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The Czech National Bank’s (CNB) board is expected to keep its key interest rate unchanged at 3.5 percent at its meeting on Thursday, analysts told ČTK. The rate has remained at this level since late May, and experts say persistent inflationary pressures are the main reason for maintaining it at least until the end of the year. According to economists, the Czech economy is growing steadily while inflation risks remain. CNB communication is also expected to stay unchanged, signalling that future rate moves could go either way but that stability is more likely for now. Vice-Governor Eva Zamrazilová recently told Reuters that rates should stay at current levels until the year’s end. Analysts expect the first possible change only early next year, depending on new economic data.

The Czech Army plans to enlist 2,250 new soldiers next year — one of its most ambitious recruitment targets ever, the Defence Ministry confirmed. This would surpass this year’s goal of 2,100 recruits, which has already been met ahead of schedule. According to Colonel Iva Bednářová of the army’s personnel agency, 2025 will likely see a net increase of about 650 soldiers, the best result in five years. The boost follows a government-approved pay rise and higher housing and stability bonuses intended to make military service more attractive. Chief of the General Staff Karel Řehka has repeatedly said that the army’s current size of roughly 28,000 troops is inadequate for today’s security threats, especially in light of Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine. Defence plans call for expanding the armed forces to about 37,500 soldiers in the coming years.

Czechs are marking All Souls’ Day, known locally as Dušičky, by visiting cemeteries to remember deceased relatives and friends. They light candles and lay wreaths and flowers on graves. In Catholic tradition, the day is dedicated to the memory of all faithful departed, and churches hold special masses for the dead.

Police and local authorities have strengthened patrols and public transport around cemeteries, which stay open longer during this period. The origins of this autumn remembrance go back to Celtic and Slavic traditions linked with the coming of winter. The custom was formally introduced in 998 by Abbot Odilo of Cluny and spread through the Catholic Church by the 14th century. While in Czechia Dušičky are traditionally a quiet occasion for reflection, other countries mark the same period with festivities such as Halloween.

The first day of November brought unusually warm weather to Czechia, with 11 out of 170 long-term measuring stations breaking temperature records. The highest reading was in Karviná, where the thermometer reached 20.7 degrees Celsius. Most stations in Moravia and Silesia recorded daytime highs between 10 and 15 degrees, but sunshine and wind made it warmer in the east. A new record of 20 degrees was set in Ostrava-Poruba, surpassing the previous 19.7 degrees from 2018. According to the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute, temperatures will drop in the coming days, falling to around 9–14 degrees on Sunday and below 12 degrees on Monday.