http://www.visegradgroup.eu/ Official website of the Visegrad Group (V4): the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia v4@visegradfund.org (Webmaster) v4@visegradfund.org (Webmaster) WEBRA RSS generator en Thu, 17 May 2012 14:36:48 +0200 http://www.visegradgroup.eu/main.php?folderID=1982&objectID=5043312&iid=1001 http://www.visegradgroup.eu/main.php?folderID=1982&objectID=5043312&iid=1001 Poland wants the OSCE to join an ongoing debate about the situation of Polish schools in Lithuania, the Polish Education Ministry said on Wednesday. The dispute with Lithuania arose around a new Lithuanian education law which according to the country's Polish minority discriminated against Polish schools. The new act foresees that Polish schools must teach a part of their programme in Lithuanian, minority representatives want lessons to take place entirely in Polish. Wed, 16 May 2012 21:12:00 +0200 http://www.visegradgroup.eu/main.php?folderID=1982&objectID=5043314&iid=1001 http://www.visegradgroup.eu/main.php?folderID=1982&objectID=5043314&iid=1001 Poland will advocate that NATO maintains its traditional role as a military alliance and keeps its defensive capabilities despite the financial crisis during NATO's Chicago summit, Poland's President Bronislaw Komorowski said on Wednesday at a meeting of the National Security Council, discussing plans for the May 20-21 summit. "Poland's main task will be (...) to seek to ensure that NATO remains a strong military alliance rather than transformed into a solely political alliance," he said. Wed, 16 May 2012 21:11:00 +0200 http://www.visegradgroup.eu/main.php?folderID=1982&objectID=5043316&iid=1001 http://www.visegradgroup.eu/main.php?folderID=1982&objectID=5043316&iid=1001 There are no signs of any possibility for outside security threats during the June-beginning European football championship (EURO 2012), President Bronislaw Komorowski said on Wednesday. Attending a session of the National Security Council, Komorowski asked trade unionists to postpone planned radical political protests until after the tournament. He added that all Polish security services and the army have reported full preparation to oversee security during EURO. Wed, 16 May 2012 21:08:00 +0200 http://www.visegradgroup.eu/main.php?folderID=1982&objectID=5043318&iid=1001 http://www.visegradgroup.eu/main.php?folderID=1982&objectID=5043318&iid=1001 President Bronislaw Komorowski on Wednesday signed amendments to alien and employment laws designed to bring them in line with EU legislation. The amendments concern the legal residence in Poland of foreigners employed in highly-qualified jobs. Under the amended laws foreigners employed in highly-qualified positions in Poland will be issued employment and residence permits in a single procedure. Wed, 16 May 2012 21:06:00 +0200 http://www.visegradgroup.eu/main.php?folderID=1982&objectID=5043306&iid=1001 http://www.visegradgroup.eu/main.php?folderID=1982&objectID=5043306&iid=1001 Polish and Chinese defence ministers met in Warsaw on Wednesday to discuss the situation in Europe and Asia, transformations in the Polish and Chinese armies as well as the forthcoming NATO summit. Visiting Chinese Defence Minister Liang Guanglie praised bilateral military-scientific cooperation. Meeting with Polish Defence Minister Tomasz Siemoniak, Minister Guanglie stressed that "Poland is the only country in Central and Eastern Europe which enrols Chinese soldiers at its universities." Wed, 16 May 2012 21:03:00 +0200 http://www.visegradgroup.eu/main.php?folderID=1982&objectID=5043308&iid=1001 http://www.visegradgroup.eu/main.php?folderID=1982&objectID=5043308&iid=1001 A protester has poured red paint on a memorial of Miklos Horthy, regent of Hungary between the two world wars, which was unveiled in the western Hungarian village of Kereki on Sunday, the local mayor said on Wednesday. The protester has identified himself as Peter Daniel, a lawyer, and has posted photos on Facebook showing the painted memorial with a sign hanging round its neck with the words "Mass murderer, war criminal". Daniel announced in advance that he was planning to pour paint on the statue. Wed, 16 May 2012 20:07:00 +0200 http://www.visegradgroup.eu/main.php?folderID=1982&objectID=5043310&iid=1001 http://www.visegradgroup.eu/main.php?folderID=1982&objectID=5043310&iid=1001 Hungary's planned new penal code currently being debated in parliament aims to be more stringent, a lawmaker of the ruling Fidesz party told a news conference on Wednesday. Ferenc Papcsak said that a stricter new code also answered to a strong call by the public. Among the rules