News

Leaders of Czech coalition parties ANO, SPD, and the Motorists’ Party have signed a proposal to freeze politicians’ salaries at 2025 levels for the next five years, starting 1 January 2026, the Czech News Agency reports. The bill will be submitted to the Chamber of Deputies on Thursday, SPD leader and Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Tomio Okamura told journalists.

“We want the bill to be considered immediately, and for the Senate to meet without delay,” Okamura said. He also acknowledged that fast-tracking the proposal in the Chamber of Deputies could be blocked by the new opposition. The Senate, where outgoing government parties hold a majority, could present another obstacle.

Prague’s Deputy Mayor for Transport, Zdeněk Hřib (Pirates), outlined a package of measures aimed at improving traffic flow in the capital at a press conference on Wednesday. The city has recently come under heavy criticism for severe congestion and long traffic jams on key routes.

According to Hřib, four main steps could help the traffic situation: faster construction of roads, establishing clearer responsibility for road closures, prioritising the completion of the Prague Ring Road, and a better balance between car numbers and road capacity, potentially through low-emission zones.

Hřib will present the proposals to the City Assembly for approval on Thursday.

In its latest report, the Council of Europe’s independent expert committee responsible for monitoring the implementation of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (FCNM) has urged the Czech Republic to amend its laws to ensure better protection of minorities.

The report acknowledges measures taken by the Czech government, including revised school curricula, but notes that gaps remain due to inconsistent policies and limited resources. The committee highlighted slow compensation for illegally sterilised Roma women, ongoing school segregation, and rising hate speech targeting Roma and Ukrainian communities.

The committee also called on Czech authorities to continue combating prejudice and to ensure that minority communities can fully exercise the right to use their languages in dealings with public authorities.

President Petr Pavel and his wife Eva welcomed Albanian President Bajram Begaj and his wife Armanda at the Prague Castle, the Czech News Agency reported. The last visit by an Albanian president to Czechia took place in December 2008.

Czechia has long supported Albania’s bid to join the European Union and will fully back its ambition to become a member by 2030, President Pavel said during the presidents' meeting. He also praised Albania’s stance on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, noting that the country has clearly condemned the invasion and continues to support Ukraine, just as Czechia does.