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07/17/2020
The Czech Republic remains committed to lobbying for change in the way Europe will hand out financial support as part of its coronavirus relief fund, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš said ahead of an EU summit of presidents and prime ministers set to start on Friday. The Czech government also wants greater EU budget flexibility so that countries are less committed to investing in environmental sustainability. The summit will be centred on the future EU budget and the crisis relief fund.
In May, the European Commission proposed a major EUR 750 billion recovery plan called Next Generation EU, which Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described as both supporting the union’s recovery, but also investing in Europe’s future by targeted investments into digitisation and the European Green Deal.
At the same time, EU member state leaders will be discussing the commission’s overall 2021-2027 budget.
The original conditions for funding support have been criticised by some member states, among them the Czech Republic. The European Council President Charles Michel has since lowered the unemployment level criterion needed for funding eligibility, which the Czech prime minister says he welcomes, but wants changes to go further.
Babiš said he does not like the fact that 30 percent of EU investment in the upcoming budget has been marked out for sustainability projects and wants greater freedom in how country’s choose to allocate money.
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07/17/2020
Germany’s defence minister, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, is meeting her Czech counterpart, Lubomír Metnar, in Prague on Friday to discuss issues bilateral, EU and NATO issues, including the joint training of units and cooperation in the defense industry.
It is the first time in five years that a German defence minister has visited the Czech Republic in an official capacity. The last to do so was Ursula von der Leyen, now President of the European Commission.
Germany is the Czech Republic’s most important trade partner and a significant partner in the defence sector. Czech military personnel take part in about 30 exercises in Germany annually while German armed forces take part in about 10 exercises in the Czech Republic.
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07/17/2020
Prague plans to raise public transport fares and parking fees in the capital’s blue zones to help offset lost revenue due to the coronavirus pandemic, the news server E15.cz reports.
Prague councillor Hana Marvanová said a number of proposals were put forward this week to increase almost all fare tariffs, with the cost of an annual pass to rise to CZK 5,500 from the current rate of CZK 3,650.
Deputy Minister for Transport Adam Scheinherr said the city is also discussing various options with the Prague Transport Company to cut costs.
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07/16/2020
Tunisia and Georgia are among the countries whose citizens may soon get the green light to visit the Czech Republic within the framework of ongoing anti-coronavirus measures, foreign minister Tomáš Petříček told ČT24.
Petříček said the change is dependent in part on the principle of reciprocity. Meanwhile, he noted some “green” EU countries could be designated as “red”. Among them are likely Bulgaria, Romania and Portugal.
Currently, the Czech Republic has only agreed entry to travellers from eight states outside of the EU, namely Montenegro, Serbia, Thailand, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and South Korea.
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07/16/2020
Prague City Hall and the government are close to agreeing on terms towards build a new government quarter in the Letňany district, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš said following a meeting with Mayor Zdeněk Hřib on Thursday.
Babiš argues that locating certain ministries and other government organs from the city centre to Letňany would save taxpayers some 378 million crowns annually in rent.
In exchange, Prague City Hall has asked for land swaps and for the government to finance and finish construction on an outer ring-road around the Czech capital, and build a new hospital, among other things.
Babiš told reporters that the state hopes to sign a memorandum with the municipality by mid-September.
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07/16/2020
The average interest rate on a Czech mortgage fell to 2.21 percent in June, when interest in obtaining a mortgage reached its highest level since November 2018, according to the Fincentrum Hypoindex.
The volume of provided mortgage loans increased by almost 4.5 billion crowns in June compared to May and approached 21 billion crowns.
Most retail banks reduced their mortgage rates this year following the lead of Česká spořitelna, the ČSOB Group and Komerční banka. The average mortgage loan provided amounted to CZK 2,748,954, according to ČTK.
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07/16/2020
Friday should be partly cloudy to overcast, with occasional light rain possible throughout the day. Average daytime highs should range from 16 to 18 degrees Celsius.
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07/16/2020
The final of the Berlin exhibition tennis tournament between Czech star Petra Kvitová and Ukrainian Elina Svitolina will take place on Friday after Wednesday’s match was called off due to rain.
Kvitová, a two-time Wimbledon, won the Czech Tennis Association’s President’s Cup exhibition tournament in May, the first such contest since the regular tennis season was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In Berlin on Tuesday, Kvitová beat Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands in two sets (6:3 and 6:2).
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07/16/2020
This year's edition of the Iberian Festival, which features food, music and dance from Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries, will be held from August 21 to 30 in Prague, Brno and in showcase venues in Lysice and Čechy pod Košířem.
The line-up includes Spanish stars such as flamenco dancer Mónica Iglesias and guitarist Luis Mariano, violin virtuoso Yorrick Troman, and Czech classical guitarist Pavel Steidl.
The Iberian Festival, usually held in late June and early July, was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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07/16/2020
The new permanent commission for railway safety has recommended boosting investment in local lines following a series of fatal accidents and derailments this summer.
Minister of Transport Karel Havlíček told journalists following Wednesday evening’s first meeting of the new commission that safety measures at railway crossings are also a priority.
Havlíček announced the formation of the 16-member commission, comprised of experts from the railway and other sectors, after a passenger train collided with a parked freight train on Tuesday near Český Brod, killing the driver on the spot.
The commission for railway safety is due to meet every two weeks to assess progress.
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