Czech news in brief for March 19: Tuesday's top headlines

The Czech Statistical Office has reported that the average food consumption per person in the Czech Republic has remained steady at around 750 kilograms per year since 1950. While meat and alcohol consumption has increased – that for meat almost doubling – the consumption of potatoes and bread has decreased. While in 1950 each inhabitant of the Czech Republic consumed an average of over 87 kilograms of bread per year, in 2022 it was only about 39 kilograms. 

Czech tennis players will compete against Australia, France, and Spain in the group stage of the Davis Cup international tournament in September. The draw, which took place in London today, determined that Group B (in which Czechia will play) will compete in Valencia on a hard surface. Under the leadership of Captain Jaroslav Navrátil, the Czech team has reached the group stage for the second consecutive year. The squad will need to win two matches to advance to the knockout stage. 

According to an annual report from the Caritas ČR charity, poverty and indebtedness are on the rise in the Czech Republic. Housing has been the hardest hit, with 150,000 people in need and 1.6 million at risk of losing their homes. Around 70 percent of Caritas' clients have faced at least one foreclosure, and many also struggle with finding employment. Single mothers, the long-term unemployed, the elderly, and those with psychological problems are the most at risk of poverty.

The populist Czechia Against Poverty group and the PRO party are holding a demonstration in Prague on Saturday afternoon to protest against the cabinet of Prime Minister Petr Fiala. PRO leader Jindřich Rajchl said that three anti-government protests from 2023 had not improved the country’s political or economic situation. “The government is evidently not competent to lead the Czech Republic,” Rajchl said today. He said the cabinet has lost its mandate to govern and does not have the trust of citizens. 

Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya is set to visit Prague, arriving on March 23. During her four-day stay, Tsikhanouskaya will engage in community events, open the Belarusian Democratic Forces office, and meet with Czech leaders. She will also attend the screening of the documentary The Accidental President at the One World Festival. The film is a portrait of Tsikhanouskaya.

The Faculty of Arts at Charles University is enhancing security measures following the tragic December 21 shooting in which a student shot and killed 14 people in the building and injured 25 others. Plans include modifying the gatehouse for better oversight, crisis training for students and staff, and a detailed security analysis of the main building. Repairs on the damaged fourth floor are progressing as scheduled.

Komerční banka disbursed CZK 3.114 billion to 582 Sberbank CZ creditors on the first payout day through its branches. The process, running until April 15, ensures cashless transactions to Czech bank accounts. Over 15,000 creditors anticipate a total payout of approximately CZK 57 billion. Sberbank CZ declared bankruptcy last August after the Czech National Bank revoked its license due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

A Czech tourist has died in a paragliding accident in western Morocco. Rescuers recovered the man's body after an extensive search, including helicopter assistance. The incident occurred near a beach, with the tourist's body found in the water on Friday afternoon. An autopsy will be conducted at a hospital in Tiznit.

Czech national team captain Tomáš Souček secured his third Czech Footballer of the Year title in a poll organized by the Czech Football Association. Souček, a midfielder for West Ham, comfortably outstripped Sparta Praha midfielder Ladislav Krejčí in the rankings. With three wins, Souček is tied for fourth place in the poll’s history behind Pavel Nedvěd, Ivo Viktor, and nine-time winner and record-holder goalie Petr Čech.