Sceptical but generous Land of the archers

16 Pages·2016·4.94 MB·English

Monday, 31 October 2016 Sceptical but generous
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Issue 137 l newsstand price CZK 24/¤ 1 l www.e15.cz 1
UNICEF country boss Pavla Gomba 0
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on Czechs as donors and online
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fundraising tools 43
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FACE TO FACE pages 10–11 3
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Land of the archers 7
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Exploring the picturesque frontier
territories once guarded by the
Székelys
facebook.com/
SPECIAL REPORT pages 12–13 e15weekly
Dark Tower
to fall
Plans are afoot to demolish
Prague’s legendary
telecoms exchange in
Žižkov. A tender to sell the
property, known to locals as
the stronghold of “Mordor”,
is in its final stage
Daniel Novák
Once hailed as the hub of 1980s teleco-
mmunications in communist Czecho-
slovakia but later maligned as a symbol
of the decrepit telephone network that
hampered the country after 1989’s revolution, the
telephone exchange could now feature in a big
real estate transaction between richest Czech Petr
Kellner and fellow billionaire Marek Dospiva. E15’s
information is that Dospiva’s Penta investment
group is highly interested in acquiring the building,
now owned by the Czech Telecommunication In-
frastructure [CETIN] network operator, an asset
of Kellner’s PPF financial and investment group.
Located in Olšanská street, and once one of Euro-
pe’s largest and most modern telecoms facilities –
though Praguers have joked about it as like J.R.R.
Tolkien’s “Barad-dûr”, or “Dark Tower”, fortress
iwna Mtcohr –d oitr i fsr toom b ew ahbearne dthoen eDdCa obrnyk t CLinEourTedsI N coo.nu plda kgeee 4p Photo: Anna Vacková
EW16103101A1.indd 1 26.10.2016 17:57:57
2/3
news
Doctors resist digital tills imposition Bumpy ride for wine
fraud law
Occasional cash payments mean finance minister Andrej Babiš’s EET is targeting clinics
HEALTHCARE their income arrives in a bank
Adéla Čabanová account via transfers from he- David Vagaday
alth insurers.
An excerpt from medical EET should not extend to The maximum fine for fraudu-
documentation, a certi- physicians with annual cash lent wine trading is raised ten-
ficate of eligibility for takings of less than CZK fold to CZK 50m by a legisla-
driver’s a licence, a medical 60,000 a year, in the view of tive amendment just passed by
check-up of a foreigner wit- the Association of Outpatient Parliament’s lower chamber.
hout public health insurance Specialists [SAS]. Should the Only producers and importers
or a preventative medical re- doctors be required to buy should now be allowed to sell
quested by a patient – such EET-compatible cash regis- wine from casks. On the other
are the examples of services ters simply because of a han- hand, the producer category
provided by outpatient clinic dful of occasionally performed should be extended to those
doctors which are paid for services it might make more who have wine produced for
with cash or a payment card. sense for them to stop provi- them. The new law also bans
The fact that such payments ding such services altogether. vending machine wine sales.
exist has prompted state finan- “Services that are today paid The amended bill, which aims
ce officials to add outpatient for in cash on the spot might to bolster consumer protec-
clinics to the ranks of trades simply disappear,” said Zorjan tion, will now be debated by
which from 2018 will be requi- Jojko, chairman of the SAS. the Senate. Christian Demo-
rgoeirsd tt ehtroee doen lreleycc teerlioepnctistcr u ornnedicceoarrl lEdysE r oTef-, apllluyTk hi nNe hědmeoaecltčthoe krms. i“mnInias ytpe rhri anSvcveiap taloen-, Photo:Reuters cmerxiapntri se[KtsesDre UMd -aoČrbSijaLenc] tJaiuogrnreisčc kutoalt uhthraees
sales system. the health ministry does not planned law’s wording.
Outpatient doctors are up object to the introduction of for the Czech Medical Cham- tioners [SPL]. More than 15 ago also expressed anxieties When the final MPs’ vote
in arms over the requirement, exemptions,” said ministry ber [ČLK]. percent of the country’s GPs about EET prompting doctors was taken, some KDU-ČSL
protesting that EET should spokesperson Ladislav Šticha. “We are rather afraid the are aged 65 or more. Very to retire. Market stallkeepers deputies voted against it, whi-
not apply in their case because The demand for exemptions introduction of EET could has- often they are found running selling farm products recently le others abstained. The only
the takings from the payments is also likely to receive support ten decisions of our aged co- surgeries in places not exact- requested that the agriculture KDU-ČSL vote for the bill
play no more than a marginal from other organisations grou- lleagues to quit their practice ly in great demand among ministry grant them an EET came from Jurečka. “[But]
role in their overall revenue. ping medical professionals. and go into retirement,” said younger colleagues. Repre- exemption, while opposition I am far from excited about the
They are demanding EET The request made sense, said Václav Šmatlák, chairman of sentatives of the stomatology parties have said all small bill’s final wording as passed
exemptions, pointing out that Michal Sojka, spokesperson the Union of General Practi- chamber recently not long traders should be exempted. today,” said Jurečka. He added
US embassy installs
own power unit
Daniel Novák based in Illinois. Weighing 3.2
tonnes, the model burns throu-
Not long from now a big hole gh 100 litres of diesel in one
will be excavated in the gar- hour.
