On July 1, the Czech Republic will take over the six-month presidency of the EU Council, and the motto “Europe as a task” will then replace the current “We will sweeten it for Europe.” What the task is, the government has not yet revealed. In an interview with Czech news outlet Deník N, Minister for European Affairs Mikuláš Bek said that the Czech ambition for Ukraine is for the war-torn nation to become an EU candidate country. According to Bek, there is a second part to the new motto that will be released as a surprise on June 15. What is not surprising is the main task of the Czech presidency: confronting Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. The fallout from the invasion will likely continue to accelerate as debates surrounding the issue start turning into concrete proposals. “We want the process of Ukraine’s rapprochement with the European Union to move forward. I cannot say how realistic it is that the European Council will be able to reach an agreement in June on granting candidate status. I would very much like that, but there is still a certain divergence of views. If that does not happen in June, we will do everything...
Economist and former Rector of Brno’s Mendel University Danuše Nerudová has announced her candidacy for president. “I do so after considering all the pros and cons and with all seriousness. We need a head of state who has the ability and energy to stand on the side of the people in economically difficult times. We all deserve hope for better times,” Nerudová said on Twitter on Tuesday. Nerudová, who is 43, will start to collect the 50,000 signatures needed to officially register as a candidate. She highlights that, as a respected economist, it can help bring the Czech Republic out of the economic crisis. At the same time, she wants to improve the situation of the poorest. “I believe in a state where everyone, from young people to seniors, has the hope of a decent life,” said Nerudová. Czechs will be voting for the future head of state in a direct election at the beginning of next year. Former Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and Petr Pavel, a former high-ranking Czech army and NATO official are regarded as the favorites, but they have not yet officially announced their candidacies. Earlier in May, trade union leader Josef Středula also began collecting...
Prague City Tourism, together with the operator, is launching a historic carousel, lent to Prague by its Italian owners, on Children’s Day! On this occasion, children can enjoy a free ride on the carousel if they purchase a ticket to the Petřín Lookout Tower or the Mirror Maze. The attraction will be in operation from 1.6. 2022 by the end of September. And because the historical merry-go-round is also coming back to Petřín in June, the ticket for the Petřín Lookout Tower or Mirror Maze comes with a free voucher for one free ride on the historical carousel for each child. The voucher can only be used on June 1 and it’s valid for youngsters under the age of 18. Non-paying children under 5 years of age get registered on the ticket of their accompanying person and so are also entitled to the free-ride carousel voucher. The carousel is located in the park in the sandy area near the Petřín Lookout Tower. The carousel, which has been on Petřín for the second year now, enjoyed great interest last year. “We are glad that Petrin Hill will revive the historic carousel after a year. Visitors have the opportunity to ride this unique attraction over...
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. Over 40,670 hectares of forests were planted in the Czech Republic last year, according to data released by Czech Statistics office on Tuesday. That is an increase by 7,000 hectares on the previous year and a record-high figure in the modern history of the country. . The Czech Republic has so far granted 360,370 temporary protection visas to Ukrainian refugees fleeing from the war since its start on February 24, the Interior Ministry tweeted today. Between 75 and 80 percent of the originally registered refugees still stay in the Czech Republic, Interior Minister Vit Rakusan said. “The EU agreement on a partial ban on Russian oil imports is an excellent result for the whole EU and the Czech Republic that will be granted an 18-month exemption from the ban on trading in products made of Russian oil”, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala told reporters on Tuesday. The embargo will entail an exception without a time limit for the oil imported through oil pipelines, Fiala said. The German fashion retailer Orsay is leaving the...
