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In his third New Year address since taking office, President Petr Pavel wished the ANO–SPD–Motorists government success in fulfilling its policy program. He said it was right to give the cabinet space at the start of its mandate, but made it clear that he would closely monitor its progress and weigh up whether its actions did not threaten democracy and its institutions, security, or the country’s ties with the free world.

President Pavel noted that the Czech Republic has a great deal to be proud of. Last year the country ranked among the fastest-growing economies in Europe, it remains one of the safest countries in the world and is also among the most generous nations in terms of charity and philanthropy. The president also praised Czech scientists who have achieved global success, for example in physics and biochemistry, Czech athletes, and examples of courage in civic life.

President Pavel furhter said he was concerned about divisions in society and urged citizens to work on rebuilding trust.

Mr. Pavel appealed to Czechs to resist populist rhetoric and to lift their eyes from the extremes they see daily on social media. He said that if people look at public affairs more thoughtfully, they will see that we all want similar things: decency, accessible healthcare, security, quality schools and a dignified life. He added that the overlap in these goals is so broad that it makes no sense for discord to become the country’s defining motto.

The speaker of the Chamber of Deputies and SPD party leader, Tomio Okamura, spoke out against providing further weapons to Ukraine in his New Year address posted on social media.

Okamura argued that arms should not be sent to “sustain a senseless war” saying that it was unacceptable to use money that belongs to Czech pensioners, people with disabilities or families with children to buy weapons and send them abroad simply because, in his words, pro-war propaganda demanded it. According to him, it is absurd to provide above-standard assistance to others when the country is, as he put it, unable to adequately care for its own people.

In the roughly ten-minute speech, Okamura wished everyone health and peace. He said he believed the Czech Republic should “jump off the Brussels train”, which he claimed is heading towards a third world war despite warnings from the US government.

From the New Year, electric car owners will no longer be able to park for free in Prague. As of January 1st they will pay half the rate charged to owners of cars with combustion engines. Drivers of plug-in hybrids will also start paying for parking. The change is intended, among other things, to free up space for residents, a move supported mainly by city districts. According to Deputy Mayor Jaromír Beránek, an all-Prague parking permit for electric vehicles could cost around 24,000 crowns per year.

The government will do everything it can to help unite Czech society, particularly on issues of pride and patriotism, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) said in a New Year address published on social media on January 1.

Mr. Babiš said he would like to see Czechs openly proud of their country and unafraid to show it. He described the Czech nation as hardworking, skilled and resilient, and one that has produced scientists, doctors, athletes, artists, inventors and entrepreneurs that it can rightly be proud of.

The prime minister said he would propose that March 30 be designated as the Day of the Czech Flag. It was on that date in 1920, that the Czechoslovak flag was officially adopted.

Babiš also expressed the hope that 2026 would be a year of peace. He criticised the rhetoric of some politicians who claim that war is inevitable, emphasizing that it is the duty of politicians to strive to bring conflicts to an end, since they only bring human suffering.

In his social media post, Babiš also listed measures approved by his cabinet since its appointment in mid-December. This includes rejecting the ETS 2 emissions trading system and the EU Migration Pact, approving a new building law and proposing savings across ministries.

The prime minister concluded his address by saying that 2026 would be a year of intensive work for his government. According to Babiš, the aim of the ANO–SPD–Motorists cabinet is to make the Czech Republic a country where people will be happy to live, work, do business and raise families.