dens of the Schönborn Pala- “The placing of the under-
ce, the Prague Lesser Town ground fuel reservoir as
home of the US Embassy in the a standby source of electricity
Czech Republic. Next, a large is one aspect of some construc-
diesel tank will be lowered tion adaptations in the garden
into it. area of Schönborn Palace, re-
Should the embassy’s ex- spectively the embassy of the
ternal electricity supply ever USA, which are designed to
Photo:Profimedia gdao uorua tdpwnoui otwt n.w nT t,ih htiteeh w reaemi slolob bnuaeers cs-pmyeo wtesosgi lipalb oswlwteaa etrtortt raothanf iends ee eri mtgehphberba seosessuceyrun ssrt toiataftyt it evohdefe s.e e, m mapnbldoa syaselyse,o”s
National Museum joins battle to save Syrian artefacts the digging as soon as officials Schönborn Palace, loca-
have provided all the required ted in Tržiště street, is one
The Czech National Museum [NM] is to help preserve and store Syrian historical artefacts. The permits. of the most renowned Early
Prague-based institution will also help train Syrian preservation experts as part of an effort to help The fuel reservoir is to hold Baroque constructions in the
protect the cultural heritage of Syria, a country torn apart by more than five years of civil war. With nearly 23,000 litres. It will be Lesser Town. In 1917, writer
the ancient city of Aleppo already partly destroyed and under threat from ongoing battles, NM possible to fill it from the em- Franz Kafka briefly lived and
director Michal Lukes visited Syria and discussed the cooperation with Syrian Director-General for bassy’s gatehouse, meaning the worked in part of the building.
Antiquities and Museums Maamoun Abdulkarim. Initially, Syrian conservationists will be backed diesel delivery vehicle need not The American government
with humanitarian aid, including items needed for the preservation, restoration and safe storage approach the palace. The po- purchased the building for its
of archaeological artefacts. Special attention will be given to UNESCO-listed sites wAmere urnicita wn silul pbep laie prr Codatuecrtp firlolamr, pine r19m2a4n.ent diplomatic mission Photo:ČTK
EW16103102A1.indd 2 26.10.2016 17:58:37
news
Doctors resist digital tills imposition Bumpy ride for wine
have your say
Vladimír Bärtl
fraud law
Occasional cash payments mean finance minister Andrej Babiš’s EET is targeting clinics
David Vagaday Trade deal a clear win-
The maximum fine for fraudu- win for EU and Canada
lent wine trading is raised ten-
fold to CZK 50m by a legisla-
tive amendment just passed by Many people around the world see the European Union as
Parliament’s lower chamber. a model of prosperity that provides an open community
Only producers and importers for all its citizens. But how have its 28 member states – all
should now be allowed to sell with their own distinct languages and historical memories
wine from casks. On the other – managed to achieve such a compliment? By agreeing to
hand, the producer category put aside their differences, remove the barriers between
should be extended to those them and uphold common values. The EU plays a key role in
who have wine produced for setting global standards for free and fair trade. Should we
them. The new law also bans lose this position, we lose one of our greatest virtues. In this
vending machine wine sales. context, we must find a way to approve the Comprehensive
The amended bill, which aims Economic and Trade Agreement with Canada (CETA).
to bolster consumer protec-
tion, will now be debated by After seven years of negotiations both the EU and Canada
Photo:Reuters tcmehrxieapn triS se[eKtsensDrae tUMde .-ao ČCrbSihjaLernci] s tJatiuoigarnrneisč c Dkutoaelt muhthraoees- Photo:XXXXXX cwEdauehmariocle,hp y efieonatr n iwwt hsae irs ssdhtto eiwlrelyi rtc. h acW noaemnn oa pitlmll eg rpxievriateeyl sio sswuievor et u“h laYedne efsdoc” bro tmnaolo aCamn amcinceai ldbde esaant gobernefieceetas mi unoes fen t th e
planned law’s wording. that some proposals approved When introducing the bill, of the ungrounded objections of a small minority within
ago also expressed anxieties When the final MPs’ vote by MPs made the legislation the government stated that the EU. Belgium’s Wallonia region is preventing the Belgian
about EET prompting doctors was taken, some KDU-ČSL overly strict, such as in the when wine was tampered with government from signing CETA, raising uncertainty about
to retire. Market stallkeepers deputies voted against it, whi- case of requirements applied consumers often ended up buy- the future of the entire deal.
selling farm products recently le others abstained. The only to casked wine imports. “I did ing a product that was in essen-
requested that the agriculture KDU-ČSL vote for the bill not agree with these and I will ce no longer wine. Jurečka said The Czech Republic has always stood against protectionism
ministry grant them an EET came from Jurečka. “[But] do my best to see changes de- the current top fine of CZK 5m and unfair treatment and all restrictive policies in trade.
exemption, while opposition I am far from excited about the livered in the Senate and have was too low to be a deterrent We are also vocal on this occasion considering, as we do,
parties have said all small bill’s final wording as passed the bill returned to the lower as it paled against profits made that Wallonia’s attitude is exceptionally alarming. In our
traders should be exempted. today,” said Jurečka. He added chamber,” Jurečka said. from adulterating wine. eyes, CETA would enhance economic growth, open new
opportunities for export and increase our competitiveness.
Hence, we firmly believe that the EU will not let a marginal
voice take the helm.
