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Tag: Czech Republic

  • Europol breaks up gang smuggling migrants to Germany

    On Wednesday, Europol, together with the German police, broke up an organized gang smuggling migrants from Turkey to Germany via the Balkan route.

    The gang reportedly managed to smuggle about 80 people from the Middle East, mainly from Egypt, Syria, and Turkey, into the EU. Its members transported migrants in trucks that passed to Germany via Czechia or Poland.

    Refugees paid between €3,500 and €12,000 for the journey, which often took place in life-threatening conditions.

    Europol and the German police arrested three people as well as carried out six house searches in several places in Germany.

  • Why is Czechia’s lockdown failing to show results?

    Even after almost three weeks of strict lockdown measures, data so far does not suggest that the epidemic in Czechia is retreating. On the contrary, hospitals expect a large surge of Covid-19 patients. According to health statistics, their number will rise to 10,000.

    On Tuesday, for example, tests revealed almost 14,000 new cases, which is comparable to the figures from the first week of March. In hospitals, the situation is even worse, with over 9,000 people being treated for Covid-19.

    Why is it so hard to contain the virus? There seems to be no simple answer.

    On Wednesday, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Jan Hamáček emphasized that the vast majority of people follow the current measures. However, experts warn that change for the better is yet to come. According to some, it would be beneficial if the imposed restrictions were even tougher.

    “Mobility is high, and contacts are still numerous. It is an airborne infection transmitted by any contact. And we still have some people here who do not follow the rules,” said epidemiologist Jan Kynčl from the State Institute of Public Health.

    “We must not forget that at the same time, the British variant is spreading, which is, unfortunately, a counter-factor,” he added.

    In any case, the virus’ spread is taking much longer to weaken than many people expected.

    According to the head of health statisticians, Ladislav Dušek, the government measures mainly helped secure that the Covid-10 spread did not escalate further.

    “We can see relative stagnation or decline across the entire country,” said Dušek.

    However, he also pointed out that hospitals are still waiting for the peak of patient influx, as high numbers of people from risk groups test positive every day.

    “For the next seven days, hospitals will certainly be under enormous pressure. At one time, there will be 10,000 hospitalized people,” noted Dušek.

    Many experts encourage patience. However, members of the government were among those who expected a more significant turn for the better.

    “We envisioned a faster decline,” admitted Deputy Prime Minister Hamáček, who heads the government’s crisis staff.

    According to Hamáček, the number of infected people is still high for three main reasons.

    First, there is still a high number of people who became infected before the current measures restricting movement came into force. He pointed out that the coronavirus has an incubation period of up to 14 days.

    According to the deputy prime minister, a high number of cases also occur in places that are the epicenter of the infection.

    Finally, the recent launch of blanket testing in companies helped to reveal up to 15,000 cases.

    “Only thanks to testing in companies do we reveal cases that would otherwise go unnoticed,” said Hamáček.

    According to some experts, it is companies that can contribute more to containing the coronavirus — in addition to more frequent testing and the use of quality tests, they can also send more people to work from home.

    Sociologist Daniel Prokop pointed out that most of the risk contacts happen in the workplace. In addition to that, the commute to work on public transport also poses a risk.

    However, a widespread transition to Czechs working at home on a larger scale is complicated not only by the reluctance of some companies but also by the fact that Czechia has a high share of employees in manufacturing, who must be at their workplace. As Filip Pertold, an economist from the CERGE-EI institute noted, while, for example, only 16 percent of employees in Israel work in the manufacturing industry, in the Czech Republic, it is 37 percent.

    Some experts also point to the lower reliability of antigen tests, which are currently used the most due to mass testing in companies. According to some studies, these tests do not detect even half of the infected people who do not have any symptoms.

    Current government restrictions apply until Sunday, March 21. The government is expected to prolong most of the measures at Thursday’s meeting.

    Although Minister of Health Jan Blatný and Deputy Prime Minister Hamáček consider broadening the area for free time activities from the municipality to the whole district, there will be no other relaxation of measures.

    “I would like strict restrictions on movement to fall after Easter, but it depends on further developments and how we manage the next 14 days,” Hamáček said on Wednesday.

