News

A project named Czech Library, which in recent years has enabled public libraries to acquire non-commercial domestically-produced books, will not take place this year. The news was announced by the Moravian Library in Brno, which runs the project on behalf of the Ministry of Culture.

The reason given is that a provisional state budget that was in place from the start of the year until last month prevented a call for proposals from taking place at the usual time.

The Motorists party minister of culture, Oto Klempíř, has been criticised for halting the Czech Library project by some publishers, writers and his predecessor in the post.

Unified entrance exams for Czech secondary schools are getting underway, with tens of thousands of applicants sitting tests in mathematics and Czech. According to Cermat, around 96,450 students have applied for four-year programmes this year, slightly fewer than last year. In total, about 122,400 pupils will take the exams. Candidates have 70 minutes for maths and 60 minutes for Czech, with the better result in each subject counting toward the final score. Results of the first round will be announced on May 15. The education organisation EDUin says success also depends on students’ mental well-being and recommends careful time management during the tests.

The existing units at the Dukovany Nuclear Power Plant could remain in operation for up to 80 years, potentially running until 2065–2067, Industry and Trade Minister Karel Havlíček (ANO) said, citing an analysis by the Czech energy company ČEZ. The plant’s four units, each with a capacity of about 510 megawatts, were commissioned between 1985 and 1987. Their current operating licences, issued by the State Office for Nuclear Safety, are valid until the mid-2030s.

An appeals court has overturned a three-year suspended sentence given to publisher Emerich Drtina for selling mugs, T-shirts and other items featuring Nazi figures. The Prague Municipal Court ruled the case does not constitute a criminal offence and referred it to a local authority for possible misdemeanour proceedings. Drtina had been convicted last year of promoting a movement aimed at suppressing human rights. Prosecutors said his company, Naše vojsko, sold thousands of items depicting figures such as Adolf Hitler and Heinrich Himmler. The court had argued the products targeted neo-Nazi sympathisers, while Drtina maintained they were intended for collectors and denied any wrongdoing.