US embassy installs
I spent four years in Canada as a diplomat and I’m well
own power unit aware that although the Canadians are a kind people,
they are also tough negotiators. Nevertheless, Canada
has opened itself up to trade in an unprecedented fashion
based in Illinois. Weighing 3.2 Makeover to and the agreed CETA text is possibly the best free trade
tonnes, the model burns throu- agreement which the European Commission has ever had
enliven water
gh 100 litres of diesel in one the chance to close. It all amounts to a win-win situation for
hour. tower landmark Europe and Canada.
“The placing of the under-
ground fuel reservoir as Work on a reconstruction for Canada is one of our closest allies and a like-minded partner.
a standby source of electricity the late 19th century Letenská It has shown great responsiveness to the needs of the EU
is one aspect of some construc- water tower in Prague’s Letná and the wishes of the individual member states. Now it is
tion adaptations in the garden has been costed at CZK 54m time to pay back the Canadians for their trust. We all need to
area of Schönborn Palace, re- and will mean the closure take on board our responsibility and jointly move forward.
spectively the embassy of the of the Neo-Renaissance CETA would mean an excellent model, not only for us but for
USA, which are designed to landmark for a year. Once international trade as a whole.
raise the security of employees reopened, the newly equipped The author is a Czech
and representatives, and also premises will boast clubrooms Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry
of neighbours of the embassy,” for a children’s and youth
the embassy stated. activity group and a tearoom
Schönborn Palace, loca- with a library. A social space
ted in Tržiště street, is one will, meanwhile, emerge in
of the most renowned Early the place where the 26-metre- E15 weekly, economic and business news magazine | www.e15.cz
Baroque constructions in the high tower used to have its Igor Záruba, Executive Editor, [email protected]; Marian Hronek, Editor,
[email protected] | Translation: TextMasters, [email protected]
Lesser Town. In 1917, writer water tank. In an annex to Contact: Adéla Nová, Secretary | Call ([phone]
Franz Kafka briefly lived and the tower, a kindergarten Postal address: Komunardů 1584/42, 170 00 Praha 7 | Published CN Invest a. s.,
worked in part of the building. classroom will open, while Pařížská 130/26, 110 00 Praha 1 Josefov, IČ 04312945
The American government on an annex roof there will Advertising: Šárka Kamarýtová, Sales Manager, [email protected]
Production: [email protected] | Distribution: [email protected]
purchased the building for its be a garden with a wooden
pine r19m2a4n.ent diplomatic mission Photo:ČTK terrace RRoree pgainrsiytn rotastth &ieo rPn re:e rEpm 2roi1s4ds2ui0octn Eios1:n5 T |w hPeere iPknultybe,l dIisS bhSyeN rE 2wU4Ri6lOl4 cP-o7Rn1I1sNXidT e ar. rse. q u efsatcse fbooro rke.pcroinmts/ e 15weekly
EW16103102A1.indd 3 26.10.2016 17:58:45
4/5
business
Consumers opt for whisky galore GE engines deal
signed and sealed
Tainted alcohol affair has altered pattern in retail sales of spirits
RETAIL even last year did not return Štěpán Bruner
Dušan Kütner to the heights it enjoyed pri-
or to the methanol tragedy, The government has inked an
People last year spent which killed dozens of people investment deal with General
two billion crowns and permanently damaged Electric Aviation for the buil-
on six million 0.7-li- the health of many more. ding of a plant to develop, test
tre bottles of whisky in the “For this year we are antici- and produce turboprop engines
Czech Republic, according pating double-digit growth, in the Czech Republic.
to an estimate from Granette particularly from key brands The height of the investment
& Starorežná Distilleries. In Tullamore Dew, Glenfiddich to be made in constructing the
revenues that amounted to and Grants,” said Rémy Co- plant – a site for which should
year on year growth of 11 per- intreau brand manager Pavel be selected during the first half
cent, and in volume a rise of Hojgr. “Research shows that of 2017 – should reach a mini-
six percent. Distributor Rémy the growing interest of con- mum CZK 1.35bn.
Cointreau, meanwhile, rec- sumers in imported alcohol In connection with the GE
koned seven million bottles is mostly driven by quality, Aviation investment, the gover-
were sold. Consumption of the ever-increasing popula- nment has, among other things,
whisky in the country in the rity of the whisky category pledged to inject nearly CZK
four years that have followed in general and the long-term 2bn between 2016 and 2018 to
tpnthioeceais sS rfolerynop imetneiggm I hanbfttfe eaprri en2rr 0aicnt1ei2con rmnte.aae Slst hWetaadtin nbiosey-l im&n veSSedtpsaitairmr ositeursenp pžtpsnro oiánrd Dt mu,”ic sahetreirkl lGaeetdrridinaeegnsd e ah.tnatdes Photo: Profimedia.cz fiveUennnlgaoiinvpnecmeress pe iatnrtye tt p hionaefr PCantrzeiaoewgcn uhst e ufTo r[erČbc toVhhpnUeri dcToeap]-l.
and Spirits Research show decided to up its activities in The university is planning
that it is by far the biggest the field of whiskey [whisky sold Irish brands, Bushmills. company export director Jan on the one hand, in impor- a cooperation with General
growth experienced among usually denotes Scotch whis- “While Bushmills belongs Doležel. ted products such as malt Electric.