    Title image: People wait in line before getting vaccinated against the COVID-19 at the Church of St. Anthony of Padua in Sokolov, Czech Republic, Tuesday, March 16, 2021. As of Tuesday, the Czech Republic has administered 1,119, 663 vaccinations doses in the country of approximately 10.5 million. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

  • EU sends Czechia €1 billion from employment support program

    On Tuesday, the European Commission paid the Czech Republic €1 billion from the European Union’s “Support to Mitigate Unemployment Risks in an Emergency” (SURE) program. The Commission added that this is Czechia’s first loan from this program.

    The European Commission released €9 billion in loans to seven EU member states under the SURE program yesterday. In addition to the Czech Republic, Spain, Croatia, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, and Slovakia also received the money. However, these six countries have already obtained financial aid from the program before.

    The Commission finances SURE by issuing social bonds. Loans from the program help member states deal with the sudden increase in public spending to maintain employment. In particular, the financial support will help cover costs directly related to the financing of part-time schemes and other similar measures introduced in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

    To date, 16 member states have received €62.5 billion in loans from the SURE instrument. Until now, the Commission has proposed financial support to 19 Member States totaling €90.6 billion, of which €90.3 billion has so far been approved for 18 member states. Czechia should receive a total of €2 billion.

    “The pandemic is not over. Businesses across the EU are still facing problems. We are here to support them. We are protecting people from the virus, and we want to protect their jobs and income,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

    Title image: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen addresses European lawmakers during the signing ceremony to officially launch the Conference of the Future of Europe at the European Parliament in Brussels, Wednesday, March 10, 2021. (Johanna Geron, Pool Photo via AP)

  • Czech police detain man without a face mask in front of his 3-year-old son

    A shocking video shot in Czechia shows municipal police officers wrestling a man without a face mask to the ground and pinning him with their knees while the man’s crying 3-year-old son watches on. 

    The man in the video does not appear to be aggressive, nor does he try to defend himself, but officers appears to struggle to gain control of his hands. The police officers from the Czech town of Uherský Hradiště were suspended from duty until the case was resolved, according to Novinky.cz.

    Currently, face masks are mandatory in urban areas. In the footage, the man asks the officers to let him go. In the video, when the little boy tries to protect his father, one of the officers pushes him away.

    “Let me go, let me go, let me go, Jesus Christ. Let me go. Help,” repeats the man as the officers kneel on him.

    The child, meanwhile, runs to a woman standing nearby witnessing the incident. The video has stirred a wave of backlash on social media

    A representative of the Uherské Hradiště townhall said that the town officials were trying to find out what happened and what preceded the intervention, which many people on social media called unjust.

    Meanwhile, the town explained in the statement that despite the action of the police, the man did not put on a face mask, refused to prove his identity, and wanted to leave the scene. The officers wanted to take the man to the municipal police station to obtain his identity. However, only the Police of the Czech Republic are permitted to do that. The man, however, was brought to the station but then released shortly afterward. 

    “Due to the use of coercive means during the intervention (with the intention to summon the man to get his identity), and also because the presence of a small child accompanying the man, the mayor ordered a thorough investigation of the whole incident with emphasis on the adequacy of the use of coercive means,” said Jan Pášma, a spokesman for the town hall, in a press release.

    “I find the event very unfortunate, mainly because of the presence of a small child. If the intervention itself proves to be undue, consequences will be drawn. At the moment, both police officers are suspended until the case is resolved,” said the mayor of Uherské Hradiště, Stanislav Bláha.

    “He wasn’t aggressive, he just didn’t want to wear a face mask,” wrote the wife of the detained man on social media.

    “And if someone wants to ask where the mother of the child was, she worked at the COVID-19 hospital department and took care of patients on artificial ventilation. My husband was taken to the station and left my son without a father on the street,” she added.

    A saleswoman from the adjacent store looked after the child until another police patrol arrived in a few minutes.

