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Trust in President Petr Pavel has fallen slightly since last year but still remains at over 50 percent, according to the latest STEM survey. Last May, 60 percent of Czechs said they trusted the head of state, while this year that number has fallen to 53 percent.

Young people have more confidence in him than older people, with 63 percent of under-29s saying they trust him, while only 43 percent of people aged over 60 reported the same.

People with a university education were most likely to say they trusted him, followed by people with secondary education and a school leaving exam, while people with a primary school education and vocational training were the only socio-economic group from the survey where a majority of people said they did not trust him.

NATO's doors must remain open to new members, including and especially Ukraine, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský said at the start of Friday’s meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Prague.

He added that the July NATO summit in Washington, which this week's two-day informal discussions are in preparation for, would demonstrate the strength of the alliance and transatlantic ties.

The second day of the conference began with a speech by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in which he thanked the Czech government for hosting the meeting and restated that the meeting agenda topics were Ukraine, defence, and partnerships with countries in the Indo-Pacific region.

The Czech Chamber of Deputies has supported the government's proposal for broader changes to pensions, which aims to address the pension system’s growth deficit. It envisages, for example, raising the retirement age above 65, reducing new pension calculations and setting a minimum pension at one-fifth of the average wage.

The initial debate on the controversial pension reforms went on for 14 hours of net time and filled three sessions. It was dominated by criticism from the opposition parties ANO and Freedom and Direct Democracy. The bill will now head to the Senate’s Social Affairs Committee for consideration.

More than 1,750 Czech churches will be accessible to the public during the 16th edition of the Night of the Open Churches due to take place next Friday, the organizers have announced. In Prague alone, it will be possible to visit 159 churches, temples and chapels.

Among the newly opened sites will be the chapel at the Chamber of Deputies in Sternberg Palace or the church in Nesvačily, the former site of a rare Gothic statue, which is now on display at Prague’s National Gallery.

The event, organised by Prague Archbishopric, is accompanied by musical performances, workshops for children, exhibitions, lectures and discussions. Last year, it attracted over 450,000 visitors.