imported spirits. ky, while whiskey with an “e” among the most sold Irish Retail chains also con- whiskies, and on the other GE Aviation, a division of
The popularity of whisky is denotes the Irish and Ameri- whiskeys globally, here it firm rising interest in both hand, in established brands,” U.S.-based conglomerate Ge-
all the more surprising given can liquors –Ed.]. It has taken is only so far known to real whiskies and whiskeys. “Af- said Tesco’s Central Europe neral Electric, plans to invest an
that the overall domestic spi- over the Czech distribution connoisseurs. Demand for ter the methanol affair con- manager for beer and spirits overall CZK 9.8bn in developing
rits market is stagnating and of the most well-known and it is rising worldwide,”said sumers started to trust more, retail Jaromír Koudelík. new aircraft engines in Europe-
an factories, with a substantial
part of that being earmarked for
the Czech Republic. The total
Dark Tower to fall
Continued from page 1 serve it. Instead, the plans en-
visage an apartment complex
“Penta is verifying every possi- on the site. Penta has tackled
bility which corresponds to its such a project before. In 2012,
investment strategy,” said Pen- it levelled the main office of for-
ta spokesperson Ivo Mravinac mer communist official daily
when asked about the possible Rudé právo, located between
deal. No more talkative was Masarykovo railway station
CETIN spokesperson Tereza and Florenc in Prague, and
Gáliková. “A decision has not at then built the Florentinum
all been taken,” she said. office complex.
Penta is set to go up against Developers in Prague are
Central Group, the largest buil- more and more seeking out
der of apartments in Prague, in outdated buildings with no pre-
the tender. Central has com- servation status as the number
pleted its Residence Garden of vacant plots in the capital is
Towers project in Žižkov, while running out. The alternative
Photo: CessnaLuxury business jet no flight of fancy for Travel Service itpFtera i iesrn itpgv rehoestfp t Rmatraheiinenlwg t faoaoy ngr iSmtahtnaeettr nir oeoŽnar.ilt žhePkseetornanv-- amopldapSn wlryooi vtcaahock unh dne, ewtcvr.oeielmosp,m eisro tnHopB rl aeRcpeelaa vciines Photo: Tesla Motors
ta was originally interested in successfully joined this trend Deceleration in Tesla Model 3 business plan?
Airline company Travel Service is to strengthen its fleet of small and midsize aircraft with a Cessna acquiring that site but Dušan with investments in London.
Citation Longitude business jet. American enterprise Cessna Aircraft Company in early October comple- Kunovský’s company snapped But when it attempted to knock Subtle changes were overnight applied to the marketing materials for the Tesla Model 3 all-electric
ted the maiden flight of the new super midsize, eight-to-12 passenger model – powered by Honeywell it up this year. down the former ministry of four-door compact luxury sedan. The sentence “We will begin deliveries at the end of 2017” was
HTF7000L-series turbofan engines – and the Czech company will in 2018 become the first firm in Europe Sources acquainted with fuels, located next to Czech Ra- switched to “Model 3 production is scheduled to begin in mid-2017. At this time, the delivery esti-
to receive one. The catalogue price for the jet, the speed of which is assisted by a fuselage and wings the developers’ plans for dio in Vinohradská street, it mate for new reservations is mid-2018 or later.” The new sentence formulation perhaps indicates
made with light aluminium, is around 24 million dollars. Special features include walk-in baggage and the telecoms exchange, with ran up against a determination expected delays in warehouse deliveries, but Tesla Motors insists that is not the case. The five-seat
technology allowing passengers to manage their on-board environment and entertainment units from its 78-metre-high tower and to list the building as protected. Model 3 is to have an electric range of at least 215 miles (346 km) and will be able to accelerate
any mobile device underground corridors, said from 0 to 60 miles per hour (0 to 100 km/h) in less than six seconds
there is no intention to pre- Read more at E15.cz/weekly
EW16103104A1.indd 4 26.10.2016 17:59:19
business
Consumers opt for whisky galore GE engines deal
up and down
signed and sealed
Tainted alcohol affair has altered pattern in retail sales of spirits
Anthony Denny
Former owner, AAA Auto
Štěpán Bruner
The 54-year-old businessman has left Europe,
The government has inked an but not for an early retirement. The king of
investment deal with General the second-hand car “autobazars” is home in
Electric Aviation for the buil- Australia working as a major developer.
ding of a plant to develop, test
and produce turboprop engines
in the Czech Republic. Charles Michel
The height of the investment Belgian PM
to be made in constructing the
plant – a site for which should Objections from Belgium’s Wallonia region
be selected during the first half meant he had to inform EU member states and
of 2017 – should reach a mini- Canada that his country could not approve the
mum CZK 1.35bn. comprehensive Economic and Trade Agree-
In connection with the GE ment drawn up by Brussels and Ottawa. A last-
Anmvieantito hna isn, vaemstomnegn ott,h tehre tghoinvegrs-, Photo: ČTK -ditch solution was being sought.
pledged to inject nearly CZK Putting pen to paper. GE International vice-president John
2bn between 2016 and 2018 to Rice (left) and industry and trade minister Jan Mládek sign Karolína Plíšková
finance preparations for the de- the long-awaited deal Tennis player
velopment of new turboprop
engines at the Czech Technical investment in this country is Karel Kučera and GE Interna- The Czech enjoyed a highly compelling
University in Prague [ČVUT]. therefore set to be lower than tional vice-president John Rice. WTA Finals debut in Singapore, recovering
The university is planning the originally indicated figure Mládek hailed the agreement from match point down and roaring back to
on the one hand, in impor- a cooperation with General of nearly 10 billion crowns. as a turning point in attracting take the final five games to defeat reigning
ted products such as malt Electric. The Czech plant is expected foreign investment to the Czech Roland Garros champion Garbiñe Muguruza
whiskies, and on the other GE Aviation, a division of to launch production of turbo- Republic. The government now 6-2, 6-7(4), 7-5.
