Freedom in the World 1999 - Czech Republic

1999 Scores

Status: Free
Freedom Rating: 1.5
Civil Liberties: 2
Political Rights: 1

Overview

Despite the Czech Republic's accession to NATO and its halting but inevitable march towards membership in the European Union (EU), the country's continued recession preoccupied citizens and politicians throughout 1999.

The Czech Republic emerged in 1993 after the peaceful dissolution of Czechoslovakia, which had been created in 1918 after the Austro-Hungarian Empire's collapse. Czechoslovak president Vaclav Havel, a leading anti-Communist dissident and playwright, was elected Czech president. At that time, Premier Vaclav Klaus and his pro-market Civic Democratic Union (ODS) led a four-party coalition that had won control of the Czech parliament in 1992. In the 1996 parliamentary elections, the ODS and coalition partners from the Christian Democratic Union and the Civic Democratic Alliance won only 99 of 200 seats, with the opposition Social Democrats (CSSD), led by Milos Zeman, winning 61 seats, or four times its 1992 returns. The unreconstructed Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia won 22 seats, and the ultranationalist Republican Party won 18. There is 1 independent.

In 1997, a sluggish economy and allegations of corruption led to a sharp drop in Prime Minister Klaus's popularity. In November, Klaus resigned and the government collapsed after the Christian Democrats and the Civic Democratic Alliance left the ruling coalition amid the ODS's admission that it had received a substantial donation from a businessman involved with a steel firm privatized by the Klaus government. President Havel asked central bank governor Josef Tosovsky to form a caretaker government. In January 1998, the government announced that new elections would be held in June.

The June 1998 elections were a close contest between the CSSD and the ODS and in July the two parties reached a surprise deal to allow Zeman to form a minority left-wing government. In exchange, the ODS won the posts of speaker in both houses of parliament and the chairmanships of several key committees. Prime Minister Zeman was formally appointed by President Havel on July 17.

In February 1999, the Czech Republic joined NATO. Parliament also ratified the EU social charter in July. Some analysts forecasted 2005 as the Czech Republic's EU admission date, as the lagging Czech economy raised parliamentary debate about increased opt-out options as a requirement for EU accession. A new government in Slovakia prompted the Czech government to begin talks in July aimed at normalizing relations between the two countries. The Czech economy continued to be hampered by stagnation and high exchange rates that hurt export growth. Unemployment climbed to 8.4 percent in July, and at the end of the month the International Monetary Fund (IMF) issued reports expressing strong concern about the economy's poor performance.

Political Rights and Civil Liberties

Czech citizens can change their government democratically under a multiparty system. The 1998 elections were free and fair.

Freedoms of expression and media are respected. Defamation of the president and slander of government officials and departments are prohibited by law. Print media are diverse and independent. In July, a controversial press law was passed by parliament and sent to committee for modification. Czech and international press freedom advocates claim the law will put unnecessary financial and disclosure restrictions on Czech publications and journalists. There are 60 private radio stations in addition to Czech public radio.

Freedom of religion is respected. Issues regarding restitution of church property seized by the Communists remain unresolved. In June 1999, the deadline for property transfers expired and an estimated 150 million to 300 million crowns worth of property remained under the control of individuals and groups affiliated with the former Communist Party. Freedoms of assembly and demonstration are respected, although permits are generally required for rallies.

More than 50 political parties have emerged since 1989, but most are small and have no national structures. In the 1998 election, 13 parties fielded candidates, but only five passed the five percent threshold required to gain seats in parliament. In 1999, political commentators expressed concern that Czech politics was becoming a limited, entrenched two-party system dominated by the ODS and CSSD.

Most unionized workers belong to the Czech-Moravian Chamber of Trade Unions, which was established in 1990 and includes approximately 35 unions. Approximately two-thirds of all workers are members of a union.

The judiciary is independent in law and practice, but court delays and a lack of experienced judges remain problems. There are few reports of abuses by security forces and police, although Roma (Gypsies) have complained of police and judicial indifference to bias and hate crimes. In June 1999, advocates for the country's Roma population filed discrimination suits against the state. In July, the government passed EU-based legislation to promote better relations among the country's ethnic groups. In August and October, the EU issued criticisms of federal and local policies towards the Roma, who number between 200,000 and 300,000 and suffer disproportionately high levels of poverty, illiteracy, and unemployment.

Czech citizens have the freedom to travel and the right to choose their residence and employment. In July the parliament passed legislation that restored citizenship to all those, including Roma groups, who had had lost their citizenship between 1948 and 1990. Property rights are guaranteed under the constitution and by law. In April 1999, the government acknowledged the failure of voucher schemes in the early 1990s, which led to an inefficient and occasionally corrupt privatization process. In May, the government began to prepare large, money-losing state banks for privatization. In July, 50.8 percent of the state telecom company was offered to international investors in the country's biggest share flotation.

Despite structural economic problems, the country's market system allows for equality of opportunity. Women are guaranteed equal rights and face no overt discrimination in employment, government service, or education.