Politics & Economics

Czech Unemployment Increased by 3.3% (Still the Lowest in Past 22 years)

The unemployment rate in the Czech Republic swelled to 3.3% in January from 3.1% in December, due to typical seasonality during winter months, according to the Czech Labour Office data released on February 8. “The situation on the labour market has been usual in the past month. Compared to previous years, however, it is more favourable,” the Office said. According to Labour Office General Manager Katerina Sadilkova, a decline in seasonal work has been recorded especially in construction and agriculture. The number of the unemployed amounted to 13,523, a decline compared to December’s figure 44,171. There were 245,057 jobless people, the lowest January value since 1997. The number of vacant jobs increased by 7,043 month-on-month to 331,453 and by more than 200,000 vacancies y/y (100.725 vacancies in January 2018). “The average share of unemployed people reached 3.2% last year, ie, one percentage point less than in 2017. At the moment, however, it is already at such low levels that room for a further decline this year is already relatively small,” according to ING Chief Economist Jakub Seidler. Akcenta Analyst Miroslav Novak expects the same: “Since this year, no more significant decline in the unemployment rate is expected, and the total share of...

by Prague Morning Feb 11, 2019

Czech Industry Grows 3% in 2018

December industrial production fell by 1.4% due to the lower number of working days and fall in car production. For the whole of 2018, industry grew by 3% but this marks a deceleration from the 6.5% pace in 2017 and we expect a further slowdown this year due to the weaker automotive sector. Industrial production declined by 1.4% year-on-year in December. However, this was partly due to one missing working day and adjusting for that, industry would have grown by 1.8% YoY, similar to the rate seen in November, though below the whole year average of 3%. Automotive fell, which might be typical December volatility The main reason behind the weaker December figure was a 7% fall in the production of cars and machinery equipment. However, car production was growing at a surprisingly strong rate in October and November, so lower production in December could be a result of company holidays. December’s industrial figures are usually quite volatile so we shouldn’t draw strong conclusions from them. Automotive segment grew at a weak pace in 2018 For the whole of 2018, the automotive sector grew by just 1.9%, the weakest rate since 2013. However, a number of significant domestic industrial segments maintained solid growth momentum last year, albeit slightly weaker than in 2017. Industry will slow down further this year For this year, we...

by Prague Morning Feb 07, 2019

Brexit: Czech Parliament Guarantees Rights for British Residents

The Czech Parliament’s lower house has approved a government plan to guarantee the near-term rights of British citizens in the event of a “no-deal” Brexit. The plan means the roughly 8,000 Britons currently living in the country would retain their rights in the immediate aftermath of Brexit even if Britain crashes out of the EU in March with no deal. They would retain basically the same rights as the citizens of EU countries for a transitional period until Dec. 31, 2020. The upper house, the Senate, is also expected to approve it. Britain is due to leave the EU on March 29. After the British lawmakers rejected the divorce agreement Prime Minister Theresa May negotiated with the bloc, the prospect of a “no-deal” Brexit has been raised. Author: red xosotin chelseathông tin chuyển nhượngcâu lạc bộ bóng đá arsenalbóng đá atalantabundesligacầu thủ haalandUEFAevertonfutebol ao vivofutemaxmulticanaisonbetbóng đá world cupbóng đá inter milantin juventusbenzemala ligaclb leicester cityMUman citymessi lionelsalahnapolineymarpsgronaldoserie atottenhamvalenciaAS ROMALeverkusenac milanmbappenapolinewcastleaston villaliverpoolfa cupreal madridpremier leagueAjaxbao bong da247EPLbarcelonabournemouthaff cupasean footballbên lề sân cỏbáo bóng đá mớibóng đá cúp thế giớitin bóng đá ViệtUEFAbáo bóng đá việt namHuyền thoại bóng đágiải ngoại hạng anhSeagametap chi bong da the gioitin bong da lutrận đấu...

by Prague Morning Jan 24, 2019

Czech Lawmakers Approve Taxation of Church Restitution Plan

The Czech Parliament’s lower house approved a proposal drafted by Communist lawmakers to tax the compensation that the country’s churches receive for property seized by the former Communist regime. After the Communists seized power in Czechoslovakia in 1948, they confiscated all the property owned by churches, which were allowed to function only under strict state control. According to a 2012 law, the nation’s churches, including the Roman Catholic Church and the Jewish community, are to receive around 75 billion crowns over 30 years to compensate for property seized by the state. A power-sharing deal that Babiš, signed with the maverick Communists last year gave them a role in governing for the first time since the country’s 1989 anti-communist Velvet Revolution. The taxation was one of the Communists’ key conditions. Babiš argues that the compensation is too generous and needs correction. The upper house, which is controlled by the opposition, is expected to reject the Communist plan. But the Communists and the coalition formed by Babiš’ centrist ANO movement and the leftist Social Democrats hold a majority in the 200-seat lower house and can override such a veto. The anti-migrant, populist Freedom and Direct Democracy party also joined forces with the Communists....

