The Daily Dozen: 12 things to know about Czechia today

2023 in Fiala's words|Prime Minister Petr Fiala thanked people for their responsible attitude toward aiding war refugees from Ukraine and reducing their gas and electricity consumption in his New Year's Day address. While politicians of the coalition government considered Fiala's speech factual, balanced and clear, some opposition politicians criticized it for lacking substance. Read more in our story.

Czechoslovakia redux|Bratislava awarded 28 international personalities yesterday, which marked the 30th anniversary of the Velvet Divorce, ČTK reports. These included presidents of the Czech Republic, Austria and Poland, Miloš Zeman, Alexander Van der Bellen and Andrzej Duda, the Speaker of the Czech Chamber of Deputies Markéta Pekarová Adamová, and Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereščuková.

Czech vs. Slovaks| Speaking of Czechoslovakia, although the difference in living standards has narrowed between Czechia and Slovakia, the former outscores the latter in economic terms. Czechs also have better salaries, as the average monthly gross wage in the Czech Republic last year was almost CZK 40,000, compared with EUR 1,300 (about CZK 31,000) in Slovakia. Read more in our story.

Škoda|Last year was "the most critical in Škoda's history," Seznam Zprávy reports, citing Martin Jahn, Škoda Auto board member for sales and marketing. The automobile manufacturer was faced with increased prices for energy, components and materials, and failure of the logistics chain in the aftermath of the Covid pandemic, and also the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Jahn said the complications will likely persist even in the first quarter of 2023.

Year ahead|The minimum advance payments for social and health insurance will rise by a total of CZK 198 per month in 2023. Also starting this year, data boxes will be mandatory for the self-employed and other entrepreneurs, who don't have to apply for them as the state activates these data boxes automatically. Read more in our story about consumer changes coming up in 2023.

Ski resorts|Record-breaking temperatures and the lack of snow are forcing Czech ski resorts to halt ski lifts and restrict services, Czech Radio reports. A new weather record was set yesterday for the warmest January day since records began, making it impossible to create and maintain artificial snow.

Meteor shower|People in the Czech Republic can see 60 to 80 meteors per hour during the Quadrantid meteor shower, which will peak on Wednesday night, the Physics Institute in Opava said in a press release cited by ČTK. The best times to observe the meteor shower are the morning hours, with low cloud cover and far from cities, according to the institute. 

List of shame|Two tourist attractions in Prague made it on the "Worst holiday spots for pickpockets" list, based on a study by money.co.uk cited by UK tabloid The Express. The Charles Bridge ranked fourth and Old Town Square ranked seventh on the list, which also included landmarks from Barcelona, Paris, and Rome, such as Las Ramblas (ranked first), the Eiffel Tower (ranked second), and the Trevi Fountain (ranked third).

Traffic changes|Prague Deputy Mayor for Transport, Adam Scheinherr announced today that scooters and motorcycles in Prague will be able to legally use lanes reserved for public transport in the coming months, ČTK reports. The recently adopted measure is now posted on the official board, and traffic signs will gradually change during spring.