Czech morning news in brief: Top headlines for Aug. 3, 2021

Czech medalists from Tokyo Olympics to be rewarded

Czech medalists from the present Olympic Games in Tokyo will get CZK 2.4 million for a gold, CZK 1.8 million for a silver, and CZK 1.2 million for a bronze medal, the National Sport Agency (NSA), which newly gives this reward instead of the Education Ministry, decided. The same rewards were given to Czech medalists from the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang. This reward will also be received by the medalists from the Paralympic Games that will be held in Tokyo in late August and early September. So far, Czech athletes have won eight medals in Tokyo, four gold, three silver and one bronze. The NSA is to pay CZK 17 million in total to those who have received them.

German President Steinmeier to visit Czech Republic

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will visit the Czech Republic in late August, his spokeswoman Esther Uleer said. Steinmeier was set to visit Prague last year, but the plan was twice postponed by the Covid epidemic.

Steinmeier is expected to meet President Miloš Zeman. Based on a letter published by Zeman's spokesman Jiří Ovčáček last year, Zeman wants to thank Steinmeier for Germany's solidarity during the coronavirus crisis. The director of the Presidential Office foreign department, Rudolf Jindrák, previously said the presidents might also speak about the economy, neighborly relations, cross-border cooperation, and European affairs.

Prague to take part in Czech EU presidency

Prague will be involved in the six-month presidency of the Czech Republic in the Council of the European Union that will begin next July. It will take part in the events of the official presidency program and cooperate in the government’s communication campaign, the city councilors decided. Prague will also cooperate in providing additional educational and cultural activities. The city will provide conference rooms. The Culture Ministry was interested in conference facilities for 150 to 200 persons, the Foreign Ministry asked for spaces for participants in trips of journalists, and the other ministries showed interest, too. The capital will also offer advertising areas and promotional items, and it will support the government in communication with the Prague public transport company. concerning for example more connections, announcements in foreign languages and tickets for reduced prices. Prague will also participate in the opening of the exhibition Europe Experience that will be organized by the Liaison Office of the European Parliament in the Czech Republic.

Poll: Trust in top political institutions rising

Czechs' trust in top political institutions increased considerably in July, according to a poll conducted by the CVVM polling institute. President Miloš Zeman and the government are now trusted by 37 percent each, while their credibility was 8 and 9 percent lower, respectively, a month ago. A year ago, Zeman was trusted by 43 percent and the government by 41 percent of Czechs. The largest amount, two-thirds, trust mayors and local town halls. The least trust, 29 percent, was expressed in the Chamber of Deputies. However, this was 8 percent more than a month ago. It is followed by the Senate, where trust rose by 7 percent to 34 percent. Regional governors and assemblies received 49 percent trust. A month ago, they were trusted by two-fifths of Czechs. "Compared with September 2020, with the last poll held before the coronavirus pause, the trust in Zeman, the government and the Chamber of Deputies is still lower despite the current rise," the pollsters said.

Deník N suing Presidential Office over lack of information

The paper Deník N has filed an administrative complaint about the Presidential Office (KPR) because it has been refusing to provide information to some media outlets since late May, the paper said on its website. It said the KPR was an office like any other and it could not choose whether to abide by its duties and observe law. KPR spokesman Jiří Ovčáček has written to ČTK that the step of the daily "was not worth any single reaction." At the end of May, KPR argued that it would stop providing any information to some media as part of its fight against disinformation. The measure hit the weekly Respekt, the servers Seznam Zprávy and Deník N as well as two Czech Television programs, called 168 Hours and ČT Reporters. KPR head Vratislav Mynář said some media was trying to "yield information from the KPR staff in a dubious and unusual way." The media representatives rejected the KPR decision at that time.

Czech MPs among those opposed to U.S.–German Nord Stream 2 deal

Czech Senator Pavel Fischer and MP Ondřej Veselý, together with lawmakers from the US and other seven European states, signed a resolution criticising the Russian-German Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline and the recent agreement on its completion between Washington and Berlin. The signatories warn against an increase in Russia's influence on Europe and the consequences it would have for security in Ukraine.

Fischer (independent) has told ČTK that the politicians prepared the statement jointly in recent weeks. He said Nord Stream 2 enhances Russia's influence on the European continent. Vesely (ČSSD) said he signed the joint statement because he is of the view that in this case, Germany “has overdone it with its pragmatic approach to diplomacy and has simply thrown Ukraine overboard.”