Almost six months before parliamentary elections, the Czech minority government of Prime Minister Andrej Babis is threatening to disintegrate after the Communist party rescinded its agreement of tacit consent on Tuesday. Party leader Vojtech Filip told news agency CTK the Communists had lost trust in the governing partners. The Communists had demanded concrete plans for the foundation of a state bank, in exchange for continuing to support the government coalition between Babis’ populist party ANO and the Social Democrats. Although the Communists would not table a motion of no confidence, they were prepared to support one tabled by someone else, he said. “The Central Committee stated its opinion clearly, 80% of the votes were in favor of ending the support. I do not believe that billions will return to government reserves, nor do I believe anything else,” said Communist deputy Jiří Dolejš. “However, the removal of Communist support will not necessarily lead to the collapse of the government. I see no reason for that, especially at this time when the date of the regular elections has already been announced and we are in the process of creating a new electoral law. The government is to complete those five months,” he...
Police of the Czech Republic confirmed on their Twitter account on Tuesday that they would not control any type of meetings with the exception of mass events. According to TV Nova, the Ministry of Health’s regulation on gatherings of at most two people only applies to organized mass events, whilst all other encounters are permitted. The police asserted that any deviation from this measure would constitute a violation of the pandemic law. New health minister Petr Arenberger, who assumed office a week ago, announced on the weekend that inside and outside gatherings would be restricted to two people. The regulation was approved by the government on Monday. However, as far as the police is concerned, it only applies to organized mass events. According to the police, having a stroll with friends or a picnic is allowed. “The police are clear on the issue of gatherings of two persons, both in public and in private. The emergency measure of the Ministry of Health only binds restrictions to mass actions. The movement of people on the street, accidental and unorganized meetings cannot be covered by this measure”, was stated in their Twitter post. The agency elaborated on the topic, claiming that police...
Festivals and organizers work as hard as they can to provide this year’s edition. The reality is disappointing as more and more of the biggest festivals are canceled or postponed. This is a list of festivals that is more likely to take place in the Czech Republic. Let it Roll Let it Roll is undoubtedly recognized as the biggest and most influential drum and bass music festival in Europe. The festival’s lineup represents the most important artists, presenting over 300 DJs and producers across its 8 stages, all of which have their own unique theme and vibe. Drum and bass labels such as Hospitality, Shogun Audio, and Technique host their own showcases where you can track your new favourites and the next potential headliners, alongside workshops and discussions with the genre’s expert producers and industry professionals. As the organizers said: “Let it Roll is all about unparalleled, expansive visual and sound production (namely the must-see opening ceremony), ensuring that it retains the mantle of drum and bass’ finest event each and every year.” Where: Milovice Airfield, Milovice. When: 5-7 August 2021 Transmission Festival Transmission Festival is recognized as one of the top indoor dance events worldwide and attracts every year thousands of visitors to the O2...
The Council for Radio and Television Broadcasting (RRTV) agreed with the Alliance for the Family complaint, stating that public Czech TV had conducted a biased and unbalanced broadcast. The Alliance for the Family has long argued that Czech TV prioritizes views calling for the legalization of same-sex marriage and, on the contrary, crowds out those who seek the constitutional protection of traditional unions. Petitions were created in support of both a proposal to legalize same-sex marriage and a proposal asking for the constitutional protection of traditional marriage. In the autumn of 2018, both petitions were discussed at a public hearing in the Chamber of Deputies, and Czech TV reported on this in one of its programs. “The petition for a constitutional definition of marriage was launched later, so, at that time, it had several thousand fewer signatures. Soon after, however, it managed to exceed the threshold of 100,000 signatures, and as organizers, we held a press conference. Czech TV sent a news crew, allegedly for a live broadcast, which did not take place in the end; we were never given the reason for this. To this day, we do not know if there was ever any mention on Czech TV...
