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Most Czechs are looking to the future in the European Union with hope. But what about those linked to the past? While the country celebrates its EU accession, the Czech communist party is holding a celebration of its own: the annual Labour Day gathering in Prague's Letna park. Brian Kenety was at the event and joins me now in the studio.

Aptly enough, the 1st May is not only E-day but also the day that we remember a great Czech European. Antonin Dvorak - probably the most famous Czech in history - died exactly a hundred years ago. Special concerts and other events are being held around the country to honour the centenary. Radio Prague's Pavla Horakova went to the event to mark the beginning of celebrations.

Apart from the official celebrations in Old Town Square, elsewhere in Prague, a "Euro Market" attracted thousands of visitors. Brian Kenety went along.

An exhibition at Prague's Old Town Hall called "A Portrait of Czech Society on the Threshold of Europe" features portraits by six leading photographers of prominent people in many areas of Czech society. In the book which accompanies the exhibition, all of those featured answer the question "what expectations and hopes does joining the EU hold for you?" Radio Prague put that same question to some of those present at the exhibition opening.

15 years ago the fences and barbed wire first came down at the Guglwald-Predni Vyton border that had separated Austria from communist Czechoslovakia for forty years. After the fall of communism, despite difficulties, the process of renewal and dialogue between both countries grew through the 90s - reaching a milestone Friday night, when both entered a new era: together in the European Union at last.

After the official press conference, Czech Prime Minister Vladimir Spidla, and various EU dignitaries, took a walk down Prague's Na Prikope Street, a main artery of Prague's shopping district and today host to the "European Market" -- 25 info tents representing the countries of the enlarged European Union. Brian Kenety was trailing the Prime Minister as he pressed the flesh.

Every six months the Presidency of the Council of the European Union rotates between the member states. Ireland currently holds the presidency and plans to welcome the ten new countries to the European Union in a unique way this Saturday. Ten towns and cities around the country will be twinned with a new member state. The picturesque south-western town, Killarney, which has a very strong tourist tradition and is right in the middle of the mountains, has been twinned with the Czech Republic...and its residents are looking forward to getting a taste

Just before the celebrations started, the Prime Minister Vladimir Spidla, together with representatives of the EU delegation to Prague, including its head Ralf Dreyer, appeared before the public at a final press conference before they proceeded to take part in the celebrations in the centre of Prague. Radio Prague's Pavla Horakova has just come back from the press conference.

Let's cross the Czech border into another country that's entering the European Union on Saturday, where Ian Willoughby is now with a man from Germany, who lives in the Czech Republic and will benefit tremendously from European Union enlargement.

The Cultural Ministry and the Museum of Czech Writing have just presented awards for the "Most Beautiful Books" of 2003. This "beauty contest" has a tradition of almost forty years. The committee evaluates the visual quality and the quality of graphics and printing of recently published books. The prize therefore does not go to authors but to publishers.