• 07/23/2024

    The Czech prime minister, Petr Fiala, says if the minister of industry and trade, Jozef Síkela, becomes the country’s nominee for European commissioner, he will be replaced quickly in his cabinet position. Mr. Fiala made the comment in an interview with news outlet Blesk on Tuesday. However, the PM refused to comment on whether the government will indeed put Mr. Síkela forward for the EU post.

    Both the industry minister and the freshly elected MEP Danuše Nerudová, who both represent the Mayors, have been discussed as possible candidates for the European commissioner position. MP Lukáš Vlček, from the same party, has been tipped as a potential replacement for Mr. Síkela at the cabinet table.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 07/23/2024

    Two Czech MEPs were elected to senior committee positions in the European Parliament in Brussels on Tuesday. Czech MEP Veronika Vrecionová was elected Chair of the influential Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI), while Luděk Niedermayer was re-elected as Vice-Chair of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON). Each EP committee elects its own leadership, made up of a Chair and up to four Vice-Chairs, for a two-and-a-half year mandate.

    Vrecionová, of Czechia's Civic Democrat (ODS) party, is a member of the centre-right European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) parliamentary group, while Niedermayer, of Czechia's TOP 09 party, is in the European People's Party (EPP), the largest and oldest group in the European Parliament.

    Author: Anna Fodor
  • 07/23/2024

    The Czech minister of foreign affairs, Jan Lipavský, says his officials will continue to fight for the release of journalist Alsu Kurmasheva and for justice for other political prisoners in Russia.

    Mr. Lipavský said that Russia confirmed every day that it had no respect for human rights after a court in the country sentenced Ms. Kurmasheva, a Russian-American journalist with the Prague-based Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, to six and a half years in jail for allegedly spreading false information about the Russian army.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 07/22/2024

    The cost of recovering cars towed away by the police in Prague is set to go up significantly after the summer, Novinky.cz reported on Monday.

    From September, motorists will have to pay CZK 3,800 for the towing and CZK 500 a day for the place on the police lot. The move, proposed by Mayor Bohuslav Svoboda and Zdeněk Hřib, deputy mayor for transport, was approved by councillors on Monday. It doubles the current prices, which were set in 2013, Novinky.cz wrote. However, even the increased fines do not reach the actual towing and parking cost to the city, the news site said.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 07/22/2024

    Former Czech president Miloš Zeman says he hopes that Kamala Harris will be a worthy opponent to Donald Trump in upcoming US elections. Ms. Harris is in the frame to take on the Republican candidate after Democratic Party incumbent Joe Biden dropped out of the race on Sunday.

    Mr. Zeman told iDnes.cz that he continued to favour a Trump win in November.

    Another former president, Václav Klaus, told the news site that Mr. Biden’s situation had been untenable. He said it was unclear what would happen next but that Mr. Trump was now likely to face a stronger opponent.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 07/22/2024

    A state prosecutor has proposed a six-year jail term for one-time government minister Karel Březina, who faces charges of illegally distributing Prague City Hall sports subsidies.

    Mr. Březina is a former member of the city council and served as minister without portfolio in a Social Democrat government headed by Miloš Zeman while he was still in his 20s.

    He headed the evaluation committee deciding which sports projects in the capital should receive funding at the time of the alleged wrongdoing.

    Five former and two current councilors from various parties are facing indictment in connection with the case.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 07/22/2024

    A new Czech Army programme to promote service among young Czechs got underway on Monday. Some 136 selected secondary school students are taking part in the first, pilot edition, which involves four weeks of military training, iRozhlas.cz reported.

    The head of the Czech Army, Karel Řehka, told the new site that the programme would help the military create a closer bond with the public and would generate reserves that could potentially be drawn on in future.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 07/22/2024

    It should be mainly overcast in Czechia on Tuesday, with an average high temperature of 26 degrees Celsius. Clear skies are expected later in the week.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 07/22/2024

    The Czech minister of foreign affairs, Jan Lipavský, says that 100,000 rounds of ammunition will be delivered to Ukraine during July and August under a Czech-led initiative. Mr. Lipavský made the comment on Monday in Brussels, where he was attending a gathering of EU foreign ministers.

    The Czech foreign policy chief said that 18 countries had signed up to the initiative to date, with 15 having already followed through on their financial pledges. This means there are sufficient funds to deliver 500,000 pieces of artillery to Ukraine by the end of 2024, he told reporters, adding that the scheme would accelerate further after the summer.

    Efforts are already underway to find additional funding to ensure the Czech-led initiative continues next year, Mr. Lipavský said.

    Author: Ian Willoughby
  • 07/22/2024

    Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský is due to attend the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels on Monday. On the agenda will be the ongoing Russian war in Ukraine and the current situation in the Middle East, with an emphasis on the Israeli operation in the Gaza Strip.

    It is the first meeting of EU heads of diplomacy since the beginning of the Hungarian presidency, which has been criticised for Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's trips to Russia and China.

    Author: Ruth Fraňková

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