Czech news in brief for June 4: Tuesday's top headlines

Czech Senate Speaker Miloš Vystrčil and Austrian Federal Council head Margit Goll met in Prague to discuss the possibilities of expanding the EU and its Schengen area without border checks. Goll emphasized the importance of thorough discussions to ensure stability and security, while Vystrčil named Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova, and Western Balkan states as potential candidates for membership. Vystrčil expressed satisfaction with Austria's willingness to discuss enlargement and the lifting of border checks for Bulgaria and Romania, who recently joined after a 13-year wait.

Czech tennis player Markéta Vondroušová lost this afternoon in the Roland-Garros Gland Slam tennis tournament quarterfinals to defending champion and world number one Iga Świątek in just 64 minutes. Vondroušová, who was seeded fifth in the tournament, was unable to break Świątek’s serve and only managed one break point. This was their fourth meeting, with Świątek winning all four. Vondroušová will now set her sights on the Wimbledon tournament in late June – she won the competition last year.

Prime Minister Petr Fiala has announced that the Czech Republic will no longer be dependent on Russian oil by the middle of next year. After the completion of the TAL pipeline expansion, which is expected to be finished by the end of this year, the Czech Republic will request the cancellation of the exemption for the import of Russian oil. The expanded pipeline will bring an additional four million tons of oil annually, ensuring energy security and reducing payments to the Russian regime. The project will cost approximately CZK 1.3 billion to CZK 1.6 billion.

According to the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute, this spring at Prague's Clementimum weather station has been the warmest since 1775 thus far, with an average temperature of 13.7 degrees Celsius. Meteorologists say this is 2.4 degrees Celsius above the normal average from 1991 to 2020. The average temperature for February-May was also the warmest in 250 years, with an average of 12.3 degrees. The warm weather started in February, with record temperatures of 8.1 degrees. March and April also had higher-than-average temperatures.

Hundreds rallied in Prague on Monday, demanding a CZK 11 billion increase for higher education and a funding plan for 2025-2030. Organized by the Hour of Truth initiative, the protest featured students, university staff, and education unions. Marchers chanted slogans, culminating at the Education Ministry. Milena Králíčková, Charles University Rector, emphasized the need for investment in education. Further protests and strikes are planned.

Czech President Petr Pavel will attend the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings on Thursday, meeting Czech military history club representatives. Paris expects 25 leaders and a million visitors at the event, secured by 43,000 officers, said French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin. Attendees include U.S. President Joe Biden, King Charles III, and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Russia was not invited. The June 6, 1944 landings began Western Europe's liberation from Nazism.

American singer Bruce Springsteen will perform in Prague-Letňany on June 15 next year. Tickets from the canceled May 28 concert remain valid, with refunds available until Sept. 3, 2024. Springsteen postponed several European tour dates due to vocal cord issues. The 74-year-old rocker resumed his tour in March in the U.S., featuring songs from his extensive career and latest album, Only the Strong Survive.

Traffic restrictions on Podolská nábřeží in Prague will persist until late November due to the Dvorecký bridge construction. The abutments are complete, and the concreting of pillars in the Vltava riverbed is imminent. Yellow signs redirect traffic across tram tracks. Prague 4 Councilor Jaroslav Míth attributes the congestion to closures on the South connector and ongoing subway construction. The bridge's completion is expected by autumn 2025.

Heavy rain is forecast for the northeast Czech Republic through Tuesday, with up to 70 millimeters expected in parts of the Zlín and Moravian-Silesian regions. River levels in central and western Bohemia will rise, potentially reaching the highest flood levels in the Pilsen region. The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute has issued warnings for specific areas for flooding, road inundation, and landslides, valid until Tuesday morning and Wednesday.