News

Almost three quarters of parents in Czechia give their children pocket money, according to a survey conducted by the investment platform Portu. About 60 percent of parents give their children up to CZK 500 a month, a fifth of parents said they give them between CZK 500 and CZK 1,000 per month. Over 10 percent of respondents with older teenagers said they give them CZK 2,000 a month. About a quarter of parents cover their children's needs by giving them money as needed, and 16 percent of respondents combine both forms, giving them a regular monthly allowance and covering additional purchases as needed.

Michael Šrámek unexpectedly quit this week as head of the Agency for Real Estate Management under the Ministry of Defence.  Šrámek's departure after only ten months in office was reported by Lidovky.cz. No reason was given except that it was by "mutual agreement".  Neither the ministry nor Šrámek would comment.

The Geman and Czech police are planning to take coordinated measures against illegal migration, in response to the worsening situation on the Balkans route. Czech Interior Minister Vít Rakušan said the two sides were considering a number of measures, including reinstating permanent checks at selected border crossings. He said further talks with his German counterpart Nancy Faeser would take place next week. Similar consultations are underway with Slovakia.

In the course of September, the Czech police detained dozens of illegal migrants from Syria. On Thursday this week officers in South Moravia detained a van carrying 33 refugees during a random road check near the Slovak border. The previous week they stopped a van with 27 migrants from Syria near Hodonín and a few days prior to that eight migrants were detained on a road near Prostějov after the smuggler’s car broke down.

The lower house of Parliament has started debating the government’s austerity package, aimed at reducing the state budget deficit, in its final reading. The package will raise taxes for individuals and companies, introduce layoffs, lower wages in the public sector, and further increase consumer prices. It aims to save 94 billion CZK (around EUR 4 billion) in 2023 and generate potential savings of up to CZK 150.7 billion combined for 2024 and 2025. The measures have come under fire from the opposition parties, which are expected to table numerous amendments and delay the bill’s approval for as long as possible. However, the ruling coalition has a comfortable majority in both houses and is in a position to push it through.