Czech Morning Brief Archives

Czech Morning Brief

Morning Briefing │ May, Tuesday 28th, 2024

* POLITICS: Polish President Andrzej Duda, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Latvian Prime Minister Evika Siliňová will meet with Prime Minister Petr Fiala (ODS) at the Kramář Villa this evening to discuss ammunition assistance for Ukraine, air defence for the country and cooperation in the defence industry. * HEALTH Whooping cough is continuing to spread in Czechia, with 1428 new cases being registered in the past week. A total of 16,260 people have come down with the disease since the start of the year, according to the latest figures from the State Health Institute. * WEATHER: Tuesday is expected to be overcast with a chance of rain throughout the day. Daytime temperatures should range between 15 and 19 degrees Celsius. * POLITICS: Czechia must commit to spending at least 2 percent of its GDP on defence now, otherwise in the future it may have to spend as much as five or six percent, warned national security advisor Tomáš Pojar at a parliamentary security conference on Monday. * TRAVEL: On Friday, 31 May, Czech carrier RegioJet will launch a bus service from Prague to the Croatian resort town of Split. The destination will be served...

by Prague Morning May 28, 2024

Morning Briefing │ May, Monday 27th, 2024

* SPORT: Czechia have won the Ice Hockey World Championships. The hosts beat Switzerland 2:0 in the tournament final at Prague’s O2 Arena on Sunday night for the country’s first gold medal in the competition in 14 years. * POLITICS The leaders of several European Union countries are set to visit Prague on Tuesday, invited by Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala. They will discuss providing ammunition assistance to Ukraine, enhancing the country’s air defense, and cooperation within the defense industry. * WEATHER: It should be mainly overcast in Czechia on Monday, with an average high temperature of 23 degrees Celsius. The following days are expected to see similar, if slightly cooler, weather. * EVENTS: Bruce Springsteen has postponed concerts in three European cities (including Prague) over the next two weeks due to vocal issues. “Following yesterday’s postponement in Marseille due to vocal issues, further examination and consulting has led doctors to determine that Bruce should not perform for the next ten days,” read an announcement on the singer’s official Instagram page, adding that he was “recuperating comfortably” and new show dates would be “announced shortly.” * TRAVEL: On Friday, 31 May, Czech carrier RegioJet will launch a bus service from...

by Prague Morning May 27, 2024

Morning Briefing │ May, Friday 24th, 2024

* SPORT: The Czech Republic eliminated the United States at the ice hockey world championship with a 1-0 win to reach the semifinals on Thursday. Boston Bruins forward Pavel Zacha scored a power-play goal in the second period and Anaheim Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal stopped 36 shots in front of the home fans at Prague Arena. * SURVEYS A survey presented yesterday by representatives of the Psychiatric Clinic of the 1st Medical Faculty of Charles University in Prague reveals that one in ten young adults in the Czech Republic experience severe depression symptoms, while one in six report moderate symptoms. The researchers urge politicians to prioritize this issue, highlighting the need for improved prevention measures and professional services. * WEATHER: Rain and thunderstorms are predicted on Friday in some parts of Czechia, with the most severe storms expected in the mountainous belt from the Ore Mountains to the White Carpathians. Daytime temperatures should range between 17 and 21 degrees Celsius. * LOCAL NEWS: President Petr Pavel has suffered a minor accident while riding his motorcycle, the president’s office announced on social media site X on Thursday evening. Although his injuries aren’t serious, he has been taken to the Central Military...

by Prague Morning May 24, 2024

Morning Briefing │ May, Thursday 23rd, 2024

* ECONOMY: Production of passenger cars in Czechia increased by 14.4 percent year-on-year to a record 531,355 vehicles in the first four months of this year, the Czech Automobile Industry Association announced on Thursday. Electric car production in Czechia fell by 29 percent to 39,600 between the beginning of January and the end of April. * CULTURE After a four-year break, Prague will host the once annual ‘Night of Museums’ event (Pražská muzejní noc 2024). As part of the event, more than 30 museums and galleries will open for free visits in the unusual evening and night time. The event will take place on Saturday, 15 June, from 19:00 to 24:00. * WEATHER: Thursday will be mostly overcast with rain and day temperatures ranging between 19 and 23 degrees Celsius. * EVENTS: The 29th international book fair and literary festival Book World Prague, held annually by the Association of Czech Booksellers and Publishers, gets underway on Thursday at the city’s Výstaviště grounds. * VISA: Czechia’s Visa Application Center in Manila, Philippines, will resume processing Schengen visa applications next month. Through a press release, the Czech Embassy in Manila noted that from June 1, 2024, citizens of the Philippines wanting to...

