European gas prices surged this week after liquefied natural gas production in Qatar was halted and shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz were disrupted. While several EU countries face potential supply pressure, Czechia is not directly exposed to the current outage. At the Dutch TTF hub, the benchmark for European gas trading, prices climbed sharply. On Tuesday morning, gas rose by 26 percent to more than €56 per megawatt-hour. By midday, April contracts exceeded €64 per MWh, marking a rise of roughly 45 percent since the start of the week. The escalation follows attacks on energy infrastructure in the Middle East. On Monday, the Qatari state energy company QatarEnergy suspended LNG production after drones struck its Ras Laffan industrial complex and a power facility. Iran also targeted oil installations in Saudi Arabia, forcing parts of a refinery operated by Saudi Aramco to halt operations. Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz — a key corridor for global energy exports from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates — has been blocked since the weekend. The disruption immediately affected commodity markets. On Monday alone, European gas prices jumped by as much as 50 percent. Qatar supplies roughly 10 percent of Europe’s...
The Czech government is preparing to send repatriation flights to Egypt for Czech citizens currently in Israel, as regional airspace closures make direct evacuation impossible. Prime Minister Andrej Babiš announced the plan on the social network X on Sunday, saying Prague is ready to act immediately if conditions allow. Because Israeli airspace remains closed, evacuees would first need to travel overland by bus to Egypt, where Czech aircraft could collect them. The government will assess further steps at a meeting of the State Security Council scheduled for Monday morning. Air evacuation through other regional hubs is not an option. Airspace over the United Arab Emirates, Oman and several other Middle Eastern countries has also been shut, complicating efforts to move civilians out of the region. Foreign Minister Petr Macinka confirmed that aircraft are on standby should evacuation be required. He added that Prague is coordinating its approach with the Slovak government. The security situation deteriorated after Israel and the United States launched military strikes against Iran early Saturday. U.S. President Donald Trump said the operation aimed to prevent Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. Iran responded with missile attacks targeting Israel and several Arab states, including countries hosting U.S. military...
Too Good To Go has launched a new service in the Czech Republic aimed at rescuing unsold flowers and potted plants. The Danish platform Too Good To Go, known locally for offering discounted surplus meals from restaurants and bakeries, has begun rescuing unsold flowers and houseplants. The concept mirrors the company’s food model. At the end of the day, florists assemble “surprise packages” from bouquets and potted plants that would otherwise be discarded. Customers ordering through the app do not know what they will receive. The box may contain a simple bunch of daisies, several roses, or a small decorative plant. The fixed price is 99 CZK, roughly one third of the standard retail value. More than 70 Czech flower businesses have joined the scheme since its launch. Participants include nationwide retailer Květiny Novák as well as independent studios such as Florentine Flowers. Company representatives say the expansion reflects a broader environmental focus. While the app first gained attention for tackling food waste, the environmental costs of flower production are also high, involving intensive water use and agricultural land. Unsold bouquets often end up in bins despite remaining fresh enough for use. The platform entered the Czech market last year...
The Czech Republic is preparing the legal and technical framework for fully autonomous vehicles. For now, however, cars without drivers are not allowed on Czech roads. At the moment, only limited semi-autonomous driving is permitted, and only on selected highway sections. Since the beginning of this year, vehicles equipped with advanced systems have been allowed to operate in what is known as Level 3 automation. In these cases, the driver may temporarily hand over control, but must be ready to intervene immediately if conditions change. According to the Ministry of Transport, no fully self-driving cars are currently registered in the country. These semi-autonomous systems can function only on clearly defined stretches of highway, where traffic flows in separate lanes and pedestrians and cyclists are prohibited. The vehicle must also confirm that all onboard systems are operational. Weather conditions play a decisive role. Reduced visibility caused by fog, heavy rain or snowfall automatically disqualifies the use of automated mode. When the car detects that it has entered an approved section and that conditions meet the criteria, it alerts the driver that autonomous driving is available. If the situation changes — for example due to deteriorating weather or road conditions — the...