hand, in established brands,” U.S.-based conglomerate Ge- prop engines in 2022. At full wants to focus on similar pro-
said Tesco’s Central Europe neral Electric, plans to invest an output it is to manufacture jects, which deliver well-paid
manager for beer and spirits overall CZK 9.8bn in developing more than 400 engines annu- work and higher added-value, Stanislav Bruna
retail Jaromír Koudelík. new aircraft engines in Europe- ally. The investment deal was he said. The GE Aviation plant Director, Mero
an factories, with a substantial signed by industry and trade will create 500 jobs, thus doub-
part of that being earmarked for minister Jan Mládek (Social De- ling the number of the compa- Required shutdowns at Czech refineries have
the Czech Republic. The total mocrat), CzechInvest director ny’s employees in this country. lowered the volume of processed crude oil
Dark Tower to fall meaning the pipeline operator’s revenues have
taken a substantial hit.
serve it. Instead, the plans en-
visage an apartment complex Jiří Šimáně
on the site. Penta has tackled Co-owner, Travel Service
such a project before. In 2012,
it levelled the main office of for- His airline company recorded 11-percent
mer communist official daily passenger growth for the first three-quarters
Rudé právo, located between of this year.
Masarykovo railway station
and Florenc in Prague, and
then built the Florentinum Bill Gates
office complex. Co-founder & co-owner, Microsoft
Developers in Prague are
more and more seeking out Microsoft announced a free “Creators Update”
outdated buildings with no pre- to its Windows 10 operating system. The
servation status as the number update includes new features for augmented
of vacant plots in the capital is and virtual reality gaming. It also lets users on
running out. The alternative mobile devices take 3D photos by scanning an
approach, commonplace in Motors object as they walk around it.
moldaSn wlyoi vtcahok un dneewtvr.eielosp, eisr tHoB r eRpelaavcies Photo: Tesla Jeffrey Bewkes
successfully joined this trend Deceleration in Tesla Model 3 business plan? CEO, Time Warner
with investments in London.
But when it attempted to knock Subtle changes were overnight applied to the marketing materials for the Tesla Model 3 all-electric He stands to earn tens of millions of dollars if he
down the former ministry of four-door compact luxury sedan. The sentence “We will begin deliveries at the end of 2017” was can guide the film studios, television and comics
fuels, located next to Czech Ra- switched to “Model 3 production is scheduled to begin in mid-2017. At this time, the delivery esti- giant through a successful USD 85bn sale to
dio in Vinohradská street, it mate for new reservations is mid-2018 or later.” The new sentence formulation perhaps indicates AT&T. As CEO, he’s shed many legacy businesses
ran up against a determination expected delays in warehouse deliveries, but Tesla Motors insists that is not the case. The five-seat with limited growth potential, including AOL
to list the building as protected. Model 3 is to have an electric range of at least 215 miles (346 km) and will be able to accelerate and Time Warner Cable, making the shrunk-
from 0 to 60 miles per hour (0 to 100 km/h) in less than six seconds -down company more attractive to buyers.
Read more at E15.cz/weekly
EW16103104A1.indd 5 26.10.2016 17:59:30
6/7
opinion
Dishonourable
Jana Havligerová’s diary
honours
Calendar for party
A furore over 
squabbles out soon
the awarding of 
state honours on 
Michal Hašek, South  viticulture. The sole aim is 
the occasion of  Moravia’s governor, says the  to limit imports and sales of 
Social Democrat leadership  cask or box wine. Let’s not lie 
Czechoslovak In- should not be changed at  to ourselves; such measures 
the party conference next  will hardly improve domestic 
dependence Day 
spring. As he says: To swap  wine’s quality by any great 
horses – meaning replacing  degree. But the problem 
has become so-
the party head and thus the  surrounds uncertainty over 
mething of a tra- PM – six months before par- what exactly consumers are 
liamentary elections would  taking home when they have 
dsoitoionn a isn o irtdseelrfs.  Aosf   Photo:archive bntheoe wc c,o oouupnnitnteriroy-np’s r pmoodalulisnc ts giuvogevg.e eRrsingti hntg   opitnl ar-estatailpcly  bw iosint wtele hpsao,t ua srneedldl ew irnhst eoctl haeimr  
party will only get 25 percent  it is.
merit and medals 
dent’s views on what constitu- vinced that Czech trade with of the votes. Which would 
tes heroism and public service. China is so quintessentially im- mean saving the leadership  Sunday saw the clocks shift 
are announced, 
Which is why alongside irrefu- portant to our prosperity that squabbles saved for autumn  forward one hour to Winter 
suddenly everyo- table moral authorities we find the culture minister’s meeting – after the predicted electoral  Time. Cue the annual expla-
names like those of the singers with the Tibetan spiritual le- bruising. nation of why we do such 
ne is a historian or  Karel Gott and Lucie Bílá or of ader really does represent a ge- a thing. In fact the entire 
musician-writer-activist Fran- nuine danger to our interests. The number of those talked  value of electricity savings 
social commenta- tišek Ringo Čech. Of course, these assertions are about as potential 2018  associated with shifting 
That is the viewpoint from highly dubious, but, as noted, presidential election candi- the clocks twice a year has 
tor with a point to 
which we should examine the state honours are entirely an dates continues to grow like  a value of less than a mere 
furore over George Brady, the expression of the president’s mushrooms after the rain.  1,000th of a GDP percentage 
make
Czech-Canadian Holocaust convictions. And if Zeman re- Incidentally, autumn is a time  point, or around CZK 30m. 
