• 10/08/2025

    Thursday should be partly cloudy to overcast with scattered showers and day temperatures between 12 and 17 degrees Celsius.

  • 10/08/2025

    ANO leader Andrej Babiš told reporters that next year’s state budget deficit could exceed the planned 286 billion crowns, since as much as 80 billion crowns was missing in the current government draft. He urged the outgoing cabinet to address the issue, noting that his government will not take office until the end of the year. The outgoing administration submitted its draft budget at the last possible date, on September 30. Former finance minister Alena Schillerová, who is likely to take up the post once again, warned that the country may start the year under a provisional budget and said the proposal drafted by Finance Minister Zbyněk Stanjura would need to be "completely reworked.”

  • 10/08/2025

    ANO leader Andrej Babiš says he hopes to seal a coalition deal with the SPD and the Motorists’ party by next Friday. He also expects agreement on the distribution of posts in parliamentary committees by that time.

    Under the proposed setup for the next Czech government, the Motorists would oversee the foreign affairs, environment, and culture ministries. The SPD will propose experts for two to three ministerial portfolios.

    Babiš also expressed confidence that a coalition agreement will be finalized before the first session of the new Chamber of Deputies, convened by President Petr Pavel for November 3.

  • 10/08/2025

    Former Prague Archbishop, Cardinal Dominik Duka underwent emergency surgery on Monday, the Prague Archdiocese announced on X. The 82-year-old cardinal is currently in stable condition. In an afternoon post, Duka thanked the public for their prayers.

  • 10/08/2025

    The military junta of Burkina Faso has detained eight members of a non-governmental humanitarian organization, including one Czech and two French nationals. They are accused of espionage and treason for allegedly gathering security information without authorization, AFP reported.

    The Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the news, saying it was in contact with the Czech national's family and is considering ways to provide consular assistance.

  • 10/08/2025

    Prime Minister Petr Fiala announced on X that he will not seek re-election as chairman of the Civic Democratic Party (ODS). The party’s executive council is now debating its next steps following the governing Spolu coalition’s (ODS, TOP 09, KDU-ČSL) defeat in last weekend’s parliamentary elections.

    A party congress, initially scheduled for April, may be moved up to January, a proposal put forward by the ODS presidium on Saturday. Some party members are calling for a broader change-of-guard in the party leadership.

  • 10/08/2025

    Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) leader Tomio Okamura has come under fire for threatening to remove the police president from office because he had allegedly stood by and allowed Okamura to be charged with inciting hatred through the distribution of posters with racist or xenophobic undertones.

    Okamura said on Tuesday that if his party were to gain control of the Interior Ministry in a future government, he would move to replace the current police president, Martin Vondrášek.

    Opposition leader Andrej Babiš described Tomio Okamura’s call to replace the national police president as “highly inappropriate”.  Members of the outgoing coalition have slammed Okamura for “brutal pressure on law enforcement and attempts to intimidate the police”.

    The outgoing interior Minister Vít Rakušan said on X that while it is not surprising that Okamura should consider such a step it is sad that he dares to say it out aloud.

    The court has requested the Czech Chamber of Deputies to lift Tomio Okamura’s parliamentary immunity so that he may face criminal prosecution.

  • 10/07/2025

    The court has once again asked the Czech Chamber of Deputies to lift the parliamentary immunity of Tomio Okamura, leader of the Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) party, so that he may face criminal prosecution. Police accuse Okamura and his party of inciting hatred through the distribution of posters with racist or xenophobic undertones.

    The outgoing Chamber approved Okamura’s prosecution in February, after which police formally charged him. In early August, the state prosecutor filed an indictment. The case was assigned to the District Court for Prague 1, but before the court could rule, the October elections granted Okamura a renewed parliamentary mandate and new immunity.

    Alongside Okamura, the SPD movement itself has been indicted as a legal entity. According to sources, the prosecutor is not seeking a ban on the party’s activities or prison time for its leader, but rather an alternative penalty—likely a suspended sentence or a financial fine.

    On Tuesday, Okamura stated that if his party were to gain control of the Interior Ministry in a future government, he would move to replace the current Police President, Martin Vondrášek.

  • 10/07/2025

    European Union governments have agreed to limit the movement of Russian diplomats within the bloc, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday, describing the move as a response to a surge in sabotage attempts allegedly linked to Russian agents operating under diplomatic cover.

    Under the proposed rules, Russian diplomats stationed in EU member states would be required to notify host governments of their travel plans before crossing into another EU country.

    The initiative — championed by the Czech Republic — forms part of a new package of sanctions being prepared by Brussels in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The measures require unanimous approval. According to the FT, Hungary, the last EU member to oppose the plan, has now lifted its veto, paving the way for adoption.

  • 10/07/2025

    Filip Turek of the Motorists party has confirmed that the party is interested in three specific ministerial posts in the emerging cabinet. In an interview for Czech Television, he said that the party would like to see its leader Petr Macinka as the country’s environment minister and its newly elected MP Oto Klempíř as culture minister. Turek himself is aspiring to the post of foreign minister.

    While the Motorists are seeking maximum involvement in government decision-making, Turek emphasized that policy alignment with ANO and SPD remains the party’s chief priority in coalition talks.

    Meanwhile,  SPD (Freedom and Direct Democracy Party)  leader Tomio Okamura has said his party would like to select experts for one or two ministerial posts, while he himself is aspiring to the post of lower house speaker.

    Negotiations are still underway.

Pages