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The European Commission has approved Czechia’s fifth request for payment from the EU recovery fund, worth €614 million, the Commission said in a statement. The money, expected to be paid in March, comes from the Recovery and Resilience Facility and targets projects focused on affordable housing, sustainable mobility and railway infrastructure. According to the Commission, Czechia has satisfactorily met 29 milestones and targets. Key measures include new legislation on affordable housing, the purchase of zero-emission vehicles and energy-efficient renovations of buildings. The funds are part of the EU’s post-pandemic recovery programme NextGenerationEU, through which Czechia is implementing its national recovery plan.

Most Czechs visit churches or other religious buildings mainly as part of sightseeing trips, while only a minority go primarily for worship, according to a January survey by polling agency STEM/MARK. Tourism and monument visits were cited by 95% of respondents, followed by the search for peace, quiet and atmosphere. Only 23% said they attend church mainly for religious services. About 70% of people visit church buildings at least occasionally, more often women, older people and those with higher education. Analysts noted that even among believers, worship was a weaker motivation than the desire for calm or cultural events.

Political tensions between the governing parties and the opposition escalated as the opposition moved forward with a no-confidence vote despite admitting it lacks the numbers to bring down the cabinet. Civic Democrats leader Martin Kupka said the move was a necessary response to what he described as unacceptable behaviour by Foreign Minister Petr Macinka (for Motorists), tolerated by Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO party leader). He said the issue went beyond Macinka’s text messages to President Petr Pavel, which he labelled as blackmailing, and reflected the broader governing style of the ANO–SPD–Motorists’ coalition. ANO dismissed the vote as opposition tactics aimed at blocking parliamentary work, though it acknowledged the opposition’s democratic right to call it.

Blood reserves in Czech hospitals are thinning as the number of donors continues to fall, with younger people failing to replace an ageing donor base, according to an analysis by Seznam Zprávy. The Czech Republic has around 230,000 regular blood donors, well below the roughly 300,000 recommended by the World Health Organization. Around 30,000 donors leave the system each year due to age or health reasons. Hospitals warn that the system is increasingly fragile, particularly during holidays and flu seasons. While Czechia is a global leader in commercial plasma collection, experts stress that plasma cannot replace whole blood and platelets needed for lifesaving treatment.