• 11/02/2024

    The Czech Chamber of Deputies once again failed to conclude final discussions on the controversial pension reform bill proposed by the government. Tensions in Friday’s debate led to a procedural standoff after nearly five hours of discussion.

    According to Czech Television, at least five MPs from the Christian Democrats, who are part of the government coalition, reject the proposed bill, which aims to gradually increase the retirement age and lower new pension calculations to ease the deficit in the pension system.

    The lawmakers are expected to resume the final debate next Wednesday, where government leaders hope to push the reform forward despite ongoing opposition.

    Author: Ruth Fraňková
  • 11/02/2024

    Literary scholars, students, teachers, and poetry enthusiasts can now explore thousands of Czech poems from the 19th and early 20th centuries online at ceska-poezie.cz. Hosted by the Czech Electronic Library, the database provides 1,700 poetry books by 748 authors, with advanced analytical tools enhanced by artificial intelligence (AI). Developed by the Institute of Czech Literature at the Czech Academy of Sciences in partnership with the Czech Technical University, the database uses machine learning to cluster poems by shared themes, revealing new insights. The resource includes works by renowned poets and lesser-known writers, complete with full-text and structured search options.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 11/01/2024

    The Czech state budget deficit grew by CZK 19 billion in October, reaching CZK 200.7 billion, according to the Ministry of Finance. Although this is the best October result since the COVID-19 pandemic, it remains the fifth deepest in Czech history. Last year’s October deficit was CZK 210.7 billion. Finance Minister Zbyněk Stanjura expects spending pressures in the final two months, partly due to flood damage repairs, but anticipates meeting the projected CZK 282 billion deficit target. By the end of October, budget revenues were CZK 1.602 trillion, up 1.5% year-on-year, while expenditures rose by 0.8% to CZK 1.803 trillion.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 11/01/2024

    Cloudy to overcast today, occasional light rain or showers, mainly from the northeast. Daytime highs will range from 8 to 12 °C, reaching up to 14 °C in southern.Moravia, and around 6 °C at 1000 m altitude in the mountains. Moderate northwest winds will shift to north-northeast at 2 to 6 m/s, weakening in the evening.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 11/01/2024

    The Czech Constitutional Court dismissed a post-election complaint against the SPD party's campaign in regional elections, deeming it unfounded. Filed by attorney Pavla Krejčí, the complaint argued that certain campaign materials, which featured racially charged imagery, violated democratic principles. The court ruled that electoral justice should remain cautious, emphasizing that invalidating elections should only occur if proven campaign misconduct significantly impacted results. Krejčí criticized current electoral law for insufficiently addressing hate speech in campaigns. The SPD and affiliated parties saw significant gains, securing 41 mandates across 12 regional councils in this year’s elections.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 11/01/2024

    The Czech National Development Bank is developing a new program to support investment projects by Czech-Ukrainian firms in Ukraine. Oganized in partnership with the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the program will be funded by national sources. Initially, the program would receive CZK 1 billion from MPO and MZV budgets, with an additional CZK 3 billion from the European Commission, pending approval. The initiative will provide loan guarantees for medium-sized strategic projects, especially in energy, with a maximum implementation period of 15 years. Applications are expected to open in the third quarter of next year.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 11/01/2024

    The Czech Union of Security Forces (UBS) will organize a protest on November 21 in front of the Ministry of the Interior in Prague, demanding better wages and working conditions for police, firefighters, and other security services. The demonstration will take place fo two hours. UBS announced the action following Interior Minister Vít Rakušan’s (Mayors and Independents Party) proposal to increase wages by CZK 1,500, which the unions argue is insufficient. They are seeking a raise of CZK 2,200. UBS also called on prison guards, customs officers, and municipal police to join the protest.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 11/01/2024

    The lower house will not be able to push through an increase in fees for Czech Television and Czech Radio this year, Marek Benda, chair of the ODS parliamentary club, told news server iDNES.cz on Thursday evening. He expects approval in the first quarter of next year. The amendment to the laws on public television and radio aims to increase the fee for public television by CZK 15 to CZK 150 per month and for radio by CZK 10 to CZK 55 per month starting in January.

  • 11/01/2024

    Prime Minister Petr Fiala considers Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico's appearance on Russian television channel Rossiya-1 to be a mistake. In an interview with Deník.cz on Thursday, Fiala said he also fundamentally disagrees with Fico's statements, including the view that the European Union's support for Ukraine only prolongs the war. Ukraine has now been resisting large-scale Russian military aggression for three years.

  • 11/01/2024

    Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala (Civic Democratic Party) has criticized Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico’s appearance on Russia’s state television channel Rossiya-1, calling it a mistake. Fiala told Deník.cz that he strongly disagrees with Fico’s views, particularly the claim that EU support for Ukraine prolongs the conflict. Fico’s statements have been labeled as “shameful” by Slovak opposition members, who see them as supportive of Russian propaganda. Fiala emphasized that Russia is solely responsible for the war, and that the Czech Republic and Slovakia hold differing views on foreign policy priorities.

    Author: Vít Pohanka

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