Czech Republic Is Quite Different Country

2 July 2006, 10:35 - Politics
New Czech government is not yet established after the June parliamentary elections but Czech woke up into the different country. New legislation with substantial changes entered into the force from the 1 July 2006.

What changes the life of almost everybody is the new amendment to the law on traffic on road is sometimes described as a "road revolution". It changes the system of fines, which includes their rise, and introduces new system of penal points. If the driver reaches 12 or more penal points his driving licence is suspended for 12 month. To get it back he must pass the exam again.

The previous government expected that the new law helped to reduce the number of car accidents and death rates on Czech roads. Now it is too early to judge whether it helps, but the opposition - winner of the election - has just announced that it would revise the law after one year. The law is mostly seen as quite punishing.

Czech Republic introduces the new law of registered partnership for homosexual couples from 1 July.

Largest telecommunication operator - Cesky Telecom - that was the state monopoly during the communist era has been fully privatised and last year sold to Spanish Telefónica. The operator is changing name and fully merging with the largest mobile operator Eurotel. New name will be Telefónica O2 Czech Republic.

Eurotel is closing its NMT network (first generation of mobile site), predecessor of current GSM networks.

From the beginning of July the minimal wage is rising to almost 8000 CZK (285 EUR). Average wage in Czech Rep. is around 20000 CZK (715 EUR) - according to Czech Statistical Office.

And there are more changes in legislature - for example, in public tenders or in energy laws...

Who knows what these changes bring? Do politicians? Add your comment what impressed you on changes and if you feel them in the real life.