A state-controlled energy group has once again emerged as the most attractive employer for young people in the Czech Republic. According to the latest TOP Employers survey, students at both universities and high schools named ČEZ as their preferred place to work in 2025. The annual research, organized by the Association of Students and Graduates, gathered responses from more than 14,000 university students and over 9,000 high school students across the country. The survey was conducted between October 1 and December 12, 2025, making it one of the largest studies of its kind in the Czech Republic. ČEZ has dominated the overall ranking for several consecutive years. This year, it secured first place among both university and secondary school respondents. Company representatives point to long-term engagement with students as a key factor behind its continued success. Daniel Novák, director of the TOP Employers study, said the results reflect sustained outreach efforts. “We have observed over time that companies active at universities and high schools — and those that systematically work with young talent — tend to rank highly. Students respond to that presence,” he said. Automotive and Technology Firms Remain Strong Beyond the energy sector, automotive and engineering companies continue...
Exactly 78 years ago, on 25 February 1948, the Communists seized power in post-war Czechoslovakia. This marked the beginning of more than four decades of hard-line communist rule, brought to an end by the Velvet Revolution in 1989. Czechoslovak Communist leader Klement Gottwald, on that fateful day in 1948, announced in Prague’s Old Town Square that the president had accepted the resignations of several non-communist ministers. While the transition to a totalitarian system did not happen overnight, this event symbolized the beginning of one-party rule. The Communist Coup of 1948 After World War II, Czechoslovakia looked favorably on the Russians, who had liberated them. By 1946, Communists were well-represented in the Czechoslovak government. In 1947, however, Czechoslovakia wanted to obtain Marshall Aid from the USA, but it was not possible due to USSR intervention. This was only one of many issues that set off criticism of the Communist Party. Communists reacted ruthlessly. The democratic ministers were soon fed up with the Communists’ abuse of the police organ and security forces. They demanded that the Party cease its political attacks. But the Communists would not give in. The 12 non-Communist ministers resigned, predicting that democratic President Edvard Benes would be able...
Foreign nationals now make up nearly six percent of the workforce in the Czech healthcare system, underscoring how reliant the country has become on medical professionals from abroad. According to data from the National Register of Healthcare Professionals, around 251,000 people were employed in Czech healthcare at the start of 2026. Of those, almost six percent were foreign citizens. Slovaks form the largest group, while workers from outside the European Union — including Ukraine — account for roughly two percent of all healthcare jobs. Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, thousands of Ukrainian medical professionals have arrived in the Czech Republic. By the end of 2025, about 2,100 specialists from Ukraine had entered the system, taking up both qualified and support roles. At present, nearly 1,100 Ukrainian doctors and more than 240 dentists are practicing in the country. Close to 1,500 nurses of Ukrainian origin are also working across hospitals and clinics. Since early 2022, nearly 500 doctors, over 600 nurses and midwives, and close to 1,000 aides and caregivers have relocated to the Czech Republic. Prague has attracted the largest share of these professionals. More than 500 Ukrainian healthcare workers are employed in the...
Excess weight is now more common than a healthy weight in the Czech Republic. Fresh data show that the average body mass index of people aged 16 and over has climbed to 26.4, above the medical threshold of 25 that defines the upper boundary of a healthy range. Three years ago, the figure stood at 26.2. In 2017, it was 25.2. The findings come from a nationwide survey of 8,500 households conducted last spring as part of the country’s annual monitoring of living conditions. Participants reported their height, weight, diet and level of physical activity. Researchers calculated BMI by dividing weight in kilograms by the square of height in meters. The data indicate that more than one in five adults is obese. The rate reaches 22 percent among men and 19 percent among women. Mild overweight is even more widespread. It affects nearly 45 percent of men and close to one third of women. As a result, only 32 percent of men and 47 percent of women fall within the healthy weight range. Yet the survey also points to a shift in exercise habits. Daily physical activity lasting at least ten minutes and causing heavier breathing and a faster heartbeat...
