The Czech Republic is expected to face a mild recession this year, with GDP falling by 0.1 percent, according to the latest OECD report. The country will also continue to struggle with high inflation, which is expected to be at 13 percent. On Thursday the Senate approved sending up to 15 Czech military police officers to Ukraine as part of a multinational team investigating war crimes in the country for the International Criminal Court (ICC). They could also be deployed in The Hague, the Netherlands, where the ICC is based. Czech lower house chair Marketa Pekarova Adamova (TOP 09) yesterday ended her visit to Taiwan, where she met Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and PM Chen Chien-jen, and signed a memorandum on interparliamentary cooperation, according to spokesman Martin Churavy. The number of teachers in nurseries and primary and secondary schools in the Czech Republic has increased by around 16% in five years, to about 180,000 at the beginning of this school year, according to data from the Education Ministry provided to CTK. Prague Hygiene Station warns of the high incidence of scarlet fever and angina in Prague, with up to 4 times the usual number of cases recorded among children under 9. Increased cleaning and disinfection of surfaces in affected areas...
Great music of all kinds of genres will fill the islands again this year, the United Islands of Prague festival will be connected with Europe Day The festival season will begin in Prague on May 5 and 6 at the 20th annual United Islands of Prague festival. On the Prague islands this year, the festival organizers are preparing an offer of Czech, Slovak, Polish, Hungarian, Swedish, French, German and Danish music. In addition, Friday’s program will belong to Europe Day, which is an annual reminder of peace and cooperation on the territory of the European continent. On the first weekend of May, visitors can look forward to performances from European countries and an interesting accompanying program in addition to a genre-varied load of unheard musical tones. The United Islands of Prague Festival and Europe Day are traditionally free for visitors. “Until now, we have always celebrated Europe Day as a separate event on Strelecky Island. This year, the celebrations will be part of the United Islands of Prague festival for the first time. Something that has a common spirit and goal will naturally come together: the connection of different cultures and peoples and the celebration that we can live together...
Czechia disagrees with the International Olympic Committee recommending on Thursday that Russian and Belarusian athletes can compete in international competitions as neutral competitors. The recommendation published Tuesday by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommends that athletes with Russian or Belarusian passports must compete as Individual Neutral Athletes while suggesting that team sports should be banned for both countries. “I am disappointed with the IOC recommendation. We must not close our eyes to reality. Russian sport is centrally controlled from the Kremlin,” Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský said. The IOC has not yet decided whether it will allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris and the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo. However, Lipavský is convinced they should be banned from all international sports events, including the Olympics. Meanwhile, the Czech Olympic Committee launched an expert group that must look into legal arguments to ensure Russian and Belarusian athletes do not participate in the upcoming Olympics. But political matters should not interfere with sports, said IOC President Thomas Bach. “If governments took over the decision of which athletes can participate in which competitions, it would be the end of world sport...
Czechia disagrees with the International Olympic Committee recommending on Thursday that Russian and Belarusian athletes can compete in international competitions as neutral competitors. Czech National Bank leaves interest rates unchanged at 7%. Wages are rising faster than expected, and the bank warns of the risk of a wage-price spiral. The board will consider raising rates in May to maintain long-term price stability. Around 1,000 people took part in the “Hour of Truth” protest yesterday against low salaries for lecturers in humanities and social sciences at Czech universities. The protesters, who gathered outside the Faculty of Arts of Charles University (FF UK) in Prague, called on PM Petr Fiala to take action to address the situation. The Czech Army aims to boost its air defence capabilities and is planning to buy missiles from the Israeli state firm Rafael. The Ministry of Defence has been in talks with the company for more than a year about purchasing its Spyder anti-missile system at a cost of CZK 13.7 billion, the daily said. Visitors to Prague’s Clementinum will be able to take part in a new Baroque tour at the Czech National Library’s historic complex from the start of April. The...
Czech labor unions on Wednesday joined with opposition parties to protest the government’s proposed bid to raise the retirement age by four years to 68. Some 2,000 protesters gathered Wednesday in front of government offices in the capital Prague to voice their opposition to the plan. “We definitely don’t agree,” read a letter ratified at the gathering. “We will defend ourselves,” Roman Durco, the head of the KOVO labor union group that organized the rally told the angry crowd. Labor and Social Affairs Minister Marian Jurecka recently appeared to backpedal on the original pension reform proposal but his ministry said in a statement said that the retirement age raise remains on the negotiating table. The government has yet to finalize the pension reform plan it says is necessary to make the system viable. Leaders from opposition parties with and without seats in parliament took part in the demonstration, including Andrej Babis, the populist billionaire chief of the centrist ANO (YES) party, the anti-migrant Direct Democracy Party and the far-left Communist party. Andrej Babis, the former prime minister, called on unions to stage large protests, pledging his support. A recently approved plan in France raising the retire age from 62 to...
The Prague Relocation Fair will make your life as an international citizen easier and help you understand the local regulations and culture. Taking place simultaneously, the Jobspin Job Fair is tailored for expat job-seekers wishing to land a job in an international company in Prague. Registration for both fairs is free at the official event website. Want everything to go as smoothly as possible in your new life in the Czech Republic? The 2023 Jobspin Job Fair brings you the chance to interact directly with local recruiters with global minds. Come and discover new career opportunities and network with industry professionals to get helpful job insights. Whether you are a new graduate, an experienced professional, or just looking for a change, it is a perfect way to explore job openings across a range of sectors and find the best fit. The Prague Relocation Fair will help you understand the local regulations and culture, making your life as a Prague expat easier. 2023 Jobspin Job and Relocation Fair features top international companies from many sectors, including AT&T, Johnson and Johnson, Interhome, Expedia Group, Siemens, AB InBev, FLEETCOR/CCS Česká společnost pro platební karty, and many more. The event will be held in...
