Czech presidential candidate Danuse Nerudova, who was sitting on top of the opinion polls last month, now appears to be trailing the two other favourites – retired army general Petr Pavel and opposition leader Andrej Babis – as the campaign enters the final stretch. The race between the three is still very close but the economist has now dropped to third place, according to the latest poll by the Median agency, ahead of the first round of voting on January 13. Both Nerudova and Pavel have been endorsed by the centre-right government as among its preferred candidates. She is the only woman among the nine candidates and would be the country’s first female president if elected, and she has therefore drawn comparisons with the liberal president of neighbouring Slovakia, Zuzana Caputova. The Czech presidency is a largely ceremonial post but the president has input into foreign policy and makes key appointments such as the central bank governor. Last month the former Mendel University rector was hit by media reports of plagiarism at the university during her tenure. Nerudova has also been criticised for avoiding media questions on the plagiarism affair, which involved international students at the university. Instead, Nerudova published what Czech Radio commentator and online outlet A2larm editor Apolena Rychlikova described as...
According to Prague Services, people in Prague throw away about 300,000 Christmas trees every year. They usually do so on the 6th of January or later; that is why Christmas trees are collected by the garbage collection service until the end of February. According to Prague’s maintenance services spokesman, Radim Mana, people should not leave saplings near trash cans in courtyards, in locked cages, or near trash cans in family homes. “Trees should definitely not end up next to such containers, not even when the dustbin is placed in front of the building for regular collection. The right place for a retired tree is a separate bin with colored containers,” said Mana. He added that the current strong wind can move away the saplings placed by the garbage cans and therefore they recommend waiting for disposal until Sunday when the meteorological warning is supposed to pass. The collection of trees will be handled by smaller flatbed trucks and larger specially designated garbage trucks. The trees will be transported to the transhipment points in Průmyslová, Proboštská and Puchmajerova streets and from there they will go to composting plants where they will be used to produce wood chips and compost. Some of the dirty or...
Heavily dependent on the automotive sector, cheap energy and Germany, the Czech economy will experience one of the biggest slowdowns in 2023. Officially, the decision had only been postponed, but it would have come at the right time to brighten up the Czech economic outlook, which is very gloomy for the months to come. On Friday, December 9, the Volkswagen Group announced that due to economic uncertainties, it would not immediately choose the location of its next electric battery gigafactory, planned for Eastern Europe. The Czech government had been campaigning for months to have the site in Plzen, over its Hungarian, Slovakian and Polish competitors. “If there’s the option of building a battery factory in Europe, where electricity costs €0.15 per kilowatt hour, but it’s possible to get it in China or America for €0.02 or €0.03, we are not in a position to say that we will make this choice out of solidarity,” said Thomas Schäfer, the group’s boss, immediately after the announcement. For the Czech Republic, the stakes are colossal: “This gigafactory is decisive for the future of our automotive industry and, above all, for its ability to make the shift to electric,” said Jiri Dvorak, a specialist...
Lucie Fukova will coordinate the activities of ministries working to improve the lot of the country’s Roma minority. She also wants to improve the way Romani people are seen in Czech society. The Czech government of Prime Minister Petr Fiala last month created the post of government commissioner for Roma community affairs — an important step in addressing the complex situation of the country’s Roma community. It appointed 41-year-old Romni Lucie Fukova to the post. “The government takes the matter of the integration of national minorities very seriously,” Czech government spokesman Vaclav Smolka told DW. “Because integration measures are very disjointed, the government decided to create the post of government commissioner in this area primarily to act as a coordinator between the ministries.” Fukova hopes that her work will ensure that the money that the Czech Republic and the European Union spend on improving the situation of the Roma community will go where it is needed most. Roma and Sinti communities are Europe’s largest, and most disadvantaged, minority, and Roma are estimated to make up about 2.5% of the population of the Czech Republic. “Simply put, [I want] to find a way to help that will be based on the real needs of Romani people,”...