survivor. He was supposed to ally has the stomach to use an of bountiful mushrooms in  And as far as the workday is 
receive a Czech State Medal, 88-year-old Holocaust survivor parts of the country. But  concerned, we gain just about 
but then alleged the president to make a point, there is absolu- back to the Castle: perhaps  as much as we might do by 
Martin rescinded the offer after Bra- tely nothing to stand in his way. it would be best to announce  each of us working about 
Čaban dy’s nephew, culture minister From a moral standpoint, some kind of competition in  a minute longer during the 
Daniel Herman met with the such deeds need to be con- which the candidate who ma- year. Nonetheless, reality 
Dalai Lama (Miloš Zeman is demned, and it is certainly nages to run up the Castle hill  is reality, and efforts to 
Since Miloš Zeman beca- in the fastest time is awarded  overturn the clock-shifting 
me the first directly elec- the presidency! tradition have yet to succeed. 
The president utilises
ted Czech president, the Which means the best we can 
heat has been decidedly turned every power entrusted to Parliament’s lower chamber  do is again grin and bear it. 
up at Prague Castle. It’s almost has assented to a legislative  Not a task worth staying up 
as if an impression has been him to push his influence amendment covering the  for. It’s best left for daytime – 
created that the recipients of realms of viniculture and  whenever that starts...
state honours are also decided
via a public vote. But someti- of course decidedly pro-China). good to see a strong public
mes it’s useful to poke and prod If the Castle’s story holds true debate in this case. However, joke
the choices. For example, it is that Brady was never even con- calls for parliament to impeach
good to know that during the sidered for such an award, it Zeman are nothing but hyper-
Communist era Ludvík Karl, means a number of people, who bole. The president is carrying
the decorated head of Liberec- apparently have no reason to out his mandate in a way that
-based glass-maker Preciosa, do so, are lying. And if anyone suits him. He is democratica-
was perfectly happy to utilise is used to lying to try to battle lly elected, and like with every
prisoners as labour, including incoming scandals, then surely democratically elected politi-
political prisoners. it is Zeman’s Castle. cian, his deeds are subject to
But it is also important to re- Without exception, the pre- the will of voters. They will in
alise that the president awards sident utilises every power two years cast their judgement
honours purely according to entrusted to him to push his at the ballot box. Simply put,
their own whims. Which is why influence, or at least his own the honours a president does
the list of those receiving the perceptions of power and im- or does not award are a direct
hasosneosusmrs ennetv reerc woagsn aisni nogb jeexcetimve- psionrgt aantc ael.l Sthoa itt ihse h aisr dallyso s uurspinrig- trheoflseec itnio hnis o of rtbhiet. pPruebsliidce dnist gaunsdt inzerce 
pirsel arcraoytgh hneeirtr iaooninc e oanfc thair iseepvlyee cmsiufiebcnj tepscr, tebisvuiet- tmkhnaeok wset sha, itpmee srheholafn phoseu Zarresdm .s Aaynsnt dies,m cwo htnoo- ibwnui ttthh t hiase vc roaetsaeel. wisa uyn tdoe rresatcatn wdailbl blee, s“cI rpereenfe mr atok erse athde t hweo nrledw’ss p orno bmleym psh olonoek.  Tsmhea llliettrl.e“  255869/124
EW16103106A1.indd 6 26.10.2016 18:00:04
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top story
Szigeti, president of the Association
of Hungarian Press Photographers.
The renowned Czech-American photo-
grapher Antonín Kratochvíl is also on
the jury, alongside a number of other
Czechs.
All of this means that the competiti-
on is certainly the number one forum
for evaluating and celebrating Czech
and Slovak photojournalism. But res-
ting on laurels is not enough to gua-
rantee future success. Of late, Czech
Press Photo has been undergoing a
number of modernisation efforts – the
degree of public interest in this year’s
competition will prove whether or not
such efforts have succeeded.
Photo duel
Evolution
Czech Press Photo was founded by two
notable figures in the world of Czech
journalism, namely photographic cri-
tic Daniela Mrázková and journalist
gets a touch-up Vladimír Remeš. Since its inception,
the contest has structured its catego-
ries along the lines of the most popular
global photojournalism competition,
namely World Press Photo. The compe-
tition’s orientation is Czech and Slovak
photography, and is not only open to
C
zech Press Photo
year’s winners will be announced this
21 November. As many as 349 photo-
is the country’s
graphers have entered 5,861 images
most prestigious for the 22nd year of the competition.
