News: Wednesday, February 19th, 2025

Rakušan: If ceasefire is declared, Ukrainians in Czechia will no longer receive temporary protection

After the declaration of a ceasefire or after the end of the war in Ukraine, Ukrainians in Czechia will no longer receive temporary protection, Interior Minister Vít Rakušan told the Novinky.cz server on Tuesday. Automatic protection would not be given even to men who already have families in the country, and they would have to apply for residence like other foreigners.

If a ceasefire is declared or the war ends, temporary protection would expire for all refugees in Czechia the next day. However, they will still be able to stay in the country for a certain period of time and would have the opportunity to apply for temporary residence. If they are from the territory occupied by Russia, they could also apply for political asylum. In Czechia, temporary protection for refugees from Ukraine is currently valid until the end of March 2025, but the EU agreed on a one-year extension last year. Temporary protection allows people who fled Russian aggression to access public health insurance, education and the labour market.

Ministers say it is premature to talk about Czech troops in peacekeeping mission in Ukraine

Health Minister Vlastimil Válek and Environment Minister Petr Hladík stated that it is too early to determine if Czech soldiers will participate in a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine after the war ends. They emphasized that no peace agreement has been made and expressed uncertainty about whether Russian President Vladimir Putin is interested in one.

This afternoon, Prime Minister Petr Fiala will join a video conference with leaders from other countries to discuss Ukraine and security in Europe.

Government to discuss regulated sale of kratom and cannabis and nomination to EIB

A proposed regulation allowing the regulated sale of kratom and cannabis with a THC content of up to one percent in Czechia, starting in July, will be discussed at today's cabinet meeting. Since 2025, the sale of low-risk substances has been regulated under the Psychomodulants Act. The European Commission is currently reviewing the accompanying regulations. Ondřej Jakob, a spokesperson for the Health Ministry, said that the discussion of the regulation will likely be postponed after receiving the EU notification.

Ministers are also expected to approve the appointment of Marek Mora, former Deputy Governor of the Czech National Bank (CNB), as Vice President of the European Investment Bank (EIB).

Dozens express concerns about welfare reform outside Chamber of Deputies

Dozens of individuals have voiced concerns about the impact of welfare reform before the Chamber of Deputies, where the committee will address the issue today.

Protest organizers argue that the reform will disproportionately affect the most vulnerable. The majority of participants in the protest were social workers. The Ministry of Labor proposes replacing four different social benefits with a single "super-benefit" starting in July. The Social Committee had already recommended to the Chamber of Deputies in early February that the reform be approved with modifications.

Czechs' debt rose by 8.9% last year to 3.6 trillion crowns

The debt of the Czech population rose by 8.9% in 2024 to 3.6 trillion crowns, according to data from the Banking and Non-Banking Client Information Register, provided to ČTK on Tuesday by the Czech Credit Bureau. Last year, the volume of unpaid housing debt also increased year-on-year for the first time in ten years, by 3%.

The volume of debt from housing loans rose by 9.4% year-on-year to 2.99 trillion crowns. This is the highest increase since the record increase in 2021, the data show. "The housing loan market revived significantly last year. The number of people with housing loans decreased by 1% … fewer people have housing loans, but they borrow higher amounts," said Lenka Novotná, executive director of the Register. The average amount of long-term debt per client was one million crowns higher than five years ago.

People in Need: US aid freeze has biggest impact on human rights sector

The suspension of foreign aid funding by the United States has had the greatest, sometimes devastating, impact on the human rights sector. Nadiia Ivanova, director of the Centre for Human Rights and Democracy at People in Need, said at today's press conference. US President Donald Trump ordered a 90-day suspension of foreign aid on the day he took the presidential oath of office.

Taiwanese can work freely in Czechia without a permit

People from Taiwan will soon be able to work in Czechia without the need for work permits or employment cards. The government approved a regulation today that expands the list of non-European Union countries whose citizens have unrestricted access to the Czech labor market.

The regulation is expected to come into effect at the beginning of next month, after its official promulgation. This measure aims to ease the situation for foreign experts, managers, and their employers. The list of countries can be adjusted by the cabinet based on the current labor market conditions, following discussions in the tripartite. As of the end of June last year, 80 men and 105 women from Taiwan were employed in Czechia.

Weather forecast

On Thursday, expect mostly clear skies with temperatures ranging from -6 °C to +3°C.