News in brief for July 21: Top headlines for Czechia on Friday

Today's second round of debate in the lower house on contentious government pension changes ended with no concrete result. Speakers exercising priority rights dominated the session, and disputes arose when the coalition tried to limit speaking time.

The proposed draft aims to tighten early pension rules, slow regular pension indexation, and introduce a temporary supplement for higher inflation. ANO leader Andrej Babiš criticized Labour Minister Marian Jurečka for proposing reduced benefits and increased pension age. Jurecka defended the proposal, citing a 30-percent increase in pensions over the past 18 months.

Czech police reported today that they apprehended a man who made death threats against an unidentified politician on social media. The operation happened within 24 hours of his post criticizing the government and hinting at violence toward the target.

The Prague police's extremism and terrorism unit arrested the man, who could face a three-year prison sentence if found guilty. In the post, the man wrote that some politicians "deserve to be hanged and shot" and "the whole government shot." He mentioned that there was a bullet “waiting” for the addressee. 

Czechia aims to acquire a minimum of 77 new Leopard battle tanks through a German tender, Defense Minister Jana Černochová revealed after a meeting with her German counterpart Boris Pistorius in Prague today. The tender will be worth tens of billions of crowns, and Czechia also seeks involvement in tank production, repairs, and servicing.

More detailed purchase information will be announced later this year, with the possibility of tanks being supplied by the end of the decade, according to Colonel Ján Kerdik, director of the ministry's Department of Land Forces Development.

Today, all of Czechia – except for northern and northwestern Bohemia – faces a threat of intense thunderstorms. The Southern Bohemia, Moravia, Vysočina, Olomouc, and Pardubice regions are at high risk, with potential winds up to 90 kilometers per hour accompanied by heavy rainfall, and hail, according to the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute.

Storms are expected to weaken gradually from the west during the evening. Šumava might experience the first thunderstorms around noon, which will then spread eastward. Eastern Czechia and parts of Bohemia have a lower probability of severe storms, while supercells are likely to happen in southern Bohemia, the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands, and western Moravia.

Prague Transport Company (DPP) director Petr Witowski warns of a looming threat to Prague's budget as public transport costs could dominate it. This could lead to an increase in transport fare prices, Witowski said.

The last price increase for individual tickets was in 2021, and the annual ticket price, CZK 3,650, has remained unchanged for eight years. Deputy Mayor for Transport Zdeněk Hřib said that the city management has no plans to raise public transport ticket or subscription prices. The DPP collected CZK 3.48 billion in fares last year, while the Prague City Council paid the company CZK 16.2 billion in compensation.

According to Median's new election model released today, the opposition ANO party would emerge victorious in a hypothetical general election with 35.5 percent of the vote. This is a rise from 32 percent in February this year.

On the other hand, the current government coalition, consisting of the Civic Democrats, TOP 09, Pirates, Mayors and Independents, and the Christian Democrats (KDU-ČSL), would collectively obtain 37.5 percent of the vote. Despite the KDU-ČSL’s support plummeting to a record low of 2 percent, falling below the parliamentary threshold, the coalition would still manage to secure 92 seats in the Chamber of Deputies. 

The Czech Republic and Poland agree on combatting illegal migration despite differences in EU migration rule reform, according to Prime Minister Petr Fiala. The joint meeting of the Czech and Polish cabinets highlighted their interest in addressing illegal migration at EU borders. Fiala emphasized the need for efficiency and progress in proposing new migration rules, including enhanced border protection and cooperation with third countries.

He expressed concern over a more liberal migration policy advocated by the European Parliament. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki praised both nations for accepting large numbers of Ukrainian refugees and showcasing true solidarity during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The ministers also discussed security during their joint meeting.

Czech authorities are considering adding Rostislav Zorikov, the son-in-law of Russian arms dealer Boris Obnosov, to the national sanction list. The move comes in response to Zorikov's alleged use of money from Russia's aggression in Ukraine to purchase real estate and cars in Prague. Interior Minister Vít Rakušan and Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský will assess the possibility of sanctioning Zorikov.

The inclusion in the sanctions list would result in an entry ban, financial transaction restrictions, and asset freezing in the Czech Republic. The country previously placed three individuals, including Russian businessman Vladimir Yevtushenko, on the national list of sanctions for supporting the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

A gold and diamond ring from the Rožmberk tomb in Vyšší Brod monastery is now open for public viewing. The ring belonged to the last Rožmberk couple, Petr Vok from Rožmberk and Kateřina from Ludanice. It is a 14-carat gold ring set with emeralds and rubies, and a 6:1 3D printer replica is also exhibited.

The ring, which was discovered during research on the tomb in 2011, sheds light on the history and culture of the Rožmberk family. The monastery also displays Záviš's cross, paintings, and sculptures. The Vyšší Brod Monastery is the sole functioning male Cistercian monastery in the Czech Republic and a national cultural monument.

Czechs, known for water-saving, underutilize gray water, leading to excessive return of treated wastewater to nature. Martina Nová from the University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague emphasized the potential of recycling rainwater and gray water for firefighting, flushing, and watering to combat drought. Water management companies annually release over 750 million cubic meters of treated wastewater, which could be repurposed.

Israel, Australia, and Spain are pioneers in water recycling, with Israel recycling up to 90 percent of wastewater. The EU regulation sets minimum requirements for water reuse, and the Czech Ministry of the Environment encourages water recycling through subsidies for public entities.

Czech carmaker Škoda Auto plans to manufacture electric vehicles or components in all three of its Czech Republic plants. The company has a long-term strategy for each plant, according to spokesperson Pavel Jína. This comes in response to concerns that production of the Enyaq electric model may be moved from Mladá Boleslav to Volkswagen's facility in Germany.

Škoda Auto aims to be fully electric first at its Mladá Boleslav plant, and then at the Kvasiny plant. The future of the Vrchlabí plant, which produces gearboxes, remains uncertain. The company plans to invest approximately EUR 5.6 billion in electromobility over the next five years.