If your day doesn’t start until you’re up to speed on the latest headlines, then let us introduce you to our new morning fix. Prague saw the fifth hottest summer since records began back in 1775, the Czech Hydro-Meteorological Institute reported on Thursday. Between the start of July and end of August, the oldest Czech meteorological station at Prague’s Clementinum recorded an average temperature of 22.2 degrees Celsius, the fifth highest in the past 245 years. . US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin is due to arrive in Prague next Friday, September 9, the Czech Ministry of Defence said on Thursday. The Pentagon chief will hold talks with Defence Minister Jana Černochová and Prime Minister Petr Fiala, focusing on aid to Ukraine and the current security situation. The Forum 2000 International Award for Courage and Responsibility was presented in Prague on Thursday to Chinese citizen journalist and activist Zhang Zhan, who was imprisoned by the Chinese government for reporting the truth about the Covid epidemic in Wuhan. The Czech and Polish Air Force started to patrol Slovak airspace on Thursday after the NATO member stopped using Russian-made MiG fighter airplanes. Slovakia will rely on the help of...
This autumn, Prague City will commission a feasibility study for the fifth metro line. It will take three years to work on, and should be built after the completion of the D metro in 2029. The circular line would be 36 kilometres long, with 23 stations. In turn, the Prague metro would reportedly measure 114 kilometres in length and have 111 stations after its competition. It is important to note that hundreds of thousands of people travel to the Czech capital for work. Entering the city, they park their vehicles in the centre or the suburbs, taking up space. With the number of both commuters and residents increasing, the capital believes the Metro O line is crucial in order to ensure that the city does not become blocked up. In addition to this, it stresses the importance of promoting the use of public transport and encouraging people to leave their cars at home. With Metro O, the influx of cars would substantially reduce as travelling underground would become both quicker and easier. “This is a vision of development for the future, it is about decades,” said Mayor Zdeněk Hřib (Pirates) at a press conference. “The study will also determine the appropriate route...
On 30 and 31 August 2022, Prague hosted an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers known as a Gymnich. The ministers primarily discussed two topics, namely the EU’s relations with Africa and the Russian aggression against Ukraine. The main outcome of the meeting was agreement among the Member States to suspend the visa facilitation agreement. The main topic of the meeting of foreign ministers was the Russian aggression against Ukraine and its consequences. The ministers agreed that they would remain united in their approach to the hostile behaviour of Russia, and that they would provide Ukraine with the necessary support. Specific parameters of future military assistance to Ukraine were also discussed, with the ministers also addressing possible steps to strengthen the European Peace Facility to better meet the needs of the Ukrainian army. The discussions also saw an important breakthrough in the visa policy in relation to Russia. The foreign ministers agreed to suspend the visa facilitation agreement that makes it significantly easier for Russian citizens to obtain Schengen visas. In terms of our relations with Russia, we cannot continue as before. We have made progress at the meeting of foreign ministers and want to fully suspend the agreement that...
Russia’s war on Ukraine, like the terrorist attacks of September 2001, has been a turning point for the world, Prime Minister Petr Fiala told the Forum 2000 conference’s opening ceremony in Prague on Wednesday. This period will forever be associated with late Czech president Václav Havel, who co-founded the Forum 2000 conference, said Fiala. He added that Russia’s attack had renewed the alliance of Western democracies, with NATO and the EU expanding and becoming stronger, as a result, the Czech News Agency reported. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy joined the conference via video call. The Ukrainian president recalled the events of the Prague Spring and their violent suppression by the Warsaw Pact armies in August 1968, noting the West’s insufficient reaction at the time meant opporrtunities to liberate the Soviet bloc countries were squandered. Czechs recently commemorated the anniversary of the Soviet invasion by sending 1,968 Czech crowns to Ukraine in a symbolic gesture. During the speech, the president said that Ukraine still needs support from the West in its fight for freedom in the form of weapons, ammunition, money, and additional pressure on Russia. He proposed introducing more sanctions packages covering energy and finance, adding a special war crimes tribunal should also...
