Politics & Economics

“Russia is Trying to Sabotage European Railways”, Says Czech Transport Minister

Russia has made “thousands” of attempts to interfere with European rail networks in a campaign to destabilize the EU and sabotage critical infrastructure, the Czech Republic’s transport minister has said. Martin Kupka told the Financial Times that Moscow was suspected of having made “thousands of attempts to weaken our systems” since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The hacking campaign included attacks on signalling systems and on the networks of the Czech national railway operator České dráhy, Kupka said. Past attacks have put ticketing systems out of service and raised concerns about successful interference with signals causing serious accidents. “It’s definitely a difficult point . . .[but] I’m really very satisfied because we are able to defend all systems [from] a successful attack,” Kupka said. Russian attempts to destabilise European energy infrastructure have been well documented but interference in transport networks has been less discussed. The EU Agency for Cybersecurity published its first report on threats to transport in March last year. It said there had been “attacks against railway companies with an increasing rate, primarily due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine”. It noted major cyber attacks by “pro-Russia hacker groups” on railway companies in Latvia,...

by Prague Morning Apr 05, 2024

Should Idiots be Allowed to Vote? Czech Party Proposes ‘Knowledge Test’ to Earn Voting Rights

The term “idiot,” originating from ancient Greece, referred to individuals focused solely on private life, showing no interest in politics or public matters, and thus considered ignorant. In modern democratic countries, the presence of “idiots” — those indifferent to public life and politics yet occasionally exercising their civic rights in elections — poses a unique challenge. This phenomenon has sparked debates about the wisdom of letting uninformed individuals influence future decisions through voting. A notable instance of attempting to tackle this issue occurred in Bulgaria in 2016, where electoral law amendments introduced a rule disenfranchising citizens who fail to vote in two consecutive elections of the same type. These individuals are removed from voter rolls but can regain their voting rights by applying for re-enlistment, a measure aimed at encouraging civic engagement and, implicitly, weeding out the uninterested or uninformed. However, this solution doesn’t address the core issue of uninformed voters participating in elections. A proposal by Jan Kubalcík, leader of the Czech Conservative Party, suggests an innovative approach: requiring citizens to pass a basic knowledge test before voting. This test, comprising ten questions randomly selected by a computer from a thousand, aims to exclude those lacking fundamental understanding of...

by Prague Morning Apr 03, 2024

“Security Situation Worst Since WWII,” Said Czech Counterintelligence Agency

President Petr Pavel met with the leadership of the Czech counterintelligence agency, headed by its director Michal Koudelka, on Tuesday. The current security situation is the worst since World War II, the head of the Czech Counter Intelligence Service (BIS) Michal Koudelka said following a meeting with President Pavel on Tuesday. He said Russian expansionism and the possible return of Islamic terrorism to Europe are major threats to European democracies. “We cannot underestimate the risk, although we do not have any concrete information about a direct security threat to the Czech Republic,” Koudelka said. The focus of the meeting was the security landscape and potential threats, particularly from Russia and China, whose actions have long concerned the BIS. Moje návštěva v sídle BIS znamená především obnovení standardních vztahů mezi prezidentem a bezpečnostními službami, jak je to běžné i v jiných demokratických zemích. V následujících měsících postupně navštívím všechny služby. S ředitelem Koudelkou i s vedením BIS jsme jednali o… pic.twitter.com/vvFy4BfgJQ — Petr Pavel (@prezidentpavel) March 26, 2024 Koudelka highlighted the looming threat of a resurgence of Islamic terrorism in Europe. He also mentioned the challenge of illegal migration to Europe, although the BIS lacks specific intelligence on current threats. President...

by Prague Morning Mar 26, 2024

Slovaks Elect Successor to Čaputová. An Ally of Populist Premier is Expected to Win

Slovaks headed to the ballots Saturday to elect a successor to Zuzana Čaputová, the country’s first female president and a staunch backer of Slovakia’s neighbor Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s two-year invasion. She is not seeking a second term. Peter Pellegrini, a close ally of Slovakia’s populist Prime Minister Robert Fico, is considered a favorite in the race for the post of president. He leads a field of nine candidates in the first round of the presidential election to become the country´s sixth head of state since Slovakia gained independence in 1993 after Czechoslovakia split in two. Polls will close at 9 pm and results are expected on Sunday. If no candidate gets a majority, which is expected, the top two finishers will go through to a runoff on April 6. Pellegrini, 48, who favors a strong role for the state, heads the left-wing Hlas (Voice) party that finished third in the Sept. 30 parliamentary election. His party joined a ruling coalition with Fico’s leftist Smer (Direction) party and the ultranationalist Slovak National Party. The new government immediately halted arms delivery to Ukraine. Former Foreign Minister Ivan Korcok, 59, a pro-Western career diplomat is his main rival. “From my...

