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The government has dismissed Ondřej Soška, commissioner general for the Czech Republic’s participation in Expo 2025, Foreign Minister Petr Macinka told reporters on Monday.

The Czech pavilion project in Osaka faced criticism last year over insufficient external funding and rising construction costs. Macinka said the project ended with a significant loss compared to the approved budget.

Soška rejected the claims, telling the Czech News Agency that his dismissal—just one day before the end of his mandate—was politically motivated and aimed at discrediting Czechia’s successful participation at the expo under the former administration. He maintained that the original planned budget of roughly CZK 500 million had not been exceeded.

The government has added Russian national Konstantin Rogač to the Czech national sanctions list, Foreign Minister Petr Macinka announced after Monday’s cabinet meeting.

According to Minister Macinka, Rogač holds a long-term residence permit in the Czech Republic and has been involved over the past three years in arranging insurance for oil tankers operating within Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet.” The fleet, used to transport Russian oil, is already subject to EU sanctions.

The Czech Republic will push for Konstantin Rogač to be placed on the EU sanctions list as well.

The Czech national sanctions list was created on the basis of the Czech Magnitsky Act approved by Parliament in 2022. It allows the government to impose sanctions on foreign entities violating human rights, supporting terrorism, or committing cybercrimes. The sanctions include asset-freezing and a ban on entering the country.

Police have confirmed the detention of a fifth suspect in connection with the arson attack on an LPP Holding arms factory hall in Pardubice. The detainee has been charged with participating in a terrorist attack, which carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison or an exceptional penalty. Three of the five suspects arrested have already been remanded in custody by a Pardubice district court, while a fourth – a U.S. national – is being held in pre-trial detention in Slovakia. The Czech authorities have filed a request for her extradition.

EU energy ministers are set to coordinate their response to rising energy costs, as the bloc grapples with market instability linked to the conflict in the Middle East.

While energy supply in the European Union remains relatively secure at this stage, the EU—as a net energy importer—is being significantly affected by high and volatile prices, according to a document prepared for Tuesday’s ministerial meeting.

The conflict poses a dual challenge for the EU: ensuring energy security while addressing a sharp rise in energy prices. The document stresses the importance of avoiding “uncoordinated and fragmented national responses” as well as market-disrupting signals. Measures with cross-border impacts, it warns, could further exacerbate market instability.

The talks will be held via a videoconference call, with the Czech Republic represented by Industry and Trade Minister Karel Havlíček.