Dršťková Dršťková is a traditional Czech tripe soup consisting of beef tripe braised in generous amounts of onions and sweet paprika. Although it has numerous regional varieties, this hearty soup typically has a thick consistency, a light red color, and a slightly spicy flavor. Occasionally, pieces of smoked meat or sausages are incorporated into the soup. Tripe soup is often served in traditional pubs and usually comes accompanied with slices of crispy buttered bread. In Slovakia, it appears in a similar form and is better known as držková polievka. Křížaly This popular Czech snack is prepared with pitted and sliced apples that are slowly air-dried or dehydrated in the oven. Depending on the size and cut, their texture varies from thin and crispy to thick and chewy. Although they are most commonly enjoyed as a quick and healthy snack, křížaly can be used as a nutritious addition to porridges and various desserts, or as festive Christmas decorations. Tuzemák This traditional Czech drink was invented in the 19th century as a substitute for the original Caribbean rum. It is usually distilled from potatoes or sugar beets to create a base that is then enriched with rum essence. The drink was initially...
Roughly one-fifth of Czech voters have still not decided who they will vote for in the first round of the presidential election, set for next week, according to a poll released yesterday by the STEM/MARK polling institute. 78% reporting already knowing who to vote for. The Railway Administration has received a valid building permit for the renovation of Masaryk Railway Station in Prague and construction work can now go ahead, a spokesperson for the organisation announced on Wednesday. Once a contractor has been found, construction should begin sometime during this year. This Saturday, the Ministry of Silly Walks will return again to the streets of Brno after a two-year pandemic hiatus, with a (silly) parade through the city centre to mark the International Day of Silly Walks on 7 January. The participants will meet on Saturday at 1:45pm at the Statue of Justice on Moravské náměstí Half of Czech people consider the split of Czechoslovakia 30 years ago as the right step, according to a poll conducted by the Public Opinion Research Center (CVVM). 39% of Czechs say it was wrong and the rest are undecided. The poll also found that those who remember the so-called “Velvet Divorce” are slightly more critical of it. ...
New Year’s Eve was far more explosive than the Prague authorities wanted as some revelers defied an edict banning fireworks displays. The Czech capital’s annual fireworks display was canceled again for the third year running, this time because of financial constraints and not COVID-19. But local authorities had also outlawed people from setting off their own pyrotechnics near the center of the city because of environmental and noise pollution concerns, threatening hefty fines on anyone who went against the ban. The police reportedly issued multiple fines before giving up after midnight. Around a dozen people were arrested, one for attacking a police officer, and paramedics responded to 81 calls over revelry-related injuries, according to local media. On Ve Smečkách street, near the central train station, more than 30 buildings’ windows were smashed by fireworks. The roof of a supermarket caught fire. “The ban on pyrotechnics in the center of Prague did not work,” ran the headline in a national newspaper on Monday. New Year’s Eves are normally raucous in the Czech Republic, though locals say it’s less like a warzone than yesteryear. Few people nowadays set off bangers in champagne bottles, yet fireworks are cheap and the more dangerous pyrotechnics,...
The Czech retail market once again proved its appeal to retail brands, with 38 new arrivals last year. That is the same figure as in 2021 when the influx of 38 new brands was partly the result of the postponement of some entries due to the pandemic. These numbers represent a roughly 50% increase in comparison to 2019 (22 brands) and 2020 (25 brands). Fashion and household goods A significant milestone for the Czech market last year was the opening of two luxury fashion boutiques by Balenciaga and Chanel on Prague’s Pařížská street. The fashion segment is well represented as usual, whether in terms of clothing brands (e.g. Maje, Sandro and Jacadi Paris this year), accessories and jewellery (Messika, Teilor), footwear (Buzz 1), or fashionable sportswear (JOTT, Sport Vision 2). The furniture, household goods and electronics segment also featured prominently last year (eleven brands). Czechia attracted retailers dealing in furniture, such as Minotti and Stosa Cucine (kitchens), in mattresses, e.g. Dorelan and Materasso, HP in the field of electronics, Home&You (re-entry) and TecTake in household goods, and Tefal in kitchen equipment. Notable mentions in other segments include the opening of the first Czech LEGO store, and in the food and beverage segment...