by Prague Morning Mar 23, 2024

Czech Foreign Ministry Condemns Terrorist Attack in Moscow

The Czech Foreign Ministry has condemned the terrorist attack in Krasnogorsk, near Moscow, in which 140 people were killed and more than 100 injured. “The Czech Republic condemns the terrorist attack near Moscow. The attack on the civilian population is unacceptable. Our condolences to the families of the victims,” the ministry said on social networks. Words of condemnation have also come from the Czech Interior Ministry. “A terrorist attack on defenseless civilians is unjustifiable under any circumstances. My condolences to the families and loved ones of all the victims of today’s shocking violence in Krasnogorsk,” Interior Minister Vít Rakušan wrote on the X network shortly after the news broke. What happened Gunmen in combat fatigues opened fire and detonated explosives at Moscow’s Crocus City Hall killing at least 140 people and injuring 100 in a brazen attack claimed by the ISIL (ISIS) group. At least five camouflage-clad gunmen with automatic weapons burst into the packed concert hall in the Russian capital’s western suburbs on Friday night as the audience was gathering to watch the veteran rock band Picnic, shooting into the crowd and setting off explosives that started a massive fire. ISIL, the hardline group that once sought control over...

by Prague Morning Mar 23, 2024

Czech Parliament Proclaims Russia as Country’s Main Security Threat

The lower chamber of the Czech Parliament, the House of Deputies, now officially defines Russia as Czechia’s main security threat and declares the need for continued support for Ukraine. “The current terrorist regime in Russia, with its expansiveness and efforts to expand its sphere of influence on Ukraine and other European nations, accompanied by war crimes, poses the greatest security threat to the Czech Republic; therefore, it is in the fundamental interest of the Czech Republic that Putin’s war against Ukraine sees no success, that Ukraine defends and restores its territorial integrity within internationally recognized borders, and that the Russian regime is effectively deterred from further aggression against Europe,” reads the resolution adopted on March 21. The resolution was developed by the ruling coalition and received the support of 84 lawmakers with a minimum threshold of 72 votes. “Stopping the supply of military equipment would lead to the conquest and devastation of Ukraine by the Russian terrorist regime and the encouragement of this regime to further conquests against European states,” the resolution adds. The House of Deputies also agreed that the government must continue to increase Czechia’s defense capability and fulfill its obligations to NATO, meaning contributing 2% of GDP...

by Prague Morning Mar 21, 2024

Czech Government Wants to Allow Other EU Citizens to Become Police Members

Czechia wants to make it possible for other European Union citizens to become members of the police and other security forces. The proposal to make this change has been put forward by the Ministry of Interior of Czechia, with the aim of diversifying the police and security forces members. However, not everyone is eligible to apply. In line with the proposal, only EU/EEA citizens who have been legally residing in Czechia for a minimum period of three years and who are proficient in the Czech language will be eligible to apply to become police and other security officers members. Citizens of other EU and EEA countries will also be able to become members of the security forces if they have lived in the Czech Republic for at least three years and speak the Czech language. However, the Ministry has emphasized that the change in the rules will not extend to intelligence services. This is because the country wants to maintain strict requirements for these roles, Česká Justice explains. In case the proposal is approved, the applicants need to prove that they have no criminal records in their country of origin. The aim of the amendment is to modernize the law,...

by Richard Sovitzky Mar 20, 2024

Russia to Prosecute Czechs Over Konev Statue Removal

Russia is initiating criminal prosecutions against over 50 politicians from the Czech Republic, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia for the removal of Soviet-era monuments. Among those targeted are Prague 6 Mayor Jakub Stárek and predecessor Ondřej Kolář for removing a statue of Soviet Marshal Ivan Konev. Mr. Kolář said he was “in good company and that the news had motivated him to continue his work”. He headed the district when a monument to Soviet commander Ivan Konev was taken down in 2020. Russian law provides for up to five years in prison but Czech officials condemn the prosecutions as “unenforceable”. Konev is regarded as a hero in Russia for retaking much of Eastern Europe from Nazi German forces during World War II. But many Czechs view him an enforcer of Soviet rule after the war. He led the Soviet troops that entered Prague after it had been liberated from the Nazis by resistance forces. But he also commanded the troops that crushed the 1956 anti-Soviet uprising in Hungary and helped build the Berlin Wall. Some historians say Konev also participated in planning the 1968 Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia. President Vladimir Putin has accused Russia’s detractors of diminishing the Soviet war...

