Czech news in brief for June 22: Saturday's top headlines

Thousands of Czech fans marched to the stadium in Hamburg for the European Football Championship Group F match against Georgia on June 22, 2024. Unable to access the main fan zone in the morning, fans gathered at the Czech House and then proceeded together to the Volksparkstadion. The Czech presence was strong, filling the streets and stadium alongside Georgian fans for the highly anticipated match.

Bikers supported war veterans today with the Bikers for Veterans ride, with about 150 motorcyclists in Prague and 50 in Pilsen participating. The benefit ride, featuring mostly Harley-Davidson motorcycles, included routes to the Military Technical Museum in Lešany and Hangar 3. The event, organized by the Bikers for Veterans association, aimed to raise funds for the Military Solidarity Fund, providing assistance to soldiers, veterans, and their families.

A study by the Research Institute of Labour and Social Affairs (RILSA) reveals that Roma people in the Czech Republic are more likely to receive fixed-term work contracts, with 50 percent of them having such contracts compared to 7 percent of the general population. Conducted between September 2022 and February 2023, the study also found that 11 percent of Roma work without a contract.

After heavy overnight storms across the Czech Republic, around 30,000 households were left without electricity this morning. The hardest-hit areas include the Moravian-Silesian, South Moravian, and Liberec Regions. Firefighters responded to over 1,000 incidents, mainly involving fallen trees. The highest wind gusts recorded were at nearly 100 km/, and hailstones up to 8 cm were reported. Power is expected to be restored to affected homes later today.

This afternoon, the Czech football team will take on Georgia in their second match of the UEFA European Football Championship group stage. Following a narrow 1-2 defeat to Portugal, the Czechs look to bounce back quickly. Georgia, making their tournament debut, lost 1-3 to Turkey in their opening game. Both teams will be aiming to secure their first points in the tournament to keep their hopes alive for advancing.

Representatives of Charles University, its Faculty of Arts, and others observed a minute of silence and laid flowers at a temporary memorial to commemorate the six-month anniversary of the deadly shooting last December. The attack killed 14 and injured 25. The perpetrator, a student, committed suicide. Rector Milena Králíčková presented a symbolic, unworked sandstone sculpture. Discussions for a permanent memorial involving victims' families are ongoing.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appointed Vasyl Zvarych, former ambassador to Poland, as the new Ukrainian ambassador to the Czech Republic. The position has been vacant for nearly two years since the previous ambassador, Yevhen Perebyinis, became a deputy foreign minister. Zvarych has extensive diplomatic experience in Poland, the U.S., and Turkey. His start date in Prague is not yet confirmed.

Czech President Petr Pavel will meet with Prime Minister Petr Fiala at Prague Castle on Tuesday at noon for a routine discussion. Later, they will be joined by opposition ANO leaders Andrej Babiš and Karel Havlíček to discuss foreign and security policy. Topics may include the upcoming NATO summit. The meeting follows previous discussions on the Slovak presidential election, government plans, and pension reform.

Expanding the European Union to include Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Serbia, and Albania should be a priority, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský said on Friday. This expansion, he argued, will enhance security and prosperity by aligning these countries with European standards and policies. Lipavský, along with foreign ministers from Austria, Italy, and other nations, emphasized this during a two-day meeting in Austria focused on cooperation and support for Ukraine.

Eighteen-year-old Jakub Dudycha set a new Czech record in the 800-meter run at the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold event in Bydgoszcz, Poland on Thursday, clocking 1:44.82 and placing fourth. "I could have started and finished earlier in the last 300 meters, I hesitated a bit, but I am very satisfied," Dudycha said. He surpassed the previous record of 1:44.84, set by Lukáš Vydra in 1998.