Czech news in brief for July 24: Wednesday's top headlines

Head of the Unions of State Bodies and Organizations Pavel Bednář announced that the Czech public sector trade unions have declared a strike alert due to the lack of agreement with the government on a pay increase for this and next year. Eight out of 13 unions are on strike alert and the others support it. The unions are demanding a 10 percent pay rise for all public sector employees, while the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs proposes a 7 or 10 percent increase for some workers and civil servants from September.

According to the European Commission's annual report, the Czech Republic has made significant progress in reforming the public prosecutor's offices and reviewing conflict of interest legislation. However, it still has shortcomings in investigating high-level corruption cases and implementing transparency in media ownership. Vice-President Vera Jourová stated that the country needs to introduce a law on lobbying and ensure sufficient funding for public media. She also praised the Czech Republic for having a stable system and no attempts to corrupt the judiciary or control the media by politicians.

In the first half of 2024, the Czech Republic received CZK 33.7 billion more from the EU than it paid into the bloc’s budget. This is mainly due to the CZK 34.9 billion received from the NextGeneration EU program. Without this, the net position would have been negative for the first time. The Ministry of Finance expects an increase in payments from the current program period in the second half of the year. Finance Minister Zbyněk Stanjura stated that the country must find alternative sources for EU subsidies in the future.

Václav Bartuška, the Foreign Ministry's Special Representative for Energy Security, is expected to become the Czech Republic's new ambassador to the UK. The government has yet to confirm this information, as the selection of ambassadors is classified. Bartuška has been serving as the energy security commissioner at the ministry since 2006. Outgoing ambassador Marie Chatardová has been in the post since 2021 – posts for ambassadors are typically four years, hence her term ending.

The Czech Republic is ready to support Croatia after a tragic shooting at a retirement home in Daruvar, which claimed at least six lives, President Petr Pavel said in a condolence telegram to Croatian President Zoran Milanovic. A gunman, later arrested at a nearby cafe, entered the home and started shooting. Pavel expressed deep sorrow and offered assistance to help investigate the incident.

The Czech koruna weakened against the euro by 16 halers to 25.41 CZK/EUR and against the dollar by 23 pennies to 23.43 CZK/USD, reaching its weakest level against the euro since April 10. Economist Jana Steckerová attributed the decline to comments from Czech National Bank Deputy Governor Jan Frait about potential monetary easing. Meanwhile, the Prague Stock Exchange's PX index rose 0.19 oercent, driven by banking and energy stocks.

Prague councilors have approved doubling forced car towing fees, effective September. Towing numbers are set to rise from 10,000 to 25,000 annually. Despite the increase, city subsidies will still be needed to cover costs. Current rates will jump from CZK 1,900 to CZK 3,800 for full towing. The decision aims to encourage responsible parking and ensure compliance with city ordinances, though opposition and councilors debate further price adjustments.

A 32-year-old Czech man attacked a 44-year-old Austrian with two swords in a Vienna apartment this morning. The victim survived, escaped, and alerted police, who arrested the attacker and seized the weapons. The Czech Foreign Ministry confirmed the incident. The attacker’s identity remains unknown. The Austrian police are investigating the incident's background, details, and the relationship between the men.

Public sector unions are considering a strike alert due to stalled salary negotiations with the government for this and next year. The Czech-Moravian Confederation of Trade Unions (ČMKOS) will decide on Wednesday, said Olga Słowik. Unions demand at least a 10 percent tariff increase from September. Labor Minister Marian Jurečka proposed a 7-10 percent increase for some public sector workers starting September, with broader increases in January.