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The Czech government’s anti-corruption efforts took a beating when the lower house of Parliament last week watered down its public procurement bill, leaving a loophole for non-transparent companies to reach public money. The centre-right cabinet is also fighting an uphill battle against corruption in its own ranks after reports that Civic Democrat minister Martin Kocourek’s mother became rich overnight, with no explanation given by her or her son.

2011 marks one hundred years since Jan Kašpar, a Czech aviation pioneer, made the first long-distance flight from a town in East Bohemia, to the famous Chuchle racetrack near Prague. Kašpar covered the 120 kilometres in a retrofitted single-engine monoplane, bought from Louis Bleriot after the Frenchman’s successful flight over the English Channel. Kašpar’s own journey from Pardubice to Chuchle was itself ambitious and when he arrived he was given a heroes’ welcome. This week, in honour of the original deed, the feat was repeated by another Czech

After a grueling week-long filibuster in the lower house, the centre-right coalition government on Sunday pushed a package of key reform bills through Parliament, overturning a Senate veto, in what has been a long and fierce battle with the opposition. The bills which will launch an overhaul of the pension, health care and welfare systems, among others, still need to be signed by the president and are expected to take effect at the start of next year.

The results of an October survey carried out by the STEM polling agency indicate people’s growing pessimism regarding the future. Half of those polled said the country was not going in the right direction and worried about what the coming year would bring. Radio Prague asked the agency’s director Jan Hartl what was behind the growing public dissatisfaction with the present state of affairs.

On Wednesday evening, following a thirty-hour session and after eleven hours of opposition filibustering, the lower house passed the draft state budget for 2012 in its first reading. A majority of 102 deputies for the centre-right coalition Civic Democrats, TOP 09 and Public Affairs approved its revenues, expenditures and deficit figures. The draft budget proposes a deficit of 105 billion crowns, or 3.2 percent of GDP, but could be subject to changes in January.

The Czech carmaker Škoda has unveiled a new model for the much sought-after city car market – the Citigo. It’s closely modelled on Volkswagen’s Up – not surprisingly as Škoda is part of the VW group – and will appear in Czech showrooms at the end of the month, with a European rollout planned for 2012.

The 2006 film “Swingtime” inspired by a communist-era secret police operation as well as four documentaries will be screened in November at primary and secondary schools around the country as part of a month-long project called Stories of Injustice. Now in its seventh year the project organized by the NGO People in Need covers a period often neglected in the curriculum. Through film and subsequent discussions with survivors, witnesses and victims of communist injustice, students are learning about post-war Czechoslovak history – this year with a

It was always going to be a tough battle for Czech squad Viktoria Plzeň in Champions League action on Tuesday and despite the team’s best efforts, especially in the first 20 minutes, things went south pretty fast. Barcelona star Lionel Messi earned a hat-trick on the evening and 4:0 was the final result at Prague’s Eden Stadium.

Gloomy growth predictions across Europe have led the Czech Finance Ministry to revise its growth forecast for 2012 downward to at best 1 percent – a dip that will leave the government at least 18 billion crowns in the hole. Already a number of crisis scenarios are being drawn up to counter the drop in revenues. For many Czechs, already forced to tighten their belts under government reforms, it will mean even tougher times ahead.

The Czech Republic may be one of the most secular nations in Europe but All Souls Day - the day of remembrance for the departed – is a sacred family tradition handed down from generation to generation. As the holiday approaches the country’s cemeteries –well-tended throughout the year – are ablaze with candles and flowers as Czechs pay their respects to the dead.