News

Agnieszka Holland’s film Franz, about Prague author Franz Kafka, has received the most nominations for this year’s Czech Lion Awards, with a total of fifteen. The film Broken Voices, directed by Ondřej Provazník, follows with thirteen nominations, while Zuzana Kirchnerová’s Caravan earned eleven.

Also competing for Best Film of the Year are Summer School, 2001 and Promise, I’ll Be Fine.

The nominations were announced on Monday by the Czech Film and Television Academy. The Czech Lion Awards ceremony will take place on March 14 at the Prague Congress Centre.

The ANO, SPD and Motorists coalition has decided that Czechia will not sell L-159 aircraft to Ukraine. SPD leader Tomio Okamura said after a meeting of coalition leaders that while the jets have low residual value, their combat value remains high. He added that replacing them would cost far more than any sale and that the army still needs the aircraft.

President Petr Pavel said on Sunday that Ukraine had proposed buying the L-159s, calling it an opportunity for Czech manufacturer Aero Vodochody. He added that providing four aircraft from the army’s fleet of twenty-four would pose an acceptable level of risk.

Okamura emphasized that the jets are not surplus equipment but part of the Czech military’s active arsenal, adding that even the general staff had previously questioned whether they should be transferred.

A plane carrying Czech national Jan Darmovzal, who was imprisoned for 16 months by the Venezuelan authorities, landed in Prague on Sunday evening, the Czech News Agency reported.

Darmovzal was released alongside several other foreign detainees following the dramatic US military operation that saw Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife taken from the country to the US.

Czech Foreign Minister Petr Macinka (Motorists) confirmed that the Czech aircraft also brought back three other former prisoners of the Venezuelan regime — citizens of Poland, Romania and Ireland.

The Civic Democrats (ODS) elected a largely new leadership at its weekend congress in Prague. The opposition party chose former transport minister Martin Kupka as its new leader, replacing former prime minister Petr Fiala after 12 years at the helm.

Kupka was joined in the party leadership by Prague 9 mayor Tomáš Portlík, who was elected first deputy chairman. Delegates also elected MP Karel Haas, former environment minister Pavel Drobil, Senator Martin Červíček, and MEP Alexandr Vondra as vice-chairmen.

Kupka said ODS would ensure continuity while modernising the party and strengthening its distinct brand within the Spolu alliance. He stated that the party would focus on the middle class and entrepreneurs, advocate lower taxes on labour, and push for reforms in healthcare and education.

The party also reaffirmed its pro-Western orientation, expressing continued support for Ukraine and backing the modernisation of national defence.