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Prime Minister Petr Fiala, Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský and other members of the Czech cabinet have rejected the notion that the Czech Republic should leave the UN over Friday’s resolution calling for a humanitarian ceasefire in the Middle East.

Czech Defense Minister Jana Černochová expressed this view on social networks, saying that, in her opinion, Czechia has no business in an organisation that sides with terrorists and does not respect the basic right to self-defence.

The Czech prime minister said that while he understands the minister's indignation over the UN’s failure to condemn Hamas’ terrorist attack against Israel, there can be no question of Czechia walking out of the organization in protest. He said the Czech Republic would stand by its convictions and try to win over others by the strength of its arguments.

Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský likewise rejected the idea of Czechia withdrawing from the UN. The principles on which the UN is based create a stable and predictable framework within which we can operate and which are crucial for us in terms of defending our national interests," Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský said in a debate on Czech Television.

Czechia was one of 14 countries who on Friday voted against the UN resolution calling for an immediate "durable and sustained humanitarian truce" in Gaza. Justifying the decision, the Czech ambassador to the UN, Jakub Kulhánek, said the text does not recognise Israel's right to defend itself and its citizens against terrorism, lacks a demand for the release of hostages and does not include a clear condemnation of Hamas' attack against Israel.

At a ceremony marking Czechoslovak Independence Day on October 28, President Pavel handed out awards and high state distinctions to 62 people for outstanding services to the state. Addressing an audience of 700 guests in the historic Vladislav Hall of Prague Castle, President Pavel said the country had come a long way since the fall of communism in 1989 and was now firmly anchored in NATO and the European Union, which gave it the strongest security guarantees in the county’s history and good conditions for economic growth.

The head of state praised the fact that there is now consensus among the top constitutional leaders on the direction of the country’s foreign policy, which had long been lacking.

On a more critical note, President Pavel said that although Czechs have good reason to be self-confident and positive about the future, support for democracy in the country is weaker than in Western Europe, with many people feeling that their expectations of the country’s development post-1989 have not been fulfilled. Moreover, the war in Ukraine and the Middle East increased the feeling of insecurity and fear of the future, the president said, and in this connection warned against the rise of populism which promised simple solutions.

“The Czech Republic needs a new plan for the future, an educated and skilled society and an economy based on innovation. We must prepare for the challenges that the future will bring, including those linked to artificial intelligence or climate change,” the president said.

Among the people awarded high state distinctions were the co-founder of Czechoslovakia general Milan Rastislav Štefánik (in memoriam) , former foreign minister Karel Schwarzenberg, former prime minister Petr Pithart, former head of the Constitutional Court Pavel Rychetský, priest and theologian Tomáš Halík, singer Marta Kubišová, Zdeňka Mašínová, sister of the Mašín brothers, who was persecuted under the communist regime, soprano Magdalena Kožená, film director Olga Sommerová , president of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival Jiří Bartoška, illustrator Petr Sís and singer and choirmaster Ida Kelarová.

Sunday should be partly cloudy to overcast with day temperatures between 14 and 18 degrees Celsius.

The ruling parties of the SPOLU coalition (Civic Democrats, Christian Democrats and TOP 09)  which won the last general elections will run together in next year’s European elections as well, the parties’ leaders announced at a press briefing in Prague on Friday. Prime Minister Petr Fiala said MEP Alexandr Vondra would be the coalition’s election leader. The joint candidacy was approved this week by the three parties’ leaderships.