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10/24/2026
The opposition Pirate Party plans to propose the removal of Tomio Okamura (Freedom and Direct Democracy) as speaker of the Chamber of Deputies at its next session. Party leader Zdeněk Hřib announced the move on social media platform X on Saturday.
The Pirates accuse Okamura of unprecedented interference with civil society by restricting public access to parliamentary proceedings during Friday’s and Saturday’s debates on a bill to abolish licence fees for Czech Television and Czech Radio.
The proposal is expected to receive support from TOP 09.
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10/24/2026
Czech President Petr Pavel has urged politicians to calm tensions and abide by established parliamentary rules, saying he is concerned about the heated situation in the Chamber of Deputies over the public media funding bill.
The president called on politicians to return to rational debate, restore basic respect between the coalition and opposition, and uphold democratic standards and dignity, adding that he believed the public expected the same.
The ruling coalition and opposition have been trading insults and accusations in the wake of a stormy parliamentary session during which the ruling parties pushed through a controversial bill to abolish license fees for public media and replace them with state funds. The bill was approved in its first reading.
Prime Minister Andrej Babiš later compared the demonstration outside the Chamber of Deputies to the attack on the US Capitol. He also urged the opposition to stop stirring up unrest and aggression, noting that the opposition Civic Democrats had also sought to abolish public media license fees in 2009.
The opposition parties are accusing the ruling coalition of undermining democracy and seeking to take control of the state.
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10/24/2026
Sunday should be overcast and rainy around the country with daytime highs between 8 and 12 degrees Celsius.
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10/24/2026
Czech tennis player Kateřina Siniaková has reached a WTA singles final for the first time in three years and will bid for the sixth singles title of her career.
She defeated Britain’s Katie Boulter 6-1, 6-4 in the semi-finals in Osaka. On Sunday, she will face American Ashlyn Krueger, who beat compatriot Ann Li 6-4, 6-7, 6-3 in the other semi-final.
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10/24/2026
The Standing Council of the Czech Bishops’ Conference has called on lawmakers to preserve the current system of funding Czech Television and Czech Radio through licence fees, saying it guarantees the independence of the public service broadcasters.
Abolishing the fees could undermine the financial stability of both broadcasters and increase their dependence on political decisions, the council warned on Saturday.
The leadership of Janáček Academy of Performing Arts in Brno has also warned that the proposed changes could threaten the independence of public service media.
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10/24/2026
Daylight saving time will end overnight on Saturday into Sunday, when Central European Time (CET) comes into effect. At 3 a.m. on Sunday, clocks will be turned back to 2 a.m., making the night an hour longer.
Passengers travelling on long-distance public transport overnight need to take the time change into account. Night trains and buses will wait at stations for an hour before departing according to the new time.
The change will affect ten České dráhy night train services, including routes between Munich and Warsaw and between Prague and Gdynia. RegioJet will hold four train services and six bus services for an hour overnight. Morning services will operate according to standard time.
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10/24/2026
The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) has joined its member, the Czech Syndicate of Journalists, in strongly opposing the Czech governing coalition’s attempt to enforce a bill that it says poses a serious threat to the independence of Czech public service media.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has also expressed concern, with ten other European and international organisations joining its statement.
The EBU said the accelerated parliamentary proceedings in the Chamber of Deputies raised questions about whether there was sufficient time for proper legislative scrutiny and public debate on a bill that it believes will affect the future of Czech public service media.
Like the EFJ, it called on MPs to examine the proposal thoroughly and ensure open parliamentary debate and consultations with Czech Television, Czech Radio, media representatives, experts and the public.
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10/24/2026
Czech photographer Jaroslav Fous has won the top prize in the American Meteorological Society’s (AMS) photography competition with his image titled Diamond Dust Sky Eye.
The photograph captures an extraordinary combination of optical halo phenomena. It shows a snow-covered mountain landscape with a road beneath a night sky, where the Moon is surrounded by several luminous rings and arcs. Together, they create an image resembling a giant eye gazing down from the sky.
The photograph was taken in December 2024, in the Ore Mountains near Boží Dar in the Czech Republic.
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10/24/2026
The Czech ruling coalition pushed a controversial bill to abolish license fees for Czech Television and Czech Radio through its first reading in the lower house in the early hours of Saturday, after unexpectedly forcing a vote on the proposal on Friday.
The vote took place following a heated overnight debate during which the opposition fought to block the proposal.
Several hundred people demonstrated against the proposed changes overnight outside the Parliament building. At one point, angry protesters attempted to force their way in, but police prevented them from doing so and guarded the building throughout the night.
The opposition has pledged to continue fighting the bill during the subsequent stages of the legislative process.
Culture Minister Oto Klempíř told MPs during the debate that the proposed funding model was a standard solution in Europe. Prime Minister Andrej Babiš rejected claims that the change un funding was an attack on democracy or a nationalisation of the public broadcasters.
Under the government-proposed bill, Czech Television and Czech Radio would receive around 15 percent less funding from the state budget than the amounts available to them following last year’s increase in license fees.
Employees of Czech Television and Czech Radio have called a one-day strike for Tuesday, November 3, in protest against the government’s plans to abolish license fees.
Thousands of people took part in protests in support of Czech Television and Czech Radio across the country on Friday and Saturday. Outside Prague, demonstrations were held in Brno, Liberec and Olomouc.
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10/23/2026
Employees of Czech Television and Czech Radio have called a one-day strike for Tuesday, November 3, in protest against the government’s plans to abolish license fees and replace them with state funding, representatives of the Veřejnoprávně initiative, which brings together public-service media staff, have announced.
Speaking to journalists outside Czech Radio’s headquarters on Vinohradská Street in Prague, Veřejnoprávně representatives said plans to transfer funding for the public service providers to the state budget threatened the independence and stability of both broadcasters and would have a negative impact on public finances.
Trade unions at both institutions criticised the lack of expert debate on the role of public-service media.
Under the government-proposed bill, now to be debated in the lower house, Czech Television and Czech Radio would receive around 15 percent less funding from the state budget than the amounts available to them following last year’s increase in license fees.
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