News: Monday, January 2nd, 2023

PM's New Year's speech emphasises what Czechs have to be proud of

Prime Minister Petr Fiala told the nation in his New Year's Day address that although the coming year will not be easy, Czechia will make it through, just like it has survived other crises during the past 30 years. In the speech, broadcast live on Czech television, he said that although the country is going through a difficult period, there is no reason to lose hope. He believes that the measures taken by the government and the Czech National Bank will start to have a positive effect on inflation soon, with prices beginning to decrease this year already.

He also recalled the peaceful division of Czechoslovakia 30 years ago, and said that Czechs can be proud of the path that Czechia has taken since then and the continuing excellent relations with Slovakia.

He emphasised the solidarity of Czech people in critical moments, such as during natural disasters, saying it is something that fundamentally shapes the character of the country. He also highlighted the country's support of war refugees from Ukraine.

He rejected the idea that the Czech Republic is a small and insignificant state, calling it "an important, medium-sized European country" and saying that Czechs meed to realize this and learn to think and act accordingly. He believes that the Czech EU presidency, which ended on Saturday, is a good example of such an approach, where the competence of the Czech Republic was appreciated and EU partners were therefore willing to accept Czech proposals and ideas.

President receives PM for traditional New Year’s lunch

President Miloš Zeman and the First Lady received Prime Minister Petr Fiala and his wife for the traditional New Year’s lunch at Lány Chateau on Monday. According to the president’s spokesperson the main issues on the agenda were key domestic and foreign policy issues relating to the war in Ukraine, the energy crisis and the governments priorities in the New Year.

Events commemorating creation of independent Czech state continue

Events commemorating the creation of the independent Czech Republic 30 years ago continue on Monday with a gathering of current and former heads of state, followed by a special concert in the evening in Prague's Rudolfinum.

The meeting in Kramář's Villa, the official residence of the Prime Minister, will take the form of a commemorative dinner to which all living former heads of state are invited by the current Prime Minister, Petr Fiala. Ten former prime ministers are expected to attend.

After the dinner, Prime Minister Fiala, his Slovak counterpart Eduard Heger, and other Czech politicians and important guests will attend a concert organised by the government office in cooperation with the Czech Philharmonic.

The Czech Republic was established on 1 January, 1993 after the dissolution of the former Czechoslovakia. The country has had 16 cabinets since then.

General Šedivý: War in Ukraine may not end in “ideal scenario”

The Western world must prepare itself for the possibility that the war in Ukraine will not end according to its expectations, the former chief of staff of the Czech Armed Forces, General Jiří Šedivý, said in an interview for the ctk news agency. The general, who earlier served as Czechia’s permanent representative to NATO, said that alongside an “ideal scenario” which envisages a complete victory for Ukraine there is a real possibility of the war dragging on with painful twists and turns, mainly because Russia’s human resources potential is much bigger than that of Ukraine and Putin could call another mobilization in the coming months. General Šedivý said he also shares the concerns expressed by the former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger regarding the dangers stemming from the new dynamics in relations between Russia and China.

Three Kings Collection,largest fundraiser in the country, kicks off

The start of the New Year has kicked off the largest and most successful fund-raiser in the country. The Three Kings Collection, organized by the Catholic charity Caritas, involves thousands of volunteers, most of them children, taking to the streets dressed as the Three Wise Men, singing carols and asking people to donate money to charity. Last year the collection raised 141 million crowns. For information on how to donate go to www.trikralovasbirka.cz.

Missing mother and child found dead in Giant Mountains

The three-day search for a 40-year-old Czech woman and her three-year-old boy was called off on Monday after a rescue team found their dead bodies in the Giant Mountains not far from the guest house where they were staying. Police are investigating the cause of death. The owner of the guest house contacted the police early Friday evening and a team of over 150 people combed the surrounding areas. The woman’s room in the guest house was locked and her car was left parked in front of the guest house.

Ski resorts having to restrict services due to mild weather

Many Czech ski resorts have had to halt ski lifts and restrict their services due to the unseasonably warm weather. The snow has disappeared from most slopes and due to above-zero night temperatures it is presently impossible to create artificial snow. Cross-country skiing is no longer possible and tourists in the mountain regions are having to resort to hikes. In the Giant Mountains, thousands of skiers enjoyed the last of the snow on New Year’s Eve.

Unseasonably warm weather breaking temperature records

The unseasonably warm weather for the month of January has been breaking temperature records around the country. On January 1st the monitoring station in Javorník in the Olomouc region registered a temperature of 19.6 percent Celsius which set a new national record for the month of January. Temperatures also set records at the vast majority of the 162 monitoring stations around the country. Monday brought a morning temperature of 13.5 degrees Celsius, which also set a new national record. The mild weather is set to continue throughout the week with colder temperatures expected at the weekend.

Weather forecast

Tuesday should be partly cloudy with day temperatures between 5 and 9 degrees Celsius.