by Prague Morning Jan 23, 2019

Mobile Services In the Czech Republic Among EU's Most Expensive

Italian customers from the local service provider Iliad obtained a tariff of 204 Kč (€7.99) in addition to unlimited calling and texting they also have 50GB of mobile Internet. The price of this package includes a one-time activation fee of 255Kč, but even so, the offer Iliad provides is more favourable than comparable packages provided by Czech operators. Domestically used company T-Mobile for example, in order to have an unlimited plan with 60GB, requires 2,499Kč, which is six times more than the Iliad offer. Lliad only expanded on the Italian market last May and has already kick-started a price evolution. So much so from June to September last year, the traditional network leaders of the market which includes Vodafone, Wind and Tre operator, were the competitors to react quickly. According to Wired.it prices throughout the market had declined by 20% and the three companies launched a campaign seeking to lure its customers back from lliad. Vodafone launched a low-cost sub-network named Vodafone-mobile offering an unlimited plan with 50GB for 153Kč (plus an activation fee of 255 Kč) The cheapening pressure of price battles was not only being engaged in Italy but across Europe too. In France, there is virtual mobile...

by Prague Morning Jan 18, 2019

Czech Jobless Rate Climbs to 3.1 Percent

Czech unemployment rose to a rate of 3.1 percent of the workforce in December, in line with analysts’ forecasts but still the lowest number for that month since 1996, the Labour Ministry said on Wednesday. Unemployment rose from the level of 2.8 percent in November. The Czech job market is the tightest in the European Union with unemployment at around a two-decade low, fuelling wage growth in a rising economy. The number of job vacancies is the highest since records started in 1995. It has surpassed the number of people who are ready to fill them every month since March. The total number of jobless rose to 231,534 last month. Author: red xosotin chelseathông tin chuyển nhượngcâu lạc bộ bóng đá arsenalbóng đá atalantabundesligacầu thủ haalandUEFAevertonfutebol ao vivofutemaxmulticanaisonbetbóng đá world cupbóng đá inter milantin juventusbenzemala ligaclb leicester cityMUman citymessi lionelsalahnapolineymarpsgronaldoserie atottenhamvalenciaAS ROMALeverkusenac milanmbappenapolinewcastleaston villaliverpoolfa cupreal madridpremier leagueAjaxbao bong da247EPLbarcelonabournemouthaff cupasean footballbên lề sân cỏbáo bóng đá mớibóng đá cúp thế giớitin bóng đá ViệtUEFAbáo bóng đá việt namHuyền thoại bóng đágiải ngoại hạng anhSeagametap chi bong da the gioitin bong da lutrận đấu hôm nayviệt nam bóng đátin nong bong daBóng đá nữthể thao 7m24h bóng đábóng đá hôm naythe...

by Prague Morning Jan 09, 2019

Czech-Based Brits Get Brexit Transition Period

The Czech government has approved a plan to guarantee the near-term rights of British citizens in the event of a “no-deal” Brexit. The Interior Ministry says the roughly 8,000 Britons currently living in the country would retain their rights in the immediate aftermath of Brexit even if Britain crashes out of the EU in March with no deal. The ministry says Britons would retain the same rights as the citizens of EU countries for a transitional period until Dec 31, 2020. The bill still needs parliamentary approval. Without the bill, some 5,000 out of 8000 British nationals on the Czech labour market would end up with a status of non-EU foreigners. They would not be able to continuously work in the Czech Republic or automatically join local healthcare and welfare systems. “Failure to pass the bill would also threaten some 40,000 Czech citizens living in Britain,” said Deputy PM and Interior Minister Jan Hamacek, adding that all measures proposed by the Czech cabinet are conditional on reciprocity on the part of Britain. Britain is due to leave the EU on March 29, but it’s unclear whether lawmakers will approve the divorce agreement Prime Minister Theresa May has negotiated with the...

by Prague Morning Jan 08, 2019

Czech Republic Wants to Expel Russian Diplomats for Espionage

The Czech authorities can drastically reduce the number of Russian diplomats in the country due to Russia’s “massive espionage.” According to the Bild newspaper, Prague determined that in 2016 and 2017, Russia carried out cyber-attacks against the Czech Foreign and Defense Ministries. As a result, a large portion of Czech officials’ personal data was leaked. The government’s communication systems were also threatened. The hacker groups ATP28 and Fancy Bear, both with ties to Russia, are allegedly involved in the attacks. The Czech Republic’s Security Information Service or BIS was also greatly dissatisfied by the fact that there are too many “technical personnel” from the Russian Embassy in Prague. “This often conceals representatives of Special Services. Moreover, supposedly, several reporters and oligarchs in the Czech Republic… are also Russian spies,” the article says. The Czech Government fears that the country has become a part of Russia’s hybrid strategy against NATO and European Union. According to Prague, Moscow’s goal is to weaken NATO and to achieve the collapse of the EU with the help of pressure against certain States. Author: red xosotin chelseathông tin chuyển nhượngcâu lạc bộ bóng đá arsenalbóng đá atalantabundesligacầu thủ haalandUEFAevertonfutebol ao vivofutemaxmulticanaisonbetbóng đá world cupbóng đá inter milantin juventusbenzemala ligaclb...

