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Lower House speaker and SPD leader, Tomio Okamura, travels to Bratislava on Tuesday for his first official foreign visit in the role. His nine-member delegation includes only MPs from the emerging coalition (ANO, SPD, Motorists ); opposition lawmakers were not invited. Okamura will meet Slovak National Council Speaker Richard Raši (Hlas-SD), and also President Peter Pellegrini and Prime Minister Robert Fico. He says the goal is to strengthen “above-standard” inter-parliamentary relations and restart regular meetings, which the Czech side previously halted partly in response to the Slovak government’s pro-Russian positions.

Ondřej Palát scored his second goal of the season, but it was not enough to save New Jersey from a 5–3 home loss to Columbus. The Czech forward struck early after intercepting a misplayed puck, giving the Devils a 2–0 lead before the Blue Jackets turned the game around. Radko Gudas contributed an assist in Anaheim’s 4–1 win over St. Louis, firing the shot that Leo Carlsson deflected into the net. The Czech defenceman also delivered four hits and blocked three shots. In goal, Daniel Vladař stopped 22 of 27 shots in Philadelphia’s 5–1 defeat to Pittsburgh. Meanwhile, Utah rotated both its Czech goaltenders: Karel Vejmelka conceded three goals on nine shots before Vítek Vaněček allowed three more in a 6–3 loss to San Jose.

Lubomír Metnar, the ANO party’s candidate for interior minister, met with President Petr Pavel on Tuesday to outline his priorities in office. He said after the meeting that they had discussed planned pay increases for police and firefighters as well as the EU’s Migration Pact and had found agreement on all security-related issues.

The president is gradually meeting with all nominees for ministerial posts. So far the process has gone smoothly for all those interviewed. The most controversial of the nominees - Filip Turek of the Motorists' party, who is slated for the post of environment minister –is due to meet with the president next week.  Police are investigating social media posts by Turek as possible criminal offenses, including incitement to hatred, defamation of nation or race, and approval of a crime. While stressing that the presumption of innocence applies and that Turek is not facing any charges, President Pavel said earlier that higher standards must apply to politicians.

The most problematic nominee in the president’s view appears to be Filip Turek of the Motorists' party, who is slated for the Environment Ministry. Police are investigating social media posts by Turek as possible criminal offenses, including incitement to hatred, defamation of nation or race, and approval of a crime. Pavel told Czech Public Television that Turek will not be fit for the post unless he fully explains the controversies surrounding him. While stressing that the presumption of innocence applies and that Turek is not facing any charges, Pavel noted that higher standards must apply to politicians. He declined to say whether he would ultimately appoint or reject him. The Motorists' party insists that Turek is legally beyond reproach and continues to stand behind his nomination.