The awards ceremony takes place at
photojournalism Prague’s Old Town Hall and is a major
gala event. Many of the media covering
showcase. Launched in the competition are often delighted by
the fact that it was their photographer
1995, the competition
who emerged victorious in a particular
category.
is now undergoing
The winning photographs are often
major changes to controversial, depicting war or human
suffering. That means plenty of deba-
bring it closer to te and interest. Photographs are also
displayed to the public, guaranteeing
contemporary trends many onlookers, especially given the
prime location just next to Prague’s
in our visual culture
famous astronomical clock. This Octo-
ber the organisers have also unveiled
Richard Guryča a new gallery at their headquarters in
Prague’s Nové Butovice, with presented
After more than 20 years, the annual archived material that covers the past
Czech Press Photo competition for the history of the contest.
best global photojournalism images by In recent years, Czech Press Photo
Ccpaeaalrzstgeeoesec gStrhiollgy orpe viahe.a wSosk,tae ho–ivtga ec tsrroh aabmeplu rthpiheleetos rtuuuisnpl stsg asap n p eacdahne corCnhttizaon yeiggnecr a hslaree p–.vv Th eeaelhrn roaidssfl Photos: E15 Anna Vacková hmpUcaraSeenss s p atfitihloglsmo eoit t fmosba gcejaurtekoarnerpy .r, ah T fbeEuhrlrdee t R 2htK0ooea n1ra6s ithH pntiraca aanrvcneeivtald ,iss nAitTncamalgrum edtnhraeaiess--
EW16103108A1.indd 8 26.10.2016 18:00:54
top story
Szigeti, president of the Association professionals but also to freelancers, the space of one year. This has resul-
Czech
of Hungarian Press Photographers. semi-professional documentary pho- ted in the gradual creation of a large
The renowned Czech-American photo- tographers, and even those who have archive of photos documenting the Photo Centre
grapher Antonín Kratochvíl is also on hitherto not found a commercial outlet development of Prague over the years.
the jury, alongside a number of other for their work. One additional key contribution of Czech Photo is the name of the
Czechs. The competition’s prize certain- Czech Press Photo is that it continues to non-profit which organises the
All of this means that the competiti- ly represents a key factor for Czech enable the Czech public to have access Czech Press Photo competition.
on is certainly the number one forum Press Photo. Asides from the value of to a vivid, engaging and educational Most recently, it has unveiled a
for evaluating and celebrating Czech the awards themselves, winners also portfolio of photojournalism. Czech Photo Centre exhibition
space in Prague’s Nové Butovice.
Conveniently located right by
Since its inception, Czech Press Photo has focused
the metro, this unique space
features a gallery, studio,
on attracting and supporting Czech and Slovak
archive and restaurant. Also
at the site is a workshop area
photographers. Although the competition has no
outfitted with the most modern
international ambitions, its very name helped to studio technology, and a
photographic archive covering
quickly establish it as a well-known Czech brand the more than 20-year history
of Czech Press Photo. In front of
the building is the new 12-metre-
and Slovak photojournalism. But res- receive financial rewards, grants or New rules high “Trifot” sculpture from
ting on laurels is not enough to gua- other material subsidies designed to But changes are afoot at Czech Press Czech artist David Černý. The
rantee future success. Of late, Czech enable photographers to benefit from Photo. The first fundamental change work’s head is made from real
Press Photo has been undergoing a the best equipment, or to afford ex- was evident last year with the arrival brand cameras and depicts the
number of modernisation efforts – the pensive sojourns to places of interest. of Veronika Souralová as competition development of photographic
degree of public interest in this year’s Which has no doubt helped to secure director, replacing founder Daniela art.
competition will prove whether or not the participation of top competitors Mrázková. The new director imme- “The centre forms part of the
such efforts have succeeded. from the very start of the competition. diately sought to refresh the brand, Smart development project from
Photo duel
creating a new logo, a new website, Trigema. This company built the
Evolution Brand potential and also establishing a presence on site and then handed it over to
Czech Press Photo was founded by two The fact that the jury sits in the presti- social networks. us. It is an ambitious, modern
notable figures in the world of Czech gious Old Town Hall, or that the exhi- Potential competitors were newly space, specifically tailored for
journalism, namely photographic cri- bition there has become a key cultural able to submit applications electro- photography,” explains Czech
tic Daniela Mrázková and journalist event on the Prague calendar, is also nically; also updated were the com- Press Photo director Veronika
gets a touch-up Vladimír Remeš. Since its inception, reflected by the existence of the Prague petition categories, the makeup of the Souralová. “We want to utilise
the contest has structured its catego- Grant. This award is also selected by jury, and the methodology used for the spaces for exhibitions by both
ries along the lines of the most popular the jury and is presented by the mayor assessing nominations. One change Czech and foreign photographers
global photojournalism competition, of Prague. It enables one select pho- which visitors can easily assess for as well as for education courses,
namely World Press Photo. The compe- tographer to gain a one-year creative themselves is the fact that photographs including for seniors, as well as
tition’s orientation is Czech and Slovak grant from City Hall to photograph are now exhibited in a standardised programmes for children.”
photography, and is not only open to Prague and its changing cityscape over format.
“I am bringing in changes and some
year’s winners will be announced this fresh air,” says Souralová. “Czech Pre-
21 November. As many as 349 photo- ss Photo sorely needed updating. The
graphers have entered 5,861 images prestigious competition, in which our
for the 22nd year of the competition. best photojournalists have their photo-
The awards ceremony takes place at graphs assessed, was founded 21 years
Prague’s Old Town Hall and is a major ago. During that time the world has
gala event. Many of the media covering completely changed, and we needed to
the competition are often delighted by react to that.” Souralová is most proud
the fact that it was their photographer of enabling electronic submissions and
who emerged victorious in a particular of purchasing related software for the
category. evaluation of submissions by the jury.
