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In his New Year address to the nation President Petr Pavel underlined the need for strength and unity, saying it had been a difficult year from which he hoped to see the nation emerge stronger.

The president spoke of the tragic shooting at the Faculty of Arts and the senseless loss of life, which he said had caused great sadness, but urged Czechs to overcome their fear and not be intimidated by this show of unspeakable violence. “We can improve our laws, controls and measures, but we cannot give up our freedom because of fear” the president said.

Looking back on the past year, Mr. Pavel said he appreciated the government’s unity in undertaking  unpopular measures to tackle the country's debt, but criticized it for poor communication towards the public, which he said opened the door to populism.

He urged Czechs to go to the polls in this year’s European, regional and Senate elections, saying their voting right was “a great opportunity to influence the future direction of our country and the European Union”. He warned the public against populists and extremists, who offer unrealistic, simple solutions that would only exacerbate the country’s problems.

President Pavel also devoted time to the 20th and 25th anniversaries of the country’s membership in the European Union and NATO, stressing their importance for the country’s security and economic development.

The coming year should be better than the last, Mr. Pavel said. "We expect lower inflation, real wage growth for the first time in several years, and modest economic growth. I hope it will mark a turn for the better and give us all reason for greater optimism in the years to come," the president concluded.

Prague City Hall has secured free admission to a number of popular sites in Prague to citizens on the first day of the New Year. Prague residents will get admission for free (or for a symbolic price) to Prague Zoo, the Botanical Gardens, several Prague towers, Prague’s Public Transport Museum and a number of other institutions on January 1. Visitors will be asked to present a public transport card or ID to prove that they live in Prague.

The New Year celebrations in Prague passed without serious incident, although many people broke the ban on setting off fireworks in the historic city centre, police and fire crews reported early on Monday. Fire crews were called to 46 fires caused by fireworks, which is less than in previous years and paramedics treated several dozen people, mostly for severe intoxication. Hundreds of people celebrated the arrival of the New Year out in the streets, mainly on Wenceslas Square and Old Town Square which were packed. A clean-up operation started in the early morning hours and should be completed by 2pm at the latest.

Old-age, disability and widow/widower’s monthly pensions will increase by 360 crowns as of January 1, 2024. According to Czech law, pensions are regularly indexed at the start of the year by a sum reflecting inflation and half the increase in real wages. As earnings have not risen in real terms, the January increase reflects only price rises.