Czech press surveyed by Jan Jarab

Daily newspapers surveyed: Cesky denik, Lidova demokracie, Lidove noviny, Mlada fronta dnes, Prace, Rude pravo, Svobodne slovo, Telegraf.

In alphabetical order:

CESKY DENIK (right-wing). Today's headline news is about the long-awaited action of the Minister for Economic Competition (who is supposed to direct anti-monopolistic policy) concerning the monopoly of a German company, Passauer Neue Presse, in Czech regional and local press. According to the Minister, eleven mergers of companies will have to be abolished and the property returned to the original owners, i.e. in most cases to the magistrates. Furthermore, the Minister proposed that foreign capital should not be allowed to hold more than 50% of property in any newspaper, and plans to submit this proposal to Government. The Minister's action, which comes after long months of inactivity, could result in dramatic changes on the media scene, because a majority of Czech media - as Cesky denik has recently pointed out - are currently in foreign hands.

In an editorial about the controversy between Slovakia and Hungary, CD writes: "Meciar's plan to divide Slovakia into administrative zones with a North-South orientation, which would entirely eliminate the Hungarian minority from regional adminstration; the project to introduce bilingual education in Hungarian schools; the Slovakization of Hungarian Christian names in official papers; the replacement of Hungarian names of villages by Slovak ones...these are truly not the best signals of respect for minority rights." However, the Hungarian demand that Slovakia repeal the decrees of (Czechoslovak) President Benes (which were issued after the war and resulted in the confiscation of German and Hungarian property) are unacceptable even for Prague, concludes CD.

LIDOVE NOVINY (liberal) brings an editorial about sexual ethics in Czech politics. The attitude of the Czech public towards the sexual life of politicians is characterized as "extremely liberal" not only in comparison with the Anglo-Saxon countries, but also when compared to Italy and France. S.Hubalek, a sexuologist, reminds in the article that Czechoslovakia "was the first country in the world to legalize homosexuality"; on the other side, there is a high divorce and abortion rate. "In this country, the rare attempts to criticize political figures for their sexual behavior usually backfire. The attempt of the Communists (in the 70's) to scandalize dissident leader Ludvik Vaculik by publishing his private photos only produced sympathy for Mr.Vaculik," says Mr.Hubalek.

MLADA FRONTA DNES (centrist, independent). Headline: "No Border on July 1st." According to MFD, Prime Minister Klaus has decided not to put the proposal of Interior Minister Ruml (to establish unilaterally a regular border with Slovakia on July 1st,1993) on the program of the next Government session. The establishment of the Czecho-Slovak border will therefore be postponed.

Former Foreign Minister Dienstbier, chairman of the liberal OH (Civic Movement), comments on the fact that "an ex-Minister is not allowed to speak at a university or college, to open an exhibit, although he was invited to do so...You know, as I get a chance to speak at the Sorbonne and in Oxford instead, I could only laugh at the ODS dignitaries who order it, but I am worried by the fear of those people who accept such orders...Once again, many believe that belonging to the ruling party gives them a right to be arrogant. And that's what I have fought against all my life," says Dienstbier, who had spent 4 years in jail (1979-1983) for organizing the Committee for the Defense of the Unjustly Persecuted.

RUDE PRAVO (left-wing) informs about the "Realistic bloc" which was created by non-Communist opposition parties due to the initiative of the Social Democratic leader, Milos Zeman. Although it includes the Greens and the Agrarian Party, it falls short of expectations, because the liberal OH (Civic Movement) - which is also in opposition to the ruling right-of-center coalition - has excluded any future participation in the bloc. On the other hand, Zeman himself has ruled out the participation of the new Party of Democratic Left which emerged from the recent split of the Czech Communists.

SVOBODNE SLOVO (centrist) quotes Russian Nationalist Leader Vladimir Zirinovsky as saying that "20 years from now, the Czechs will not exist".

SURVEY OF SLOVAK PRESS by CTK News Agency

BRATISLAVA, June 30 (ÇTK) - The loss of many members of the

Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (KSÇM) to the Czech

Social Democratic Party (ÇSSD) following the KSÇM's 3rd Congress

on Saturday is not reason enough for a change of name or style

of work, says the trade union daily +Práca+ today. The author

contrasts the affair with the formation of the Slovak Democratic

Left Party (SDL) in 1990, where reform was desired by the

majority and only those who did not understand the "new

situation" left. In this case a minority, who believe that the

KSÇM's direction is untenable, decided to leave.

The Slovak National Party (SNS) had several reasons for its

sudden break with the opposition and its starting negotiations

for a coalition with the ruling HZDS, says the tabloid +Novŭ

ças+. It alleges that SNS leader and former director of a Slovak

aluminum manufacturing firm èudovít Çernák said that he was

being pressured into a coalition by the heavy industry lobby,

which wants the government's economics policies to become

"transparent and stable." This is apparently why Çernák has

bargained heavily for economic positions in the coalition, says

the paper. "The truth remains that in economic politics the time

has come to give up any hopes of a magic wand, and this is

surely why the coalition talks have gone so smoothly," adds

+Novŭ Ças+.

The decline of traditional values in Slovakia is discussed

by the official daily +Republika+, which says that "actors and

artists, the avantgarde of the now doubted gentle revolution,

have sown the seed of an American virus which is systematically

destroying our inherited moral principles, with the naive belief

that what is not prohibited is allowed."The paper states that,

for example, the texts of many literary works and rock

compositions are "a monolithic current of stupidity, crudity and

vulgarity, bordering on an insult of humanity."

Czech Deputy Minister of the Interior Martin Fendrych says

in an interview for the leftist +Pravda+ that Germany's new

asylum law, to become effective July 1, will have little effect

on relations between the two countries, even though the two

countries have no agreement on the readmission of illegal

refugees.