The major modernisation of the Prague-Masarykovo nádraží station has completed another important step. The Railway Administration (SŽ) has obtained a final building permit. Once a contractor has been found, construction should begin sometime during this year. The new Masaryk Railway Station will be ready in 2026, informed the spokesperson of the Railway Infrastructure Administration Nela Eberl Friebová. According to Friebová, the project includes, among other things, the extension of the current number of tracks from seven to nine, the reconstruction of all platforms and the construction of a new platform above the track, which will remove barriers in the area, allow access to individual platforms and offer a direct transfer to the B metro line. Masaryk railway station is located right in the centre of Prague and is the third busiest station in the country. The new platforms will be used especially by future trains to the airport. All platforms, tracks, technology, traction lines and the power supply will undergo reconstruction and barrier-free access will be created with six wheelchair-accessible platforms. “This platform will not only form a communication link between Florence and Hybernská Street and Masaryk Street and the main station, but will also offer a new vestibule for waiting passengers. From there, escalators,...
Jaroslav Hašek, the bohemian who became famous as the author of one of the most famous and later the most translated Czech books – The Good Soldier Švejk – died 100 years ago. The Prague-born Jaroslav Hašek, who wrote hundreds of short stories and feuilletons, is rightly considered one of the most significant Czech humorists. He led a very turbulent life and travelled half of Europe. During his life, he had many adventures and wrote down many incredible stories, which he drew on for his writing. His crowning achievement is the 1921 novel The Good Soldier Švejk. This brilliant work, which booksellers refused to sell officially because they considered it “vulgar, unintelligent and rude”, was eventually translated into almost 60 languages. Hašek did not have time to finish the second part of the book nor to celebrate his 40th birthday. He died on 3 January 1923 in Lipnice nad Sázavou in the Vysočina Region. The character of Švejk was created before the First World War. The first play, written by J. Hašek, was called “Fortress”, and it featured some hard-working but foolish servant of Emperor Charles IV, Josef Švejk, trying to take over the fortress of Monfalcone. He obeyed every...
The Czech Republic’s state budget ended 2022 with a deficit of CZK 360.4 billion, the third worst result in the country’s history, Finance Minister Zbyněk Stanjura said on Tuesday. Around five percent of the roughly five million hens in Czechia will be culled due to the bird flu outbreak at a chicken farm in the Plzeň region. According to the Czech-Moravian Poultry Breeders’ Union, this shouldn’t affect the quantity of eggs on the market or the price for the time being. Prime Minister Petr Fiala will represent Czechia at the funeral of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI on Thursday. The Czech head of government made the announcement at a press conference on Tuesday. Half of Czech people consider the split of Czechoslovakia 30 years ago as the right step, according to a poll conducted by the Public Opinion Research Center (CVVM). 39% of Czechs say it was wrong and the rest are undecided. The poll also found that those who remember the so-called “Velvet Divorce” are slightly more critical of it. The record for the highest-ever January temperature in Czechia was broken on New Year’s Day. A balmy 19.6 degrees Celsius was recorded in Javorník in the Olomouc...
Following a bird flu outbreak last week, Czech authorities are mulling to destroy up to 220,000 hens on a poultry farm in the west of the country. Bird flu was reported last Friday at the farm that is about 150 kilometers from Prague and can house up to 750,000 chickens. The Czech Republic’s State Veterinary Administration (SVS) said on Tuesday that since checks revealed the infection only in one of the halls, the majority of the flock could be spared. “The whole (population of the) hall will have to be culled,” said Petr Majer, SVS spokesman. The SVS confirmed the H5N1 virus subtype, which is potentially transmissible to humans. H5N1 virus H5N1 virus was first detected in China in 1996 where it caused the death of a number of geese. After undergoing reassortment to obtain new genes, it surfaced in Hong Kong in 1997 where it became widespread in live poultry markets. Eighteen people were infected by the virus and six died. The virus was eradicated by culling all domestic chickens in Hong Kong. Different reassortants of H5N1 continued to arise and in 2002 an epidemic of influenza killed most birds, domestic and wild, in Hong Kong nature parks. Two people were...
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