Morning News: Wednesday, January 25, 2023

Presidential candidate Andrej Babiš cancelled his planned trip to Hradec Králové on Tuesday and announced that he would not make any more public appearances until the elections runoff after having received an anonymous death threat.

The 29 Leopard tanks which Germany has assigned to Czechia and Slovakia as compensation for those they sent to Ukraine will be refurbished and delivered in the spring. Germany has promised Slovakia 15 and Czechia 14 Leopard tanks as part of a so-called circular exchange.

The UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) discussed the state of human rights in the Czech Republic yesterday, focusing on the Istanbul Convention against domestic and sexual violence and the situation of the Roma minority. A final report with recommendations to Prague is to be released on 10 February.

The Czech Republic saved around 850 million cubic meters of gas in the current heating season compared to last year. It has thus met the EU’s target of reducing consumption by at least 15 percent this winter. This was announced on Monday by the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MIT).

40 percent of Czechs fear losing their jobs. As much as a quarter of the population is dealing with their worsening financial situation by taking a second job or postponing retirement. More than half of the population requires the ability to work from home.