• 10/02/2023

    In less than a month, people will no longer be able to buy flavoured tobacco in shops and at newsstands, the news site Novinky reported.  The ban, which applies to all EU member states from October 23, is part of the Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan which aims to create a tobacco-free generation, where less than 5% of the population will use tobacco products by 2040, compared to around 25% today. Czechia’s National Drugs Coordinator Jindřich Vobořil, who does not consider bans to be an ideal strategy in fighting addictions, says he is concerned that many smokers in this country will go back to regular cigarettes.

  • 10/02/2023

    A law tightening the rules for early retirement came into force on October 1. People can no longer retire five years ahead of their scheduled retirement date, but only three, and only on condition that they have paid social insurance for 40 years. Financially the conditions for early retirement are less advantageous than they were. For instance, the merit part of the pension will not be indexed until the scheduled retirement date. Under the new law, which aims to reduce spending on pensions, regular pension increases will slow down for all pensioners and any extra increases stemming from high inflation will be made in the form of one-off contributions, rather than permanent pension hikes.

  • 10/02/2023

    As of October Ukrainians living in Czechia are obliged to register their cars in the national vehicle register. They have three months to comply with the new regulation. From January, driving a Ukrainian vehicle without registration will be an offence punishable by a fine of up to CZK 30,000. As of 2024 new arrivals from Ukraine will have seven days to register their cars after being granted temporary protection in this country, the Czech Transport Ministry said. The registration process for Ukrainian nationals will be simplified and free of charge.

  • 10/02/2023

    Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský on Monday attended a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Kyiv. The main topic on the agenda of the talks was continuing EU support for Ukraine in fending off Russian aggression. The Czech foreign minister said Czechia’s position on the matter is clear - military support for Ukraine must be prompt and sustainable. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the foreign ministers’ first joint meeting outside EU borders sent a signal that EU support is “unwavering” and underscored the EU’s commitment to Ukraine.

  • 10/02/2023

    The 27th congress of PIARC, the World Road Association, has begun in Prague. The event, which runs all week, was last held in the Czech capital in 1971. Some 3,500 delegates are attending the gathering at the city’s Congress Centre, which features a record 35 national pavilions.

    The main themes of the congress are road management, mobility, resilient infrastructure, safety and sustainability, operations and maintenance. Topics such as carbon neutrality, autonomous vehicles, electric vehicles and charging infrastructure are also on the agenda.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 10/02/2023

    Czechia wants to push at European level for an extension of the criteria for sanctions against Russia, Czech Television reported, citing Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Daniel Drake.

    He said greater efforts should be taken to prevent the circumvention of the sanctions and that the concealment of Russian assets was becoming increasingly sophisticated.

    Analysts estimate that about 40 percent of Russians doing business in Czechia have moved their assets since the war began, Czech Television said.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 10/01/2023

    ANO would have come first in general elections in Czechia in September, suggests a STEM poll for the TV station CNN Prima News published on Sunday. The main opposition party would have taken 31 percent of the vote, far ahead of the second-placed Civic Democrats on 13 percent, the survey indicates.

    Freedom and Direct Democracy placed third in the poll, with 11 percent, ahead of the Pirates on 10 percent. TOP 09, the Mayors and the Christian Democrats would have all made the 5 percent threshold under the survey.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 10/01/2023

    The Czech prime minister, Petr Fiala, says he believes in continued close cooperation of his country and Slovakia. He made the comment on Sunday, the day after Robert Fico’s Smer party came first in general elections in Slovakia.

    The Civic Democrats’ Mr. Fiala said he hoped post-election talks in Bratislava would go quickly and would lead to the formation of a good government.

    He said that Czechia and Slovakia were joined by historical ties and proximity but also cordial relations.

    The head of another governing party the Mayors, Vít Rakušan, said the victory of the pro-Russian Mr. Fico was a warning and a lesson on Czechia. He said if Czechs wanted to hold onto liberal democracy its merits had to be explained to those who didn’t benefit much, or at all, from such a form of government.

    Czech President Petr Pavel said it was in Czechia’s interest to maintain above standard relations with Slovakia.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 10/01/2023

    Five Czech regions have approved a legislative initiative to bring more money into their budgets, Czech Television reported on Sunday. They say the system for distributing tax revenues should be changed on the grounds that the state and local governments currently divide them in a discriminatory manner.

    The governors are preparing their own proposals for changes, which they intend to submit to the lower house. The Ministry of Finance is opposed to the plan, under which the state could lose about CZK 12 billion.

    The Pardubice Region launched its own initiative of this type in 2021 but MPs did not debate the matter.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 10/01/2023

    The Czech opposition leader Andrej Babiš has congratulated Robert Fico after his pro-Russian Smer party came first in general elections in Slovakia on Saturday. Mr. Babiš also congratulated Peter Pellegrini, whose Hlas party came third and could help form the next government in Bratislava.

    The ANO leader, who is himself from Slovakia, last week posted a video attacking the liberal Progressive Slovakia party, who came second in Saturday’s vote.

    Author: Ian Willoughby

Pages