

Today's edition of SLOVO features a short article on its front page concerning the remarks made on Sunday by ODS deputy Chairman Miroslav Macek about Czech President Vaclav Havel. The paper gives a brisk run down, quoting Macek as having said that Havel would be only too glad to see Klaus and Zeman fail in their attempts to form a new government, since as he puts it, the President would then be able to bring in some of his "friends" to save the day. According to the article, Macek revealed that for the last few months, there has been a conspiracy to edge Klaus and the ODS off the political scene. Among the accused are Christian democrat Chief Josef Lux, Vaclav Havel himself and "all those around" as Macek puts it.

The Business papers, HOSPODARSKE NOVINY records the European Union's verdict on Czech privatisation, in its headlines, which read: "What has begun, must be fully ended". The paper acknowledges that although the Czech Republic worked economic miracles in a relatively short space of time, it believes that privatisation must not grind to a halt.

HOSPODARSKE NOVINY comments that this is an important part of entering the European Union, which the paper mentions is an important foreign policy goal in the Czech repuBlic.

MLADA FRONTA DNES ignores Czech political negotiations on its front pages, preferring instead to concentrate on the final performance of the long running musical Jesus Christ Superstar, which ended on Sunday evening. The paper writes that the show ended on a humorous note with Pontius Pilate playing an electric guitar on stage and Jesus chasing a Roman guard through the scenery. "There were tears in the audience and on stage" writes the paper, describing the bitter-sweet mood of this last night. 

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