Czech Republic - Factors To Watch on March 23

                                
 PRAGUE, March 23 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press
reports and events to watch which may affect Czech financial
markets on Monday:
                                
 ALL TIMES GMT (Czech Republic: GMT + 1 hour)

======================== ECONOMIC DATA ========================
                                
 January industrial and construction data at 0800 GMT.
                                
 Real-time economic data releases....................<ECONCZ>
                                
 Previous stories on Czech data.............[CZ-RTRS-LEN-ECI]
                                
 Overview of economic data and forecasts..........<CZ/ECON15>
                                
 Updates on CEE currencies.............................[CEE/]
=========================== EVENTS =============================
                                
 PRAGUE - The Czech cabinet to hold a regular session. News
conference at 1200 GMT. 
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL]
                                
 
                                
 PRAGUE - Deadline for bids for Czech Airlines (CSA)
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-MRG]

                                
 PRAGUE - Skoda Auto, a unit of Germany's Volkswagen
<VOWG.DE>, to release 2008 results. News conference at 1000 GMT.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-AUT]

                                
 PRAGUE - Drug maker Zentiva <ZNTVsp.PR> to release 2008
results. News conference with CEO Jiri Michal and CFO Petr Sulc
at 1300 GMT.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-PHA]

                                
 LUXEMBURG - ECM Real Estate Investments <ECMPsp.PR> to
release 2008 results after markets hours. An investor conference
call at 1530 GMT.
                                
 Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-REA]
============================NEWS================================
                                
 CZECH GOVT MP WILL PUSH TO TOPPLE GOVT: A Czech ruling party
deputy piled pressure onto the minority government on Sunday
when he said he would try to get two party defectors to vote
with the opposition to oust the centre-right administration,
spelling trouble for Prague's current EU presidency.
                                
 Story: [ID:LM685029] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL]
                                
 
                                
 CZECH GOVT ISSUES: The main Czech opposition party has
called a no-confidence vote for next Tuesday to unseat Prime
Minister Mirek Topolanek halfway through Prague's EU presidency.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLK574632] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL]
                                
 
                                
 UNIPETROL SUTDOWN: Refinery Ceska Rafinerska said on Friday
it would shut its Kralupy unit in mid-April due to upgrades and
maintenance works.    
                                
 Story: [ID:nPRG001333] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-OIL]
                                
 
                                
 NEW 3-YEAR BOND: The Czech Finance Ministry said on Friday a
planned issue of a new 3-year government next month would take a
floating rate coupon.
                                
 Story: [ID:nPRG001332] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-DBT]
                                
 
                                
 WHAT HAPPENS IF CABINET FALLS: The Czech opposition has its
best chance ever to topple Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek in a
no-confidence vote next week, which could undermine Prague's EU
presidency as the bloc tries to fight the economic crisis.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLK346898] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL]
                                
 
                                
 OPPOSITION WANTS GOVT COMPLETE EU TERM:  The Czech minority
government should be allowed to complete its six-month term as
EU president even if parliament votes to oust it next week,
opposition chief Jiri Paroubek said.
                                
  Story: [ID:nLK939094] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-POL]
                                
 
                                
 FX CUT LOSSES: Emerging European currencies reversed early
losses against the euro on Friday to move higher on the day, but
generally drifted ahead of a round of central bank meetings
starting next week.
                                
 Story: [ID:nLK287772] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-FRX]
                                
 
                                
 SKODA POSTPONES EXPANSION: Volkswagen's <VOWG.DE> Czech
brand Skoda has delayed its plans to enter the ASEAN market that
include Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines with
their sales potential of about 1.8 million vehicles.
                                
 Story: [ID:nL4690280 ] Related news: [RTRS-LEN-CZ-AUT]
 ---------------------- MARKET SNAPSHOT ------------------------
 Index/Crown Currency  Latest    Prev    Pct change   Pct change
                                
                              close   on day       in 2008
 Czech Equities  <.PX> 0,000.0  0,730.0   +0.00       -100.00
 vs Euro     <EURCZK=>  26.675   24.965   -6.41         -0.66
 vs Dollar      <CZK=>  19.405   18.447   -5.03         -6.46
 U.S. Equities  <.DJI>  07,278   07,401   -1.65        -45.13
 Pvs close or current levels vs prior domestic close at 1500

===========================PRESS DIGEST=========================
                                
 CZECH FINMIN: Czech Finance Minister Miroslav Kalousek said
he was puzzled by steps the U.S. administration makes to fight
the financial crisis. He said policies of the U.S. Treasury
Department and the Fed would lead to high inflation which would
help the country pay off its huge debt.
                                
 E15, page 16
                                
 
                                
 CSA SALE: A consortium of Czech firms Unimex Group and
Travel Service, majority owned by Icelandair <ICEAIR.IC>, have
filed a bid to buy Czech Airlines CSA. Russia's Aeroflot
<AFLT.MM> and Air France-KLM <AIRF.PA> have already said they
would bid.
                                
 E15, page 10
                                
 
                                
 CEZ: Czech power group CEZ <CEZPsp.PR> plans to build a 660
MW power plant in Germany near coal mines Mibrag that it has
bought jointly with Czech financial group J&T.
                                
 Hospodarske Noviny, page 16
                                
 
                                
 OPPOSITION LEADER: The main opposition party Social
Democrats re-elected Jiri Paroubek as its chairman on Saturday.
Paroubek said he wanted early election in autumn or spring in
the even the opposition succeeds in toppling the centre-right
Mirek Topolanek cabinet in a no-confidence motion in Tuesday.
                                
 Mlada Fronta Dnes/Saturday, page 1, Hospodarske Noviny, page
3
                                
 Reuters has not verified the media reports, nor does it
vouch for their accuracy.
                                
 
 For Instant Views of key economic data click on    [CZ/INSTANT]
 For summary of economic data and forecasts          <CZ/ECON01>
 For diary of forthcoming Czech events                [CZ/DIARY]
 For calendar of east European economic indicators  [CONV/DIARY]
 TOP NEWS -- Emerging markets                         [TOP/EMRG]
 TOP NEWS -- Convergence watch                        [TOP/EAST]

 For an economic indicator diary for the euro zone, the United
 States and other Group of Seven countries see         <G7TODAY>

 For real-time stock market index quotes click in brackets:
 Warsaw WIG20 <.WIG20>  Budapest BUX <.BUX>  Prague PX <.PX>

                                
 News editor of the day: Jan Lopatka on +420 224 190 474;
fax: +420 224 229 935
                                
 E-mail: prague.newsroom@reuters.com
                                
  (Compiled by Jason Hovet)