Daily news summary
PM Sobotka: Government’s stability allows it to undertake unpopular steps
Nine months after its appointment, the Czech government is stable and can rely on sufficient support in Parliament, Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka said in a statement marking a year since a snap general election. The government’s stability allows it to undertake unpopular measures including labour market and education reforms, the prime minister said. The government has successfully launched a public administration reform but should improve tax collecting and curb crime, according to Mr Sobotka.
Report: more than half of Czech population affected by air pollution
Despite an overall improvement in the quality of air in the Czech Republic, more than half of the country’s population is affected by air pollution, according to a report on air pollution in 2013 released by the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute. The report says that at least one emission limit is regularly exceed on 17.5 percent of the country’s territory, an area inhabited by over 54 percent of the population. The north-eastern Ostrava region is worst affected, followed by the urban agglomerations of Prague and Brno.
Press: Slovak PM Fico among those set to receive Czech state decoration
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is among those set to receive Czech state decoration on October 28, the country’s Independence Day, the daily Mladá fronta dnes reported. Mr Fico will be decorated for his contribution to friendship between the Czech and Slovak nations, the paper said, adding that Mr Zeman and Mr Fico are personal friends. The president’s office has not released the list of people set to receive the state honours on Tuesday but according to media reports, the president will among others decorate Sir Nicholas Winton who saved hundreds of Jewish children from the Holocaust, and filmmaker Robert Sedláček who made a documentary about Mr Zeman before he became president.
ANO to head České Budějovice city hall
The ANO party in the southern city of České Budějovice has struck a deal with TOP 09, the Christian Democrats and the local grouping Citizens for Budějovice to form a coalition at the city hall, the local ANO party leader, Jiří Svoboda said. ANO won the local elections there two weeks ago; the Social Democrats, who came in second, were excluded from the coalition over their exaggerated demands, according to Mr Svoboda.
D8 motorway tunnels closed over lighting issues
Two tunnels on the north Bohemian D8 motorway between Prague and the German border have been closed over problems with their lighting systems, the Czech road directorate said. The Panenská and Libouchec tunnels near Ústí nad Labem were closed at 5:30 PM on Saturday, and traffic in both directions is being diverted to alternate routes. It’s not clear when the tunnels will reopen.
Czech TV drama wins Prix Europa award
The television film Osmy (Wisdom Teeth or Eights), produced by Czech Television, has won the Prix Europa 2014 award for best TV drama. The film, set in communist Czechoslovakia in 1980, follows the main character’s personal as well as political misfortunes. The jury said it was hilarious, and created black but warm-hearted absurd humour. The film is to premiere on Czech TV in December.
Daylight saving time ends on Sunday morning
Daylight saving time in the Czech Republic and other European countries ends at 3 AM on Sunday when clocks go back 60 minutes. The change will affect 13 night trains which will stop and wait for an hour at the stations to depart according to their regular schedules. Night public transport connections in Prague will not be affected by the change as they will complete their routes according to daylight saving time.
