Czech news in brief for September 28: Saturday's top headlines

The second round of Senate elections ended today at 2 p.m. in the Czech Republic, with results expected in a few hours given low voter turnout. ANO, the main opposition party, dominated the first round and is vying to expand its presence in the Czech Senate. Government coalition parties defended several seats. Final results will be confirmed Monday and published on October 1, followed by a 10-day window for election-related complaints.

Police in the Czech Republic have increased patrols at Jewish sites following reports of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah’s possible death in Beirut. The Interior Ministry stated that security measures are being heightened in response to recent events in the Middle East. While there is no immediate threat, authorities are analyzing potential risks with intelligence services and international partners. The police emphasized that the increased presence is a precautionary measure to ensure public safety.

Former Czech President Miloš Zeman marked his 80th birthday at the Stekl Hotel in Hluboká nad Vltavou. He welcomed Slovak PM Robert Fico and Defence Minister Robert Kaliňák among his first guests and gifted them a signed copy of his book, The Presidential Destiny. Other notable attendees included ex-PM Andrej Babiš. Zeman, in office from 2013 to 2023, was elected as the Czech Republic’s first directly-elected president in 2013.

The Czech Foreign Ministry reports 98 Czechs are currently registered in Lebanon through the Drozd online travel system and advises them to leave urgently due to security concerns. The recommendation follows the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah by Israeli forces. The Ministry warns of potential disruptions to air transport and advises Czech citizens to ensure their travel documents and insurance are up to date before departing the country immediately.

The opposition ANO party aims to secure a deputy head position in the Senate following today's runoff election. Party chairman Andrej Babiš expressed hope for gaining more seats, but emphasized that new faces could enhance the Senate's effectiveness. Babiš, who voted for ANO candidate Helena Valková against incumbent senator Zdeněk Hraba, noted the importance of a stronger ANO presence to intensify government criticism and address issues like the state budget and retirement age.

Charles University’s Faculty of Arts has fully restored its premises following the tragic shooting last December that claimed 14 lives. While classes will resume on Monday, a designated quiet area on the fourth floor will remain for memorial purposes. Faculty representatives confirmed that the psychological counseling center will continue to support students, and a crisis information system is being implemented to enhance security. The temporary memorial on Jan Palach Square will remain until a permanent one is established, which may take several years.

People around the Czech Republic will honor St. Wenceslas today, a national holiday that is also celebrated as Czech Statehood Day. The annual St. Wenceslas Pilgrimage began yesterday in Stará Boleslav with the arrival of St. Wenceslas’s skull relic at the basilica. The event will culminate in a Saturday morning mass at 10 a.m., which traditionally attracts thousands of visitors. The skull will be displayed at the basilica until 4:50 p.m. on Saturday, marking the site where Prince Wenceslas was killed in 935.

The second day of the final round of elections for one-third of the Czech Senate began today at 8 a.m. and will end at 2 p.m. Voters will decide on 22 senators, as five were already elected in the first round. President Petr Pavel and ANO leader Andrej Babiš are expected to vote this morning. Results will be announced later this afternoon. From next year, electronic IDs in the eDoklady app will be able to be used for voting.

Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský announced he will leave the Pirate Party following disagreements over the party’s withdrawal from the government. Lipavský, currently in the U.S., will return to Prague on Sunday and meet Prime Minister Petr Fiala on Monday, where he is expected to resign. Speculation arose that he could stay in the government as a non-party member. President Petr Pavel will meet coalition leaders on Monday to address the ongoing government crisis.

Czech tennis player Tomáš Macháč reached the quarterfinals at the Japan Open this morning by defeating world No. 13 and fifth-seeded American Tommy Paul 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 in their first-ever matchup, which lasted over two and a half hours. Macháč will next face either American Alex Michelsen or Australian Christopher O'Connell. Later today, Macháč will also compete in the doubles quarterfinals with British partner Jack Draper against France’s third-seeded duo Fabien Reboul and Sadio Doumbia.

Czech EU Commissioner Věra Jourová viewed letters from Václav Havel and Allen Ginsberg to the late writer Josef Škvorecký during a visit to Toronto. She met Škvorecký’s widow, Zdena Salivarová, co-founder of Sixty-Eight Publishers, which promoted Czech exile literature during communism. Jourová marked Škvorecký’s 100th birthday and thanked the couple for their contributions to Czech culture from abroad.