News

The Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs Tomáš Petříček reacted to the statement by German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer that there is "close to zero" support for a solution to the migrant crisis in Eastern Europe by telling the Czech News Agency that the Czech Republic is ready to help in a Europe-wide solution, but refuses the quota system.

Mr. Seehofer made the comment at a press conference in Berlin on Wednesday, stating that he had been in Eastern Europe many times, most recently in Prague. He went on to say that the current system of dividing migrants cannot be a long-term solution.

The German interior minister also talked about the statistics from the annual report of the German Federal Police. According to the report, the number of illegal migrants that crossed the border from Czech Republic into Germany last year rose by 6.5 percent as opposed to 2017, reaching 4,296 cases. The rising number contrasts with the fact that in the majority of Germany’s other borders the amount of illegal migrant crossings registered a decrease.

Mr. Seehofer said he believes that the increase is due to a shift in migration routes and that Germany intends to make its border checks more thorough until sufficient checking is implemented on the boarders of the Schengen Area. However, he dismissed the establishment of checkpoints. His Czech counterpart Jan Hamáček wrote to the Czech News Agency, saying that the Czech police have already been notified of the intention.

The frequently occurring droughts in the Czech Republic are not only leading to government counter-measures, but also an increased need for experts on climate change related subjects. In response, a number of Czech universities are setting up courses focusing on the protection of natural resources, Hospodářské Noviny reports.

The University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague has set up a new study programme exploring water and the environment, while the high levels of bark beetle infestation have led Brno’s Mendel University to open up a new course on the technologies and management involved in wood processing.

Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Jana Maláčová is planning to propose an amendment to the Czech labour law, which will make it easier for employers to create part-time jobs. The idea, she told Czech Radio, is to create so-called “shared working spots”, which would give two to three people the chance to work in the same job position. Similar types of definitions currently exist in neighbouring Slovakia and Germany. The labour minister hopes that, if passed, the new legislation will make it easier for mothers of small children and over-60s to remain active on the labour market.

Current data from the Czech Statistics office shows that the Czech Republic is far below the EU average when it comes to part-time employment. Whereas the European median lies at around 20 percent, in the Czech Republic the number is just over 7 percent.

Veterinarians from the State Veterinary Administration discovered 250 kilograms of rotten meat while checking a truck on its way to supply a children’s summer camp. The discovery was made after the veterinary administration ordered local hygienists to inspect the sanitation standards at a camp near the South Bohemian city of Jindřichův Hradec. The truck, which lacked a cooling system, was transporting chicken, pork and other types of meat in a half frozen state, while also lacking the necessary documentation for the products. State Veterinary Administration spokesman Petr Vorlíček told the Czech News Agency on Wednesday that the supplier is facing a fine of up to CZK 1,000,000.