News

Babis’s Media Assets Sold Ahead of New Law

The media business controlled by Czech billionaire and opposition leader Andrej Babis is being sold to investor Karel Prazak, the two parties said on Friday, ahead of new legislation that bans politicians from owning some news and TV assets. Agrofert, controlled by Babis through trust funds, has agreed to sell its media businesses MAFRA and LONDA and a chemicals firm to Czech-based Prazak, the two sides said in a statement but did not disclose financial details. MAFRA and LONDA are major players in the Czech media with assets including national newspapers Mlada fronta Dnes and Lidove Noviny, as well as one of the largest radio stations, significant online businesses and print works. Opponents have frequently criticised Babis, prime minister from 2017-2021 and still leader of his ANO party, for using his media assets to his political advantage, which he has denied. Babis put Agrofert, a sprawling empire of media, chemicals, farming and food processing firms, into trust funds in 2017 to comply with conflict of interest rules at the time. Those rules have been further tightened under legislation approved by the current ruling centre-right majority and due to come into effect next January. The new law bans members of parliament...

 by Prague Morning Sep 02, 2023

CRESTYL to Build 185 New Modern Apartments in Radlická by 2025

Prague’s Radlická district will welcome 185 modern apartments anticipated to be built by the end of 2025. Czech development group CRESTYL will begin the construction with contractor Metrostav for CZK 1.5 billion, and the project will include four separate buildings, each varying in height, while the inside of the building will include a community garden and amenities for families and children. The flats will be priced between CZK 4.8 million and CZK 19.3 million, including single-bedroom to four-bedroom layouts. Viktor Peška, CRESTYL’s sales director, said the project is “interesting” because of the timeline in which it is being built. The design behind Semerínka, the project’s name, comes from David Chmelar’s architectural studio and garden architect Petr Hodonicky, who designed the outdoor spaces. “It will be built all at once, so its residents will not be disturbed by any further construction phases,” Peška added. The project will also have an underground garage that should provide enough parking space for its residents, who can charge their electric vehicles at numerous charging stations. CRESTYL is a Czech property development and investment company consisting of several holding companies. It was founded in 2007 when it bought out part of its original owner, the property...

 by Prague Morning Sep 02, 2023

Czech PM Suggests Four New Nuclear Units Needed

In a speech to open a conference discussing future strategy for the Czech Republic, Prime Minister Petr Fiala said the country would need as many as four new nuclear power units. He said it had been a problem to not have “broad and long-term society-wide agreement on the main priorities of the direction of our republic”, with strategic investments in things such as nuclear energy featuring among the “pillars” that the country’s future should be built upon. “Transportation, energy infrastructure, nuclear, lithium, chips and trends in information technology, these are, in my opinion, six specific areas that have a huge potential to change our country. That is why a large part of strategic investments must go there,” he said in his speech. He then went on to highlight nuclear as one of those projects which combined innovation and added value with the potential to give a big boost to the entire economy.  “We don’t need to have long discussions about nuclear energy. It is our traditional sector. We have enough experts and the potential to prepare more, we have facilities at universities and research institutes. Nuclear must remain the clean energy source of choice in Europe. We are doing absolutely everything for this within the framework of our foreign policy. The Czech...

 by Prague Morning Sep 02, 2023

Energy Company E.ON Will Lower the Gas Prices by 16%

E.ON energy company is set to provide gas discounts to all its existing customers without a fixed price starting from September. This move will impact around 140,000 clients. Their prices will decrease by 16 percent compared to the current rates and will drop by up to 25 percent in comparison to the government’s imposed price cap. Similar trends are observed with other energy suppliers in the Czech Republic, as they gradually reduce their energy prices. In response to the price hikes in wholesale exchanges, the Czech government established price limits for this year at CZK 5,000 per megawatt-hour (MWh) for electricity excluding VAT and CZK 2,500 per MWh for gas. While suppliers initially offered these prices at the beginning of the year, they started introducing new, more profitable products throughout the year as energy costs on the exchange decreased. For E.ON’s customers without fixed plans, starting September, the gas price will be CZK 2,321 per megawatt-hour (MWh) including VAT. This translates to savings of CZK 436 per MWh compared to current rates and a significant reduction of CZK 704 per MWh compared to the ongoing price caps. Radek Fišer, Head of Household Energy Sales and Proxy of E.ON Energie, noted...

 by Prague Morning Aug 31, 2023

Fremont, a Tender Comedy About a Girl From the Fortune Cookie Factory, Opens in Theaters

