News

The Interior Ministry has proposed amending the National Security Act in a way that would enable the government to respond more flexibly to crisis situations such as the coronavirus pandemic.

Interior Minister Jan Hamáček, who presented the proposal to the National Security Council on Monday, said at a press briefing that the change of law would entail the introduction of a “state of danger”, which would be a milder form of the state of emergency which the government used to manage the crisis.

Minister Hamáček said that the state of danger could be a follow-up on the state of emergency, giving the government the chance to rule by government decrees in the event of a pandemic or cyber-attack. According to the amendment, the cabinet should be given the opportunity to declare a state of danger for the whole or part of the Czech Republic.

In dealing with the coronavirus crisis the government was criticized by the opposition for extending the state of emergency for longer than strictly needed. The change of law would require a constitutional majority in the lower house and will now be debated with the opposition.

One person drowned and another is reported missing in flash floods that hit the eastern parts of the country on Sunday night following several hours of torrential rain.

The situation was worst in the towns of Uničov and Šumperk in the Olomouc region where the water level rose by a metre necessitating the evacuation of inhabitants from dozens of houses.

Firefighters also saved several people who were trapped in their cars. Extensive damage to property and infrastructure is reported.

Finance Minister Alena Schillerová has said she would not support a state-guaranteed loan for the Smartwings aviation group.

She voiced the stand in a debate on Prima TV in connection with a report on the news site Lidovky.cz according to which the company is preparing to ask the state for a loan of 900 million crowns.

In line with a rescue plan debated by the company’s executive board, the company’s shareholders should invest roughly one billion crowns towards its consolidation.

The Smartwings Group served 8.2 million passengers last year. It is now facing severe financial problems due to the decline in air travel due to the coronavirus crisis.

Finance Minister Alena Schillerová has said she will ask the government to debate a proposed amendment to the law on the state budget, which would increase this year's deficit to 500 billion crowns.

In a debate on commercial TV Prima on Sunday, the finance minister said she wants to submit the proposal to the lower house by the end of June.

The Chamber of Deputies has already agreed to increase the 2020 deficit to 300 billion crowns in view of additional expenditures relating to the coronavirus crisis.

Prior to the pandemic, the budget deficit was projected at 40 billion crowns. Minister Schillerová said she expects large budget deficits in the years to come as well.