During a press conference held on Tuesday, the representatives of the Pirates unveiled their vision for the implementation of eDocuments. This innovation aims to enable individuals to verify their identity through a mobile app on their smartphones, replacing the conventional plastic identification card. It allows people to selectively share personal data during verification processes, enhancing both privacy and security. The scheduled launch of this project is slated for early next year, though it will not be valid for international use. Jakub Michálek, the leader of the Pirate MPs, expressed his enthusiasm for the project, stating, “eDocuments is a highly promising endeavor, set to be introduced in January 2024.” Ivan Bartos, Minister for Regional Development and Digitalisation, described eDocuments as a “standard mobile application” that can be easily downloaded, and utilized. The primary advantage of eDocuments over traditional ID cards lies in the ability to selectively disclose information during identity verification. For instance, when confirming one’s age at a restaurant, only proof of legal adulthood, without revealing residence or date of birth, is necessary, as Bartoš clarified. Enhanced security is another noteworthy feature, with the app offering biometric authentication options, such as fingerprints or facial recognition, alongside the option to set...
The so-called ‘máničky’ represented the spirit of freedom and resistance to the authoritarian regime “Better late than never”, some might say upon learning that the Czech Supreme Court has overturned a verdict from 1966, which sentenced 14 young men for protesting the forced cutting of their hair by the police. Back in the 1960s Czechoslovakia was part of the Communist-ruled Eastern bloc of Europe, which resulted in a serious curtailment of personal, collective and economic freedoms for the people living there. Government control extended even into things like fashion and grooming. Long hair worn by men was seen as a decadent influence by the West and a political statement of resistance and opposition. In a sense, it was. That decade was a cultural transformation milestone in many countries and the influence of new ideas, music and youth culture permeated even through the Iron Curtain. The Czech government, however, responded harshly against this budding counter-culture movement by instituting a series of measures, such as the prohibition of long-haired men to ride on public transport, enter cinemas, theatres or pubs. This culminated in a campaign, which had police chase and arrest such males, known as “máničky” (a derogatory term likening them to girls) and...
In September, the unemployment rate in the Czech Republic held steady at 3.6 percent, mirroring the figures from August. The number of people actively seeking employment increased by approximately 2,200 on a monthly basis, totaling 263,000 by the end of September. The number of available job positions rose by around 800, reaching 282,000 compared to the previous month. In a year-on-year comparison, the unemployment rate was slightly higher by one-tenth of a percentage point. The Czech Republic boasts the lowest unemployment rate across the entire European Union. Earlier this year, unemployment had steadily declined to 3.4 percent between March and June. However, there was a slight uptick in July following four months of decline, which continued into August. During September, 47,778 new individuals registered with the Labour Office, marking a 13,135 increase compared to the previous month. The Labour Office reported that 31,326 individuals secured new employment opportunities, with many finding jobs in the education wholesale trade, healthcare, public administration, metal construction, and food products sectors. The highest unemployment rates persisted in the Ústí nad Labem region at 5.6 percent and the Moravian-Silesian region at 4.9 percent. Conversely, the lowest unemployment rate was recorded in the South Bohemian Region at...
On the night of Sunday, 8th October, the Czech Republic’s Giant Mountains witnessed the first snowfall of the season. Temperatures dropped below freezing early in the morning, creating powdery patches above 1,100 meters. Weather experts assure that this snowy episode is temporary, expecting a return to warmer weather in the coming days. The snowfall is the result of a recent cold front passing over the Czech Republic, which brought temperatures below zero degrees Celsius to areas of high elevation in the country. Compared to previous years, the snowfall arrived later. Last year, the first snowfall occurred on 18th September, and in 2021, it was on 12th October. Temperatures on Sněžka reached as low as minus one degree Celsius this morning, but weather conditions on the mountain can change dramatically. Shortly before 4:00 a.m., the measuring station at the mountain’s summit reported a temperature of nearly eight degrees above zero. In addition to Sněžka and the Krkonoše Mountains, temperatures are also low enough for snow to fall in Czechia’s Jeseníky Mountains. However, meteorologists note that the snow is unlikely to accumulate on the ground. While the Giant Mountains enjoy their snowy makeover, the rest of the country continues its autumnal transition,...
Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Vít Rakušan (STAN) has disclosed the latest data regarding Ukrainian refugees in the Czech Republic amid the ongoing conflict with Russia. According to Rakušan, over 200,000 Ukrainian refugees have departed the Czech Republic since the onset of Russian aggression in February, 2022. Since the beginning of the conflict until October 1 of this year, a total of 561,605 Ukrainian refugees have applied for temporary protection in the Czech Republic. Of these, as of October 1, 358,740 individuals had physically submitted applications for temporary protection within the country. This means that more than 200,000 refugees have chosen to leave the Czech Republic during the conflict, either heading to other EU member states or returning to Ukraine. He explained that nearly 360,000 refugees have registered with the Department of Asylum and Migration Policy, providing essential information. However, Rakušan noted that those who failed to visit the Department of Asylum and Migration Policy in person by the end of September would lose their temporary protection status in the Czech Republic. Approximately 14,500 fewer people than expected turned up for in-person registration. According to the minister, these are refugees who have likely returned to Ukraine or taken advantage...
Oliversum, a Czech company specializing in comprehensive financial services, has unveiled its new Real Estate Guide service, offering comprehensive assistance to clients pursuing their dream home. “We guide you through every step, from consultations during property selection to strategic financing and technical inspections. Oliversum simplifies the complex process, allowing clients to concentrate on finding their ideal home, which can be a really stressful activity for new buyers,” states Josef Fojta, Oliversum’s founder.” The Real Estate Guide service features three packages catering to different needs. The Basic package offers essential services like strategic advice and communication with real estate companies. The Premium package includes a detailed property inspection and legal setup, enhancing the Basic services. The Exclusive package goes a step further, encompassing technical property inspections and expert advice on advantageous mortgage transfers. Fojta emphasizes that the Exclusive package ensures meticulous care, providing confidence in investments while saving time and future financial expenses.
Pernod Ricard SA is exploring a sale of Czech liqueur brand Becherovka, people with knowledge of the matter said, as the French spirits maker considers ways to streamline its portfolio. Paris-based Pernod is working with Centerview Partners LLC as it seeks to gauge buyer interest in Becherovka, according to the people. The company is valued at nearly CZK 7 billion, with other international drinks groups seen as the most likely potential buyers, Bloomberg reported. Becherovka is a herbal liqueur that has been produced in the spa town of Karlovy Vary in the west of the Czech Republic for more than 200 years. It was acquired by Pernod in 1997. Deliberations are ongoing and there’s no certainty they will result in a transaction, the people said. Representatives for Pernod and Centerview declined to comment. A potential sale comes as Pernod looks at possible divestments elsewhere its portfolio of more than 240 brands. The company is also exploring a sale of wines including Australia’s Jacob’s Creek, a person with knowledge of the matter said in September. The company said at the time that it regularly assesses and evaluates strategic opportunities. Pernod Chief Executive Officer Alexandre Ricard said in August that the company...
It has been 100 years since the story of Czech Airlines began to be written. Czech Airlines was founded on 6 October 1923. In 1937, it moved its base to Prague Airport, then the Ruzyně Airport. The airline company has set up a special section on its website where facts, key events, stories and photos from its long history are presented. The carrier also prepared a small gift for passengers on Czech Airlines flights on Friday, 6 October 2023 as a token of appreciation for their patronage. In addition, members of the OK Plus loyalty program will receive a jubilee bonus of 1,923 miles into their account for taking Czech Airlines flights on the day of the carrier’s 100th anniversary. Details of important historical milestones of Czech Airlines may be learned by visitors to Václav Havel Airport Prague at the exhibition called 100 Years of Czech Aviation History, put together by Prague Airport with Czech Airlines. The exhibition will be located in the connecting corridor between Terminals 1 and 2 from 6 October until the end of the year. A special microsite of letisteslavi.cz was created to let the public learn all the interesting facts related to the current Czech Airlines anniversary. An...
