PM's New Year's speech emphasises what Czechs have to be proud of

Prime Minister Petr Fiala told the nation in his New Year's Day address that although the coming year will not be easy, Czechia will make it through, just like it has survived other crises during the past 30 years. In the speech, broadcast live on Czech television, he said that although the country is going through a difficult period, there is no reason to lose hope. He believes that the measures taken by the government and the Czech National Bank will start to have a positive effect on inflation soon, with prices beginning to decrease this year already.

He also recalled the peaceful division of Czechoslovakia 30 years ago, and said that Czechs can be proud of the path that Czechia has taken since then and the continuing excellent relations with Slovakia.

He emphasised the solidarity of Czech people in critical moments, such as during natural disasters, saying it is something that fundamentally shapes the character of the country. He also highlighted the country's support of war refugees from Ukraine.

He rejected the idea that the Czech Republic is a small and insignificant state, calling it "an important, medium-sized European country" and saying that Czechs need to realize this and learn to think and act accordingly. He believes that the Czech EU presidency, which ended on Saturday, is a good example of such an approach, where the competence of the Czech Republic was appreciated and EU partners were therefore willing to accept Czech proposals and ideas.