Czech news in brief for July 12: Friday's top headlines

Members of the Czech opposition ANO movement did not attend a meeting with Prime Minister Petr Fiala today due to his previous statement accusing their European Parliament group of serving Russia's interests. ANO spokesman Michal Kopenec stated that the group's leader, Andrej Babis, had forbidden them from attending. Fiala expressed disappointment and accused ANO of not caring about the Czech Republic's interests. "We will not be insulted! On the contrary, the interests of the Czech Republic are everything to us,” said an ANO MEP today.

The Czech opposition ANO and Freedom and Direct Democracy parties were unable to reject the government's proposal to increase fees for public television and radio in the first reading of the lower house of parliament. The bill will now be sent to the media committee for further discussion. The debate lasted 18 hours and the government set a strict deadline for the vote. The opposition's motion to return the amendment to the government for revision was also unsuccessful.

The Czech Interior Ministry reported a significant decrease in the number of illegal migrants in the country in 2023, with a decrease of 52.4 percent compared to the previous year. This was attributed to measures taken by neighboring countries and stricter border controls. Most of the migrants apprehended were Syrians, but the number has decreased by 16,765. Police also refused entry to 407 foreigners, mainly because they were unable to claim asylum. Last year, police officers detained the most refugees in the South Moravia region.

A group of unknown vandals poured red paint on the entrance and metal gate of the Czech Embassy in Moscow today, while damaging the fence and signboard with the embassy's name. Czech Foreign Ministry spokesman Daniel Drake confirmed the incident and stated that the perpetrators were detained. The incident may be a response to recent protests outside the Russian embassy in Prague against a Russian attack on Ukraine. The perpetrators in Russia have been detained by the authorities. 

At a NATO summit, Czech President Petr Pavel stated that China is Russia's key supporter, providing them with crucial technology that they lack. He also suggested that without China's support, the war in Ukraine would have taken a different course. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg confirmed that China enables Russian aggression by supplying dual-use technology, including advanced microelectronics for weapons. Stoltenberg called on the EU and other institutions to impose economic sanctions on China.

Two people, including a Czech woman, died in a landslide in the Tatra Mountains in Slovakia on Thursday. Other Czechs sustained minor injuries, according to the Czech Foreign Ministry. The Slovak Environment Minister confirmed the deaths of two women. The accident occurred in the Monkova Dolina Valley when a shelter was hit by a landslide, injuring 16 people. The Czech embassy in Bratislava is providing assistance to the affected citizens. A brook runs through the valley – Slovak media says the brook broke several bridges and hikers were warned against going to the mountains.

In the Czech Republic, the national women's soccer team will face off against the reigning world champions, Spain, in a crucial match for the European Championship qualification. The Czech team, led by coach Karel Rada, is hoping for a win to secure at least third place in the qualifying group. The top two teams will advance directly to the Euro, while third and fourth place guarantee a spot in the playoffs. The Czech team previously lost to Spain 1:3 in April.

In June, Czech banks and building societies granted mortgage loans worth CZK 24.2 billion, the highest since March 2022. Interest rates decreased to 5.06 percent, according to the Czech Banking Association Hypomonitor. Economist Jakub Seidler stated that the market is gradually recovering. The average mortgage continued to grow in June, to CZK 3.74 million. Since April, the average mortgage thus exceeds the previous record level from November 2021, which was CZK 3.46 million. 

The 33rd edition of the Krumlov Music Festival, taking place in Český Krumlov and beyond until Aug. 3, will feature over 40 concerts of classical music. The opening concert will honor the Year of Czech Music with a performance of Bedřich Smetana's Má vlast accompanied by ballet choreography by Jiří Bubeníček. The festival will also commemorate the 200th anniversary of Smetana's birth and the 460th anniversary of British writer William Shakespeare's birth. Baritone Plácido Domingo will return to the festival after three years.