Thirty-three films comprise the eclectic lineup for the 56th Karlovy Vary Intl. Film Festival, the programming team led by the artistic director Karel Och revealed Tuesday. The selection includes 27 world premieres, three international premieres, and three European premieres, covering five continents. In addition to the Crystal Globe Competition and Special Screenings section, KVIFF’s new competition, Proxima, will make its debut in this year’s edition. Proxima aims to be “an inclusive space for pictures by young filmmakers and renowned auteurs alike, presenting bold works that defy categorization,” the festival said. In contrast to the East of the West competition, which it replaces, Proxima has no geographical restrictions. (East of the West was for films from Central and Eastern Europe, and the Middle East.) Thirteen titles in the official selection are directed by filmmakers who have competed in KVIFF before. Nine films are debut features. Melodramas, dystopian sci-fi, romantic comedies, and essay documentaries are part of the wide-ranging lineup. “From the 1,500 films that have been submitted this year, we have chosen 33 brand new works of cinema that offer the accurate reflection of our taste – a taste derived from a belief in a meaningful edginess and the championing of new means...
What factors will influence transportation in the future? Some believe that ride- and car-sharing will assist in determining the answer. Shared mobility is a cutting-edge transportation approach that allows consumers to receive on-demand, short-term access to various forms of transportation. It can encompass car-sharing, bike-sharing, carpooling, and platform-based travel services, among other modes of transportation. Historically, people could move throughout an urban region in a variety of methods; but new travel options made possible by modern technologies and commercial models have given people even more options. Car-sharing has risen to the forefront of the sharing economy thanks to the convenience of requesting a car from our mobile phones. We spoke on various topics with Mr. Švaříček, the CEO of HoppyGo, a Czech based peer-to-peer P2P car-sharing company. Q: What is the vision of the HoppyGo, and how do you incorporate it into your daily activities? The vision is to offer an affordable, convenient and flexible mobility solution in a few clicks that is environmentally friendly and helps local communities. We fulfill our vision via connecting the owners and drivers via our platform, offering a very flexible mobility offering (starting on one-day rentals all the way up to a year, starting...
After all-day talks lasting into the early hours of Tuesday, the European Union agreed on the sixth embargo package against Russia, while Hungary scored a major diplomatic success as it got the exemption on pipeline oil deliveries it requested. Charles Michel, the president of the European Council, which provided the institutional framework for the summit, announced the success of the negotiations shortly after midnight. The punitive measures are effective immediately, with two-thirds of Russia’s oil exports to the European Union expected to be affected. French authorities explained that 90 percent of Russia’s oil imports would disappear by the end of the year. Russian oil exports to the EU account for a quarter of the European Union’s total oil imports — they were worth $108 billion (€99 billion) to the Russian economy in 2021 alone. The most controversial element of the sanctions package was the embargo on oil imports from Russia, which was rejected by the Hungarian government. Since top-level EU decisions require unanimity, Hungary was the only member to veto the entire sanctions package. Less loudly and without waving a veto, Slovakia and the Czech Republic did not fully support the oil embargo either, as these two countries, like Hungary, also rely heavily...
The Colours of Ostrava International Music Festival is in its 19th edition for four days and four nights. And after two years of cancelling the festival, Colours of Ostrava returns to form this summer. Since Colours places so much emphasis on inviting musical artists with an international flavor, and across genres, it was impossible to do it right with the ever-shifting travel restrictions and rules accordingly. Some headliners for this year were promised for either the past one or two years, like The Killers, Twenty-One Pilots, Franz Ferdinand, LP and Martin Garrix. There are also many newer additions this year for upgrading the appeal including Modest Mouse, Hiromi, Tindersticks and Princess Nokia. Most impressively for this festival as always is the wide array of artists from mainstream to experimental from indie rock, electronica, jazz, punk, blues and eclectic world music choices from across the globe. Hiromi is someone who best showcases the more eclectic side of Colours, as Hiromi Uehara is an irrepressible jazz pianist and composer from Japan, and while she is best known due to her collaborations with fusion jazz stars Stanley Clarke and Chick Corea, or for playing opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics 2021, her performance...