  • Austria, Czechia and other nations want EU summit on ‘unfair’ allocation of vaccines

    The prime ministers of five European countries, including Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, called on the EU to hold a summit on vaccine allocation as soon as possible, the APA agency reported. According to them, the distribution of vaccines is unfair and leaving member states unable to reach their vaccination targets in the second quarter of this year. 

    The letter from Babiš, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and three other EU leaders was published on Saturday.

    On Friday, Kurz stated that COVID-19 vaccines are not distributed fairly in the EU according to the population of individual states, as the members of the bloc originally agreed.

    Babiš pointed to the still insufficient and often quite unpredictable supply of vaccines.

    “I believe that until supplies are sufficient to vaccinate 70 percent of the adult population, which the Commission says is a common EU target we should achieve in June, supplies should be distributed strictly by population,” he told the Czech News Agency.

    He emphasized that it was not a matter of changing the number of vaccines ordered by the member states, but of making sure that all EU countries had a chance to vaccinate at the same rate, at least in the first half of the year. He mentioned that the principle of equal speed of delivery was confirmed by EU leaders on several occasions at joint meetings.

    “According to this, member states have had the opportunity to order vaccines for the whole of 2021. Some member states have decided to order several times more vaccines than the population. The Czech Republic has currently ordered more than 25 million vaccines, most of which are two-dose,” he said. He added that the supplies of pharmaceutical companies are still insufficient.

    The letter, addressed to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the President of the European Council Charles Michel, was signed by the prime ministers of Slovenia, Bulgaria, and Latvia in addition to the Austrian and Czech prime ministers. The letter mentions the findings with which Kurz came at Friday’s conference.

    “If the system continues to work this way, huge inequalities between member states will emerge by the summer and will deepen. Some could achieve collective immunity in a few weeks, while others would lag far behind,” five prime ministers wrote. “Not only is this, in our view, contrary to the agreement reached, but it is also contrary to the European spirit of solidarity,” they added, asking Michel to allow these issues to be discussed at the summit as soon as possible.

    The Austrian Ministry of Health rejected Kurz’s criticism of the distribution of vaccines among the member states. Its secretary-general, Ines Stilling, called the EU talks on ORF-Radio Ö1 “balanced and transparent”. According to her, each member state had the opportunity to order as many doses from different vaccine manufacturers as it wanted, and countries have ordered different amounts of vaccines from different companies.

    Among other things, Kurz expressed suspicion that there were side agreements between individual member states and pharmaceutical companies. He said, for example, that Malta would receive three times more doses per capita than Bulgaria by the end of June, and that Croatia would receive twice as much as the Netherlands in the same period.

    According to the APA agency, the current system harms only three of the five nations that signed the letter, namely the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, and Latvia. Slovenia and Austria, on the other hand, have received doses corresponding with their population.

    Malta rejected Kurz’s criticism, as well as Germany, which also received more doses. A spokesman for the EU executive said that states do not have to use all their allocated doses. He, however, declined to comment on separate contracts with manufacturers In recent months, the European Commission has been critical of some individual contracts with EU-wide supply companies, such as those concluded by Germany.

    Title image: Andrej Babiš and Sebastian Kurz (Facebook)

  • Palestine, Arab League condemn Czech diplomatic office in Jerusalem

    On Saturday, the Palestinian Authority and the League of Arab States (LAS) condemned the opening of the Czech Republic’s diplomatic office in Jerusalem, calling it a violation of international law.

    Czechia opened an office in Jerusalem on March 1, and a ceremony held last week was attended by Prime Minister Andrej Babiš. In response to Palestinian criticism, the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized again that the office is not a new embassy.

    The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called Prague’s move a “blatant attack on the Palestinian people and their rights, and a flagrant violation of international law,” which it said would harm the peace process.

    “The decision of one or another state to open its embassies will affect the legal status of Jerusalem. East Jerusalem is an occupied territory under international law,” said Ahmed Aboul Gheit, secretary-general of the LAS, in a statement.

    On March 1, a demonstration took place in front of the Czech liaison office in Ramallah, attended by about 70 people. The head of the office, Petr Starý, said that the protesters tried to break into the building, but the Palestinian police prevented them from doing so.

