News

The population of Czechia fell by 21,500 to 10.9 million in the first half of the year, according to data published by the Czech Statistics Office on Friday.

The downward trend is largely due to the excess of deaths over births. The office registered 41,600 newborns, which represents a year-on-year drop of 10 percent, while over 55,500 people died.

Roughly 62,700 people immigrated to the country between January and July, while around 70,200 emigrated.

The government will provide an immediate financial aid of CZK 40,000 on average per household to those affected by the floods. The funds will be distributed to municipalities, which will then determine the specific amount to be allocated to each household.

For businesses, the National Development Bank will introduce two support programmes, allowing small and medium-sized enterprises to apply for loan guarantees and soft loans.

Finance Minister Zbyněk Stanjura announced the measures on Friday following a meeting of the working group on flood recovery financing.

The second round of Senate elections begins on Friday, with the opposition ANO Party positioned for a potential historic victory. For the first time, ANO secured two Senate seats in the first round and now has 19 candidates in the final stage across 22 districts. In three districts, including Karviná, Vsetín, and Prague 12, senators were already elected last week. While government coalition parties will retain a majority in the 81-seat Senate, ANO is aiming to significantly increase its representation. Voting is open from 2:00 p.m. today until Saturday at 2:00 p.m., with 2.24 million voters eligible to participate. Results will be published Saturday afternoon.

President Petr Pavel met with hundreds of Czech expatriates in Berwyn near Chicago, where he was greeted with traditional costumes and a brass band. The event, held at the Sokol Tábor Hall, marked the highlight of the Czech Heritage Week, running from September 21 to 28 under the patronage of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson. In his speech, Pavel thanked the expatriates for keeping Czech traditions alive and emphasized the importance of strong ties between the U.S. and Europe. He also highlighted the upcoming introduction of postal voting for Czechs abroad, beginning next year. The evening included the launch of a book about the life of Eva Haňková, famously photographed with President Masaryk. On Friday, President Pavel will head to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and the National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library.