News

Voters across Czechia are casting their ballots on Saturday in municipal elections and the first round of elections to one-third of seats Senate. Nearly 190,000 candidates are competing for approximately 62,000 seats on local councils, while 154 candidates are contesting 27 seats in the upper house of Parliament.

Polling stations will close at 2 p.m. Results from smaller municipalities are expected on Saturday evening, while complete results may not be available until early Sunday morning.

The second round of Senate elections will take place next weekend.

Hydropower plants on the Vltava River have produced just 40 to 50 percent of their long-term average electricity output this year due to drought and low water levels, energy group ČEZ said on Friday. All the plants remain in operation, but reduced river flows have severely limited production.

Water levels in reservoirs are also falling, prompting Central Bohemia and South Bohemia to introduce drought measures this week and reduce outflows from some dams. At Vrané near Prague, the river’s flow is currently just 28 cubic metres per second, while the Orlík power plant can generate electricity only from a flow of 15 cubic metres per second.

At Vrané, the plant’s two turbines can process up to 180 cubic metres of water per second. However, current flows are far below that capacity, ČEZ spokesperson Martin Schreier said.

The Presidential Office Archives has launched a new online exhibition featuring previously unseen documents and photographs from Václav Havel’s presidency. It focuses on his role as host to foreign leaders and includes correspondence with Queen Elizabeth II and records of meetings with the Dalai Lama and Pope John Paul II.

The exhibition is part of Havel Alive!, a festival marking what would have been the former Czech president’s 90th birthday. It also recalls the visit of US President Bill Clinton, whom Havel presented with a saxophone.

Other items include handwritten letters, media coverage, seating plans and state banquet menus, offering a glimpse into the diplomatic side of Havel’s presidency.

The Czech under-21 football team will face Turkey in a play-off for a place at next year’s European Championship, according to Friday’s draw at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland. The two-legged tie will begin in Turkey in November, with the return match in Czechia. The exact dates have yet to be confirmed.

Coach Michal Bílek’s side reached the play-offs after finishing second in their qualifying group. They will need to beat Turkey over the two legs to qualify for the final tournament.

The European Under-21 Championship will take place in Albania and Serbia from June 16 to July 3 next year. The Czechs are aiming to qualify for the tournament for the fourth consecutive time.