Classical Music at Werich’s is a festival of outdoor chamber music recitals and concerts taking place from May 31 to 13 September 2022, always at 7 p.m., in the Werich Villa Garden on Kampa Island. The second edition of the classical music cycle is performed by exceptional and talented young artists in the Werich Villa garden – the former home of the incomparable actor, philosopher, and writer Jan Werich. For the first time with international guests, an accompanying program for children and “Echoes”, i.e. concerts of the Prague programs in selected locations in the Czech Republic – in the “Horácké divadlo” theatre in Jihlava and the Schwarzenberg Tomb in Třeboň. The opening concert on Tuesday, May 31 (you can buy your tickets here) will present Lithuanian, Czech, Slovak, and Polish songs. The aim is to provide a colorful picture of Slavic authors on the axis of Lithuania – Poland – Czechia – Slovakia. Following this are two concerts devoted to the sung repertory. The first, the Nordic Evening (30 August), features mezzo-soprano Arnheiður Eiríksdóttir. On 13 September is a concert in tribute to Austrian music. Kristýna Kůstková (soprano) and Lukáš Bařák (baritone) will perform breathtaking songs. The pianist Ahmad Hedar...
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. Reinforced Czech police patrols found another 31 illegal migrants from the Middle East in a van on a border crossing with Slovakia on Friday, police spokesman Petr Jaros told journalists. The van with a Czech licence plate was driven by a man, 35, who may be sentenced up to five years in prison if convicted. . Czechia saw fewer people who drink alcohol daily or once or every other day in 2020 and 2021 and the average amount of consumed alcohol per capita dropped as well, a report by the National Institute of Public Health (SZU) shows today. Nevertheless, one in six Czechs over 15 drank every other day or more frequently, the report reads. The Czech Telecommunication Office (ČTÚ) has prepared a proposal to regulate the Czech mobile phone market. In its analysis, the regulator argues that retailer mobile service prices, especially when it comes to mobile data, is disproportionately higher than the EU average. The Czech Republic’s main public health insurance company, VZP, expects that the influx of 350,000 Ukrainian refugees...
Using public transportation with your bicycle has been getting easier in the last couple of years. Nowadays you can travel with your bike by metro, trains, ferries and in certain eras also by trams. But there are certain rules and restrictions that you need to follow. Metro In the metro, you can transport your bicycle on the front and back platforms of every carriage excluding the front one behind the driver. Every platform can take up to two bikes at a time. To make sure you´re in the right spot, you can check the signs on the door. Trains Currently, all the trains operating as part of Prague´s public transport have space for bikes. Within Prague, unlike outside, you don’t need to pay extra to take the bike with you on the train. Outside of the city, you´ll need to pay for the bike based on the tariff of the carrier. If you travel with your bike during the summer season, it’s highly recommended to make a reservation as the number of bikes on the train is limited. Trams On the tram, you can transport your bike only in certain areas in directions out of the city. All the...
The Czech Telecommunication Office (ČTÚ) has prepared a proposal to regulate the Czech mobile phone market, news site Lupa.cz reported on Monday. In its analysis, the regulator argues that retailer mobile service prices, especially when it comes to mobile data, are disproportionately higher than the EU average; collusion, and high wholesale prices (even higher than retail ones) make it impossible for virtual operators to offer competitive tariffs. According to the CTU, a new and fourth nationwide operator, will not enter the market until the end of 2024. “Data wholesale offers not only do not allow access to voice services, which currently still require most customers but also in the case of the theoretical possibility of their integration into one SIM, do not allow the replication of tariffs for MVNOs, “admits the CTU. The Czech mobile operator market is currently composed of three major providers – O2, T-Mobile, and Vodafone. The Office is therefore again proposing to regulate the wholesale market, including the possibility of directly setting maximum prices for the services that network operators sell to virtual machines. This is the CTU’s third attempt to regulate the mobile market in a short time. The first analysis was rejected by the...
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