The construction of a footbridge for pedestrians and cyclists, which will connect Holešovice and Karlín across the island of Štvanice, will begin next year. The Prague City Council has today announced a public contract for the construction of the HolKa footbridge connecting Holešovice and Karlín. “It will be built by the end of next year”, said Deputy Mayor Adam Scheinherr (Praha Sobě). “The construction costs should be a maximum of CZK 197 million. The footbridge will make it easier for pedestrians and cyclists to travel to Štvanice island and at the same time will be another connection between Holešovice and Karlín”. The deck is designed to separate the cyclist traffic from the pedestrians by a subtle difference in height. This provides a safety feature for both cyclists and pedestrians while allowing cyclists to confidently ride without the fear of a collision. Designed by Marek Blanek and Petr Teje architects, the bridge pushes building technology to the limit; the use of freeze-resistant and fiber-reinforced ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) helped reduce the structural shell thickness. At the moment, Karlín and Holešovice are connected by a ferry, which should stop running after the footbridge is completed. The idea of building a footbridge in...
Prague 2 Municipal District disagrees with a Prague City Hall’s proposal which includes adjustments to the traffic regime in the area of Smetanovo Nábřeží and Malá Strana. According to Prague 2, if the adjustments are implemented, the traffic load in the municipality will increase drastically as a result of moving the transit of up to thirty thousand cars a day. Prague City Hall has previously announced that it wants to allow passage through Smetanovo Nábřeží and Malá Strana only to locals, whereas other drivers will have to return in the same direction whence they came. Particularly, the regional office of Prague seeks to impose restrictions which will prohibit the passage of motor vehicles through the intersection of Letenská and Tomášská streets on Malostranské Náměstí and parts of Křižovnická street in the section Novotného Lávka – Platněřská street. According to Adam Scheinherr, Prague’s Deputy Mayor for Transport, the ban will not affect residents of districts Prague 1, Prague 2, and Prague 5. It will only apply to drivers who pass through the area. They will be able to enter the center of the city as before, but thoroughfares will be forbidden – drivers will have to return the same way from where...
The Czech branch of Ronald McDonald House Charities has reached an agreement with Motol Teaching Hospital after 15 years of effort. Ronald McDonald House Charity is a worldwide network of organizations with a common goal and mission: to help families with seriously ill children stay together. RMHC builds and operates houses near children’s hospitals, which then act as facilities and alternative homes for families of seriously ill children who do not live within the reach of hospitals. Today, there are already 376 of them all over the world, and more are still being built. The first Ronald McDonald House Charity in the Czech Republic will be built at the University Hospital in Motol. It will offer free and comfortable accommodation with all the necessary facilities to ensure mental well-being for up to 21 families at once. “We will offer parents rest and facilities that will support their psyche so that they can spend as much time as possible with their child,” says the director of the foundation, Ivana Pešatová. If all goes well, the Czech House of Ronald McDonald could open in the second half of next year. Families that use the house will pay a symbolic fee, but families...
As an antidote to pandemic-induced closures of museums and cultural institutions, the Lobkowicz Collections offers unique virtual experiences to engage with local and international audiences — including live virtual tours of the Lobkowicz Palace at Prague Castle. Join William Rudolf Lobkowicz as your personal guide to explore the Lobkowicz Collections, which feature world-famous paintings by Canaletto, Bruegel, and Velázquez, and hand-annotated manuscripts by many of the world’s greatest composers, including Mozart and Beethoven. Further discover the story of how one of the oldest and most prominent noble families in Bohemia returned to their native country to reclaim their confiscated possessions. The Lobkowiczes were forced to flee their homeland twice under both the Nazi and Communist regimes. With the passage of the Czech restitution laws in the early 1990s, the family returned to their native country and spent over 25 years recovering important cultural heritage objects in the form of castles and tens of thousands of moveable objects. By reclaiming and reassembling the Collections, the family has made these previously hidden treasures comprehensively available to the public, for the first time in history. Today, the Lobkowicz Collections are one of Europe’s oldest, finest, and most intact family collections, dating back over 1,000 years. This live 45-minute virtual tour is enhanced with audiovisual content, including...
