The Czech Republic today - current problems

Most of the current problems in the Czech Republic rise from the Czech history. The Czechoslovak economy was under the state monopoly for 40 years of communism. After 1989 it had to undergo many changes to be reconstructed into the prosperous free market system.

We can see that the changes weren't so easy as we had thought. In the early 1990s the Czechs regions more than the Slovak ones tended to benefit free market reforms. This, and greater Slovak desire for autonomy, led to problems in the federal government. It soon became clear that no form of federal government could satisfy the desires of the two republics. On January 1, 1993, the Czech Republic and Slovakia emerged as separate independent nations and countries. Besides problems with new administration, state symbols pensions and others arose.

The Czech government gets on with the economic reforms. At the forefront of economic stabilization remained a market - based economy - it means mainly privatization, development of infrastructure and changes in industry.
After separation, the Czech government instituted tax reform that was meant to improve tax collection methods. Nevertheless, as expected, the tax led to increase the prices of basic goods and some inflation.

We try to follow the principles of democracy but still there is a lack of moral and political culture in the Czech society - frauds in privatization, bankruptcies of private banks with suspicious transactions, "tunneling", behavior of politicians which is reflected in the behavior of people.

However, the Czech Republic became a member of NATO on March 12, 1999. It was a remarkable step for our nation. We could see it a week later when the conflict in Kosovo culminated. Our politicians weren't able to express their opinions clearly. What they said was confusing. We have problems with solutions of problems of this country and now we have to solve or share at solutions of international problems and we are not well prepared.
The Czech government also wants the Czech Republic to join the European Union. The country formally applied for membership of the EU in 1996. But joining the EU is possible in 2003 or even later. It depends whether this country will be well prepared or not. At first we have to fulfil standards of unemployment rates, inflation, laws and so on to be strong enough to join the EU and to accept the free market, free trade and common currency.
Nevertheless, everyone has a different opinion of the prospective membership of the EU. Who will decide whether the Czech Republic will join the EU or not? Should it be consulted in a referendum? There are both positives and negatives. Nobody has told us so far what they will be like.

PROBLEMS IN HEALTH SERVICE
- problems with health care are spread all over the world
- low salaries of medical care workers aren't the main problem in CR but there is also 16 thousand million crowns missing in the sector
- hospitals aren't able to pay for medicine because the insurance companies don't pay it
- the reorganization of health care system should help in solving this situation

SYSTEM OF EDUCATION
- the work of teachers is undervalued
- some of them are forced to look for extra work, because they can't live only on their teachers salaries
- spread of private schools of which approve to be not very high quality
- not enough students because the birthrate is decreasing
- teachers are also often unqualified

HOUSING PROBLEMS
- a battle between tenants and landlords because landlords rather rent a flat costly to foreigners
- still not enough flats are built or reconstructed, many apartments are lost because of conversion into a commercial spaces every year

ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS
- we don't know what to do with thermal-power plants, which are polluting our land
- the government approved of finishing construction of Temelin and starting of its operation - but problems remain

SOCIAL PROBLEMS
- many people in big factories don't get their salaries because management's of the factories haven't got any money for them
- regions with heavy industry are in deep crisis at the moment
- unemployment
- racism in Czech society
- the birthrate is lower then the deathrate

OTHER PROBLEMS
- foreign trade
- criminality
- regional administration
- agriculture
- public transport