News: Wednesday, May 5th, 2021

Vrbětice: Deputy PM Jan Hamáček files complaint against journalists

Deputy Prime Minister Jan Hamáček said he is filing a civil complaint over article in which he was accused of having considered negotiating with Moscow for Sputnik V vaccines in exchange for Prague’s silence over the alleged involvement of Russian agents in the deadly Vrbětice explosions of 2014.

Hamáček, who is Minister of the Interior and chairman of the junior coalition party Social Democrats, said he would seek CZK 10 million in damages against the publisher of SeznamZpravy.cz. An editor from the news site said he stood by the reporting and was ready to prevent proof in court.

Emotions run high in lower house as MPs accuse deputy prime minister of treason

MPs met behind closed doors on Tuesday to debate allegations that Czech Deputy Prime Minister Jan Hamáček had planned a trip to Russia aiming to hush up the involvement of Russian agents in the 2014 Vrbětice explosions in return for one million Sputnik V vaccines and the right to host a US-American summit in Prague. Seznam.cz made the claim on Tuesday citing several independent sources and linking the story to Jan Hamáček’s planned visit to Russia which was cancelled just hours before the Vrbětice scandal broke.

The opposition parties have branded the deputy prime minister a traitor and are calling for a thorough investigation into the matter. A session of the lower house, attended by the heads off the country’s intelligence services, the supreme state attorney and the police president, turned into a slinging match and had to be suspended.

Mr. Hamáček has vehemently denied the accusation, insisting that the announced visit to Moscow was merely a smoke screen to get the Czech ambassador to Russia back to Prague for consultations without raising suspicion. However the prime minister never confirmed his version of the story and the planned visit was never satisfactorily explained.

Country’s public broadcasters slam proposal for asset declarations

The heads of the country’s public broadcasters, Czech Radio and Czech Television, have slammed a proposed amendment to the law according to which journalists in public service media should be bound to declare their assets.

In a joint statement, Czech Radio head Rene Zavoral and Czech Television director Petr Dvořák say the proposal is an attempt to increase pressure on journalists working in the most trusted Czech media. They say it creates the impression that journalists accept bribes and work to order. The draf amendment, proposed by the Communist Party, was approved in its first reading by the lower house in April.

76th anniversary of Prague Uprising marked nationwide

Wednesday marks the 76th anniversary of the Prague Uprising, a turning point and in the Czech fight against the occupying Nazi forces, which took place in the final days of World War II.

As last year, due to the coronavirus pandemic, there will be no large commemorative events, such as the traditional wreath-laying outside the Czech Radio building – the site of heavy fighting. However, the radio will air a special programme about the uprising.

Politicians, soldiers and other public figures will honour the memory of the fallen in small groups or via online addresses. Flowers will be laid by government representatives, including the heads of both chambers of Parliament, at Czech Radio, Prague Castle and other sites.

At Na Smetance Primary School, representatives of the British Embassy will also ceremoniously unveil a memorial plaque to two of that country’s soldiers who took part in the Prague Uprising, helping to negotiate the surrender of a German unit at the site.

Those who manned barricades and took up arms against the German occupiers helped pave the way for the Red Army forces to liberate the Czech capital. The Prague Uprising was preceded by a series of uprisings throughout the Protectorate.

MPs debate new Building Act, park administration among sticking points

The lower house of Parliament on Wednesday is holding its final discussion on the new Building Law, which aims to facilitate and speed up construction proceedings. Minister for Regional Development Klára Dostálová described the law as the most important currently on the agenda.

Nearly 80 amendments have been adopted to the Building Act itself, but it is unclear whether MPs will approve the draft law today. Pirate Party chairman Ivan Bartoš and other opposition lawmakers have objected to an aspect of it that would transfer responsibilities from municipalities to the newly proposed Supreme Building Authority.

Representatives of national parks and the Nature and Landscape Protection Agency (AOPK) have also objected that construction in the most strictly protected localities would no longer be decided by the administrations of such areas but by building authorities.

Uherské Hradiště summer film school postponed till August

The annual international cinema Summer Film School festival in the southern Moravian town of Uherské Hradiště has been postponed. Rather than in late July, the 47th edition will take place from August 6-12, organisers said.

The festival this year will feature a retrospective of work by the Japanese director Akira Kurosawa, as well as a range of Mexican films and low-budget independent productions. It is also being organised until the concept of “Film Through All Senses”.

Billionaire brothers who co-founded Walmark to donate 30 pct of assets to charity

Three brothers who co-founded the vitamin and food supplement producer Walmark have announced they will donate 30 percent of all their assets to charity, Forbes.cz reports.

The Walach brothers (Adam, Mariusz and Valdemar) will invest part of their assets in a charitable foundation to be established by the end of 2021. They did not specify the amount. Forbes estimates the brothers, who sold Walmark in 2016, have assets are worth billions of crowns.

Survey: Czechia second most-attractive country for CEE for investors

After Estonia, the Czech Republic is the most attractive country in Central and Eastern Europe for foreign investors, according to a traditional economic survey of German chambers of commerce in the region.

The survey took place in parallel in 16 countries and included 1,300 companies. In the eyes of investors, the Czech Republic scores particularly well in two areas: “productivity and motivation of employees”, and “quality and accessibility of local suppliers”.

The Czech public administration came off worst, especially because of deficiencies in digitization. The biggest slump was in “political and social stability”. This should be seen as a warning, said the German-Czech Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DTIHK).

Tennis: Muchová beats Sákkari to advance to Madrid quarterfinals

Czech tennis player Karolína Muchová beat María Sákkari of Greece at the Mutua Madrid Open in three sets (0:6, 7:6 and 5:7) to make it into the quarterfinals. She next faces Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia.

Muchová was ranked no. 20 before Madrid. Her fellow national Petra Kvitová, the world no. 12, takes on top seed Ashleigh Barty of Australia on Wednesday afternoon.

Weather

The outlook for Thursday is for cloudy skies and light rain with average daytime highs of 8 to 12 degrees Celsius