News

Six of the 15 members of the Government Council for Roma Minority Affairs who represent Roma have announced their resignation. The reason is the transfer of the Roma agenda from the Office of the Government to the Ministry of Labour and concerns about weakening the issue and increasing prejudice. This was reported today by the website Romea. On Tuesday, the government commissioner for Roma minority affairs, Lucie Fuková, had already resigned.

The transfer of the Roma agenda from the Office of the Government, led by Tünde Bartha, to the Ministry of Labour was approved a month ago by the cabinet of Andrej Babiš (ANO) without consultation with employees or experts.

This week, Prague officially began the main construction work on the second section of Metro Line D, running from Olbrachtova to Nové Dvory, after a delay of more than two and a half years.

Representatives of the city, the Prague Public Transit Company (DPP), and construction firms attended the ceremonial launch today. Preparatory work on the new phase began in April after DPP signed a contract worth approximately CZK 30 billion (excluding VAT) with a consortium led by the company Subterra.

Metro Line D will connect Písnice with Náměstí Míru and help ease traffic congestion in the southern part of the Czech capital.

The Czech Republic will no longer continue the process of adopting the so-called Istanbul Convention on violence against women and domestic violence. At its most recent meeting on Monday, the government withdrew the previous cabinet’s approval for ratifying the document.

Czechia signed the Council of Europe convention in 2016. The previous government approved the ratification process in June 2023, but six months later the Senate of the Czech Republic did not approve the document.

According to opponents, the convention is unnecessary, contains elements of gender ideology, pits women against men, and addresses issues that are already covered by Czech law. Supporters argue that adopting the document would represent a commitment by the Czech Republic to ensure adequate support services for those in need and to affirm that violence is unacceptable in the country.

Prague councillors have approved new rules allowing city districts to ban fireworks on their territory. Twenty of Prague’s 57 districts have already opted for a complete ban.

The rules also shorten the New Year period during which fireworks are allowed, but do not affect professional displays.

Fireworks are already banned year-round in Prague’s historic centre and several other locations. Elsewhere in the city, they have so far been permitted on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. The changes follow a national law amendment that came into force last December, giving municipalities greater powers to regulate the sale and use of fireworks.