News

Trade Minister Jan Mládek is to meet with Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka on Thursday for what the media describe as a second pep talk in the space of a fortnight. The meeting concerns his performance in office which the prime minister has criticized as lackluster. Mr. Sobotka said recently he wanted his party’s ministers to shift into higher gear and he expects to be briefed by each one how they plan to go about it. The online news site novinky.cz says Mr. Mládek’s position in office is shaky and is already speculating about a possible successor.

Czech Pavel Kadeřábek scored the first goal in the Under 21 European finals which kicked off in Prague on Wednesday evening. But the defender’s 35 minute strike against Denmark did not bring a win for the home side. A totally different Denmark side emerged in the second half with the previously superior Czechs under pressure. Denmark’s Jannik Vestegaard equalized in the 56 minute and substitute Pione Sisko poked in after confusion in the penalty area to take the lead in the 84th minute. In the other group game Serbia held fancied Germany to a 1:1 draw.

A Czech court has ordered the Pirate Party to apologise to the international plastic children’s brick producer Lego for using their figures in a political advert two years ago. The Pirate Party screened a spot for local elections where two Lego figures were feeding thousand crown notes to fish in a pond. The fish represented the conventional political parties with the Pirates’ message that corruption could be cleared up by pulling them out. The party argued in court that the figures were similar to other toys, not just Lego, and that no real damage was caused. Lego said that it did not want to give the impression that it supported any specific political party.

Kateřina Valachová was officially appointed minister of education by President Miloš Zeman in Wednesday during a ceremony at Prague Castle. Valachová takes over from Marcel Chládek who was dismissed on June 5 following fresh reports of bullying his staff. Valachová, who has been appointed by the Social Democrat party, was formerly a deputy minister responsible for human rights. She said she came to a broad agreement with the head of state about the ministry’s goals during a meeting last week to pave the way for her appointment. Valachová, who is being appointed as an independent, is the first ministerial switch made by the Social Democrats in the current government.