Daily news summary

Social Democrats approve list of ministerial candidates

Leadership of the Social Democratic Party has approved the list of candidates nominated for ministerial functions in the future coalition government that may be formed by the Social Democrats and ANO party.

The Social Democrats insist on Miroslav Poche’s candidature as Foreign Minister, despite president Miloš Zeman’s disapproval. MEP Poche had openly supported Zeman’s opponent, Jiří Drahoš, in the recent presidential elections.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs should be headed by the leader of the Social Democratic Party, Jan Hamáček and the Ministry of Labour by the chairman of the party branch in the Vysočina region, Petr Krčál. Agriculture Ministry should be entrusted to the current president of the Agrarian Chamber, Miroslav Toman, while the mayor of the city of Olomouc, Antonín Staněk, should be appointed Minister of Culture.

Czech court recognises gay parents for the first time

The Czech supreme court has ruled for the first time that two gay partners should be legally recognised as the fathers of a surrogate child, the daily Mladá Fronta reported on Saturday.

The child was born a few months ago to a surrogate mother in California through artificial insemination. In its ruling, issued at the beginning of May, the Czech supreme court sustained a decision issued by a court in California, which recognised the two men as the baby girl’s parents.

Since 2006, gays and lesbians in the Czech Republic can live in an officially registered partnership. However, they are still prevented from adopting children as a couple, which means that the non-biological partner does not have the same legal rights to the child.

New auxiliary bishop ordained for Prague Archdiocese

Zdeněk Wasserbauer has been consecrated as the new auxiliary bishop of Prague Archdiocese. The ceremony, which was attended by hundreds of people, took place in St Vitus Cathedral at Prague Castle on Saturday.

The newly ordained bishop, who previously served as vicar general of the archdiocese, had been appointed to the office by Pope Francis in January this year.

Dozens of buildings open to public for Open House Prague

The fourth edition of the Open House festival gets underway in Prague on Saturday, allowing people to visit buildings and spaces which are otherwise inaccessible to the public.

A record 65 buildings, from historical sights to state-of-the art office buildings, will be open to the public over the weekend, including the former restaurant of the Brussels exhibition EXPO 58 or the original Zátka’s soda plant.

On the occasion of this year’s 100th anniversary of the founding of Czechoslovakia, the festival will also offer twenty buildings built between the World Wars, Tyrš House, the home of the Sokol movement.

Canoeist Fuksa wins gold at World Cup event in Hungary

The Czech Republic’s canoeist Martin Fuksa started the new season with a victory. The 25-year-old Czech won gold in the 1,000 meters race at the World Cup event in Szeged, Hungary on Saturday.

Over 24,000 people attend 53rd Prague-Prčice march

Over 24,400 people took part in the 53rd edition of the annual long-distance march between Prague and the central Bohemian town of Prčice on Saturday, which is the highest turnout since 1983.

Participants could choose in 16 different walks, the longest of which was 70 kilometers log. The traditional event, which takes place on the third weekend in May, was established in 1966 and enjoyed its heyday in the 1980s.

Weather

Sunday is expected to be mostly sunny with daytime highs ranging between 21 and 25 degrees Celsius.