    Muntar Amira, one of the participants in the event, explained the demonstration was a protest against the relocation of the Czech embassy to Jerusalem.

    “We wanted to show that we reject this step. It is dangerous that the Czech Republic would become the first state of the European Union to have an embassy in Jerusalem. This is against international law and the EU decision,” said the activist, who is a member of the Fatah movement.

    “We are striving for a two-state solution under international law. Part of this solution is that Jerusalem will become the capital of the Palestinian state,” added Amira.

    We explained our step to the Palestinians, say the Czechs

    Although opening an office and leaving an embassy in the coastal metropolis does not directly violate EU foreign policy, most Palestinians perceive it negatively and see it as the first step towards moving the embassy itself.

    “We have discussed this with the Palestinians. We explained that nothing is changing in our position towards a two-state solution,” said Zuzana Štíchová, a spokeswoman for Czech diplomacy, after the demonstration.

    The city’s status is a key issue in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Both sides claim it as their capital. Until the dispute is resolved, the countries are to have their embassies in Tel Aviv. So far, Czechia has chosen the halfway path — the embassy remains in Tel Aviv, but in Jerusalem, there will be an office of the Czech embassy with the status of a branch of the embassy.

  • Czechia opens ‘de facto’ embassy in Jerusalem: report

    At the ceremony on Thursday, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Andrej Babiš cut the ribbon of the new Jerusalem office of the Czech Embassy in Israel. The ceremony was also attended by Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi, who described the Czech Republic as a close friend of Israel. Some Israeli media outlets, such as the Jerusalem Post, are calling the Jerusalem office a “de facto embassy.”

    The Czech Embassy continues to officially remain in Tel Aviv, which most of the international community considers the country’s capital. But Israel considers Jerusalem to be its capital.

    “We just finished the ceremony to inaugurate the office of the Czech Embassy in Jerusalem. Together with Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, we cut the ribbon and officially announced the start of the office’s activities,“ Ashkenazi wrote on Twitter. “I am happy to see that the changes in the Middle East are based on a recognition of the reality and historical truth that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. The Czech Republic is a close friend of Israel, and we work together in many different fields,“ he added. Ashkenazi also said that he thanked Babish for supporting Israel, trying to fight anti-Semitism, and for “leading the change in Europe toward the city of Jerusalem as a whole and its connection with the state of Israel.”

     

    “We are keeping our word that President Zeman gave two years ago in Israel,” Babiš said. “We ceremoniously opened a branch of the Czech Embassy in Jerusalem with Ministers Gabi Ashkenazi and Amir O

    hana. It is a great honor for me and especially another important step in the friendly relations of our two countries,“ he added.

     

    The status of Jerusalem is one of the biggest problems in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The Israeli annexation of East Jerusalem, which was under Jordan’s rule until 1967, was labeled an occupation and repeatedly criticized by the UN. As a result of UN Security Council Resolution 478 (1980), most countries in the world have moved their embassies outside of Jerusalem.

    Babiš considers the February decision of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague to open the option to investigate possible war crimes committed in the Palestinian territories unfortunate. Although Czechia respects the independence of the judiciary, it does not recognize Palestine as a state, said Babiš at a press conference after talks in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán.

    The decision of the three-member panel of ICC judges was previously criticized by Czech President Miloš Zeman.

    Title image: Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis, right, Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi, center, and Israeli Public Security Minister Amir Ohana cut a ribbon during a ceremony at the new Embassy of the Czech Republic in Jerusalem on Thursday, March 11, 2021. (AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner, Pool)

  • Israeli-Hungarian-Czech mini-summit in Jerusalem

    On Thursday, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem for a mini-summit. The leaders primarily discussed the coronavirus pandemic, but Czechia also used the occasion to officially open its embassy branch in Jerusalem.

    At their joint press conference, Netanyahu said several topics were on the agenda, including the adoption of “green passports,” i.e., certificates proving vaccination against the coronavirus. The Israeli prime minister pointed out that Israel had already agreed with several countries on the mutual acceptance of digital immunity certificates that would allow for freer travel; he thought it important to add Hungary and the Czech Republic to this circle.

