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The majority of Czechs are for registered same-sex partnerships, but against gay adoption, suggests a poll conducted by the CVVM agency and published on Tuesday. Nearly three quarters of those polled said that they believed homosexual couples should be able to cement their relationship through a civil partnership, while only 27 percent of those questioned said they believed same-sex couples should be able to adopt. When asked whether they agreed with gay marriage, 47 percent of those polled said yes, while 46 percent of respondents were against. According to the poll, just over one half of Czechs believed that they lived in a society which was ‘not very tolerant’ of same-sex relationships.

President Klaus has warned against escalating tension over Canada’s reported intention to reintroduce visa restrictions for Czech nationals. Speaking to journalists on Monday the president said he hoped there was still space for negotiation with the Canadian authorities which could prevent the re-introduction of visas. He criticized the force of the Czech reaction, saying that it was premature to speak of retaliation. A Czech TV report claiming that Canada had already decided to reintroduce visas for Czechs and would make the announcement publicly on Tuesday, elicited a sharp response from Czech political leaders over the weekend, with the Social and Christian Democrats suggesting the Czechs should ask the EU to respond in kind or for the Czech Republic to take the matter to a European court. Ottawa is thought to want to reintroduce visas due to the high number of asylum claims it has been receiving, predominantly from members of the Czech Republic’s Romany community.

The health authorities have started inoculating children in the flooded regions against hepatitis. In the next few days over 3,000 children in the north, south and east of the country are to be vaccinated free of charge. Epidemiologists have warned people involved in clean up operations to take extra precautions in order to prevent the spread of disease. Many areas remain on emergency water supplies and thousands of homes are still inhabitable.

Masses were held around the country on Monday commemorating the legacy of the 15th century reformer priest Jan Hus who was burned at the stake on July 6, 1415. Jan Hus (John Huss) was a Catholic priest and rector of the University of Prague who was strongly influenced by the teachings of the English reformer priest John Wycliffe. He translated Wycliffe’s works into Czech and proposed to reform the church in Bohemia just as Wycliffe had in England. He was excommunicated by the Catholic Church in 1411 before being condemned as a heretic and executed in Constance four years later.

July 6th is a public holiday in his memory and the event is marked by religious services, concerts, exhibitions and even theatre performances. This year the festivities were low key due to the floods but thousands of people attended the mass in his birthplace Husinec and in Prague’s Bethlehem Chapel were he preached.