• Fiala: Govt. won’t succumb to pressure to change austerity package
    05/14/2023

    Prime Minister Petr Fiala says there is no possibility of change to essential elements in the government’s austerity package aimed at reducing the state budget deficit. Speaking on Czech Television on Sunday, Mr. Fiala said the cabinet would not give in to pressure and would only make alterations to its plans if there were mistakes in the drafts.

    The package, published on Thursday, envisages savings of CZK 94 billion this year alone. These are to be achieved via the discontinuation of non-investment subsidies, taxation changes, lay-offs and other moves.

    The government is also planning significant reform to the state old-age pension system.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Czech Radio sees growing listener figures, share as centenary approaches
    05/14/2023

    Czech Radio has increased its listener numbers in the last five years by around 100,000 to 1.69 million people a day, according to audience measuring by Radioprojekt cited on Sunday by the Czech News Agency.

    The media organisation’s stations – which include Radio Prague International – grew their share of the market by 4.2 percentage points to 27.7 percent in the half decade.

    Czech Radio will celebrate its centenary this coming Thursday, May 18.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Vesna finish 10th in Eurovision with My Sister’s Crown
    05/14/2023

    The all-female Czech group Vesna came 10th in the final of the Eurovision Song Contest with My Sister’s Crown in Liverpool on Saturday night. It was Czechia’s second best result in the history of the international competition, after a sixth-place finish for Mikolas Josef with Lie to Me in 2018.

    The 2023 Eurovision was won by Swedish singer Loreen, for the second time, with Tattoo.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Sparta edge closer to title with win over Slavia
    05/14/2023

    Sparta Prague beat traditional rivals Slavia Prague 3:2 at home on Saturday evening to put them in a good position to win their first Czech soccer league title since 2014.

    Sparta scored the winning goal from a penalty in the seventh minute of additional time in what was the fourth Prague derby of the season.

    The result leaves them five points ahead of Slavia in what is called the “superstructure”, a system where the league is divided into three mini-leagues for the final part of the season.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Weather forecast
    05/14/2023

    It should be mainly overcast in Czechia on Monday, with an average high temperature of 15 degrees Celsius. Similar weather is expected for much of the week.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Mariánské Lázně launches season with symbolic blessing of springs
    05/13/2023

    The spa season in the town of Mariánské Lázně in West Bohemia got underway with the blessing of the springs by local clergy on Saturday. The opening ceremony, attended by thousands of people, is one of the biggest events in the town, with a tradition of more than 200 years.

    The blessing of the springs is a symbolic event, as the spa season in Mariánské Lázně lasts all year round.

    The mayor, Martin Hurajčík, told the Czech News he expected 2023 to be a good year for the spa town in terms of visitor numbers.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Fiala bullish on government achievements
    05/13/2023

    The head of the Civic Democrat Party, Prime Minister Petr Fiala, says that even if his five-party government achieved nothing more, it has still done more than the previous two Czech governments. He made the comments at a party policy conference in Prague on Saturday.

    Mr. Fiala highlighted the cabinet’s readiness to introduce unpopular reforms aimed at reducing the state budget deficit. He said priorities for the future were energy and security, transport network development, reducing red tape and reforming education.

    The current government took office at the end of 2021.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Few threatened post office branches being retained after talks
    05/13/2023

    Czech local authorities have negotiated the retention of only a portion of the branches of the Czech Post that are being closed, the Czech News Agency reported on Saturday. In most cases, the branches will be retained only in exchange for the closure of another post office in the area that was not on the original list of branches to be closed.

    Some municipalities are now considering operating post offices under the Partner Plus scheme, paid for from their own coffers.

    In March, the Post Office published a list of 300 branches it would close by mid-year for cost-saving reasons. It has 3,200 branches in total.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Welsh ensemble opens 78th Prague Spring
    05/13/2023

    The 78th Prague Spring International Music Festival got underway on Friday evening with, as is traditional, Bedřich Smetana's symphonic poem My Country, performed by the Welsh National Opera Orchestra. The opening concert was helmed by the Czech conductor Tomáš Hanus, who received a standing ovation.

    The event was attended by Czech President Petr Pavel and his wife Eva.

    The opening concert is set to be repeated at the same venue on Saturday evening.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

  • Civic Democrats holding policy conference
    05/13/2023

    Czech government leaders the Civic Democratic Party is holding a one-day ideological conference on Saturday. The meeting is intended to discuss the grouping’s policies for the next two years, including for general elections in 2025.

    Party experts prepared draft policies in recent months that diverge from those being pursued by the current government, which includes the Civic Democrats, TOP 09, the Christian Democrats, the Mayors and the Pirates.

    Delegates at the conference are representing the roughly 12,000 party members, with issues on the table include the planned Euro 7 directive on vehicle emissions.
    Author: Ian Willoughby

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