• Tripartite to discuss capping retirement age at 65
    03/09/2026

    Government representatives, trade unions and employers are set to discuss a proposal to cap the retirement age at 65, overturning a move by the previous administration, and allow earlier pensions for more people in hazardous occupations.

    The three parties of the ruling coalition (ANO, SPD and the Motorists’ party) promised to dismantle cost-cutting measures to the system introduced by the previous government. The proposals include setting the retirement age at 65, restoring pension indexation to half of real wage growth instead of one third, increasing pensions for people who continue working after retirement, and raising pensions according to age.

    According to Labour Minister Jan Juchelka the law could take effect next year, with some measures introduced gradually.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • President Pavel considering second term in office
    03/09/2026

    President Pavel said on Sunday that he would seriously consider running for a second presidential term if he has sufficient public support and remains in good health.

    In an interview with Czech Television marking three years in office, he stopped short of confirming his candidacy. Pavel said one factor in his decision was his expectation that other strong candidates from across the political spectrum would emerge during his first term. “No such candidate has appeared so far, so I have no choice but to seriously consider it,” he said. The next presidential election in the Czech Republic will take place in 2028.
    Author: Daniela Lazarová

  • Weather forecast
    03/09/2026

    Tuesday should be mainly overcast in Czechia, with an average high temperature of 14 degrees Celsius.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Slavia beat Sparta in Prague derby to extend league lead to 10 points
    03/09/2026

    Slavia Prague came from behind to beat Sparta Prague 3:1 at home in Czech football’s top flight on Sunday evening. The outcome of the Prague derby leaves Slavia 10 points clear at the top of the league table with 25 rounds played.

    Slavia, who are defending champions, are the only unbeaten team in the division this season and need only five points from their remaining five games to secure top spot ahead of the playoffs.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Pavel: Defence spending cut may cost Czechs credibility among allies
    03/09/2026

    The Czech president, Petr Pavel, says the country risks losing credibility among allies due to a reduction in spending on defence. Speaking to Czech Television on the eve of the third anniversary of his inauguration, the head of state said it was not possible to enjoy security at the expense of others.

    The recently appointed Czech government is planning to cut defence spending this year to the equivalent of 1.8 percent of gross domestic product. It says there are no funds to increase outlay on defence as it must fulfil other budgetary priorities.

    Last week the US ambassador to Prague, Nicholas Merrick, said the amount Czechia planned to spend on defence would leave it far below its commitments from a NATO summit in the Hague last year (5 percent of GDP), and even below a pledge from another meeting in Cardiff in 2014 (2 percent).
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Macinka: Repatriation flights have brought around 1,400 Czechs back from Middle East
    03/08/2026

    Repatriation flights have brought around 1,400 people back to Czechia from the Middle East since conflict erupted in the region, the minister of foreign affairs, Petr Macinka, said on CNN Prime News on Sunday. He said nearly 200 people had returned from Dubai on Saturday night.

    Mr. Macinka said around 180 Czechs were currently stranded in Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh and about 140 in Qatar. As of Sunday, approximately 3,750 Czech citizens in the Middle East are listed in the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ voluntary registration system, though their number is constantly falling.

    In addition to repatriation flights, Czechs are returning to the country on partially restored commercial flights, the minister told journalists.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Politics debate show host Václav Moravec quits Czech Television on air
    03/08/2026

    Václav Moravec, the presenter of the main political debate show on public broadcaster Czech Television, announced he was leaving the station live on air on Sunday. At the end of Václav Moravec’s Questions he told viewers that it was his last appearance and that he could not guarantee the show’s editorial independence.

    One of the guests on Sunday’s programme had been Tomio Okamura, head of government party Freedom and Direct and Democracy; Mr. Moravec had not invited the far-right politician as a guest for nine years.

    The well-known moderator had been critical of Czech Television in recent interviews, which followed the removal of Hana Andělová as main editor of Václav Moravec’s Questions. Mr. Moravec had been the face of the programme, and one of the best-known figures at Czech Television, for over two decades.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Survey: ANO way ahead, Mayors in front of Civic Democrats in second
    03/08/2026

    The ANO party of Prime Minister Andrej Babis would have come first in elections in February with 34.5 percent of the vote, suggests a poll conducted by the Kantar agency for Czech Television published on Sunday. The Mayors and Independents would have come second on 15.5 percent, ahead of another opposition party, the Civic Democrats, who headed the last government, on 14.5 percent.

    Coalition parties Freedom and Direct Democracy and the Motorists would have gained 6.5 percent and 5 percent, respectively. The Pirates enjoyed 9 percent support last month. Meanwhile a new party named Our Czechia would have got 3.5 percent and thus failed to reach the threshold of 5 percent.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • President Pavel enjoys 57 percent approval three years after inauguration
    03/08/2026

    Three years after his inauguration, the Czech president, Petr Pavel, enjoys the trust of 57 percent of the nation, suggests a poll by the STEM agency published by iRozhlas.cz on Sunday. His approval rating stood at 60 percent months after he took office; it has since fallen but has remained above 50 percent throughout his term, the news site said.

    The level of trust in the head of state is, the poll indicates, higher than a year ago, which analysts attribute to the engaged role Mr. Pavel played in appointing the current government. At the same time, almost half of those surveyed said he was overly interfering in the political system.

    The president, who has two years of his mandate remaining, enjoys most support among young people.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • CT: Czech government to ignore US calls for higher defence spending
    03/08/2026

    The Czech government is set to ignore US calls to increase spending on defence from the announced CZK 155 billion, which amounts to 1.73 percent of GDP, Czech Television reported. The heads of all three coalition parties confirmed this ahead of a final vote on the 2026 state budget planned for next Wednesday.

    Speaking at a security conference on Thursday, the US ambassador to Prague, Nicholas Merrick, said the amount Czechia planned to spend on defence would leave it far below its commitments from a NATO summit in the Hague last year (5 percent of GDP), and even below a pledge from another one in Cardiff in 2014 (2 percent).

    The government headed by Andrej Babiš says there is no money to increase defence spending as it must fulfil other budgetary priorities.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

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