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 Czech regions tended to benefit[1] from the free market reforms more than the Slovak ones. This, and a great 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 the 1st 1993, the Czech Republic and Slovakia emerged as separate independent nations and countries.
Apart from the problems with new administration, state symbols and pensions, other arose.
The Czech government got on with the economic reforms. At the forefront[2] of economic stabilization remained a market - based economy - it means mainly privatisation, development of the infrastructure and changes in industry.
After the separation, the Czech government passed a tax reform that was meant to improve the tax collection methods. Nevertheless, as expected, the tax reform led to an increase in the prices of basic goods and 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 privatisation, bankruptcies of private banks with suspicious transactions, "tunnelling", the behaviour of politicians which is reflected by the behaviour of people.
However, the Czech Republic became a member of NATO on March 12th, 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 had difficulties[3] with solving the problems of this country and now we had to solve or share the solutions of international problems and were ill prepared.
The Czech government also wants the Czech Republic to join the European Union. The country formally applied for membership[4] in the EU in 1996. But joining the EU is possible in 2003 or even later. It depends on whether this country will be well prepared or not. At first we have to fulfil the 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 on 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 advantages and disadvantages. Nobody has told us so far what it will be like.
Problems in health services
- problems with health care are spread all over the world
- low salaries of medical care workers aren't the main problem in the CR but there is also 16 thousand million crowns missing in the sector
- hospitals aren't able to pay for medicines because the insurance companies don't pay them
- the reorganization of the health care system should help 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 teacher salaries
- private schools with low standards are spreading
- not enough students because the birth-rate is decreasing
- teachers are also often unqualified
Housing problems
- a battle between tenants[5] and landlords because landlords prefer to rent their flats for more money to foreigners
- still not enough flats are built or reconstructed, many apartments are lost because of conversion into 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 the Temelin power plant and starting its operation - but problems remain
Social problems
- many people in big factories don't get their salaries because the managements of the factories haven't got any money to pay them
- regions with heavy industry are in a deep crisis at the moment
- unemployment
- racism in the Czech society
- the birth-rate is lower then the death rate
Other problems
- foreign trade
- criminality
- regional administration
- agriculture
- public transport
[1] těžit, mít prospěch z
[2] popředí
[3] potíže
[4] členství
[5] nájemník
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