News

Culture Minister Oto Klempíř on Wednesday criticized Czech writer Radka Denemarková’s appearance at Tuesday’s opening ceremony of the Frankfurt Book Fair. Speaking to a Czech News Agency reporter, he said he could get over anonymous booing and shouts from the audience, but Denemarková’s criticism had upset him.

According to Klempíř, the Czech literary scene and Czech writers have the ministry’s full support and must surely be aware of the fact.

In her speech, Denemarková said that “culture ministers who destroy culture come and go, but literature remains.” Her remark was met with loud applause from the audience. She also brought up Klempíř’s cooperation with the communist secret police (StB) in the 1980s. Denemarková said she did not want to respond to Klempíř’s comments.

Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (ANO) has called another meeting of the National Coalition for Combating Drought for next Monday. He announced the move on X, a day after reports that the Husinec reservoir in South Bohemia had become the first Czech dam to almost dry up. Babiš said the coalition would discuss the measures already being implemented with experts and decide on further steps to help mitigate the effects of the situation.

The government revived the National Coalition for Combating Drought in August following a spell of hot and dry weather that reduced river flows across the Czech Republic, in some cases to historic lows.

Following the coalition’s August meeting, Babiš announced that one of its first tasks would be for ministries, together with the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (ČHMÚ), to draw up a map of around 500 to 1,000 problem areas where water is disappearing fastest. The coalition is also expected to assess existing drought-fighting programmes and decide which have been successful and are worth continuing and financially supporting.

The Czech Republic has received the first billions of crowns from the European Union's SAFE (Security Action for Europe) fund for the purchase of military equipment. It received €309 million, or 15 percent of the total €2 billion allocated to the country (roughly CZK 50 billion), the European Commission announced. The money from the defence loan is to be used to purchase Leopard 2A8 tanks and Tatra T-815 vehicles. The loan will also finance the potential military use of the D11 motorway.

Eva Pavlová, wife of Czech President Petr Pavel, has criticised the fact the state does not allow people to vote in local elections from abroad or outside their own constituencies in Czechia, when the date of those elections has been set by law. She made the comment on social media.

Mr. Pavel will not be taking part in elections in the municipality where he has permanent residency. His office said a planning error meant he would be abroad on a private trip.

It is unusual for a Czech head of state not to take part in elections and critics have said that Mr. Pavel should abandon his holiday.

Interior Minister Lubomír Metnar rejected the criticism, writing on X that the country’s electoral system would not be changed simply because President Petr Pavel had planned a holiday for the election date.