CZECH REPUBLIC 1999
Back to the Drawing Board

Contents

I. General Information
Major Political and Economic Events in 1999
An economic Summary of 1999
I.1 History
I.2 Geography
Membership in NATO
I.3 Population
The Wall in Usti: Unresolved Problems of the Romany Minority
I.4 Economy: Ten Years of Transformation

II. Political Transformation of the Czech Society
II.1 Last Years of Czechoslovakia
Czech and Slovak Parliamentary Parties after the 1992 Elections
II.2 Constitutional System after the Separation
State Representatives in 1999
II.3 Electoral System
Major Political Parties in 1999
II.5 Regional Administration
Local Governments

III. Macroeconomy
III.1 Gross Domestic Product
Structure of Gross Value Added
III.2 Inflation
Inflation targeting
Was there a steep decline in output?
III.3 Investments
III.4 Foreign Direct Investment
Foreign Direct Investment and Investment Climate in 1999
Did we achieve achievable?
III.5 State Budget
Mandatory Expenditure Squeeze
III.6 Exchange Rate
Structural Breaks in Exchanges Rates of the CEE countries

IV. Microeconomy
IV.1 Current Privatization Status
Liberalization of the Energy Sector: Electricity
IV.2 Enterprise Restructuring
Regulatory Environment
Privatization Still Ahead
IV.3 Bank Privatization Issues
IV.4 Czech Capital Markets
Relationship between Stock Market Returns and Economic Factors for Visegrad Countries
Credit Union Crisis
A Note on the Efficiency of Czech Financial Markets

V. Foreign Trade
V.1 Exports and Imports by Groups of the Countries
V.2 Exports and Imports by Commodity Groups
Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA)

VI. Work and Pay
VI.1 Age structure and Trends
A Ticking Bomb: Pensions
VI.2 Unemployment
VI.3 Wages
Changes in Minimum Wages and the Work Act
Did Wage Grids Survive the Transition?
VI.4 Welfare
Not Rich Enough for Our Welfare System

VII. Ecology
VII.1 Environmental Legislation and the EU
VII.2 Wastes and Pollution
Global Cooperation

VIII. Czech Republic on its Way to the European Union
VIII.1 From Trade Co-operation and Association to Full Membership
CEEC Enlargement
Accession Negoriations and European Commissions Assessment
VIII.2 Czech Republic and Convergence Criteria
VIII.3 The European Union as a Major Trading Partner of the Czech Republic
VIII.4 Regional Reform and European Regions in the Czech Republic

IX. Comparative Statics

X. Forecasts

CERGE-EI Working Papers 1999.
CERGE Discussion Papers 1999
CERGE-EI Discussion Papers 1999

Editors:
Jan Hanousek and Daniel Munich

Authors:
Stepan Cabelka (part III, IV)
Loren Easton (part IV, V)
Jan Hanousek (part I, II, III, IV, V)
Martin Jarolim (part III)
Stepan Jurajda (part VI)
Evzen Kocenda (part III, IV)
Lubomir Lizal (part I, II, IV, VII)
Daniel Munich (part III, VI)
Richard Podpiera (part IV, IX, X)
Vit Sorm (part V)
Eva Tosovska (part VIII)
Frantisek Turnovec (part I, II, VIII)

Editorial assistant:
Michael Kunin

English editing:
Sarah Peck