The winning photographs are often “We have also changed the catego-
controversial, depicting war or human ries,” continues Souralová. “In parti-
suffering. That means plenty of deba- cular the jury will assess individual
te and interest. Photographs are also photographs and collections separa-
displayed to the public, guaranteeing tely. The results announcement will
many onlookers, especially given the come via a new nomination system. We
prime location just next to Prague’s also want to also give young authors a
famous astronomical clock. This Octo- chance, which is why we are awarding
ber the organisers have also unveiled a CZK 70,000 Canon Junior award for
a new gallery at their headquarters in authors aged up to 20. We will also be
Prague’s Nové Butovice, with presented giving a ČTK [Czech News Agency]
archived material that covers the past award in the form of vouchers worth
history of the contest. CZK 80,000.”
In recent years, Czech Press Photo New competition categories inclu-
has also been able to attract star na- de “Problems in today’s society” and
mes to its jury, further increasing the “Lifestyle”.
prestige factor. The 2016 panel includes Taken from the magazine
US photographer Ron Haviv, Ameri-
can filmmaker Ed Kashi and Tamas
EW16103108A1.indd 9 26.10.2016 18:01:01
10/11
face to face
PAVLA GOMBA
the collection then surpassed 100,000
crowns.
So crowdfunding through social ne-
As donors Czechs are
tworks is not in itself enough?
No, it’s not sufficient. It is necessary
to combine communication in traditi-
onal media with personalised appro-
aches to donors. But we do consider
crowdfunding as a very good form of
sceptical but generous collecting among givers for humanita-
rian projects. We definitely want to try
it out again at a time of a big humani-
tarian crisis.
Have you in the recent past been sur-
prised by any non-traditional form of
communication which has assisted
UNICEF?
Perhaps by the Karviná high school
graduates who last year were photo-
graphed wearing our t-shirts for their
tableau of school-leaving photos. They
raised CZK 20,000 for their evening
farewell party and they’ve sent us CZK
10,000. The students put their t-shirt
photos on their Facebook profiles and
we were taken aback by how much
these were viewed and shared. It is not
possible to say how many ways we could
devise to capture interest on these ne-
tworks, and this happened all by itself.
It’s clear that young people live quite
naturally on the networks.
Innovation however is also seen
out there in programs in the field. For
instance, in Malawi we are currently
testing drones. They are carrying blood
test kits to the most remote villages, and
bring the samples back so that pregnant
women can discover if they are HIV
positive, and we can then help their
children if they are.
How are internal forms of communi-
Photos: E15 Anna Vacková cgnwtoaiehv tcwWeiiocon lehntl te e athaccoraghhe mtua n uienetossg ilom niiopnnggee gR yapr .nwaio nPtssa e saanysir odbq ituanuiilc r ioi1 tcun9iokel 0rao scg rn cooaleoynfn ufd nieSnsaeratkyecrt,yd tiiaiepo nobsnendy?,,
H to others in Bhutan the next. We can
ead of UNICEF Czech Republic Pavla
At the start of the campaign on on- actress Jitka Čvančarová, who was in not only hear each other, but generally
line portal Daruj správně [Darujsprav- Bhutan with the little monks – orphans we can see each other, although in tho-
Gomba is convinced crowdfunding and
ne.cz; the name essentially translates and abandoned children for whom a se countries the video link sometimes
online communication with donors as “foolproof donations”] we sent out monastery is their sole refuge – to have fails. We also make plentiful use of the
a newsletter and subsequently put the a photo taken for a postcard which we intranet, we can see everything that
have become exceptionally important. call out on social networks, but the mo- could send as a gift to givers and as part is being done in any one country at
ney did not accumulate. After a nervous of a release to the media. a given moment. But it’s still the case
But by no means is she pushing aside traditional week – we’d planned out the crowdfun- that nothing can replace a personal
ding campaign for one month – I used Did you gain some new contributors? meeting – once or twice a year we meet
fundraising approaches, especially given her
email to personally address our long- Yes, a good many small donors. That and at those meeting we have nothing
-term regular donors and that worked; we know. Overall, thanks to the crowd- to do with laptops, there’s not even the
anticipation that “the internet will only have
we received around 60,000 crowns. Of funding fundraising platform our num- paper and pencil option, it is simply just
substantially developed new friends for UNICEF course, personalised communication ber of donors perhaps went up by 20 people talking to each other.
entails feedback, so people wrote in percent. It remains to be seen whether
after a period of around 10 years” and I myself responded alone. I’m used or not these people will become regular How do you perceive new technology?
to that and do it gladly. friends of UNICEF. As full of contradiction. I know that
We also addressed potential donors it helps an awful lot, but on the other
Petra Horáková, Igor Záruba little monk Dorji will come to the Czech and our teams who represent UNICEF And the rise in donors was enough to hand everything is greatly accelerated,
Republic from Bhutan for a medical [the United Nations Children’s Fund] to allow you to hit your target amount? it increases the number of campaigns
Just lately you were very successful visit. How difficult was it to communi- people on the street. But we still didn’t No, we didn’t make the total at that and sometimes it is difficult to watch
with charitable crowdfunding on the cate with donors to collect the desired have the target amount and time was point. Finally, we fully approached our over everything. And in addition, for pe-
internet, thanks to which disabled 100,000 crowns? running short. Therefore we asked entire database of regular givers and ople it means oversaturation and fickle-
EW16103110A1.indd 10 26.10.2016 18:01:44