    The tripartite summit also discussed in detail how Hungary and Czechia could be involved in the planned international vaccine production in Israel.

    “Together, we can do more,” the Israeli prime minister said.

    On the day of the visit, Babiš also officially opened a branch of his country’s embassy in Jerusalem, which has technically been open since March 1. This makes Czechia only the second European Union member state to do so, after Hungary opened a trade office there on March 19, 2019.

    Netanyahu called both the Hungarian and Czech prime ministers “close personal friends.” He praised the fact that both countries had opened missions in Jerusalem and were also helping Israel on the international stage as true friends.

    At the meeting held at the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, Orbán pointed out that he traveled to Israel with his Czech colleague to understand how the country had become “the world champion in the fight against the pandemic” and how Hungary could follow its example.

    Orbán added that the friendship between Hungary and Israel is alive and well, and one proof of this is that the balance of Israeli-Hungarian trade increased last year, while the balance of world trade decreased by several percentage points.

    In his turn, Babiš highlighted that Israel is a textbook example of an effective fight against the coronavirus and will soon be the first country in the world where life can return to normal. He especially praised the fast and smooth way Israel handled the immense logistics operation entailed for mass vaccination.

    He also thanked Israel for the 5,000 doses of Moderna vaccine it had sent to Prague. He noted that he hopes the Czech Republic is already past the peak of the epidemic and that the situation will soon begin to improve. Babiš further stated that the Czech Republic and Israel are allies and strategic partners.

    Title image: Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (L), Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (C) and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán meet in Jerusalem on March 11, 2021. (MTI/Zoltán Fischer)

  • Czech police find migrants hiding in new cars loaded on trucks

    A big surprise awaited a police unit inspecting a three-car carrier trailer with newly manufactured cars on the Czech-Polish border after they discovered young men from Afghanistan traveling in one of the transported vehicles. Two migrants were also found hidden in the same manner elsewhere in the Olomouc region of Czechia.

    In the first incident, patrol officers inspected a convoy of trucks heading for Poland on the D1 motorway in Bohumín. The driver himself alerted the patrol to the passengers.

    “One of the drivers told the police that he suspected that he saw two people in one of the new cars transported in the semi-trailer of the other colleague,” said police spokeswoman Soňa Štětínská.

    The foreigners got out of the car during a subsequent inspection.

    “The couple did not have a travel document or permission to move freely in Czechia. It was a 23-year-old man and a 16-year-old from Afghanistan. The adult male was placed in the Facility for the Detention of Foreigners in Vyšné Lhoty, and concerning the age of the younger one, the Department of Social and Legal Protection of Children was contacted and took over,” the spokeswoman added.

    On Tuesday, police officers dealt with a similar case in the parking lot of the D35 motorway from Olomouc to Ostrava. Two people jumped out of a loaded semi-trailer while the officers were inspecting a truck carrying new vehicles.

    “The driver stated that he was transporting vehicles from Romania to Poland. He did not know that the foreigners had boarded the transported vehicle. The foreigners stated that they were migrants from Afghanistan and submitted Romanian asylum-seeker documents,” said police spokesman Libor Hejtman.

    Police also found migrants in the Strakonice region. Police there suspect that a 49-year-old truck driver had brought six Afghan migrants from Romania to Vodňany in the Strakonice region on Tuesday. The migrants were discovered by a service dog.

    “The truck driver came to the building of a company in Vodňany to unload the cargo. The moment he stopped and began to take the canvas off the trailer, a group of young men jumped out of the hold of his truck and fled. They headed for the company’s gatehouse, then to the back of the building, where they climbed the fence and ran towards the main road,“ described Jaromíra Nováková, a spokeswoman for the Strakonice police.

    The police caught them with the help of a tracking dog. None of the young men had valid documents that would entitle them to stay in the Czech Republic. Police suspect the driver of organizing and allowing illegal crossing of the state border, and he now faces up to eight years in prison.

