Politics & Economics

Czechia Holds EU’s Lowest Unemployment Rate at 2.7% Despite Slight Rise

The EU unemployment rate was 5.9 per cent in April 2025, stable compared with March 2025 and down from six per cent in April 2024, Eurostat said. The lowest unemployment was recorded in Czechia and Malta, both at 2.7 percent. While Czechia saw a slight month-on-month increase, Malta registered a small decline. Eurostat estimated that a total of 12.902 million people in the EU, of whom 10.680 million were in the euro area, were unemployed in April 2025. Compared with March 2025, unemployment declined by 188,000 in the EU and by 207,000 in the euro area. On an annual basis, the figures show a drop of 217,000 in the EU and 343,000 in the euro area. The report also provided figures on youth unemployment. In April 2025, an estimated 2.859 million people under the age of 25 were unemployed across the EU, including 2.272 million in the euro area. The youth unemployment rate fell to 14.8 per cent in the EU and to 14.4 per cent in the euro area, down from 15.0 and 14.8 per cent respectively in March. Month-on-month, youth unemployment declined by 57,000 in the EU and by 74,000 in the euro area. However, compared with April...

by Prague Morning Jun 03, 2025

BREAKING: Czech Justice Minister Resigns Over a Donated Bitcoin Scandal

Czech Republic Justice Minister Pavel Blažek resigned from his post over a bitcoin-related scandal on Friday. Blažek was under fire from the opposition after his ministry accepted a donation of bitcoins and sold them for about 1 billion Czech koruna earlier this year. Blažek said that he wasn’t aware of any wrongdoing, but didn’t want the four-party coalition government led by Prime Minister Petr Fiala to be harmed by the scandal. Fiala said that he appreciated his resignation and believed that Blažek acted with goodwill. Blažek was a close ally of Fiala in the government, and also in his conservative Civic Democratic Party. It’s not clear who might replace him. The issue focused on the fact that the bitcoins were donated to the ministry by a person who was previously convicted of drug dealing and other crimes. The opposition has accused Blažek of possible money laundering, because it wasn’t clear where the bitcoins came from. It was also not clear why the person donated the bitcoins to the ministry. The issue has been investigated by the police organized crime unit. The scandal took place just months before the Oct 3-4 parliamentary election. The main opposition ANO (YES) party led by...

by Prague Morning May 30, 2025

Faster Divorces, Clearer Custody: Czech MPs Approve New Law Reform

Czech lawmakers have approved sweeping changes that will simplify divorce and child custody proceedings, with the new rules set to take effect next year. The lower house of Parliament passed an amendment to the Civil Code on Wednesday, aiming to speed up divorces and make the process less burdensome for families with children. The proposal, backed by the Justice Ministry, would allow divorces and child custody arrangements to be handled together in a single court proceeding—provided the parents agree on the terms. One of the biggest changes is the elimination of the requirement to prove why a marriage failed, removing what many see as an outdated and often painful part of the process. Lawmakers also approved a new rule that formalizes parents’ responsibility to raise children without physical punishment or psychological harm. While this principle has long been recognized in Czech law, its explicit inclusion responds to recommendations from the European Committee on Social Rights. However, the Justice Ministry clarified that the amendment does not introduce new penalties for corporal punishment. An effort by MP Nina Nováková (KDU-ČSL) to remove this clause—on the grounds that it was redundant—did not pass. If the Senate signs off on the changes, couples with...

by Prague Morning May 29, 2025

Czech Government Accuses China of Hacking Foreign Ministry

The Czech government on Wednesday condemned China for carrying out a cyberattack against its foreign ministry exposing thousands of unclassified emails. Czechia said that the Chinese state-sponsored group Advanced Persistent Threat 31 (APT31) targeted the foreign ministry from 2022 — the year the country held the rotating EU presidency — and was able to read unclassified emails sent between embassies and EU institutions. The Czech foreign minister, Jan Lipavský, said he would summon the Chinese ambassador immediately to explain the findings and tell him this would damage the countries’ bilateral relations. “With today’s move, we have exposed China, which has long been working to undermine our resilience and democracy,” Lipavský said. “Through cyberattacks, information manipulation, and propaganda, it interferes in our society — and we must defend ourselves against that.” It is the first time the Czech government has attributed a national cyberattack to a state-backed actor. An investigation conducted by the Security Information Service, Military Intelligence, Office for Foreign Relations and Information, and National Cyber and Information Security Agency (NUKIB) provided Czech authorities with a high degree of certainty about who was behind the targeting of the ministry. APT31 is run by China’s ministry of state security from the...

