Morning Briefing │ Monday, March 25th, 2024

* POLITICS:

Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who is on a four-day visit to Prague, is due to unveil a memorial plaque to physician Frantisek Skorina on Old Town Square. Skorina’s translation of the Bible was printed in Prague in 1517 as the first Belarusian book.On Monday, Mrs. Tsikhanouskaya will attend the opening of the Belarusian Democratic Forces office in Prague.

* EU:

Czechia received CZK 1.2 trillion from the European Union between 2014 and 2023, according to an analysis by CRIF, published by the Czech News Agency on Sunday. In addition to these subsidies, Czechia has also received support from the Structural Funds and the Cohesion Fund, as well as subsidies for agriculture from the Recovery and Resilience Facility.

* ECONOMY:

The state subsidy for businesses employing staff with disabilities will rise by CZK 1,500 to CZK 15,700 from April. According to the documents accompanying the directive, an additional CZK 1.4 billion will be needed this year alone to fund the subsidy increase. Employers have repeatedly requested the rise, pointing to the rising minimum wage and other costs, and warning of possible lay-offs of workers with disabilities.

* SLOVAKIA:

Ivan Korčok has emerged victorious in the first round of Slovakia’s presidential elections this weekend. He will face former Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini in the April 6 runoff. Korčok received 42.44 percent of the vote, while Pellegrini received 37.07 percent.

* EDUCATION:

Czech students remain interested in Erasmus Over the past 25 years, 411,000 Czechs have participated in the Erasmus student exchange program, primarily in universities. Through 2023, 121,540 study stays and 22,628 internships occurred. The program also welcomed 450,000 foreigners to the Czech Republic.