by Prague Morning Mar 14, 2024

Ammunition Bought Under Czech Initiative Could Reach Ukraine in June

Ammunition bought in non-EU countries under the Czech initiative could reach Ukrainian battlefields as early as June, Tomas Pojar, the Czech national security adviser and the prime minister’s advisor, said on Tuesday. In February, the Czech Republic proposed to buy ammunition for Ukraine from third countries in response to the EU’s lack of ammunition production capacity. Since then, it has received support from several European countries willing to finance the purchases. “The purpose of our initiative is to source ammunition on world markets, arrange financing and coordinate delivery to Ukraine,” Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said on Tuesday (12 March) at the conference ‘Our Security Cannot Be Taken for Granted,’ organised to mark the 25th anniversary of Czech NATO membership. So far, over 15 countries have pledged funding for the ammunition. These include Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, France and Norway, as well as non-European allies such as Canada. While the Czech Republic identifies available ammunition worldwide, other countries provide the necessary funding. The Czech Republic will then coordinate delivery to Ukrainian battlefields. According to Fiala, the purchase of 300,000 rounds has been confirmed and a further 200,000 have been pledged. The aim is to deliver the ammunition to Ukraine this...

by Prague Morning Mar 13, 2024

Former Czech PM Babiš in Turmoil After Email Leak

Always double-check your recipient before you hit that “send” button. That’s a lesson former Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš is digesting today after his request that an aide dig up dirt on Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský went public. “Give me some topics, some background on this motherfucker [Lipavský],” Babiš wrote in a chaotic email that he intended to send to his adviser, Jan Rovenský, with several people from his ANO party copied in. “Write me the Israel story, how he turned his back on our people, how he went to Doha, how he goes everywhere, campaigning, mail-in voting.” Lipavský had called Babiš “a security risk” during a March 10 talk show on the ČT public broadcaster. Babiš’ mail also contained mentions of Lipavský’s daughter and a wife. “Does he have kids? Does he speak languages?” the sender asked. Unfortunately for the former PM, there’s another Jan Rovenský in Czech public life — an ecological activist, who was not best pleased to receive the communication. “It’s not the first time that Andrej Babiš has accidentally sent me an email, apparently addressed to my namesake, who is his spin doctor,” Rovenský wrote on Facebook. “I never published any of them. I...

by Prague Morning Mar 12, 2024

Czechia Joined NATO 25 Years Ago

Together with Poland and Hungary, the Czech Republic joined NATO on March 12, 1999. The anniversary will also be commemorated by a flypast of fighter jets over Prague. The admission of three former Eastern Bloc countries to the Alliance confirmed the definitive end of the Cold War in Europe. The documents were signed by Secretary of State Madeleine Albright for the United States, by Foreign Minister Jan Kavan for the Czech Republic, by Foreign Minister János Martonyi for Hungary, and by Foreign Minister Bronisław Geremek for Poland. It signaled further waves of NATO enlargement that brought stability, and for new members a freedom for their own social and economic development leading towards European integration. It came less than a decade after the end of the communist regimes in Eastern Europe and the fall of the Berlin Wall, and less than 8 years after the Soviet-dominated Warsaw Pact was formally dissolved on July 1, 1991. Slovakia, the fourth member of the Visegrad Group, joined NATO in the fifth enlargement of the Alliance, on March 29, 2004, together with other Eastern European states (which have also been EU members for years now) – Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, and Slovenia. Exactly twenty-five...

by Prague Morning Mar 12, 2024

Czech Inflation Eases to 2.0%, Lowest in Over 5 Years

The Czech Republic’s consumer price inflation eased more-than-expected in February to the lowest level in more than five years, largely due to a decline in food costs, data from the Czech Statistical Office showed on Monday. Consumer prices climbed 2.0 percent year-over-year in February, slower than the 2.3 percent rise in January. Economists had expected inflation to moderate slightly to 2.2 percent. Further, this was the weakest inflation since December 2018, when prices had risen by the same 2.0 percent. Prices for food and non-alcoholic beverages dropped 4.8 percent annually in February. Clothing and footwear charges were 5.8 percent more expensive in February, slightly below the 5.9 percent surge in January. Meanwhile, transport charges rose at a faster pace of 1.1 percent versus a 0.4 percent increase a month ago. On a monthly basis, consumer prices moved up 0.3 percent in February, versus an expected increase of 0.4 percent. Year-on-year inflation has been gradually decreasing over the last year, with the exception of October when it rose again slightly. Last February, inflation was at 16.7 percent.

by Cara Stevenson Mar 11, 2024

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