planned, Papcsak noted lowering the age criminal responsibility from 14 to 12 years of age in the categories of premeditated homicide, voluntary manslaughter and bodily harm leading to death or resulting in life threatening injuries. Wed, 16 May 2012 20:05:00 +0200 http://www.visegradgroup.eu/main.php?folderID=1982&objectID=5043290&iid=1001 http://www.visegradgroup.eu/main.php?folderID=1982&objectID=5043290&iid=1001 The camp of non-committed voters in Hungary is rising, with the percentage of people "keeping all parties at arm's length" up from 51 percent in April to 54 percent in May, a poll by Ipsos revealed. By May, the ruling Fidesz party lost the 3-point increase it had gained in its voter base from January to March. Fidesz garnered 16 percent of support among the whole sample in May. The Socialists also shed 2 points of a 3-point gain at the start of the year and in May stood on 13 percent, unchanged from April. Wed, 16 May 2012 20:03:00 +0200 http://www.visegradgroup.eu/main.php?folderID=1982&objectID=5043292&iid=1001 http://www.visegradgroup.eu/main.php?folderID=1982&objectID=5043292&iid=1001 European Union Media Commissioner Neelie Kroes on Wednesday welcomed the Council of Europe's expert opinion issued on Hungary's media law. Kroes said the Commission welcomed the assessment. "These findings give independent confirmation that the European Commission was right to be concerned about Hungary's media law. We expect the Hungarian government to comply with this advice, as previously agreed, and to uphold European norms and values," she said. Wed, 16 May 2012 20:01:00 +0200 http://www.visegradgroup.eu/main.php?folderID=1982&objectID=5043294&iid=1001 http://www.visegradgroup.eu/main.php?folderID=1982&objectID=5043294&iid=1001 The proportion of those saying that no asylum-seeker should be allowed to enter Hungary has increased over the past five years, with four in ten adults sharing this opinion now, economic research institute Tarki said on Wednesday, citing its recent survey. Five years ago 29 to 32 percent of those asked agreed with what the institute qualified as a "xenophobic position". Eleven percent of respondents said that Hungary should open its gates to all asylum-seekers while 49 percent said that each case should be judged individually. Wed, 16 May 2012 19:59:00 +0200 http://www.visegradgroup.eu/main.php?folderID=1982&objectID=5043296&iid=1001 http://www.visegradgroup.eu/main.php?folderID=1982&objectID=5043296&iid=1001 MPs' immunity from prosecution vis-a-vis all crimes will be scrapped as of September 1 after representatives of all parliamentary parties agreed on Wednesday to amend the Constitution to that effect, Christian Democrat (KDH) MP Radoslav Prochazka said on the same day. That said, legislators will remain secure from possible prosecution for statements made in Parliament and its bodies as well as for the way in which they vote. The amendment to the Constitution is to be submitted to a House session in June, with 90 votes needed for it to pass. Wed, 16 May 2012 19:56:00 +0200 http://www.visegradgroup.eu/main.php?folderID=1982&objectID=5043298&iid=1001 http://www.visegradgroup.eu/main.php?folderID=1982&objectID=5043298&iid=1001 Had a general election been held in the first half of May, Smer-SD would have received 46.9 percent of the vote and won a constitutional majority of 92 seats in the 150-seat Parliament, a survey by Polis Slovakia out on Wednesday has revealed. The 'Ordinary People and Independent Personalities' party (OLaNO) came second in the poll with public backing equalling 9.5 percent (19 seats). Next came the Christian Democrats (KDH) on 8.3 percent (16 seats), followed by Most-Hid on 6.4 percent (13 seats). Wed, 16 May 2012 19:51:00 +0200 http://www.visegradgroup.eu/main.php?folderID=1982&objectID=5043300&iid=1001 http://www.visegradgroup.eu/main.php?folderID=1982&objectID=5043300&iid=1001 The level of democracy in Slovakia dropped by 0.2 points in the first quarter of 2012, earning a mark of 2.8 in the Barometer survey as carried out by the Public Affairs Institute (IVO). The results were presented by IVO head Grigorij Meseznikov on Wednesday. Both the former government headed by Iveta Radicova and the sitting Cabinet led by Robert Fico contributed to the latest developments, he said. "The worsening in the quality of democracy is caused mainly by problematic trends in two areas - legislation and human and minority rights," he added. Wed, 16 May 2012 19:49:00 +0200 http://www.visegradgroup.eu/main.php?folderID=1982&objectID=5043302&iid=1001 http://www.visegradgroup.eu/main.php?folderID=1982&objectID=5043302&iid=1001 