by Prague Morning Jan 06, 2019

Prague Warns That Huawei Products Pose Threat to Czech National Security

The Czech cyber watchdog warned network operators on Monday against using software or hardware made by Chinese telecom equipment suppliers Huawei and ZTE, saying they pose a security threat. “We are making this announcement based on our investigation and an information provided by our partners in the security area, as well as the results received by our allies,” said Dusan Navratil, director of the Czech National Cyber and Information Security Agency (NUKIB) Huawei is the world’s biggest producer of telecoms equipment but faces intense scrutiny in the West over ties to the Chinese government and concerns its equipment could be used by Beijing for spying. The company has repeatedly denied the allegations. “China’s laws, among other things, require private companies residing in China to cooperate with intelligence services, therefore introducing them into the key state systems might present a threat,” Navrátil added. Huawei is the largest telecom infrastructure supplier in the Czech Republic for local mobile operators. The company’s revenue in the country amounted to 6.55 billion Czech crowns (about $300 million) in 2017. Until 2022, Huawei plans to invest about $360 million in the Czech Republic and create a total of more than 4,000 new jobs. The United States and several other countries have also raised security questions with regard to the Chinese telecommunications giant. Author:...

by Prague Morning Dec 18, 2018

Czech Party Wants to Ban Islam

Political leaders in the Czech Republic have previously condemned Islam in strong terms. Now, Jiří Kobza and his party Freedom and Direct Democracy, which is one of the larger in parliament, believe Islam is not just a religion but also a violent ideology that should be banned. “We have suggested that all ideologies that promote hatred and violence should be banned. One of the ideologies is Islam. And then we have fascism and Nazism”, he says. He points out that Muslims neither want nor will integrate into non-Muslim societies. “It is not migration – it’s colonization”, he added A strong mistrust of Islam exists throughout the political spectrum in the Czech Republic, where only 0.5 percent of the population are Muslim. “We do not want more Muslims in the Czech Republic”, the Social Democratic then Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka noted in an interview last year. Even Czech President Milos Zeman, who is also a Social Democrat, has strongly condemned the Middle Eastern religion. Among other things, he has said that Islam simply does not belong in Europe. Author: red xosotin chelseathông tin chuyển nhượngcâu lạc bộ bóng đá arsenalbóng đá atalantabundesligacầu thủ haalandUEFAevertonfutebol ao vivofutemaxmulticanaisonbetbóng đá world cupbóng đá inter milantin juventusbenzemala ligaclb leicester cityMUman...

by Prague Morning Dec 16, 2018

Czech November Jobless Rate Unchanged at 2.8%

The Czech unemployment rate was unchanged at around a two-decade low of 2.8 percent of the workforce in November, the Labour Ministry said on Monday. The figure, the lowest number for that month since 1995, was in line with analysts’ forecasts for 2.8 percent. The number of jobless dropped to 215,010, which is the lowest figure since June 1997, while the number of vacancies increased to over 323,500. Last November, unemployment stood at 3.5 percent. Czech unemployment is the lowest in the European Union, according to Eurostat data, with a lack of workers helping push up wages quickly and adding inflationary pressures to the domestic economy. The lowest rate of unemployment, 1.8 percent, is in the Pardubice region, while the highest rate is in the region of Moravia-Silesia and Ústí nad Labem with 4.3 percent of people out of work. In Prague, the rate of unemployment came in at 1.9% where there were officially 65,009 open vacancies registered with the Labor Office. The central bank has lifted interest rates at its last four policy meetings but is expected to pause at its last sitting this year on Dec. 20. Author: red xosotin chelseathông tin chuyển nhượngcâu lạc bộ bóng đá arsenalbóng...

by Prague Morning Dec 10, 2018

Czech Republic Uncovers a Network of Russian Special Service Agents

The Security Information Service of the Czech Republic, also called Bezpečnostní Informační Služba or BIS, announced that in the last five years they have exposed dozens of Russian and Chinese spies. BIS Director Michal Koudelka said that BIS have also uncovered an entire espionage network belonging to Russian Special Services. “We had an extremely successful period of cooperation with Czech security forces and foreign partners,” he stated. According to the Director of the Czech Security Service, they have prevented and stopped the activities of “dozens of Russian and Chinese intelligence officers” or else recommended denying them accreditation or expelled them using so-called “silent methods.” At the beginning of this year, the BIS reported that “they have successfully exposed a network of one of the Russian special services and fully paralyzed the network’s activities.” Koudelka brought up the three diplomats that were expelled from the country as a joint response of European countries to the poisoning of former Russian spymaster Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury, England. Koudelka said the expelled Russians were officers of Russian Intelligence working in the Czech Republic “under diplomatic cover.” Koudelka also spoke about the agency’s contribution to the fight against terrorism. “According to Israeli and American colleagues, we...

by Prague Morning Dec 10, 2018

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