News

President Petr Pavel has warned against undermining public confidence in the judiciary and the rule of law.

Speaking at a conference marking the publication of the European Commission's 2025 Rule of Law Report, Pavel said claims that courts are biased, politicized or activist weaken public trust in the legal system.

He stressed that the rule of law cannot be taken for granted and requires constant protection.

The government announced on Monday, that it had asked the Constitutional Court to reject or dismiss President Petr Pavel's competence complaint, which in views as an effort on the president’s part to broaden his constitutional powers.

It likewise sought the recusal of judge-rapporteur Pavel Šámal, arguing that his preliminary ruling, which was in the president's favour, amounted to unprecedented judicial activism and interfered with the government's constitutional powers.

A Constitutional Court spokesperson said on Tuesday that the Court would rule in September on the government's objection alleging bias against Šámal.

A Czech woman has been hospitalised after being struck by lightning on a beach on the Croatian island of Krk, the Czech News Agency reported. The Czech Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that she is being treated at a hospital in Rijeka. It added that Czech diplomats in Croatia are in contact with the local police and the hospital.

Croatia is one of the most popular holiday destinations for Czech tourists. During the summer, the Czech Foreign Ministry strengthens its consular presence through temporary offices in Split and Rijeka to provide assistance to Czech citizens in emergencies. Czech police officers are also deployed to Croatia during the tourist season.

Interior Minister Lubomír Metnar (ANO) and Transport Minister Ivan Bednárik (SPD) on Tuesday  presented draft legislation expanding the use of anti-drone measures to protect critical infrastructure.

The proposal responds to a growing number of incidents involving unauthorized drones near protected sites and would strengthen the authorities' powers to counter them.

Under the proposed amendment employees of companies operating critical infrastructure should be allowed to disable or destroy drones they identify as dangerous.

Companies would also be able to decide whether they want no-drone zones established over their facilities.

At present, only police officers and members of the armed forces are authorised to neutralise unmanned aircraft.

The bill aims to establish a clear legal framework for a swift and proportionate response to security incidents involving uncooperative drones.

Rainfall over the past week has partially replenished moisture in the upper 40 centimetres of soil across almost the entire Czech Republic, however, deeper soil layers down to one metre remain dry, according to the InterSucho project conducted by researchers at the CzechGlobe Global Change Research Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences.

Moreover, the preceding drought, combined with extreme heat, was so severe that some of the damage is already irreversible, the report says. This applies to agricultural crops, forests and urban greenery alike.

At the same time, groundwater and surface water reserves continue to decline. Many river monitoring stations remain at drought levels, while both shallow and deep groundwater wells are also reporting exceptionally below-normal conditions.