• 04/14/2026

    Czech Television (ČT) will not be able to meet its obligations next year if its budget is set at the level presented today by Minister of Culture Oto Klempíř (Motorists party). This was stated by its director, Hynek Chudárek. He expects that the broadcaster will have to reduce original production and also lay off employees. Next year, Czech Television is expected to receive 5.74 billion CZK from the state budget, while this year it expects to collect 6.73 billion CZK from licence fee payers.

    Chudárek emphasized that the proposed budget does not correspond to what was discussed with Klempíř at Friday’s meeting. “The agreement was that a working group would be created, including experts from Czech Television, Czech Radio, and the Ministry of Culture, and that we would jointly review and address the entire proposal,” he said.

  • 04/14/2026

    The governing coalition wants to abolish the monthly fees paid by citizens and companies for Czech Television (ČT) and Czech Radio (ČRo) starting in January, and instead finance both public service media outlets from the state budget. They are expected to receive less than this year’s projected revenue from fees. Minister of Culture Oto Klempíř (Motorists party) told journalists today that Czech Television should receive 5.74 billion CZK next year. That is about one billion less than it will collect from licence fee payers this year. Czech Radio will receive 2.07 billion CZK from the state, which is about 400 million less than it is expected to obtain from fees this year. The management of ČT and ČRo have warned against the change in funding, while the parliamentary opposition speaks of the liquidation of both media outlets and is preparing to obstruct the debate on the government’s proposal.

    According to the draft law on public service media, funding will be regularly adjusted for inflation, up to a maximum of five percent. Additional sources of income are to include advertising revenue or the sale of rights.

  • 04/14/2026

    Petr Macinka would like to reopen the discussion on moving the Czech embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The Czech foreign minister said this at a press conference following today’s meeting with his Israeli counterpart Gideon Saar. However, Macinka also noted that the decision does not depend solely on him, but on the entire government and governing coalition.

    Macinka said he regrets that the discussion on the topic has faded. “We should reopen this issue,” he said, adding that he will try to do so. “If you are asking me about a date, I cannot tell you that,” he added. “It does not depend only on me, I am just the foreign minister,” he said, stressing that the government must make the decision.

    According to Macinka, the move would not be purely symbolic, but would also have a practical advantage. The Israeli government, parliament, and president are all based in Jerusalem.

  • 04/14/2026

    Cloudy to overcast skies with occasional rain or showers, while in the northwestern half of Bohemia precipitation will be only isolated. Daytime highs will range between 12°C and 17°C.

  • 04/14/2026

    The number of cybercrime cases increased by 37% year-on-year in March. Investigators recorded a record 2,533 cases for the month, Police Presidium spokesperson Ondřej Moravčík told ČTK today.

    For internet users, the highest risk comes from scammers posing as bank employees or police officers. Since the beginning of the year, they have caused damage amounting to 322 million CZK. The most frequent victims are women, with an average age of 46. Perpetrators most often target victims via mobile phones, the police said on the social network X.

    “We are facing a grim record. This March is the worst month in history in terms of cybercrime,” the presidium said. “At this pace, we will reach last year’s figures already by mid-October,” police added on X.

  • 04/14/2026

    The first steps toward the nationalisation of the energy company ČEZ will be taken by the state at the company’s annual general meeting in June this year. Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) told journalists today, but did not specify the concrete steps. He confirmed that the government’s plan to gain full control of ČEZ remains in place, arguing that it is necessary for better control over energy prices and the further development of the energy sector. The nationalisation is intended to be completed by the end of the electoral term in 2029.

    The ČEZ Group is one of the largest energy companies in the Czech Republic. The state is its majority shareholder, holding around 70 percent of shares through the Ministry of Finance. Last year, the company posted a profit of 27.4 billion CZK, with net profit decreasing by 1.7 billion CZK year-on-year. Operating profit and revenues also declined compared to the previous year.

  • 04/14/2026

    The state will announce slightly higher maximum fuel prices this afternoon than those set for today. This was told to members of the parliamentary budget committee by Finance Minister Alena Schillerová (ANO), who did not yet want to specify the exact figures.

    For today, the maximum price is set at 44.36 CZK per litre for diesel and 41.67 CZK per litre for petrol. These are currently the lowest prices since the introduction of the price cap. Prices began to rise after the U.S. strike on Iran at the end of February.

    The ministry started publishing maximum permitted fuel prices last Tuesday and is expected to continue doing so daily at least until the end of April.

  • 04/14/2026

    The Czech Republic will actively seek support across Europe to reduce EU regulation, which is currently slowing down European industry as it struggles for survival. This was stated today by Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš at the conference Successful Czechia: Without Unnecessary Regulations and Bureaucracy. According to him, the main goal should be a revision of the emissions trading system. At the European level, he also wants to address the EU budget, protection of the European market, and investment.

    Babiš is among the EU leaders who are vocally calling for changes to the emissions trading system. In his latest letter sent to the European Commission at the beginning of April, he proposed granting companies in the most affected sectors free allocations of emission allowances, conditional on their decarbonisation plans. According to him, this measure should be adopted without delay.

  • 04/14/2026

    Consumer prices rose by 1.9% year-on-year in March. The annual inflation rate accelerated from 1.4% in February. Fuel prices increased the most. This follows from data released by the Czech Statistical Office (CZSO), which today confirmed its preliminary estimate. Compared to the previous month, consumer prices rose by 0.6%.

    In addition to rising fuel prices, the increase in the cost of both owner-occupied and rental housing is also seen as problematic.“Costs of owner-occupied housing increased by 5.4% year-on-year, mainly due to rising prices of new properties,” said Pavla Šedivá, head of the Consumer Price Statistics Department at the CZSO.

    People also paid 6.1% more for rental housing, while prices for minor repairs and home maintenance rose by 3.6%.

    In the coming months, analysts expect the rate of price growth to exceed two percent, with further developments largely influenced by the conflict in Iran.

  • 04/14/2026

    Czech goaltender Daniel Vladař played a decisive role as the Philadelphia Flyers secured a 3–2 shootout win over the Carolina Hurricanes and clinched the final Eastern Conference playoff spot. The 28-year-old stopped 24 of 26 shots and, after conceding twice in the opening period, shut the door the rest of the way. Vladař then delivered in the shootout, denying all Carolina attempts to seal the victory. Philadelphia recovered from a slow start, with goals from Matvei Michkov and Trevor Zegras erasing a two-goal deficit. With overtime scoreless, Tyson Foerster netted the deciding shootout goal. The Flyers have now won five of their last six games and return to the playoffs for the first time since the 2019/20 season. They will face the Pittsburgh Penguins in the opening round.

    Author: Vít Pohanka

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