by Prague Morning May 28, 2025

Czech Unemployment Rate Remains at 4.3 Percent in April

Despite a rise in available jobs, the Czech Republic’s unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.3% in April, signaling structural mismatches in the labor market. The unemployment rate in the Czech Republic stayed at 4.3% in April, the same as in March, according to data released by the Czech Labour Office (Úřad práce ČR) on Monday. While the overall number of people without work fell slightly, the labor market remains under pressure from sectoral imbalances and low demand in key industries. By the end of April, 318,540 people were officially unemployed, down by about 3,600 compared to the previous month. However, the number of registered job vacancies increased by 4,046 to 95,798. Compared to April 2023, the unemployment rate has risen by 0.6 percentage points, up from 3.7%. Economists had predicted that unemployment would drop slightly due to seasonal hiring in agriculture and construction. Instead, stagnation in other sectors, especially manufacturing, appears to have offset those gains. Regional Disparities Persist The Ústí nad Labem Region reported the highest unemployment rate in April at 6.6%, followed by the Moravian-Silesian Region (6%) and the Karlovy Vary Region (5.4%). On the opposite end, Prague recorded just 3.1% unemployment. While unemployment rose slightly—by 0.1 percentage...

by Prague Morning May 12, 2025

Czech President Compares Modern-Day Russia to Nazi Germany

Czech President Petr Pavel used an address on VE Day to remember all soldiers who died in the Second World War, including Soviet troops, but insisted that Russia’s history does not excuse its modern-day aggression, comparing its recent behavior to Nazi Germany. Ahead of a commemorative concert marking the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, Czech President Petr Pavel warned that modern-day Russia is displaying behavior reminiscent of Nazi Germany and called on citizens to vote for parties committed to national and democratic security. “Unfortunately, today’s Russia behaves in some respects as Nazi Germany once did,” Pavel said on Thursday. “It does not respect international law, it respects the right of the strongest, it has invaded a sovereign country and has been waging an aggressive war for more than three years,” referencing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Pavel also paid tribute to those who fought against fascism and imperial aggression during the Second World War, including Soviet soldiers, but emphasized that honoring their sacrifice does not extend to defending the present-day Russian regime. “It does not mean respect for today’s Russia at all,” he said. In a message posted to social media earlier in the day, Pavel...

by Prague Morning May 10, 2025

Czech Households Pay Most for Electricity in Entire EU, New Data Shows

In the second half of last year, the Czech Republic recorded the highest household electricity prices in the entire European Union, when adjusted for purchasing power. This comes from new data released by Eurostat on Tuesday. Using Purchasing Power Standards (PPS) – a metric that levels out price differences between countries – Eurostat calculated that Czech households paid 41 PPS per 100 kilowatt hours of electricity. That figure was the highest in the EU, followed by Cyprus (35.70 PPS) and Germany (35.23 PPS). PPS is used to ensure a fair comparison between countries by accounting for local income levels and cost structures. This approach shows the real burden of electricity prices on households, not just nominal costs. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Malta reported the lowest electricity price for households at 14.33 PPS per 100 kWh, followed by Luxembourg (15.39 PPS) and Hungary (15.45 PPS). Electricity Prices Rise 11.8% in Czechia Year-on-Year Alongside having the highest adjusted prices, the Czech Republic also saw the second-steepest year-on-year increase in electricity costs, with prices rising 11.8% in the second half of 2023. Only Portugal experienced a greater jump, at 14.7%. According to Eurostat, the rise is attributed to higher grid...

by Jakub Dvorský May 06, 2025

Czech This Out: Forbes Business Festival Brings Global Energy to Prague

Forget everything you know about traditional business conferences. No stiff suits, no stale coffee, no sterile hotel ballrooms. On June 11, 2025, Holešovice Market in Prague will transform into a high-energy hub of ideas, ambition, and connection as Forbes Czech Republic launches the country’s largest-ever business festival. For the first time, a business event with a festival feel—already popular abroad—is landing in Czechia. Instead of stiff schedules and formal panels, the day promises lively talks, casual networking, and a setup that feels more like a summer festival than a traditional conference. Set across four themed stages – Legendary, Forbes 30 Under 30, Longevity, and People & Work – the event promises an entire day of inspiration and engagement. More than 120 speakers and around 3,000 participants are expected to take part—including CEOs, founders, and up-and-coming voices from across the business world. The event aims to create space for real conversations and informal connections, far from the usual conference routine. “There are already too many soulless conferences where people count the minutes until the coffee break,” said a Forbes Czech Republic spokesperson. “This is about energy, real dialogue, and creating a space where big ideas feel at home.” Beyond the main...

