Daily news summary
Pekarová Adamová elected leader of TOP 09
Markéta Pekarová Adamová has been elected leader of the right-wing opposition party TOP 09. The MP received 54 percent of the vote to finish ahead of senator Tomáš Czernin in a leadership election held in Prague on Sunday.
Ms. Pekarová Adamová is the only female leader of a political party in the Czech Parliament and becomes only the second chairwoman a Czech party after Hana Marvanová, who headed the Freedom Union in the early 2000s.
A CVVM opinion poll this week put TOP 09 on 3.5 percent, which would not be enough for the party to re-enter the lower house.
Bishops file criminal complaint over possible sex abuse in church
The Czech Bishops’ Conference has filed a criminal complaint against unknown individuals over possible sexual abuse within the church, a legal representative of the Roman Catholic organisation, Ronald Němec, said on Sunday.
The Catholic Church has been trying without success to uncover individuals accused of sexual abuse, Mr. Němec said. However, claims have been made by a number of sources cited in the media so the church hierarchy decided last month to turn the matter over to the criminal authorities, he said.
Speaking on Sunday, the head of the church, Cardinal Dominik Duka, said that unless those making allegations of sexual abuse informed the church of the identity if the culprits it would not be able to take action.
Sunday 30th anniversary of resignation of Jakeš, key moment of revolution
Sunday is the 30th anniversary of one of the most significant moments of the Velvet Revolution, when the general secretary of Czechoslovakia’s Communist Party, Miloš Jakeš, stood down, along with the rest of its central committee.
The move, on November 24, 1989, came a week after the demonstration that sparked the fall of communism in the country and ultimately paved the way for dissident writer Václav Havel to become president by the end of December 1989.
CT: Chambers may do deal over “sliding mandate” system
The introduction of a new system under which if an MP becomes a minister they can be replaced by another member of their party now depends on the Senate. The introduction of the sliding mandate, as it is called, has the backing of the Chamber of Deputies, Czech Television reported on Sunday.
The Senate has expressed opposition to this constitutional change but may back it in exchange for other changes. These include extending the term of Constitutional Court judges to 12 years and making it easier to file a petition against the president at the country’s highest court.
Prime Minister Andrej Babiš said he had asked Jaroslav Faltýnek, head of ANO’s lower house group, to undertake negotiations to push the introduction of the sliding mandate through.
Remnants of Celtic settlement found near Jičín
Czech archaeologists say they were surprised to discover the remnants of a Celtic settlement near Jičín, Eastern Bohemia. Dating from the third century BCE, it is the most northerly Celtic site found in that region of the country and came to light during work on a bypass around the town.
An archaeologist from the Jičín Museum said items from the late Stone Age had also been found on the dig.
Warm weather for time of year to continue in coming weeks
The relatively warm weather for the time of year that the Czech Republic has been experiencing is set to continue for another fortnight, according to a regular four-week forecast issued by the Czech Hydro-Meteorological Institute. Precipitation will also be lower than the long-term average.
The forecasters say typical weather for the time of year should return before mid-December. It will freeze at night and it should snow in upland areas of the country.
Weather forecast
Monday should be overcast with some bright spells in the Czech Republic, with temperatures of up to 8 degrees Celsius. Rain and similar daytime highs are expected in the following days.
