News: Saturday, November 23rd, 2024

Babiš's proposal to freeze salaries of constitutional officials submitted in Senate

This week, ANO senators submitted to the upper chamber a proposal identical to the one presented by the movement's leader, Andrej Babiš, in the Chamber of Deputies, seeking to freeze the salaries of constitutional officials. Both proposals suggest maintaining the current year's salary calculation. ANO senators, like Babiš, are urging the House to fast-track the approval process so the measure can take effect at the start of next year. However, given parliamentary timelines and the current balance of power, this scenario is highly unlikely. The government already rejected Babiš's proposal last week.

Meanwhile, despite criticism from the opposition, the coalition government is advancing an amendment that would raise top officials' salaries by approximately 6.9 to 6.98 percent year-on-year, depending on their position. Under the amendment, a regular MP or senator's monthly salary would increase by CZK 7,100 to CZK 109,500, while the president's salary would rise by CZK 23,800 to CZK 365,000. Without the amendment, salaries could double from January compared to the government's proposal.

Defence Minister defends her use of "morons" in a statement on X

Czech Defence Minister Jana Černochová defended her use of the term "morons" in a mid-September statement on the social network X, arguing that it is not a vulgarity but a strong expression describing someone acting unreasonably or foolishly. Her remarks came in response to a written query from ANO MP Martin Kolovratník, who criticized the language as "offensive and unworthy of a minister," accusing her of dehumanizing citizens with differing opinions.

Černochová's comment, "Please tell the idiots who still have not come to terms with our aid to Ukraine that we have enough helicopters," was made in response to a military announcement on X regarding the deployment of helicopters during the severe floods in the Moravian-Silesian and Olomouc regions.

All proceeds from emission allowances to fight climate change

Revenue from the sale of emission allowances must now exclusively fund measures aimed at mitigating or counteracting the impacts of climate change. This requirement is outlined in a legislative amendment passed by the Chamber of Deputies on Friday. Previously, only half of the proceeds were mandated for such use, with the remainder serving as a non-binding recommendation. The bill will now move to the Senate for review.

Ninth graders from Pilsen send thousands of crowns to school in Opava after floods

The Edvard Beneš Primary School in Opava received an unexpected and heartfelt gesture of flood relief. Ninth graders from Staňkov, a town in the Pilsen region on the opposite side of the country, organized a fundraiser to help with the aftermath of the flooding. They contributed part of their class savings and enlisted the support of their teachers and parents in the effort.

The collection raised nearly 18,000 crowns, which will be used to rebuild the school’s completely destroyed gym. The flooding not only damaged classroom furniture, such as desks, but also wiped out all the equipment needed for gymnastics and physical education.

State funding for Czech food banks to increase to CZK 104 Million in 2024

State funding for domestic food banks will increase to CZK 104 million next year, up from approximately CZK 95 million this year. The Czech Federation of Food Banks plans to allocate the funds toward improving individual branches and warehouses. Agriculture Minister Marek Výborný announced the increase during a press conference held in conjunction with the autumn round of the national food collection.

Czech physicist Tomáš Jungwirth receives “Czech Head” – highest Czech scientific award

Physicist Tomáš Jungwirth from the Institute of Physics at the Czech Academy of Sciences has been honored with the Czech Head, the country's most prestigious scientific award. He received the accolade for his lifelong contributions to scientific research and his groundbreaking work in the field of spintronics.

Other awardees include Jan Dobeš from Charles University for his research on autoimmune diseases and Jakub Podgorný for his studies on black holes in the universe. The laureates were announced at a press conference in Prague by the Czech Head project board. The award ceremony for the 23rd edition of the Czech Head Awards is scheduled for Sunday, November 24.

Weather forecast

Sunday should be mostly cloudy with occasional rain and early morning isolated snow. Temperatures will range between 0 and 5 °C.