News: Friday, September 27th, 2024

Czechia heads to Senate election final, opposition ANO Party poised for historic win

The second round of Senate elections begins on Friday, with the opposition ANO Party positioned for a potential historic victory. For the first time, ANO secured two Senate seats in the first round and now has 19 candidates in the final stage across 22 districts. In three districts, including Karviná, Vsetín, and Prague 12, senators were already elected last week. While government coalition parties will retain a majority in the 81-seat Senate, ANO is aiming to significantly increase its representation. Voting is open from 2:00 p.m. today until Saturday at 2:00 p.m., with 2.24 million voters eligible to participate. Results will be published Saturday afternoon.

Pirate Party began to vote on whether to leave government

The Pirate Party's national forum began voting today on whether to exit the government, following the proposed dismissal of party leader Ivan Bartoš. Prime Minister Petr Fiala (Civic Democratic Party) cited issues with the digitalization of the construction process as the reason for Bartoš's removal, which the Pirates view as being "pushed out" of the government. Bartoš has already informed Fiala of the party's decision to leave the coalition.  All 1,161 members of the Pirate Party can vote from today until Monday evening. The outcome of the vote will not impact the government’s stability, as the ruling coalition still holds 104 seats without the Pirates.

President Pavel meets with Czech community in Chicago

President Petr Pavel met with hundreds of Czech expatriates in Berwyn near Chicago, where he was greeted with traditional costumes and a brass band. The event, held at the Sokol Tábor Hall, marked the highlight of the Czech Heritage Week, running from September 21 to 28 under the patronage of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson. In his speech, Pavel thanked the expatriates for keeping Czech traditions alive and emphasized the importance of strong ties between the U.S. and Europe. He also highlighted the upcoming introduction of postal voting for Czechs abroad, beginning next year. The evening included the launch of a book about the life of Eva Haňková, famously photographed with President Masaryk. On Friday, President Pavel will head to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and the National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library.

Fugitive Czech ex-MP detained in Paraguay

A sixty-four-year-old man from Ostrava was arrested in Paraguay, the Czech Police announced on the X network on Friday.  According to the Paraguayan media, the detainee is Petr Wolf, a fugitive former MP who was sentenced to six years in prison for subsidy fraud.

Mr. Wolf, who was a Social Democrat backbencher, has been on the run since 2013. Czech police located Wolf in Paraguay in 2019, but he has so far avoided detention, because there is no extradition agreement between the two countries.

Krnov mayor appeals for state aid, estimates flood damage in billions

The mayor of the flood-devastated town of Krnov, Tomáš Hradil, has said the recent floods in the town caused damage worth several billion crowns to both municipal and private property.

In a letter addressed to the government, he urged the state to provide financial assistance as soon as possible, warning that insurance will cover only a fraction of the losses.

According to him, some local business owners, whose homes and livelihoods were devastated, may not reopen. Mr. Hradil plans to meet Finance Minister Zbyněk Stanjura in Krnov on Monday to discuss the situation.

Government to release CZK 40,000 immediate aid for flood-affected households

The government will provide an immediate financial aid of CZK 40,000 on average per household to those affected by the floods. The funds will be distributed to municipalities, which will then determine the specific amount to be allocated to each household.

For businesses, the National Development Bank will introduce two support programmes, allowing small and medium-sized enterprises to apply for loan guarantees and soft loans.

Finance Minister Zbyněk Stanjura announced the measures on Friday following a meeting of the working group on flood recovery financing.

Czechia’s population drops to 10.9 million

The population of Czechia fell by 21,500 to 10.9 million in the first half of the year, according to data published by the Czech Statistics Office on Friday.

The downward trend is largely due to the excess of deaths over births. The office registered 41,600 newborns, which represents a year-on-year drop of 10 percent, while over 55,500 people died.

Roughly 62,700 people immigrated to the country between January and July, while around 70,200 emigrated.

Two-thirds of Ukrainian refugees plan to stay in Czechia, survey reveals

Around two-thirds of Ukrainian refugees in Czechia plan to stay in the country after their temporary protection status expires, according to a recent survey. This marks a rise of approximately 20 percent compared to last year.

The study, conducted by the Centre for Public Opinion Research of the Czech Academy of Science’s Institute of Sociology, also found that one-fifth of refugees aim to return to Ukraine once the war ends.

According to data released by the Czech Ministry of the Interior on Friday, over 320,000 Ukrainian refugees registered to extend their temporary protection this year, with women making up three-fifths of the total.

Most of the refugees settle in the country's three largest cities – Prague, Brno, and Ostrava, with more than a quarter living in the capital. The majority, 75 percent, are living in flats or houses, while 17 percent are staying in other accommodation facilities.

Weather forecast

Saturday will be partly overcast with occasional rain showers. Temperatures in the south-eastern parts of the country are expected to be the warmest, reaching up to 19 degrees Celsius, while elsewhere they will hover between 12 to 16 degrees.