The national carrier Czech Railways (České dráhy – ČD) continues to modernize its fleet serving long-distance domestic and international lines. The consortium of Siemens Mobility and Škoda Transportation has won the tender for 20 Viaggio Comfort nine-car non-traction units including control cars, designed for a maximum operating speed of 230 km/h. The cars will be delivered from 2024 to 2026 and the order is valued at around half a billion EUR. “We are pleased that ČD is once again relying on our successful Viaggio passenger cars for expanding and modernizing its services”, says Gerhard Greiter, CEO of Region North-East Europe at Siemens Mobility. “These new cars will bear the mark of our Czech engineering department. They, for example, score points with barrier-free access for all passengers and quiet travel conditions at high speeds for comfortable journeys. Our state-of-the-art cars will help make sustainable rail transportation in the Czech Republic even more attractive.” “The Czech Republic is planning to increase the speed limit on its conventional rail lines to 200 km/h and build high-speed lines, enabling trains to run faster than the current limit of 160 km/h. That’s why we must continue with our planned investments in new trains that meet...
Dozens of buildings, from historical sights to state-of-the art office spaces, open to the public on Saturday within the seventh edition of the Open House Prague festival. With the motto of the festival being “Architecture for everyone”, tours of the buildings are available for anyone from the general public, including people with visual and hearing disabilities. “Although we were optimistic at the beginning of the year, the current state of the pandemic has once again forced us to reevaluate all festival preparations. The concept of the festival is based on a direct architectural experience, and we do not want to deprive our visitors of that,” says Andrea Šenkyříková, festival director. “We have considered a few different dates and possibilities on our part as well as on the part of our important partners, and we would like the festival to take place in its standard form, observing all the government-imposed measures, of course, because the safety and health of everybody is our number one priority,” she adds. As the visuals for this year suggest, showing a drawing by the recognized illustrator Jan Šrámek, one of the biggest attractions of the 7th Open House Prague is ARA Palace. Located on Perlová Street...
A storage facility near the Prague-Braník train station engulfed in flames on Monday morning and officials are still unsure of the cause. The fire was first noticed around half past 9 and took a very long time to get under control firefighters are still currently combating the flames. Officials warned local residents near, Braník, Kamýk, and Modřany against ventilating their home and allowing any of the smoke to come inside. It’s estimated that at least five volunteers and six professional firefighter units were collaborating to try and put the massive fire out. No injuries have yet been reported as medical professionals, police forces, and other rescuers were on the scene ready to assist the firefighter units. “The fire was divided into three sections. Chemists from the laboratory did not find out whether the limits of hygienic standards were exceeded in the residential area of Braník and Modřany. A cloud of smoke was monitored by the helicopter,” added Kavka. Trams did not run on the line to Braník for more than seven hours, and the parallel Modřanská street was closed. The operation of tram lines 2, 3, 17, and 21 was limited for seven hours. According to the Prague fire brigade...
Deliveries of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine start today to member states, the European Commission has said, in a boost to the continent’s vaccination efforts. The company had initially planned to start its deliveries at the beginning of April but delayed the roll-out due to production issues. “Johnson & Johnson begins vaccine shipments to the EU today. Very good news,” said Mr. Peter Liese, an EU lawmaker from the same party as German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The U.S. company has committed to delivering to the EU by the end of June 55 million doses and another 120 million in the third quarter, EU industry commissioner Thierry Breton said this month. The Czech Republic should receive the first 14,400 doses on April 19. Another 24,000 a week later. “This restriction is set due to the number of current deliveries to the Czech Republic,” Distributor spokesman Martin Nesrsta explained to Radiožurnál. “We prepared for the increased pressure, both in setting parameters for the operation of the website and for the operation of the customer line. Although the risk always exists, we will do our best to ensure that the ordering process is ongoing, “he added. The single-dose vaccine was shown to have a...
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