Czech news in brief for June 5: Wednesday's top headlines

Czechia's EU Affairs Minister Martin Dvořák has initiated a letter, joined by 11 other states including Germany, Slovakia, Sweden, and Finland, urging the Belgian EU presidency to advance negotiations for Ukraine and Moldova's EU entry. The letter commends the progress made at a recent EU meeting that negotiated accession and calls for swift approval of the negotiating frameworks. Dvořák stated that this could provide a new impetus for reform efforts in both countries. 

Labor and Social Affairs Minister Marian Jurečka announced that by 2060, the number of senior citizens in Czechia is estimated to exceed 3.3 million, 200,000 more than previously predicted. This is largely due to an increase in life expectancy. Jurečka stressed the need for a pension reform, as without changes, the state would spend 5 percent of GDP per year on pensions in the future. Recent measures, such as pension indexation and changes to the retirement age, are expected to reduce this deficit to 1 percent of GDP.

The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute has issued a warning for thunderstorms nationwide, in effect from 5 p.m. Thursday until 2 a.m. Friday. Strong storms, accompanied by winds of up to 80 kilometers per hour and hail, are expected to hit most of the Czech Republic. The southern and eastern parts of Bohemia, Silesia, and Moravia will be particularly affected. The ČHMÚ announced that a band of strong thunderstorms will quickly move from southwest to northeast during the evening and early night, potentially causing fallen trees and local flooding. 

Prime Minister Petr Fiala urged citizens to vote in high numbers for the upcoming European Parliament election this weekend, and to reject populists and extremists. A May poll by the STEM research agency for CNN showed ANO leading with 23.1 percent and the Spolu coalition in second with 21.5 percent. According to Fiala, people must vote responsibly and sensibly so that the Czech Republic has the best possible representation in Europe and the European Parliament.

Today, individuals can request a voter's card from their municipal office in order to vote for this year's Czech MEPs outside of their home municipality. In order to get the card, they must go to the town hall in person, as the deadline for submitting a written request has already passed. The elections for the European Parliament in the Czech Republic will occur on June 7 and 8.

Prime Minister Petr Fiala announced that the Czech Republic will end its dependence on Russian oil by mid-2024. This follows the completion of the TAL pipeline expansion, which will bring an additional four million tons of oil annually. Technological modifications will finish this year, with testing to follow. Finance Minister Zbyněk Stanjura and Industry Minister Jozef Síkela highlighted the project's significance for energy security and reducing payments to Russia.

Income inequality in the Czech Republic decreased over the last decade as low-income wages grew faster, driven by minimum wage hikes. However, the trend halted in 2023, with the salaries of top earners rising faster than those of the lowest earners. Dalibor Holý of the Czech Statistical Office reported that while the bottom earners’ wages rose by over 90%, recent years saw the wealth gap widen again.

Police released all five foreigners detained after an incident in Prague’s Old Town Square, with no charges filed yet. The Prague City Prosecutor’s Office will continue investigating the incident, considering possible misdemeanors. Videos showed no evidence supporting criminal charges related to approving Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. The detained, including German citizens from post-Soviet states, were involved in a situational conflict, according to Prosecutor’s Office spokesman Aleš Cimbala.

Insufficient capacity was the main reason ninth graders didn’t get into their preferred secondary schools, especially four-year grammar schools, which accounted for 94.6 percent of cases. Ninth graders who didn’t get into their top choice averaged 64.2 out of 100 points. In the first round of exams, 82 percent of 157,000 applicants were accepted. With nearly 26,000 vacancies, the second round will announce results on June 21.