by Prague Morning May 05, 2025

President Zelensky Visits Prague Today – Castle Closed to Public

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is back in Prague today. His arrival has led to the closure of Prague Castle and extra police patrols across the area. Czech President Petr Pavel is expected to meet with Zelensky during the visit. Zelensky last visited Prague in July 2023, during his first trip abroad after the war in Ukraine began. That visit was also kept quiet until the last minute for security reasons — and this one is no different. Prague Castle is shut to the public from 11:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. All ticket offices, gardens, museums, and visitor centers are closed for the entire day. Zelensky is expected to meet not only with President Pavel but also with Prime Minister Petr Fiala and Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský. His wife, Olena Zelenska, is also in Prague with her own separate schedule. According to Czech Radio’s Radiožurnál, all signs point to Zelensky arriving today, though no official confirmation has been given. Police spokesperson Ondřej Moravčík said the visit would not affect weekend traffic but gave no further details. The Castle will partially reopen after 4:30 p.m., but parts of the first and second courtyards will stay closed, said Castle spokesman Vojtěch Šeliga. During...

by Prague Morning May 04, 2025

Czech Video Creators Now Required to Register With Media Council

YouTubers and influencers in the Czech Republic who earn over CZK 50,000 a year and reach a large audience will now be required to register with the country’s media watchdog. The Radio and Television Broadcasting Council (RRTV) announced the new rules following its meeting on Thursday. According to the updated interpretation, content creators who publish at least 52 videos per year on one platform, achieve a minimum of 500,000 views annually, and earn more than CZK 50,000 from their online content must register with RRTV. The council says this requirement applies only to creators whose content serves the general public with the purpose of informing, entertaining, or educating, and whose activity is comparable in reach to television broadcasting. The rule does not apply to schools, cultural institutions, or other non-commercial entities. Institutions such as museums, libraries, theaters, or public administration bodies are generally considered exempt, as they do not operate with a commercial objective. The requirement to register was originally introduced last autumn in connection with the EU Audiovisual Media Services Directive, which aims to enhance child protection online and set consistent rules for commercial content across member states. RRTV stated that the registration requirement is part of aligning Czech...

by Prague Morning May 01, 2025

Czech Republic Explores New Employment Forms for Startups

The Czech Republic is taking concrete steps to support its growing startup ecosystem with the introduction of a new startup law. This initiative, driven by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, seeks to address several challenges faced by emerging businesses, from financing gaps to regulatory obstacles, and aims to establish a clearer framework to help startups thrive. Drawing inspiration from Spain’s successful model, which has been in place since 2022, the Czech government hopes to bring about similar growth. Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, Štěpán Hofman, highlighted that one of the key goals is to define what exactly constitutes a startup. By doing so, the state will be able to implement tailored conditions to promote faster growth, increase investments, and improve the long-term chances of success. “We are considering allowing pension funds to enter into risky investments, such as start-ups,” Hofman explained. This would address the frequent financing gap that hinders startup growth in the country. Addressing Employment and Bureaucratic Challenges Another significant aspect of the law is its focus on improving employment and bureaucratic conditions. Current employment practices and invoicing regulations are often seen as inadequate for startups, sometimes even encouraging informal labor practices. The new legislation aims...

by Prague Morning Apr 30, 2025

Czech Police Threaten Mass Resignations Over Poor Conditions

In growing frustration with the government, parts of the Czech police force are preparing for mass resignations on July 1, citing critical conditions that have worsened under the current administration, according to a report by Echo24. Martin Červenka, vice chairman of the Trade Union of Security Forces and commander of the Písek Police, stated in an interview with CNN Prima News that the security forces have been treated as political toys in the run-up to the elections. “Politicians do not perceive the extreme urgency of the situation. The elections are approaching, so there will be promises of what will be done after them. No one will deal with the fact that we cannot wait a day in the security forces,” he said. According to Červenka, the government has taken the situation from a “very serious” to an “extremely critical” state in just one election cycle. Červenka reported that one group of officers plans to resign en masse on July 1, while another group is considering going on sick leave to address “health ailments,” a tactic previously used by police forces in Poland. “I’m terribly sorry and angry, but I completely understand them,” Červenka said, expressing regret but also support for their...

by Prague Morning Apr 29, 2025

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