Press Review | All stories

Many of the papers have gone abroad for their lead front page stories today. Arnold Schwarzenegger appears on three front pages with attention grabbing titles such as "Arnold's Judgement Day" and "The Terminator goes into action". Pravo carries a photo of tennis Grand Slam champion Steffi Graf reporting on the birth of her baby girl Jazz. And on a more serious note, the papers all feature the news that Pope John Paul's illness is now seriously interfering with his duties.

Most Czech papers lead with Saturday's EU summit in Rome. While PRAVO writes that the 25 current and future member states are ready for compromise regarding the burning issue of the European Union constitution and that the summit took place in a friendly atmosphere, LIDOVE NOVINY comments that the very first day of negotiations on the European Union constitution confirmed that the debate on the future of Europe will not go smoothly. The paper goes on to say that the larger countries of the European Union have let the smaller ones know they want

Politicians in fighting poses appear on several front pages today: there's a big photo of President Vaclav Klaus on the front page of MLADA FRONTA DNES, to illustrate a story on the forthcoming inter-governmental conference on the future of Europe, which he's not going to. LIDOVE NOVINY meanwhile features rough-and-ready rebel MP Petr Kott, the man who may or may not have been paralytic in parliament last week.

The news that President Vaclav Klaus will not attend the intergovernmental EU Conference in Rome on the future of the EU constitution is splashed across most front pages. The President's views on EU integration -and the fact that they clash with those of the Czech government and most European statesmen is well known and many commentators appear to find the news of his absence in Rome a relief.

There are a variety of lead stories in Wednesday's Czech newspapers, with carrying perhaps the most interesting: while the Civic Democrats may expel MP Petr Kott for being too drunk to take part in important votes, Mr Kott now says he would like to join the deputies' group of another right-wing party, the Freedom Union. Such a move would have great significance for the governing coalition, which currently has a majority of only one in the Chamber of Deputies.

One of the stories featuring predominantly in today's dailies is that of embattled MP Petr Kott - the Civic Democrat who caused a scandal last week when he failed to take part in a final reading that passed the government's fiscal reforms, because he was allegedly drunk.

A hitherto unknown MP is the big star of today's dailies. Opposition Civic Democrat deputy Petr Kott is under pressure to leave the lower house and resign from the party after missing a crucial vote in parliament because he was drunk. Also making the front pages today - the Czech women's basketball team who took the silver in Sunday's European Championships, and the Reverend Tomas Spidlik, one of the 31 new cardinals appointed by the Pope on Sunday.

Milos Zeman's well timed attack on his successor has proved counterproductive however. The papers all describe the former Prime Minister as a has-been who has failed to come to terms with the fact that his political career is over. It does not take a great deal to see that Prime Minister Spidla is more honest, more hard working and an altogether nicer man, says Mlada Fronta Dnes. Unfortunately that is not enough, the paper adds.

Without question the main story in all of today's dailies is the ruling coalition's success in overturning a presidential veto on a tax bill amendment raising the country's VAT on some goods and services from 5 to 22 percent. The bill amendment was the first step for the government's planned fiscal reforms, and its passing puts the government on steadier ground. PRAVO writes that President Klaus has "lost his first clash with the coalition" and the daily features a photo of a jubilant Finance Minister Bohulsav Sobotka on its cover. One hurdle overcome, all of today's dailies note the government will face another trial this Friday when it faces a no-confidence vote.

The vote of confidence in the government and discussion on its public finance reform plan in the lower house of parliament this week are dominating most papers today. All the dailies speculate on the chances of the opposition Civic Democrats winning a no-vote of confidence and bringing down the three-party coalition government. Internationally, it's Monday's terrorist attack on the UN headquarters in Iraq as well as NATO's new secretary general that make the front pages.