News

It should be mainly sunny in Czechia on Monday, with an average high temperature of 21 degrees Celsius. The following days are expected to be overcast.

The consolidation of public finances will only be possible once the Czech Republic boasts first-class hospitals, a completed transport network and high salaries for soldiers and police officers, says Prime Minister Andrej Babiš. He made the comment on Nova TV on Saturday.

Following negotiations with cabinet colleagues this week, Finance Minister Alena Schillerová said she expected the state budget deficit to widen next year compared with this year’s planned CZK 310 billion.

However, Mr. Babiš rejected the notion that the rising debt posed a problem for the Czech Republic. According to the latest forecast from the Ministry of Finance, the country’s debt is set to rise this year to 45.8 per cent of gross domestic product from last year’s 44.2 per cent. However, the Czech Republic will continue to rank among the less indebted countries in the European Union.

Two years after its release the Czech film Waves (Vlny), which centres on the Soviet-led invasion of August 1968, has been seen by more than one million viewers at Czech cinemas, the Prague Reporter  wrote. The movie, written and directed by Jiří Mádl, has taken a total of CZK 159 million at the domestic box office, the second highest amount ever recorded.

Screenings of Waves were held on Friday’s anniversary of the start of the invasion.

President Petr Pavel attended the final of a soccer tournament for Romany youths at Prague’s Strahov Stadium on Friday in order to express support for the players. In November last year some of the Romany teenagers were the subject of racist abuse from hardcore Baník Ostrava fans at a train station in an incident that was widely reported.

The 12-team finals of the tournament – created by the club Mongaguá – were held with the support of the Czech Football Association for the first time this year.