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In this week’s Business News: the Czech Republic’s industrial output outpaces the EU average; Czech car manufacturer Škoda achieves a historic sales record; one in three German investors would no longer choose the Czech Republic as a place for investments today; the CEO of a troubled lottery company offers a cash reward for information on persons behind a prank; and the Czech restaurants’ association protests the discontinuation of tax incentives for meal tickets.

The opposition Social Democratic Party are seeking signatures in order to call for another special meeting of Parliament to discuss the ProMoPro case, in which exorbitant sums were allegedly paid to an audiovisual company from the office of current defence Minister Alexandr Vondra during the Czech EU presidency in 2009. One such meeting was recently proposed but was blocked by the coalition parties. This time, the TOP 09 party, unsatisfied with Mr Vondra’s explanations on that occasion, has said they will not attend the vote on the proposal, thus allowing the opposition a sufficient majority to table the programme. Mr Vondra has accepted partial responsibility for the affair, but his role in it has remained a source of coalition infighting in recent weeks.

The share of Czech households that own computers rose to 59 percent last year, the Czech Statistical Office reported on Monday. Two years ago, less than half of household in the Czech Republic had one or more computers. Around 56 percent of them are also connected to the internet, compared to 42 percent in 2008. However, the Czech Republic lags behind the EU average of 74 percent of households with computers, and 70 percent of household with internet connections.

According to a recent poll conducted by the SANEP agency, nearly three in four Czechs are against the introduction of the euro. Nearly half of the respondents even say they would vote against joining the EU today – a big shift from the result of the 2003 referendum, when 77 percent of the country’s population voted in favor. David Král, director of the Czech think tank Europeum, speaks about the connection between the financial crisis and growing reservations towards the EU, and whether or not he found the result surprising.

A minority of Czechs today would be in favour of joining the EU, according to a poll conducted by the SANEP agency. By the agency’s estimate only 42% of people in the Czech Republic would vote for accession if given the opportunity. According to the poll, people are bothered primarily by bureaucracy influencing the country’s competitiveness and by the single currency, with 74% of people opposed to introducing the euro. Nearly 62% of respondents also do not believe that Turkey should be allowed to join the EU.

The life expectancy for Czechs is lower than the EU average according to demographic data published on Friday. The average Czech woman born in 2009 is expected to reach 80.5 years of age while a man should reach 74.3. Both numbers are about two years less than the EU average, a some five years less than Sweden and France. The statistics also point out that the average life expectancy is rising, particularly in former communist states. The average life expectancy in the EU has risen by roughly ten years over the last half century.

The life expectancy for Czechs is lower than the EU average according to demographic data published on Friday. The average Czech woman born in 2009 is expected to reach 80.5 years of age while a man should reach 74.3. Both numbers are about two years less than the EU average, a some five years less than Sweden and France. The statistics also point out that the average life expectancy is rising, particularly in former communist states. The average life expectancy in the EU has risen by roughly ten years over the last half century.

The Euobserver warns that euro-pact refuseniks will find themselves sidelined from important decision making in the future. The internet daily notes that by opting to stay outside the pact the Czech Republic, Sweden, Hungary and the UK will find themselves excluded from euro-pact summits and will get relevant information second-hand. The EUobserver notes that this fact motivated even countries nervous about joining the single currency to jump on the bandwagon. Analysts cited by the paper say that despite the strong anti-euro rhetoric from Czech President Vaclav Klaus the Czech Republic is not likely to remain outside the Euro Pact for very long. Paradoxically one of the reasons the Czech representation gave for staying out was that it had been presented with a take-it-or-leave -it deal tailored by France and Germany.

Czech President Vaclav Klaus slammed the European Union's new "Euro Pact" on Monday, saying it aimed to further undermine the sovereignty of the bloc's member states. The president, known for his hardline eurosceptic stance, said in an article published in the daily Pravo, that member states should dare to say once and for all that they don’t want European monetary union.

The Euro Pact, adopted by the eurozone's 17 members should strengthen rescue funds in return for greater budgetary discipline and policy convergence. The pact was open to all EU members, but the Czech Republic and fellow non-eurozone nations Britain, Hungary and Sweden chose not to endorse it. One of the arguments was that the pact could lead to tax harmonization.

Prime Minister Petr Nečas said on Friday he was not worried that the refusal of some EU states to join the block’s competitiveness pact agreed on in Brussels this week would create a two-track Europe. Mr. Nečas said that the EU was already a two-track alliance with or without a Pact for the Euro. One of the reasons why the Czech government refused to jump on the bandwagon is the possibility of the pact leading to tax-harmonization within the block. However the Czech government has not ruled out that the Czech Republic could join the pact at some point in the future.

The pact, drawn up under pressure from Germany and France, should enhance the eurozone’s competitiveness and ensure the sustainability of public finances in the member states.