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

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala announced today that, on Sept. 30, he plans to officially ask President Petr Pavel to dismiss Ivan Bartoš of the Pirates party from his role as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Regional Development. Fiala believes Bartoš is unable to effectively lead the digitalization of construction procedures, and has appointed Transport Minister Martin Kupka to take over the project. The Prime Minister is satisfied with other senior Pirate ministers, Jan Lipavský and Michal Šalomoun, and assures that this decision does not violate the coalition agreement.

A Prague police spokesperson announced today that last Saturday night, two groups of foreign tourists clashed at Národní třída in Prague 1, resulting in one tourist hitting another on the head with a glass bottle. The victim fell to the ground and later passed away in the hospital. The alleged perpetrator, a 26-year-old tourist, was arrested by the police and is facing charges of grievous bodily harm and disorderly conduct. Police confirmed the incident and stated that the suspect could face up to 16 years in prison if convicted.

After being closed for nearly two weeks due to heavy rains and flooding, the Prague fire brigade reopened the gates to the Čertovka canal this afternoon. Workers also removed the remaining flood barriers on Zbraslav and Divadelní streets this morning. Prague spokesperson Tadeáš Provazník announced that the floodplains will open to the public tomorrow at 12 p.m. and sailing on the Vltava River will resume at the same time. At midday on Wednesday, floodplains will open to the public in Prague 1, 2, and 5.

At a press conference today, Labor and Social Affairs Minister Marian Jurečka announced that since mid-September, Czech Labor Office branches have distributed CZK 74.4 million in emergency aid to flood victims. Over half of the applications came from the Moravia-Silesia region, with another third from Olomouc. The government is considering further aid for those affected, including costs for house demolitions and temporary housing. Jurečka hopes to have a decision by the end of the week. 

German newspaper Handelsblatt reports that Ukraine has raised concerns about premature explosions of Czech-supplied artillery shells, which could endanger soldiers and damage equipment. A letter from Ukraine to Czechia in August cited defective fuzes in shells from the Czech ammunition initiative and the U.S. Approximately 0.05 percent of 35,000 shells malfunctioned. The Czech Republic has pledged to supply 500,000 shells by year's end in collaboration with other nations.

Prague will reopen its gates on Čertovka on Tuesday at 1 p.m., and the embankments will open to the public on Wednesday at noon, following improvements in the weather forecast. Anti-flood barriers in Zbraslav and Divadelní Street will also be removed. Sailing on the Vltava, currently limited, is expected to resume by Wednesday fully. The city has established an email for municipalities to request assistance following recent heavy rains. Collections to help people after the floods have collected more than CZK 370 million.

Czechia may soon legalize the cultivation of up to three cannabis plants for personal use by adults over 21, according to a new amendment sent to the government by the Ministry of Justice, part of the largest criminal reform package in 15 years. The proposal sets the misdemeanor threshold at five plants and allows the storage of up to 50 grams at home and 25 grams outside. The amendment reflects a shift in social views on recreational cannabis use, with increased fines for drug offenses up to CZK 50,000. The reforms aim to reduce prison sentences and increase financial penalties for crimes.

More than 10,000 people in Czechia have tested positive for Covid-19 in September, with nearly one in three tests returning positive, according to the Health Ministry. Hospitalizations averaged 135 last week, including 12 in intensive care. About 700,000 updated vaccines have been ordered. The National Institute of Public Health reports a rise in acute respiratory infections, including flu and other seasonal illnesses, alongside Covid-19 cases.

Antonín Slavíček’s 1906 painting Golden Lane sold for CZK 12.3 million in an online auction, making it the fourth most expensive work by the Czech Impressionist artist, Ustar Gallery confirmed. The painting, once part of Jindřich Waldes’ collection and later confiscated by the Gestapo, depicts the houses in Prague Castle’s Golden Lane. Art historian Rea Michalová praised it as a masterpiece by Czech modern landscape art’s most famous figure.