Korean Air will connect Prague with Seoul, South Korea, every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The fourth connection on Saturdays will be added from June. This new route will significantly boost the currently absent capacity not only to Korea, but also to other destinations in Asia with traditionally strong demand, for example Thailand, Japan, Vietnam, alongside Indonesia and Australia, using connecting flights from Seoul. Regular flights were last operated on the route in March 2020. Resumptions of long-haul connections are one of the top priorities for Jiří Pos, Chairman of the Prague Airport Board of Directors: “This is an important milestone not only on the way to resuming operations and returning to the 2019 figures, but also in terms of building a network of direct routes to Asia. Korea is one of the markets with the highest demand within the Asian region,” Mr. Pos said. “At the heart of the Korean Air’s Central European network, Prague is a flagship destination that boasts centuries of rich history and cultural heritage. The service resumption will give us an opportunity to pick up where we left off in fostering active exchanges between the two countries in many different fields.” Jeong Soo Park, Korean Air...
Czechia has been issued a CZK 54 million fine for not yet applying EU rules for protecting whistle-blowers who report on corruption and other illegal activities. The deadline for applying the EU directive ran out last December. The chairman of the Czech and Moravian Trade Union of Workers in Education, František Dobšík, said that salaries for school employees should be raised to 130 percent of the country’s average gross wage. He added that the union is concerned the government will put priority on cuts rather than on this raise. Czechia has placed 17th on a list of the safest tourist destinations in the world, compiled by the British news site Which? The site focusses on consumer rights and issues travel recommendations. Switzerland tops the list of safest tourist destinations, followed by Iceland, Norway and Portugal. Czechia has so far granted 502, 000 temporary protection visas to people fleeing the war in Ukraine, according to data published by the Czech Interior Ministry. Some of the refugees who were granted visas have already returned to Ukraine or left for another country. A winner has been announced in the Creative Business Cup 2023, which held its national final last...
President Petr Pavel started working from his new office at Prague Castle on Monday. He had been working from Prague’s Hrzánský Palace while his office was being inspected and prepared. The president said he had ordered a thorough inspection to make sure that there were no listening devices installed. The Regional Court in Plzen has sent a 36-year-old Czech man to five and a half years in prison for supporting and inciting terrorism and violence. In a post on Facebook last year the man criticized the law on pandemics and incited viewers to take to the streets and bring down the political elite, calling for the elimination of senators, MPs and government ministers. Eating disorders in teenagers increased by almost two-thirds between 2016 and 2021, according to data provided by Czech health officials. The number of teenagers between 15 and 19 suffering from an eating disorder went up from 1,450 in 2016 to 2,383 in 2021. Overall, nearly eight per cent of the young population is now affected by anorexia or bulimia. The Israeli embassy in the Czech Republic will join the general strike announced by unions in Israel today over controversial judicial reforms, and will thus...
The popular Vltava River ferries have been running again since last weekend. Other links are now in operation until October 29th, in addition to the P1 and P2 ferries, which operate all year. However, there is one minor difference this year: the commonly used ferry from Holešovice to Karlin will only transport people until the new HolKa walking bridge opens. The new bridge is slated to debut this summer. The boat will also not service Stvanice Island because the eastern end of the island is blocked off by the new walking bridge building site. Prague boats transported over 619,000 passengers last year. The P2 route between Podbaba and Podhoří was typically the largest ferry, carrying 219,000 passengers and 23,000 bicycles. This boat transports 600 persons per day on average. With around 119,000 people, the P5 route from Cisarská louka at Výtoň and Smichov Dam (Smichovska Náplavka) was the second most used ferry. The ferries in Prague are a popular transport option among locals as well as tourists. They allow you to experience the Vltava River and the city from a very special perspective, while comfortably getting from one bank to the other. List of Prague ferries in operation since 25...
We are introducing several easy bike trails that lead through beautiful valleys, along rivers, or simply said that avoid the hills. These trails are enjoyable by parents and children alike! Třeboň Region – A Countryside Made for Family Bike Trips South Bohemia, and mainly the Třeboň Region, is a paradise to cyclists. The bike trail around Třeboň is also an educational trail with many scenic vistas and stops with information boards in Czech and English. They describe the most typical things you will see in the Třeboň Region – the ponds and pond systems, peat bogs, forest complexes and wet meadows. The trail starts by Pond Svět and ends in front of the town gates. It is 39 kilometres long. Around the Moravian “Sea” on Bicycle The charming countryside surrounding the Nové Mlýny water reservoir in Moravia, sometimes called the “Moravian sea”, is perfect for bike touring. The terrain only has slight elevation gains which makes it ideal for cycling with kids. You can start in Dolní Věstonice, where the oldest ceramic statuette in the world was found, known as the Venus of Věstonice. Check out the small archaeological exposition there. The trail then continues along the water reservoir towards...
Holy Week is called pašijový týden or also svatý týden in Czech and it’s the last week of the 40 day fasting period. Each day of this week was given special names because of the very specific traditions. Let’s learn more about Blue Monday. “Blue” is actually the name of the so called “Blue Mondays” which were Mondays on which people didn’t work. It’s a day of worship and honoring. People are supposed to be calm, collected and silent. Another theory says that the name is a literal translation of the German expression Blauer Montag which means a Monday on which one is hangover and unable to work (which was surely quite fitting also because people liked to drink a celebrate the night before knowing that they wouldn’t have to work the next day). For school children and students the Blue Monday was the beginning of the Spring break. The name for vacation back then was vakace which sounded way more international than today’s word prázdniny. In the morning we are supposed to be thankful for our lives and place wheat sprouts on the table as a gesture of gratitude. We also salute the sky and the weather. In the mass the Gospel of Mary is read and Christians remember...
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