The upcoming NATO summit in Chicago on May 20-21 is also set to feature a meeting of defence ministers of the Visegrad Four countries (Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland), spokesman for the Slovak ministry Milan Vanga said on Wednesday. "Discussions will mainly revolve around further ways of boosting effectiveness in cooperation between the countries included in the Visegrad grouping and in their capabilities for NATO operations," said Vanga. Wed, 16 May 2012 19:46:00 +0200 http://www.visegradgroup.eu/main.php?folderID=1982&objectID=5043304&iid=1001 http://www.visegradgroup.eu/main.php?folderID=1982&objectID=5043304&iid=1001 The number of MPs remains intact after Parliament on Wednesday rejected the passing into second reading of Freedom and Solidarity's (SaS) constitutional bill to cut the number of lawmakers from 150 to 100. The bill was voted down after it garnered backing from only 18 MPs. SaS urged passing the measure, citing the difficult economic situation and the need for MPs to contribute more to the consolidation of the country's public finances by trimming Parliament's expenditures. Wed, 16 May 2012 19:44:00 +0200 http://www.visegradgroup.eu/main.php?folderID=1982&objectID=5043280&iid=1001 http://www.visegradgroup.eu/main.php?folderID=1982&objectID=5043280&iid=1001 Three Czech military observers flew to Damascus within the United Nations Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS), Defence Ministry spokesman Jan Pejsek has told CTK. Based on a UN request, the Czech Republic has decided to support the mission, Pejsek said. The soldiers who have experience from previous U.N. peace-keeping missions in the Democratic Republic of Kongo and Iraq are sent to Syria, Pejsek said. "In sending the observers, we want to actively contribute to the stabilisation of the situation in Syria," Defence Minister Alexandr Vondra's spokesman said. Wed, 16 May 2012 18:34:00 +0200 http://www.visegradgroup.eu/main.php?folderID=1982&objectID=5043282&iid=1001 http://www.visegradgroup.eu/main.php?folderID=1982&objectID=5043282&iid=1001 The Czech Republic has opened its diplomatic mission in Armenia in the building of the Polish embassy in Yerevan, the Foreign Ministry told CTK on Wednesday. The Czech embassy in Yerevan will have only one employee, charge daffaires Petr Mikyska. Formally it will be subjected to the Czech embassy in Tbilisi in the neighbouring Georgia. Mikyska will deal with the political and economic agenda in Armenia and he will be prepared to provide help to any Czech citizen in need. Wed, 16 May 2012 18:33:00 +0200 http://www.visegradgroup.eu/main.php?folderID=1982&objectID=5043284&iid=1001 http://www.visegradgroup.eu/main.php?folderID=1982&objectID=5043284&iid=1001 The Czech government on Wednesday approved a plan on militarys participation in foreign missions in 2013-14, including a reduction of its presence in Afghanistan, according to CTKs information. Next year, up to 539 Czech soldiers are to be deployed in Afghanistan. In 2014 the figure is to be lowered to a maximum of 340. The plan presented by the Defence Ministry also counts with the deployment of 50 people and four Jas-39 Gripen aircraft in the aerial protection of Iceland. Wed, 16 May 2012 18:31:00 +0200 http://www.visegradgroup.eu/main.php?folderID=1982&objectID=5043286&iid=1001 http://www.visegradgroup.eu/main.php?folderID=1982&objectID=5043286&iid=1001 The European Commission was informed about the arrest of David Rath, a member of the Czech Chamber of Deputies and Central Bohemia regional governor, over bribery charges and it will closely watch the case, EC spokesman Frederic Vincent told CTK on Wednesday. Vincent said the EC would demand further information from Czech authorities and it would closely watch the issue in the weeks to come. The Czech police detained Rath on Monday evening. Along with him, detectives have started investigating another seven persons. Wed, 16 May 2012 18:29:00 +0200 http://www.visegradgroup.eu/main.php?folderID=1982&objectID=5043288&iid=1001 http://www.visegradgroup.eu/main.php?folderID=1982&objectID=5043288&iid=1001 The Czech government on Wednesday agreed with Ireland´s protocol to the Lisbon Treaty on certain guarantees, a source well-versed in the government meeting has told CTK. In 2008, Ireland rejected the Lisbon Treaty, regulating the rules of the EU´s functioning, in a referendum. The Irish approved the document only in a repeated referendum held in October 2009, under the Czech Republic´s EU presidency, after the EU member states pledged to provide certain guarantees for Ireland. Wed, 16 May 2012 18:25:00 +0200