News: Thursday, November 21st, 2024

Security forces protest outside Interior Ministry over wages and staffing

Hundreds of police officers, firefighters, and other security personnel gathered outside the Interior Ministry in Prague on Thursday to protest against low salaries and lack of staff.

Organized by the Union of Security Forces, the protest is supported by unions representing police, firefighters, customs officers, prison services, municipal police, and mountain rescue teams.

Despite Interior Minister Vít Rakušan's recent promise to raise wages by 2,500 CZK, unions are dissatisfied, noting that earlier commitments suggested a 10% increase. Protesters also aim to highlight staffing shortages and excessive bureaucracy in security forces.

President Pavel receives European Council President-elect António Costa at Prague Castle

President Petr Pavel received António Costa, the European Council President-elect, at Prague Castle on Thursday. Mr. Costa also held talks with Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala at the Kramář Villa, focusing on future cooperation, preparations for the upcoming European Council summit, and the EU’s priorities for the coming years.

A seasoned politician, Costa served as Portugal’s prime minister from 2015 to April 2024 but resigned last year amid a corruption investigation related to major industrial projects. He is set to succeed Charles Michel as head of the European Council on December 1.

Sexual abuse survivors urge Czech government to reject Vatican agreement

Survivors of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church have called on the Czech government to reject a newly signed agreement with the Vatican. They criticize the deal, particularly its provisions expanding confessional secrecy, which they believe could obstruct justice. The treaty, signed in October by Prime Minister Petr Fiala (Civic Democratic Party) and Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, still requires parliamentary approval and presidential ratification. In an open letter, survivors argued that the agreement could shield abusers by extending secrecy to "pastoral workers," who can be designated by the Church without clear criteria. They demand the agreement be suspended until victims' rights are fully addressed.

Business delegation set to accompany President Pavel on visits to Australia and New Zealand

Representatives from 16 Czech companies are set to accompany President Petr Pavel on an upcoming visit to Australia and New Zealand, the Union of Industry and Transport announced in a press release on Thursday.  The delegation, which departs on Friday, aims to strengthen cooperation and forge new business relationships, particularly in the fields of aviation, the space industry, cyber security, as well as research and innovation.

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Australia ranked as Czechia’s 38th most significant export market last year, dropping two places compared to 2022. Czech exports to Australia decreased by 10% year-on-year to CZK 13.4 billion. Exports to New Zealand also saw a slight decline, falling from CZK 3.49 billion in 2022 to CZK 3.42 billion.

Poll: ANO would win parliamentary elections with 35.3%

A new opinion poll carried out by NMS Market Research agency suggests that the opposition ANO Party would receive 35.3% of the vote in a general election held in November. This is an improvement of 2.4 percentage points on the previous poll carried out in October, the survey indicates.

Mayors and Independents would place second with 11.1%, followed by the Civic Democrats with 10%. The Pirate Party and the opposition Freedom and Direct Democracy and the Communists would also cross the 5 percent threshold needed to win seats in the lower house.

Czech universities mark World Philosophy Day, honoring Kant

Czech Faculties of arts are celebrating World Philosophy Day today, commemorating the 300th anniversary of German philosopher Immanuel Kant. Events include lectures, workshops, and seminars centered on themes like the courage to use ones own reason, inspired by Kant’s essay What is Enlightenment? Charles University is hosting activities for schools and the public, including workshops on philosophical thinking at its Didaktikon center. Ostrava University offers a Kant workshop using digital tools to reinterpret his ideas, while Masaryk University in Brno presents a lecture titled Kant and enlightened eating. Celebrated under UNESCO’s patronage since 2002, World Philosophy Day engages the public with free educational events across Czechia’s 11 faculties of arts.

Czech passenger car production up by 6.6% in October, battery car output drops

Passenger car production in Czechia between January and October grew by 6.6% year-on-year, reaching 1.239 million vehicles, according to data released by the Automobile Industry Association on Thursday. However, the pace of production has slowed down compared to the start of the year.

Production of battery-powered cars dropped by 20% year-on-year to 127,222 units, making up 10.3% of total production, compared to last year's 13.6% share.

Toyota saw the highest surge in production, increasing output by 25% to 191,206 vehicles in the first 10 months of 2023, while Škoda Auto, the country’s largest carmaker, experienced a 5.7% rise, producing 763,685 vehicles. Meanwhile, Hyundai experienced a slight decline, manufacturing 284,250 cars-2,350 fewer than last year.

Weather forecast

Friday will see mostly cloudy skies with occasional snow showers, mainly in the mountains and eastern areas. Day temperatures will range between -1 and 3 °C.