by Prague Morning May 23, 2024

Morning Briefing │ May, Wednesday 22nd, 2024

* ECONOMY: Another wave of price increases is coming. In addition to rising food prices, this trend has also been reflected in the overall inflation figures. “The main contributor to inflation was higher food prices in April. They rose by a total of 1.7 percent, driven mainly by higher prices of pork and poultry, vegetables, dairy products, bakery products, and chocolate. Among alcoholic beverages, wine prices rose the fastest,” said David Marek, chief economist at Deloitte and adviser to the president. * SPORT Czechia lost 4:3 to Canada in overtime in the country’s final game at the World Ice Hockey Championship in Prague on Tuesday. The result left the Czechs second in their group behind Canada. They will now face the USA in the quarter-finals on Thursday. * WEATHER: It should be mainly overcast with some rain in Czechia on Wednesday, with an average high temperature of 18 degrees Celsius. Similar weather is expected on the following days. * EVENTS: The 15th edition of the Prague street theatre festival Za dveřmi will take place on July 10 – 16, announced the organizers. You can look forward seven days of theatre, new circus, concerts. Free admission. * VISA: Czechia’s Visa Application...

by Prague Morning May 22, 2024

Morning Briefing │ May, Tuesday 21st, 2024

* POLITICS: PM Petr Fiala has criticized the International Criminal Court’s decision to seek arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying that the “proposal to issue an arrest warrant for the representatives of a democratically elected government together with the leaders of an Islamist terrorist organisation is appalling and completely unacceptable”. * SPORT The Ice Hockey World Championship, currently taking place in Prague and Ostrava, is on track to surpass its previous spectator record set in 2015, when over 741,000 fans attended the games. In the first nine days of this year’s tournament, organizers reported more than half a million visitors. * WEATHER: Tuesday should be partly cloudy with scattered showers and storms around the country and day temperatures between 19 and 23 degrees Celsius. * EVENTS: The 15th edition of the Prague street theatre festival Za dveřmi will take place on July 10 – 16, announced the organizers. You can look forward seven days of theatre, new circus, concerts. Free admission. * TRAVEL: Prague Airport has handled five million passengers so far this year. It expects more than 16 million passengers to use its services this year. “We have surpassed this milestone almost a month earlier than...

by Prague Morning May 21, 2024

Morning Briefing │ May, Monday 20th, 2024

* PRAGUE: Two giant butterflies made from Spitfire aircraft fuselages have been installed on the Máj department store in the centre of Prague, which will soon reopen to the public after a 2-year-reconstruction. The giant art sculptures are the work of artist David Černý, who has many unusual art pieces around Prague. * EVENTS The Czech Republic will once again host the Open Gardens Weekend (Víkend otevřených zahrad 2024). As part of the event, it will be possible to visit more than 230 gardens and parks across the country, most of which are usually closed to the public.The event will take place on 8 and 9 June. Many participants will offer guests an accompanying programme and free admission. * WEATHER: Monday should be partly cloudy with scattered showers and day temperatures between 20 and 24 degrees Celsius. * ANNIVERSARIES: Top officials, WWII veterans and foreign diplomats attended a ceremony marking the 79th anniversary of the liberation of the Terezín ghetto on Sunday. Among the participants were President Petr Pavel, Senate chair Miloš Vystrčil and Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Markéta Pekarová Adamová. * TRAVEL: Škoda Group is to deliver twenty-three new electric units to RegioJet, which is the largest...

by Prague Morning May 20, 2024

Morning Briefing │ May, Friday 17th, 2024

* SECURITY: Czech police have increased their vigilance at the Ice Hockey World Championships, especially in Ostrava, where the Slovak team is playing in the preliminary group, following the assassination attempt against the Slovak Prime Minister, Robert Fico, a spokesperson for the police presidium said on Thursday. He also said that the police have no information that a similar attack is imminent in Czechia. * PRAGUE The Prague Public Transport Company (DPP) announced that from now on it will keep one of the city’s metro stations – Jiřího z Poděbrad – free of advertisements on its surfaces. The aim of the company is to retain the focus on the original design of the station, but the impetus definitely came from the public, who insisted that it should stay that way. * WEATHER: Friday will be mostly overcast with rain and occasional storms. Temperatures will range between 13 and 18 degrees Celsius. * STATISTICS: The number of Slovaks living permanently in Czechia is gradually increasing, reaching nearly 67,200 at the end of this March, according to the Ministry of Interior data. The number has almost tripled over the past 15 years. * LIFESTYLE: The traditional strawberry picking season, which usually begins...

