Related articles

The Czech Republic is getting ready for billions of euros from EU structural funds after enlargement on May 1. However, things do not seem so bright due to reportedly insufficient financial control at the regional and municipal level.

For the first time since he stepped down as Czech President, Vaclav Havel has appeared before journalists to comment on the political scene. Speaking in front of a crowd of hand-picked journalists in a downtown café in Prague on Tuesday, the former president talked about more than just Czech events in the past year.

There's good news and bad news in today's papers - Czechs might not be able to work freely in the current 15 members of the European Union after enlargement, but they will be able to work in the other nine countries that join on May 1st. Bad news for opponents of abortion, it seems few of the MPs who've received graphic photographs of aborted foetuses have been persuaded to back a bill banning abortion.

Stony faces in place of polite smiles on the front page of Lidove Noviny: the visit of the Dutch Prime Minister Peter Balkenend to Prague passed under a cloud of displeasure after the Dutch head of government announced that his country would allow Czechs only limited access to the Dutch labour market after the Czech Republic joins the EU in May. The Czech Prime Minister has threatened reciprocal action, says Pravo, but given the number of EU countries which are adopting a wary stand and restricting access to their labour markets such a policy would

All today's papers report on the "victory" of Prime Minister and Social Democrat leader at his party's meeting at the weekend. "Spidla defeats rebels", Mlada Fronta Dnes writes. Another story that makes the headlines is a tragedy in a Moscow aquapark whose roof collapsed, burying swimmers in metal, glass and concrete. Lidove Noviny, Mlada Fronta Dnes and Hospodarske Noviny all sport the same photo of a rescue worker carrying a shocked small boy shivering with cold.

The Czech foreign minister, Cyril Svoboda, has said Czechs do not pose a threat to the labour markets or social welfare systems of countries in the European Union. Mr Svoboda made the statement at a meeting of ambassadors from EU states and new EU states in Prague on Thursday. His words were particularly aimed at Italy, the Netherlands and Sweden, which had promised free access to workers from new EU countries but are now imposing restrictions. Less than three months before the Czech Republic and nine other countries join the Union, only the United Kingdom and Ireland are promising new EU citizens complete freedom on their labour markets.

Following the recent passing in the Senate of a bill on improving air quality, the government on Wednesday approved a further plan to cut emission levels from over a hundred major polluters, to meet European criteria. Zuzana Vesela has more.

Inflation accelerates beyond expectations to its fastest rate in nearly two years. The unemployment rate rises to a record 10.8 percent but many are reluctant to take available jobs. Labour and Social Affairs Minister is planning to tighten the conditions for foreigners who want to obtain a business licence. Czech construction firms are merging so as to have easier access to large contracts financed from European Union funds.

This week, the Society for Czech Landscape and the Czech Chamber of Architects announced that preparations were underway for their third conference on the state of both the urban and rural environment in the Czech Republic. The conference, which was first held on the initiative of former President Václav Havel, provides a discussion platform for those who have a professional or personal interest in the Czech landscape.

The implications of the Czech Republic's accession to the European Union are the centre of attention in most of today's newspapers. Mlada Fronta Dnes speculates that the elections to the European Parliament might bring down the government of Vladimir Spidla. The paper says that the outcome of the June elections will be a significant event on the domestic political scene and will have a bearing on the survival of the ruling coalition.