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Support for the ruling ANO party has fallen further, according to a new Kantar election model for Czech Television. ANO would receive 30.5 percent of the vote, down from 34.5 percent in February. The STAN party has gained ground to 17 percent, while ODS remains at 15.5 percent. The Pirates would receive 8.5 percent, SPD 6.5 percent and the Motorists five percent. The survey also found widespread dissatisfaction with Czech politics, with 68 percent of respondents describing the current political situation as either rather or very bad. Kantar surveyed around 1,000 people in August.

Sparta Prague host defending champions Slavia in the first Prague derby of the season on Sunday evening. Unbeaten Slavia lead the Czech league table, but after two consecutive draws their advantage over Sparta has narrowed to two points. A home victory would therefore put Sparta ahead of their city rivals. The match comes less than four months after the previous derby was abandoned after Slavia supporters invaded the pitch and clashed with Sparta players. Sparta and Prague police say they have been preparing enhanced security measures for several weeks. The match at Sparta’s Letná stadium kicks off at 8 pm.

The Czech military is developing a new information system designed to give state institutions a shared overview during emergencies. The system will connect data from government databases, sensors and control centres as well as NATO and EU sources. It will also include a counter-drone module and changes to the public warning system. Rather than relying on a single computer or data centre, it will operate as a network designed to continue functioning even if parts of the infrastructure fail. Representatives of 37 public institutions met in Brno this week to discuss the project.

NATO is capable of immediately and effectively defending its territory in the event of a military attack, Czech ambassador to the alliance David Konecký says. He said NATO was significantly better prepared than before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukrainin 2022 and would defend every part of allied territory. Konecký does not expect a large-scale conflict between NATO and Russia in the next few years, provided the alliance continues strengthening its deterrence. He also highlighted the growing threat posed by drones and said NATO was seeking more cost-effective ways of countering them.