Almost one in five Czech companies will look at cutting staff this year as they struggle with rising costs and high energy prices, the country’s Chamber of Commerce said on Wednesday. In a survey of 493 companies, the group found 18% expected employee numbers to drop in the second half of the year, while 72% said they expected staffing to stay unchanged. “By the end of the year, almost a fifth of companies will cut their employee levels… driven by rising prices and especially high energy prices,” the chamber said in a release. Firms have been demanding help as high energy prices cut into their business, with some producers already reporting operations are becoming loss-making. Czech unemployment is the lowest in the European Union, and some surveys until recently have shown hiring still strong. In June, jobs agency Manpower’s country survey saw more companies hiring than firing in the third quarter. But companies are struggling more and seeking ways to save as energy costs surge, with a spike in gas prices amid concerns over Russian supplies driving up electricity prices to record highs. Governments are racing to help households and firms. The Czech government last week approved a discount electricity...
If your day doesn’t start until you’re up to speed on the latest headlines, then let us introduce you to our new morning fix. Czech President Milos Zeman signed the ratification documents on the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO. The lower and upper houses of Czech parliament approved the NATO enlargement by the two countries in the past weeks. Both Nordic countries filed their request for NATO accession in early July due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, thus deciding to end their neutrality. . Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has bestowed the Order of Princess Olga, 2nd class, on Czech Defence Minister Jana Cernochova for her contribution to enhancing interstate cooperation and support for the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. Zelenskiy also bestowed the Order of Merit, 1st class, on Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky. Czech politicians have hailed former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev, who died in Moscow late on Tuesday aged 91, as one of the key figures of the 20th century who contributed to the collapse of communism. Gorbachev was inspired by the Prague Spring communist reform movement from 1968. He gave the hope of freedom to people in the Soviet Union,...
An extraordinary concert will be held not far from Žofín Palace in Prague on 2 September on the occasion of the Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU. This summer evening will be made all the more wonderful with delightful melodies by famous Czech composers, namely Bedřich Smetana, Antonín Dvořák and Leoš Janáček, performed by the Czech Philharmonic, the Prague Philharmonic Choir and soloists. The Concert for Europe will be launching the Prague Sounds festival, following on from the successful Strings of Autumn music project with a tradition spanning twenty-five years. World-famous names like the South African violinist Daniel Hope and the phenomenal American cellist Yo-Yo Ma have performed at it in previous years. Once a year, this unique festival offers the opportunity to listen to international artists with the impressive backdrop of historic Prague. The Czech Philharmonic will be leading this extraordinary event marking the Czech Presidency, and the event will be its first ever experience on the surface of the Vltava River. Smetana’s Vltava, Dvořák’s Carnival and Janáček’s monumental Glagolitic Mass will again be brought to life under the baton of Chief Conductor Semyon Bychkov. The concert will be held, as in previous years, on a floating platform in the open...
Fans of running have a lot to look forward to – the line-up of professional athletes for Birell 10K Race (3 September) includes World record holder, Rhonex Kipruto from Kenya. Apart from this Kenyan super-star, and a RunCzech Racing alumnus, additional accomplished young athletes will race in Prague. One of them is this year’s Ethiopian National 10,000m champion, Tadese Worku, who will be challenged by Kenya’s Kennedy Kimutai. In the women’s race, Irine Cheptai, 2017 World Cross Country Champion and 2022 Commonwealth Games Silver medalist (10,000m), is returning to Prague and is aiming at 30-minutes low, or faster, world-class performance. Thousands of athletes from 74 countries will line-up for the start of the popular World Athletics Label Road Race on the Náměstí Republiky in Prague, in the magical evening atmosphere. Jakub Zemaník, Jiří Homoláč and Eva Vrabcová-Nývltová are top Czech favorites. “The start list of the Birell 10K Race is made of big names! But the Birell Prague Grand Prix is not only about great times, it is also about experiencing the magic of Prague by night,” said Carlo Capalbo, President of the RunCzech Organizing Committee. Rhonex Kipruto is one of the brightest pro-athletes of recent times. The twenty-two-year-old Kenyan ran a...