    Title image: Police inspection (Police of the Czech Republic)

  • Czech diplomats refuse Russian offer of Sputnik V vaccine, but Slovaks accept them

    Russia has offered accredited diplomats from all countries to get vaccinated against COVID-19 with the Russian Sputnik V vaccine. At least five Western embassies, including Slovakia, have accepted the offer, the Financial Times reported. The Czech Embassy confirmed that it also received the proposition but did not use it.

    “I can confirm that the Czech Embassy in Moscow received this offer, but we did not use it since this vaccine is not registered in the European Union or in the Czech Republic,” Jan Jindřich, the office’s press secretary, told Czech News Agency in a telephone interview. He added that the embassy does not prevent individual workers from being vaccinated individually as they see fit.

    The Slovak Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not comment on the information about the vaccination of its diplomats in Moscow.

    “Vaccination is a private and free choice for every citizen of the Slovak Republic, including our employees,” Ministry spokesman Juraj Tomaga answered when asked about this.

    According to the FT, the British and American embassies in Moscow rely on vaccines approved in their countries instead of the Russian one. However, it will be possible to vaccinate them only at the embassy, because their use is not legal in Russia. The British embassy is expected to receive a shipment of vaccines for employees and their families by diplomatic mail in the coming months.

    The dilemma of whether or not to use Sputnik V has become difficult for diplomats in Moscow, according to the paper, especially since the vaccine, originally ridiculed in the West as dangerous, is now considered by scientists to be effective. And Russia’s foreign ministry has offered vaccinations to all accredited diplomats in the country, which might be an attractive offer for many employees who would otherwise have to wait months or even years for vaccinations if they were home.

    In addition, Sputnik V became very advantageous for the Kremlin in terms of “soft power”, a non-violent form of spreading influence at a time when relations with the European Union and the United States have been tarnished in the past six months. The Russians are aggressively offering the vaccine in the markets of non-West countries. They portray it as an alternative to vaccines developed by profit-hungry global pharmaceutical companies that favor richer countries.

    Diplomats from the Moscow embassies of Bulgaria, Switzerland, Greece, and Spain were also vaccinated with the Russian vaccine. Many other embassies, including the EU representation, said they had left it up to diplomats to decide for themselves which vaccine to use.

    Title image: Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine arrives at Kosice Airport, Slovakia, Monday March 1, 2021. Hard-hit Slovakia signed a deal to acquire 2 million dozes of Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine. The country’s prime minister says Slovakia will get one million shots in next two months while another million will arrive in May and June. (Frantisek Ivan/TASR via AP)

  • Germany keeps border open with France, but Czechia, Slovakia and Austria remain shut out

    Germany is coming under fire from Austria, Czechia and Slovakia for closing its borders to their countries while keeping its border open with France.

    The Speaker of the Czech Chamber of Deputies, Radek Vondráček, together with his counterparts from Slovakia and Austria, urged the head of the German Bundestag, Wolfgang Schäuble, for Germany to end controls on borders with the Czech Republic and the Austrian federal state of Tyrol, according to the Czech News Agency.

    Since Feb. 14, Germany has considered the Czech Republic, most of the Tyrol region, and Slovakia to be areas with more dangerous coronavirus variants. Germany thus decided to tighten conditions for entering the country. At the same time, it introduced permanent border controls to enforce compliance with the new rules.

    Germany has also recently labeled the French department of the Moselle an area with COVID-19 variants. However, in this case, Germany did not introduce permanent border controls but only increased police surveillance in the region. It is precisely the inconsistency of the German approach that Vondráček, together with his Slovak colleague Boris Kollár and his Austrian counterpart Wolfgang Sobotka, points out.

    “We would like to question the comparability of these measures with those in other German border regions,” the heads of parliaments wrote. Furthermore, they noted that ongoing border controls clash with the common goal, which is to prevent negative economic impacts of the pandemic.

    In recent days, the German government, including Chancellor Angela Merkel, has explained the different approaches by saying the situation is different. Berlin pointed out that the German federal states of Saxony and Bavaria directly requested controls, and German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer decided to allow them. Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate, which border the French department of the Moselle, do not want such controls.