Jáchymov is a lonely mining town in the Ore Mountains which has played an important role in the history of modern man. The US dollar is the most widely used currency in the world. It is both the primary de facto global tender and the world’s unofficial gold standard. According to the International Monetary Fund, 62% of the planet’s financial reserves are held in US dollars – more than double the total foreign holdings of euros, yen and renminbi combined. Thirty-one nations have either adopted it as their official currency or named their money after it; more than 66 countries peg the value of their currencies to it. Yet, one place where the dollar is not accepted is in the tiny Czech town of Jáchymov – which is ironic, because it was here, tucked deep into the wooded folds of Bohemia’s Krušné hory mountains, where the dollar originated 500 years ago in January 1520. The Discovery of Silver and the Rise of Joachimsthal At the beginning of the 16th century, a rich silver deposit was found in the local valley, so in 1516 the owner of the Ostrov estate, Count Štěpán Šlik, decided to establish the town of Thaler. It...
Pizza prices across the Czech Republic rose by about 11.5 percent year on year, according to new data from Foodora. Despite the increase, the country remains among the cheapest markets in Europe where the delivery platform operates. The company’s Pizza Index, modeled loosely on global purchasing-power comparisons used in fast-food pricing, tracks average pizza costs in cities with the highest order volumes. The figures show clear regional differences inside the country. The lowest average price last year was recorded in Liberec at around 226 CZK. It was followed by České Budějovice with 233 CZK, Plzeň at 245 CZK, and Brno at roughly 251 CZK. The highest average price remained in Prague, where customers paid about 260 CZK per pizza. Across all countries covered by the index, prices were lower only in Hungary. The cheapest city overall was Szeged with an average price equivalent to about 207 CZK. At the opposite end stood Lillestrøm in Norway, where the converted price reached roughly 465 CZK. Higher ingredient costs, especially wheat, tomatoes and cheese, together with energy and operating expenses, have pushed prices up. Some major cities nevertheless recorded small declines, which the dataset links to stronger competition and more efficient production. Ordering...
The Czech Republic moved higher last year in Transparency International’s global Corruption Perceptions Index, ranking 39th worldwide. That marks an improvement from 46th place the previous year, although the country still remains below the European Union average score. Transparency International evaluated perceived corruption in the public sector across 182 countries and territories. A score of 100 signals a very clean public sector, while zero reflects severe corruption. The global average slipped to 42 points last year, the first decline in more than ten years, with most countries scoring under 50. Czechia recorded 59 points out of 100, three points more than a year earlier. Analysts from Transparency International Czech Republic link the still-below-average EU performance partly to what they describe as incomplete implementation of anti-corruption measures during the previous government. Across Central Europe, Slovakia moved in the opposite direction. Its score fell to 48 points, dropping the country from 59th place to 61st. Poland ranked 52nd with 53 points, while Hungary placed 84th with 40 points, among the weakest results in the European Union. The Baltic states — Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania — all scored higher than the Czech Republic despite joining the EU in the same 2004 enlargement round....
Archaeologists have made a remarkable discovery in the Bohemia region. A treasure trove of gold, jewellery, gems, silver coins, and amber has been found, with the site covering 62 acres in total. According to the latest reports, the area is said to have been a bustling trading hub during the La Tène period, which is when tribes started to spread throughout Europe. A Treasure Trove of Jewellery and Gems The discovery was made by the Museum of Eastern Bohemia, with Archaia Praha near Hradec Králové leading the excavation. When they began to uncover the ruins, they noticed significant finds, with over 13,000 bags of artifacts present. Within the bags were iron brooches, armlets, and metal bands. There was also high-quality jewellery made out of amber, a product highly prized during the era. As gems were also uncovered, archaeologists have said that the diversity of the find alone is exceptional, and that it gives a lot of insight into the craftsmanship, wealth, and cultural foundation of the tribe. The artefacts have since been cleaned, and if you want to see them in person, they are being catalogued at the Museum of Eastern Bohemia. There’s currently a small exhibition that showcases...
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