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A wave of discontent swept across the ten countries which joined the European Union in 2004 when the news emerged from Brussels recently that they will not be allowed to join the borderless "Schengen" zone until at least a year after the original promised date. Czech officials have been among those most vocal in protesting at what they call a denial of one of the European Union's fundamental freedoms - the freedom of movement.

For some time successive Social Democrat governments have spoken of the Czech Republic joining the eurozone by the end of the decade - January 1st, 2010 being the date most frequently mentioned. But the new right-wing prime minister Mirek Topolanek put paid to the idea once and for all on Thursday, saying 2010 was totally unrealistic.

The Czech Republic and the other nine countries which joined the European Union in 2004 may not be able to join the Schengen zone as originally planned in October 2007. EU officials are making no secret of the fact that the planned entry date will be almost impossible to meet, due to technical and legal problems in building a new police database for the extended alliance. The newcomers have been warned to expect a delay of a year or more.

The European Union is asking the Czech Republic and six other EU states to raise the sales tax on beer. The increase would equal about one-fifth of the current tax rate and come into effect sometime between 2008 and 2010. Brussels is suggesting the change because EU analysts say that beer prices have not been affected by general inflation in recent years, and experts say higher prices are also a way to combat alcoholism. Czech brewery owners are opposed to the proposal.

Earlier this week, Interior Minister Frantisek Bublan introduced plans for the Czech Republic to establish an anti-terrorism centre. Police and intelligence services have been advocating such a move for months, saying that there needs to be a centralized unit in this country working to fight terrorism. Such a centre would be charged with collecting and sorting information about terrorism-related issues, and communicating with partners abroad to ensure an effective exchange of information. Yet the idea hasn't been received with much enthusiasm from

According to a report due to be discussed by the lower house, the Czech presidency of the European Union—set to begin in January 2009—and the necessary preparations will cost the state about 3.3 billion crowns ($151 million USD). Some 480 new civil servants will be employed in connection with the presidency, and language training for them is included in the proposed budget. The Czech Republic will preside over the EU in partnership with Sweden and France, with each country leading the team effort for six months; Prague will be at the helm from January to June 2009.

Since the Czech Republic joined the European Union two years ago, many Czechs have taken advantage of the chance to work in those states with free labour markets. Perhaps more surprisingly, more and more citizens of other countries in the EU are now choosing to work here in the Czech Republic. Figures just released show a large increase in their numbers in the last twelve months. Dita Asiedu reports:

The leader of the British Conservative Party David Cameron has announced a new grouping in the European Parliament made up of his party and the Czech Civic Democrats. At the request of its new partner, however, Mr Cameron said the new alliance would not be created until 2009. The new alliance will mean the Conservatives will withdraw from the European People's Party, the main centre-right group in the European Parliament.

Civic Democrat leader Mirek Topolanek may be deeply embroiled in talks on forming a new government, but he still found time this week for a major international political initiative - the founding of a new faction in the European Parliament. The Civic Democrats met Britain's Conservatives in London on Thursday, and agreed to leave the European People's Party in 2009 and form a new alliance called the Movement for European Reform. Attending the talks was the Civic Democrat MEP Jan Zahradil.

As of July 1 drivers on Czech roads have been subject to new regulations and a point system that threatens to take away the licenses of dangerous drivers. Critics of the system say that it is too strict—that the fines are too steep and that the point system is not void of potential corruption. And now there seems to be a new way for bad drivers to get around the threat of losing their Czech license.