Babak Jalali’s American film Fremont wowed audiences at the Sundance Film Festival and the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, where it took home the Crystal Globe for Best Director. The tender comedy follows the life of a young girl, Dunia, who works in a fortune cookie factory and decides to chase her own luck by hiding a daring message in one of the cookies. The main role of the quirky Dunia is played by debutant actress Anaita Wali Zada, alongside Jeremy Allen White, known to viewers from the popular kitchen nightmare series The Bear. Jalali’s distinctive humour and charming atmosphere have earned the film rave reviews, which are not afraid to compare the British director with Iranian roots to the big names of world cinema. Artforum magazine describes the film as “an extraordinary comedy with a calm detachment reminiscent of Kaurismäki and Jarmusch,” while Harper’s Bazaar calls it “an ode to the beauty and restless appeal of human connection.” The film will be released by Aerofilms on September 14. The right to a better life Jalali’s goal was to make a story that could easily slide into a dark social drama as a sweet, light comedy. “Showing humor in grim...

 by Prague Morning Aug 31, 2023

Czechia Welcomes 5.7 Million Visitors in Q2 2023 – Dutch & Belgian Tourists on the Rise

The Czech Republic welcomed over 5.7 million visitors during the second quarter of this year, including the period between April and June. According to VisitCzechia, a figure of 2.5 million foreign tourists visited, marking an increase of 32 per cent compared to last year. Most foreign tourists came from neighbouring countries, with Germany, Slovakia, and Poland leading the list, followed by the United States and the United Kingdom. As for the average length of stay for these tourists within the borders of the Czech Republic, it was 3.4 days. Meanwhile, among the preferred destinations, Prague emerged as the leading destination, followed by other countries such as South Moravia and South Bohemia. In the second quarter of 2023, 58,864 tourists from the Netherlands travelled to the Czech Republic. This figure represents a significant increase of 7,300 tourists compared to the same period a year ago. “The month of June proved particularly successful, as no less than 21,000 Dutch people visited the Czech capital. 68 per cent of all Dutch tourists have visited Prague. This can be explained on the one hand by the good flight connection from Amsterdam Schiphol (KLM and Easyjet) and Eindhoven (Transavia) to Prague,” the press release points...

 by Prague Morning Aug 31, 2023

Beer Price in Prague Could Exceed 70 CZK Per Pint

The average price of a half-litre of 12-degree beer in restaurants and pubs in Prague in July was CZK 64, compared to CZK 59 a year earlier, representing a rise of 9 percent, the national Association of Small and Medium Enterprises said. Across the nation, the mean beer price reached CZK 54 in July, a contrast to CZK 49.80 during the same period the previous year, indicating an increase of over eight percent. As part of its economic recovery strategy, the government intends to shift draught beer from the 10 percent VAT rate to the standard 21 percent rate. Consequently, if the average prices of July persist, the new year could usher in an approximate national average of CZK 59 per pint post-VAT increase on draught beer. Czech breweries wield significant influence over beer pricing, often making adjustments during the autumn. In the past year, Plzeňský Prazdroj, Staropramen, and Budějovický Budvar all raised draft beer prices, primarily attributing these changes to escalating energy costs. The director of the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises in Czechia Luboš Kastner, also raised concerns about the government’s decision not to impose excise duty on still wines. Due to these beer-related VAT shifts, which significantly affect...

 by Prague Morning Aug 31, 2023

Craving Argentinian Empanadas? Malá Argenta is the Right Place for You!

With a takeaway place that opened some four months ago in Malá Strana, as well as an online store, Malá Argenta offers a selection of genuine Argentinian flavors and more. Prague Morning spoke to Santiago Pérez. Santiago is one of the four owners of Malá Argenta, all of whom are from Argentina. “I’ve been in Prague for the past five years. I started the business three and a half years ago with three of my Argentinian friends. We were all tired of working our regular day jobs, so we decided to try something new,” says Santiago. Two of Santiago’s colleagues are chefs and it only made sense for them to try something related to food, according to Santiago. They made a large batch of empanadas that they debuted at a food festival at Ctěnice Castle. The initial response from the locals was overwhelmingly positive, which prompted them to give their idea a serious shot. At first, the business operated exclusively as an online delivery service of frozen empanadas. With time, it started growing and the Malá Argenta team opened their first physical location four months ago in Újezd 454/46. “We never wanted a big restaurant, but a smaller takeaway place...