People all over Czechia are commemorating the 87th anniversary of the birth of Václav Havel, the last Czechoslovak and the first Czech president. In Trutnov in the Hradec Králové Region, a memorial site on top of a cinema will be unveiled, while at the Faculty of Philosophy in Olomouc, an event commemorating Havel’s thoughts and speeches is planned. People in Prague are expected to gather at Havel’s grave in the Vinohrady cemetery. Aside from that, Havel was a poet, playwright and filmmaker. His absurdist plays, which were critical of communism, led him to be blacklisted after the 1968 Soviet-led invasion, and his works could not be performed domestically. He was one of the authors of Charter 77, a protest petition for human rights, and a founder of the Committee for the Defense of the Unjustly Prosecuted. When massive antigovernment demonstrations erupted in Prague in November 1989, Havel became the leading figure in the Civic Forum, a new coalition of non-communist opposition groups pressing for democratic reforms. In early December the Communist Party capitulated and formed a coalition government with the Civic Forum. As a result of an agreement between the partners in this bloodless “Velvet Revolution,” Havel was elected to the post of interim president of Czechoslovakia on December 29,...
The European Commission will enforce a ban on the sale of flavored, heated tobacco in shops starting on October 23rd. Sales have significantly increased in at least five EU countries. The ban is part of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan which aims to create a tobacco-free generation, where less than 5% of the population will use tobacco products by 2040, compared to around 25% today. The regulation issued by the European Union last year “prohibits the placing on the market of tobacco products with a characterizing flavor and tobacco products containing flavorings in any of their components on the EU market.” “I’m not happy about it. I am very much in favor of a harm reduction approach, i.e., risk reduction for tobacco as well. I’m a bit worried that people will revert to regular cigarettes because of this regulation,” said National Drugs Coordinator Jindřich Vobořil in an interview with Novinky.cz. Additionally, some EU countries are considering investigating disposable flavored e-cigarettes and banning their sale. The Health Ministry has recently conducted inspections on these products. “Health inspectors checked the labeling of unit packs for a total of 397 disposable electronic cigarettes. Out of these, 165 products failed to comply with the labeling...
The Czech Senate commemorated the 85th anniversary of the signing of the Munich Agreement on Friday, with Senate President Miloš Vystrčil and his predecessors Petr Pithart and Přemysl Sobotka giving speeches. When Germany, France, Britain and Italy signed the Munich Agreement in the early hours of September 30, 1938, the Nazis took over Czechoslovakia’s Sudetenland, where mostly ethnic Germans lived along the Czech borders. The treaty also enabled Germany to take over Czechoslovakia, which they did officially on March 15, 1939. Notably, Czechoslovakia was not represented at the conference that decided that country’s fate. The agreement is viewed in hindsight as a failed attempt to avoid war with Nazi Germany. The Sudeten Germans speak out After World War I, borders had been drawn within the former Austro-Hungarian Empire, and these borders had triggered resentment and local conflicts. The German minority in post-World War I Czechoslovakia had yearned to become independent, not satisfied with its status in Czechoslovakia between the wars. When Germany annexed the Sudetenland, the majority of the 3.5 million Germans living there were ecstatic. By 1935 Konrad Henlein, a Sudeten German himself had built his pro-Nazi Sudetenland German Party (SDP) into the second largest political party in Czechoslovakia. Much...
The Czech government has approved a plan to buy 24 F-35 fighter jets, Prime Minister Petr Fiala said on Wednesday, as the army seeks to boost its capabilities and work more easily alongside NATO allies. Fiala said the first aircraft would be ready in 2029 and the rest by 2035. “It is an effective solution,” Fiala said. “[The jet] is a system that has a longer perspective than other types of aircraft.” Fiala added that the purchase of the Czech military sends “a message to our allies that we take the defense of our country seriously and that they can rely on us.” Defence Minister Jana Cernochova said the state will pay 150 billion crowns by 2034, which includes 44 billion for base upgrades in the Czech Republic along with fuel, staff training and taxes. The chief of the general staff, Lt. Gen. Karel Rehka, said that the new jets would ensure “that in the case of need, we’ll manage to effectively defend ourselves against aggression, together with our allies.” It will be the biggest defence contract ever signed by Czechia. In June, the U.S. State Department approved the sale of F-35 jets, munitions and related equipment to the Czech...
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