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The Czech system for preventing conflicts of interest is well set up, the Ministry for Regional Development has told the European Commission. The response came after Brussels asked how Czechia prevents a potential conflict of interest involving Prime Minister Andrej Babiš.

The commission also sought assurances that the Agrofert holding would not receive EU funds until the situation is fully clarified. Babiš transferred all shares in the company to a private trust earlier this year to address the issue.

The European Commission sent its letter in February and asked for a response within one month. The Czech ministry said it had answered all the commission’s questions.

The share of counterfeit cigarettes on the Czech market rose to about 6.5 percent in the final quarter of last year, according to a survey by the Czech Association for Branded Products. That corresponds to roughly 800 million cigarettes.

The findings are based on research that collects empty cigarette packs from streets and public bins across the country. The association says the share of fake cigarettes has almost doubled in the past two years.

Counterfeit cigarettes are most common near the Polish border, likely due to the price difference between cigarettes in the two countries. Experts warn the fakes can be difficult to distinguish from genuine products and may also pose health risks.

Two UH-1Y Venom helicopters from the Czech army have arrived in Poland to support NATO operations on the alliance’s eastern flank. The deployment was announced on X on Thursday by Poland’s defence minister, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz. It is the first time the new US-made helicopters are being deployed in a foreign mission.

The aircraft are part of the latest rotation of Czech troops stationed in Poland since September 2025, after incidents in which Russian drones violated Polish airspace. The Venom helicopters replace older Mi-171Sh machines previously used by the Czech contingent.

Kosiniak-Kamysz also thanked his Czech counterpart Jaromír Zůna in a phone call on Wednesday for helping protect Poland’s eastern border. About one hundred Czech soldiers, mainly from the 22nd helicopter base in Náměšť nad Oslavou, are serving in the NATO Heli Unit guarding Polish airspace.

The average gross monthly salary for teachers in Czechia rose by 5.7 percent last year to CZK 53,346, according to data from the Education Ministry, reelased on Thursday. That equals about 108 percent of the country’s average wage.

The average salary in Czechia increased by 7.2 percent last year to CZK 49,215, meaning teacher pay remains below the level set out in law. Legislation says teachers should earn on average 130 percent of the national average wage.

The average monthly salary reached about CZK 55,000 for primary school teachers and nearly CZK 59,000 for secondary school teachers, while kindergarten teachers earned the least, at around CZK 43,700.