The Czech capital is one of the most visited cities in the EU and with the additional revenue it will be able to strengthen its tourism offer even more Yesterday, authorities in Prague announced their plans to start reinvesting 50% of the city’s tourist tax back into tourism. According to an official statement, the Czech capital will be the first city in the country to start doing so. The new legislation will come into effect at the start of 2024 and will mainly use the income from the recently increased accommodation fee paid by hotels and restaurants. The fee is the only direct financial income that the municipality receives from tourists and with the increase, it has now reached 50 Czech crowns per person. This is roughly equivalent to 2 euros. By reinvesting in the sector, authorities will create a sustainable model for the city’s tourism and boost the cooperation between public and private actors. According to an official statement, this is because the tourists themselves will be paying for the amenities the city environment can provide. One of the most visited cities in Europe Prague is one of the most visited cities in Europe, with estimates suggesting that 6 to 7 million foreigners visit the Czech...
Food self-sufficiency is unrealistic for Czechia due to the world’s interconnectedness. Czechia, therefore, needs to focus on food security, such as maintaining adequate stocks of key foodstuffs, said Prime Minister Petr Fiala at the beginning of the agricultural fair Země živitelka in České Budějovice. According to Fiala, the effects of the war in Ukraine on Czech agriculture can only be estimated. The prices of inputs are increasing. At the same time, the demand from abroad is growing, and thus does the value of goods. In Fiala’s view, Czechia will have to deal with the risks arising from the conflict for a long time. Grain flows from Ukraine not only affect the European continent but also Africa, which especially depends on it. According to the prime minister, Czechia cannot be independent when it comes to food. The customer is not ready to pay for it, and products from abroad bring more choices and lower prices. “Customers vote by choosing goods,” Fiala said. Czechia is self-sufficient in only three food groups According to the latest data from the Czech Statistical Office for the year 2020, the Czech Republic was fully self-sufficient in only three food groups: beef, milk and milk products, and sugar....
If your day doesn’t start until you’re up to speed on the latest headlines, then let us introduce you to our new morning fix. The Czech economy grew year-on-year by 3.7 percent in the second quarter of 2022 and by 0.5 percent when compared to the previous quarter, the Czech Statistics Agency reported on Tuesday. . Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky met his Ukrainian counterpart and assured him of the continuing Czech support for Ukraine facing the Russian invasion, before informal summit of the EU countries’ diplomacy heads in Prague on Tuesday, Lipavsky has tweeted. The Prague City Hall wants to intensify the integration of Roma people into public life, fight against the majority society’s prejudices against Roma and provide social aid to them, based on the Roma integration concept for 2022-2030 which the City Council approved today. Czech Chief of Staff Karel Rehka has visited Ukraine with his delegation, in particular Chernihiv and Kharkiv near the Ukrainian-Russian border and the front lines. Ukrainian Chief of Staff Valerii Zaluzhnyi said he appreciated the involvement and help of the Czech Republic both in the military area and in the hospitality the Czechs gave to the Ukrainian refugees. ...
While Martin Charvat didn’t always know he wanted to become a chef, it was probably inevitable. The son of Jan Charvat, who has owned restaurants in Prague for over 25 years, the restaurant business is in Martin’s blood. Now head chef at Krymská modern European restaurant Ansambl, Martin has stamped his vision on a menu where customers can have what he describes as “casual fine dining for an accessible price”. Aged 15, Martin began working in the kitchens of his father’s restaurants. “My Dad wanted my sisters and I to get some work ethic,” Martin said, speaking to Prague Morning. “So we were sent to the restaurants to help out.” But his parents never encouraged him to pursue cooking, often pointing out that “being a chef isn’t a good career, there are long hours, the pay isn’t great, it’s hot and dirty work and you never get to see your friends.” “I was going to grammar school, so I wasn’t supposed to become a cook”. Martin wasn’t sure what to study. Disappointed not to get into his first-choice physiotherapy course, he ended up spending a few weeks studying agricultural science at the Czech University of Life Sciences in Suchdol. “I...
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