by Prague Morning May 17, 2024

Morning Briefing │ May, Thursday 16th, 2024

* SLOVAKIA: Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico is no longer in a “life-threatening situation” after he was shot multiple times in an assassination attempt, a senior minister has said. The 59-year-old populist, pro-Russian leader was shot multiple times as he greeted people in the town of Handlová, about 190km from Bratislava. * SPORT Czechia crushed Denmark 7-4 in a World Championship group stage game on Wednesday. The victory marks the Czechs’ first win over Denmark in regulation time at a major tournament in over a decade. The Czech Republic’s next Group A game is against Austria on Friday. * WEATHER: It should be mainly overcast in Czechia on Thursday, with an average high temperature of 19 degrees Celsius. More cloudy skies are expected on the following days. * BUSINESS: The owner of Royal Mail has said it is “minded” to accept a revised takeover bid by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky. The latest offer from Mr Kretinsky’s investment firm EP Group values the Royal Mail parent company International Distribution Services (IDS) at £3.5bn. * PRAGUE: The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute extended the fire danger warning in Prague until Friday, May 17, at midnight. In line with the warning, people should refrain from...

by Prague Morning May 16, 2024

Morning Briefing │ May, Wednesday 15th, 2024

* EQUALITY: In 2023, a survey released by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights revealed that sixty-three percent of LGBT+ individuals in Czechia encountered various forms of harassment. This included threats of violence or offensive remarks, marking the highest incidence of such mistreatment among all EU nations. * ECONOMY Last year, the Czech Republic allocated approximately 1.37% of its GDP, totaling roughly CZK 101 billion, to defense, which fell short by about CZK 10 billion compared to initial projections NATO had forecasted that in 2023, the Czech Republic would allocate 1.5% of its GDP to defense. * WEATHER: Wednesday is expected to be warm, sunny and dry with some moderate winds. Daytime temperatures should reach a high of 23 degrees Celsius. * UKRAINE: The Latvian government decided to allocate €10 million for the Czech initiative to purchase artillery ammunition for Ukraine at a closed-door meeting on Tuesday. Czechia’s President Petr Pavel said that the first batch of shells purchased for Ukraine under the Czech initiative would be delivered in June. * PRAGUE: The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute extended the fire danger warning in Prague until Friday, May 17, at midnight. In line with the warning, people should refrain from building...

by Prague Morning May 15, 2024

Morning Briefing │ May, Tuesday 14th, 2024

* PRAGUE: Prague city councillors decided to add an explanatory sign to the bronze wall sculpture with the inscription “Moscow-Prague” located in the Anděl metro station. The sign will state that the former Czechoslovakia was occupied by the Soviet Union at the time the sculpture was made and that the friendship between the two countries was only a propaganda claim. * ECONOMY Consumer price indices in Czechia increased by 2.9% year on year and by 0.7% month on month as food, alcohol and tobacco prices spiked. It is 0.9 percentage points up on the inflation growth in March when it stagnated m/m at the Czech National Bank (CNB) target level of 2%. * WEATHER: Tuesday is expected to be warm, sunny and dry with some moderate winds. Daytime temperatures should reach a high of 22 degrees Celsius. * SPORT: Switzerland prevailed against the Czech Republic 2-1 in a shootout for a third win in Group A at the Ice Hockey World Championships. Kevin Fiala gave the Swiss a 1-0 lead and converted the decisive shootout goal. Matej Stransky tied it for the Czechs, who were defeated for the first time. * CULTURE: On 25 May, the Náprstek Museum of Asian,...

by Prague Morning May 14, 2024

Morning Briefing │ May, Monday 13th, 2024

* CULTURE: Prague kicks off the 10th annual Open House festival. For a whole week, you can explore 115 buildings and hidden spaces across the city that are usually closed to the public. There will also be an eventful accompanying program on the weekdays, including special guided tours, lectures, and discussions (mostly in Czech). * POLITICS Prime Minister Petr Fiala is scheduled to meet the Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Rome on Monday. During his one-day trip to Italy, the Czech head of government will also convene with President Sergio Mattarella. Key points on the agenda inlcude the enhancement of defense collaboration, bolstering economic ties, addressing migration concerns, and aligning with the EU’s strategic goals. * WEATHER: Monday will be mostly sunny with occasional rain showers and storms. Day temperatures are expected to range between 19 and 23 degrees Celsius. * EVENTS: Thirty Seconds to Mars will perform at Tipsport arena in Prague on May 15, 2024. The rock band from Los Angeles, California consists of brothers Jared Leto (lead vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards) and Shannon Leto (drums, percussion). During the course of its existence, it has undergone various line-up changes with the Leto brothers being the only consistent...

by Prague Morning May 13, 2024