    German MPs discussed renewed border controls at the end of February. The debate was sparked by the opposition Free Democratic Party (FDP), which criticized the government’s actions. The European Commission also objected to the controls, but Berlin rejected all rebukes.

    Permanent border controls at the borders with the Czech Republic and Tyrol will last at least until March 17. However, an extension can be expected even after this date, as the epidemiological situation is still severe, especially in the Czech Republic.

    Title image: Police officers check vehicles in a parking lot shortly after the German-Czech border in Waidhaus, Germany, Tuesday, Feb.16, 2021. Germany’s tightened entry rules at the border with the Czech Republic to protect against dangerous variants of the coronavirus came into force two days ago. (Armin Weigel/dpa via AP)

  • Czechs set to gain constitutional right to defend themselves with a weapon

    While the Western half of the European Union pushes for further restrictions on already stringent gun control laws, the Czech Republic is looking to enshrine the right to self-defense within its constitution. 

    On Tuesday, the Czech Chamber of Deputies gave the green light to the constitutional amendment of the right to defend oneself and others with a weapon under conditions stipulated by law, according to the Czech News Agency. The Senate proposal was also supported by the government last year.

    According to its supporters, the amendment should help fight tendencies within the EU to disarm citizens.

    The amendment is based on a petition signed by 102,000 people, including many constitutional officials. The petition was a reaction of hunters and other gun owners to the European Commission’s efforts to limit ownership of weapons, including legally held ones. The Commission justified its action, among other things, by stressing the need to take measures against terrorism. However, critics of the EU measure pointed out that terrorists mostly use illegally obtained weapons and that the relevant Czech law is sufficient.

    According to the Senate, the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms should contain a new provision stating that “the right to defend one’s own life or the life of another person, even with a weapon, is guaranteed under the conditions stipulated by law.”

    Senators believe that the change in the constitution will prevent this right from being restricted by common law and will strengthen the position of the Czech Republic in discussing other EU regulations.

    Representatives of the Civic Democrats (ODS), Pirates, members of Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD), and the Communists (KSČM) explicitly supported the amendment in thfe first round of negotiations. None of the deputies proposed rejecting the draft. The proposal will now be discussed by the Constitutional Law Committee and the Security Committee.

    Czechia pursued a lawsuit against the EU’s controversial directive restricting gun rights, but the country’s efforts failed at the Court of Justice of the European Union. The government then had to submit an amendment to the weapons law, which implemented the EU regulation to the necessary extent.

  • This is how many Czechs now work from home

    Due to current coronavirus measures, up to 30 percent of Czechs are now working from home, according to a study conducted by the Research Institute of Labor and Social Affairs based on initiatives from the Union of Employers’ Associations of the Czech Republic.

    The study reports that the main benefits of working from home for employers are reduced operating costs per job (rent, energy, and equipment), reduced absenteeism and incapacity for work, increased employee loyalty, and thus reduced turnover and expanded employability of highly-qualified workers residing further from their employer.

    The biggest benefits for employees, on the other hand, include minimizing the time spent commuting to the employer’s workplace and a better way to reconcile personal, family, and work life. Another advantage is the expansion of opportunities to get a job for people with disabilities or those who provide care for other members of the household.

    Normally, 4 to 8 percent of employees work from home in the Czech Republic, but the trends wrought by coronavirus could mark a permanent shift for more and more workers on a global scale. 

    One of the biggest barriers for Czech employers is the fact that they have the same obligations to employees working from home regarding safety and health as to employees working at a workplace.

    “The employer does not have the right to enter and carry out inspections in the employee’s private premises and cannot in any way directly influence the form and equipment of the work environment located outside his workplace,” said Jiří Horecký, the president of the union.

    Employers thus point out the illegitimacy of the requirement of liability for compliance with the obligation of the employees’ protection.

    In nine selected European countries, including Germany, Finland, Norway, France, as well as the Czech Republic, the laws do not establish an employee’s right to work from home, nor does it impose an obligation on the employer to allow work outside the workplace.

    In the case of work performed by an employee outside the workplace, the employer cannot secure the places where he performs the work.

