News

The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute has increased its flood warning for western Bohemia, with part of the Plzeň Region now at an extreme risk of flooding (the third and highest level in the Czech flood warning system). Heavy rainfall over the weekend threatens to cause water levels in the Mže and Radbuza rivers to rise sharply and potentially burst their banks. Lower levels of flood warning are also present in other parts of western Bohemia in the Plzeň, Karlovy Vary, Ustí nad Labem and Central Bohemian regions, as well as the western part of South Bohemia.

Trust in President Petr Pavel has fallen slightly since last year but still remains at over 50 percent, according to the latest STEM survey. Last May, 60 percent of Czechs said they trusted the head of state, while this year that number has fallen to 53 percent.

Young people have more confidence in him than older people, with 63 percent of under-29s saying they trust him, while only 43 percent of people aged over 60 reported the same.

People with a university education were most likely to say they trusted him, followed by people with secondary education and a school leaving exam, while people with a primary school education and vocational training were the only socio-economic group from the survey where a majority of people said they did not trust him.

NATO's doors must remain open to new members, including and especially Ukraine, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský said at the start of Friday’s meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Prague.

He added that the July NATO summit in Washington, which this week's two-day informal discussions are in preparation for, would demonstrate the strength of the alliance and transatlantic ties.

The second day of the conference began with a speech by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in which he thanked the Czech government for hosting the meeting and restated that the meeting agenda topics were Ukraine, defence, and partnerships with countries in the Indo-Pacific region.

The Czech Chamber of Deputies has supported the government's proposal for broader changes to pensions, which aims to address the pension system’s growth deficit. It envisages, for example, raising the retirement age above 65, reducing new pension calculations and setting a minimum pension at one-fifth of the average wage.

The initial debate on the controversial pension reforms went on for 14 hours of net time and filled three sessions. It was dominated by criticism from the opposition parties ANO and Freedom and Direct Democracy. The bill will now head to the Senate’s Social Affairs Committee for consideration.