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In his New Year’s address to the nation, Czech President Petr Pavel urged Czechs to have confidence in the future and not to be swayed by scaremongering and populism ahead of the 2025 general elections. He said the state of the country was not as bad as populists would have us believe and urged Czechs to think carefully about the solutions being offered, before casting their vote in the elections.
The president said he considers it essential that the government that emerges from this year's parliamentary elections will be able to guarantee that the Czech Republic will continue to be a safe, free, and law-abiding country with a fair environment for life and business.
Mr. Pavel said he was aware of the fact that in the present day and age people want decisive politicians, but he pointed out that such politicians can be dangerous if their decisiveness is not complemented by democratic values, decency and reason. He warned Czechs against opening the door to authoritarianism and emphasized the need to defend and nurture freedom and democracy.
In his speech, the president also highlighted the need to reduce inequality in living conditions across the country as one of the big challenges facing the government and promised that he personally would do his best to raise topics that have the potential to change the lives of people in the Czech Republic for the better.
As in former speeches, the head of state expressed the view that it would benefit the Czech Republic to adopt the euro, a step that the government has so far resisted.
Czech diplomacy will continue to stand firmly on the side of the Ukrainians, because peace begins with the aggressor taking responsibility, Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky wrote on the X network on Wednesday in response to Russia’s New Year drone attack on Kyiv. According to Kyiv authorities, at least two people were killed in the attack and seven others injured, including two pregnant women.
Prime Minister Petr Fiala has said that 2025 will determine whether the Czech Republic remains aligned with the democratic West or returns to chaos and ties with the East. In a New Year's video for the Spolu (Together) coalition, Fiala emphasized the importance of resisting fearmongering and populism. He highlighted the challenges of recent years, citing the pandemic, war in Ukraine, and inflation, praised citizens for perseverance and warned against political figures spreading pessimism. The upcoming elections, according to Fiala and coalition leaders, will be crucial in safeguarding the country’s Western orientation and democratic values.
At a December meeting with organizations supporting expatriates, Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský praised efforts to reconnect with Czech communities abroad. Jiří Krátký, Special Envoy for Czech Expatriate Affairs, highlighted the introduction of postal voting in 2024 as a key milestone. Krátký wished Czechs abroad continued success in 2025, emphasizing the growing strength of the expatriate community. "The Czech expatriate community is more united and stronger than ever," he said, expressing optimism for ongoing collaboration and deeper connections with the homeland.
Thousands of people celebrated the arrival of the New Year in the Prague city centre, gathering on Old Town Square, the Vltava River embankment, and the Mánes and Charles bridges, from where they toasted the arrival of 2025 and watched fireworks being set off in the run-up to midnight. Prague has become an increasingly popular destination for New Year celebrations, welcoming close to 100,000 foreign visitors not only from neighbor states but also the UK, US and Asia.
Fire crews and paramedics reported a relatively quiet night with less than a dozen injuries caused by fireworks and a number of fires in garbage bins. Setting off fireworks in the historic city centre is banned and may be fined by up to 10,000 crowns. Despite information campaigns on the metro and in hotels, many foreigners are still unaware of this.
The eDocuments app, which serves as an electronic version of the standard ID card can be used from January 1 at post offices, banks, health insurance companies or at polling stations. All municipalities must also accept the electronic version of the ID. It should also be possible to upload a driving license, study certificate or insurance card to the app later this year. The plastic ID card remains valid; the eDocuments app is merely an alternative to it. The app was upgraded earlier this year when it emerged that it sent more information about users than was necessary to a central server, storing information about their movements and whereabouts. This is no longer possible with the new version. The new app is available in App Store and Google Play. Close to half a million people have already downloaded it.
Key events in the Czech Republic this year include parliamentary elections and the signing of a contract to build two new reactors at the Dukovany nuclear plant. General elections are due to be held by October 3-4, with President Petr Pavel expected to announce the exact date by the summer.
In the spring, the ČEZ energy company is set to sign a deal with South Korea’s KHNP on the construction of two nuclear reactors, pending antitrust clearance. The project is estimated at 400 billion CZK. The first reactor should be completed by 2036.
The monthly minimum wage will rise by CZK 1 900 to CZK 20 800 as of January 1, 2025. Old-age pensions will rise by an average of CZK 358. The average monthly old age pension will now be CZK 21,080.
The state budget deficit in 2025 is projected at 241 billion CZK.
Czechia suffered its first loss at the World Junior Championship in Ottawa on Tuesday, losing to 4:2 to Sweden in the battle for the top spot in Group B. The two goals were scored in the second period by Petr Sikora and captain Eduard Šalé, but the team failed to turn around the game. After beating Switzerland, Slovakia and Kazakhstan, the Czech team finished second in the group with three wins and a loss.
Thursday is expected to be overcast with rain or snow around the country and daytime highs between 4 and 8 degrees Celsius.
In his New Year’s address to the nation, Czech President Petr Pavel urged Czechs to have confidence in the future and not to be swayed by scaremongering and populism ahead of the 2025 general elections.
Waves by Jiří Mádl wasn’t only the most successful Czech film at the box office in 2024: the movie, which centres on events at Czechoslovak Radio at the time of the Soviet invasion, is also one of the biggest box office hits the country has seen in the modern era. Now Waves is also aiming for international glory, having made the shortlist of 15 pictures in contention for the Best International Oscar, with the actual nominations set to be announced in mid-January. Just after the shortlist was announced, I spoke with writer-director Mádl, who first found fame as an actor and had made two previous films before coming out with a gripping story set in one of the most tumultuous moments of Czechia’s modern history.
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