 by Prague Morning Aug 30, 2023

Czech Airlines to Resume Prague-Yerevan Flights

From October 2, Czech Airlines will resume its Prague-Yerevan-Prague flights. These flights will be operated on Mondays and Thursdays, the “Armenia” International Airports CJSC reported. “The demand for flights from Armenia to Europe, including the Czech Republic, tends to grow, so we decided to resume the Prague-Yerevan route after five years. In recent years, the popularity of Transcaucasian destinations has increased among Czech travelers as well, so we are sure that they will be happy to receive this news,” said Jan Toth, Commercial Director of the company. The flight from Prague will be a night flight, departing at 01:45 and arriving in Yerevan at 07:20 local time. Return travelers will depart at 08:05 and arrive in the Czech capital at 10:15. Tickets are already on sale. The cost of a one-way flight starts from 6,000 CZK. This is more than double the price of WizzAir, which has been flying from Prague to Yerevan for the past two months. However, a few weeks ago, the Hungarian low-cost carrier announced that it had decided to abandon the route and the September 15th flight would be its last. For the availability of the respective airline tickets, their acquisition, and other details, please visit...

 by Prague Morning Aug 30, 2023

Smartwings Introduces New Regular Service Between Prague and Cairo

Air carrier Smartwings is adding a new destination to its autumn offering. On November 1, the airline is launching direct scheduled flights from Prague to Cairo, the capital of Egypt. The service will be operated twice a week. Cairo is the seventh Smartwings destination in Egypt, in addition to Hurghada, Marsa Alam, Sharm Al Sheikh, Al Alamain, Taba, and Marsa Matrouh. Flight tickets to Cairo are already available on Smartwings and Czech Airlines websites (under a code-share agreement) and from flight ticket vendors. Flight will depart from Prague Airport every Wednesday and Saturday night at 22:50 with arrival in Cairo at 3:40 local time. The return flight from Cairo to Prague is scheduled to depart from Cairo on Thursday and Sunday at 4:30 local time, with arrival at Prague Airport at 7:35. “We are happy to be able to offer our customers direct flights between Prague and Cairo, Egypt, for the first time ever. We are also planning to increase the capacity and frequency of flights to this attractive destination for the summer flight schedule,” says Petr Šujan, Smartwings Sales Director. Smartwings will offer direct flights from Czech airports to more than two dozen destinations under the winter schedule. Smartwings...

 by Prague Morning Aug 30, 2023

Prague is Again Fighting the Presence of Advertising Rickshaws in the City Center

Stationed in front of Thai massage establishments, rickshaws are causing complications for both Prague’s residents and its visitors. Their positioning violates city regulations and mars the aesthetic appeal of the area. City officials, along with representatives from the Municipal Police, have recently reached a consensus on this matter. They are now seeking a lawful solution for their removal and intend to pursue a modification in legislation. On Monday, August 28, Prague Mayor Bohuslav Svoboda and Councillor for property, legislation and transparency Adam Zábranský convened with the Municipal Police representatives. Mayor Bohuslav Svoboda remarked, “The presence of rickshaws on the sidewalks is not only a stain on Prague’s reputation but also a disruption to everyday pedestrian traffic. They essentially function as nothing more than oversized advertising banners. I am optimistic that a solution is on the horizon.” Councillor Adam Zábranský affirmed, “We have exhausted all available measures to eradicate the rickshaws from the city center. We have attempted various strategies.” “One of the city’s long-unsolved and problematic issues is illegally placed advertising, including various objects from entrepreneurs who are trying to make their establishments more attractive. An example is the infamous rickshaws on Wenceslas Square and Old Town Square, as well...

 by Prague Morning Aug 30, 2023

Czech Republic Backs Zelenskyy’s 10-Point Peace Plan

Czechia fully supports the 10-point peace plan presented by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and is ready to help with its implementation, said Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský. Lipavský spoke about the Czech role in the plan’s enforcement on the occasion of Monday’s meeting of the Czech head of embassies. On the same day, he also met with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba in Prague. “We stand fully behind President Zelenskyy’s peace plan. It remains the only way out of the biggest war on European soil since the end of the Second World War,” Lipavský said. Zelenskyy outlined a 10-point peace plan last autumn. The plan envisages – among others – nuclear safety, protection food and energy security, restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and total withdrawal of Russian troops. Czechia will be actively involved particularly in the first point – nuclear and radiation safety. “Together with France, we have been selected as co-chairs of the first group on nuclear and radiation safety. This is an achievement, it is an appreciation of our role. It is also a responsibility that we must live up to,” Lipavský said. According to Lipavský, the fact that Czechia will co-chair the nuclear safety group is a...

 by Prague Morning Aug 29, 2023