    “It is, therefore, a legitimate requirement that if an employee is interested in working from home, he should bear the duties and part of the responsibility in occupational safety himself,” Horecký added. Therefore, he rejects the idea of widespread implementation of work from home possibilities.

    Other disadvantages of working from home include increased demands for changes in work organization. The risk also lies in another form of control over the employee’s work. For an employee, the negative effects associated with performing work outside the workplace may include loss of social contacts with other colleagues, poor working time arrangements, or inability to differentiate between working and non-working parts of the day.

    Title image: View of an empty classroom at a closed school in Prague, Czech Republic, Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020. Amid widespread efforts to curb the new wave of coronavirus infections in one of the hardest hit European countries, the Czech Republic closed again all its schools on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

  • Czechia prefers creating vaccine passport at the EU level

    The Czech Republic would prefer the so-called vaccine passports to be created at the level of the entire European Union, said Foreign Minister Tomáš Petříček. If the EU does not find a consensus, the Czech Republic would consider a narrower system with neighboring states. According to Petříček, the plan, which the European Commission should present by next Wednesday, must also not discriminate against people who cannot be vaccinated.

    Petříček has already supported the idea of vaccine passports a week ago after the Central European C5 meeting with the foreign ministers of Slovakia, Hungary, Austria, and Slovenia. On Monday, he added that Czechia is in favor of a digital form of passports.

    “Furthermore, personal data have to be thoroughly secured and, ideally, the system should record undergoing the disease,” noted Petříček.

    Petříček also urged for fair conditions as not everyone can be vaccinated, even though they want to be.

    “Our priority is not to set discriminatory conditions,” he stressed, asking to have the system ready before summer.

    “The priority is to make it a European solution. If that does not happen, we are ready to negotiate with neighbors within the region,” said Petříček.

    He expects that this system would be necessary at least this year. If the epidemic situation stabilizes, people could resume traveling as usual.

    Title image: The meeting of foreign ministers within the C5 Central European grouping (Tomáš Petříček / Twitter)

  • ‘Hold together, we are with you’ – French actor Jean Reno addresses Czech medics

    French actor Jean Reno sent greetings to medics and patients of the Na Homolce Hospital in Prague. In the half-minute-long video, he imparted courage to those struggling with the coronavirus crisis and talked about the light at the end of the tunnel.

    The hospital posted the video on its website and social media and also forwarded it to other hospitals in the Czech Republic.

    In the short video, Reno is standing on the balcony of a house by the sea.

    “I would like to give you courage. I know it’s hard that this time is very difficult. But there is always light at the end of the tunnel. Hold on, stay together and move on. I know it’s difficult, but we’re all with you now. Courage! See you soon,“ he said and then waved goodbye.

     

    It is not clear why the well-known French actor chose and sent a message to the Na Homolce Hospital.

    “He is aware of the current situation in the Czech Republic and has sent a short video to encourage frustrated health professionals and patients, which we have shared on social networks. Although it is addressed to the Na Homolce Hospital, it also belongs to other medical facilities throughout the Czech Republic,” said hospital spokeswoman Martina Dostálová.

    “An acting star who does everything his way. That’s why we are very happy that he decided to make a short video for our hospital. His encouraging greetings go to healthcare professionals and patients who are currently experiencing difficult times. We are also sending it to other Czech and Moravian hospitals and to all those who are looking forward to this time being behind us,” she added.

    Reno was born in 1948 in Casablanca, Morocco. He wanted to become an actor from childhood. A milestone in Reno’s acting career was Luka Besson’s 1994 film “Leon”, in which he portrayed a solitary assassin.

    In 2016, Reno received the Festival President’s Award at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. He also filmed on locationseveral times in the Czech Republic.

    Title image: Jean Reno participates in AOL’s BUILD Speaker Series to discuss his role as juror at the Tribeca Film Festival at AOL Studios on Tuesday, April 19, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

  • Most Czechs improved their financial situation during the crisis, data show

    Although the pandemic has caused a considerable health crisis and economic damage in the Czech Republic, most Czech households have improved financially.

    According to a recent survey by the Fair Credit financial company, three-quarters of Czech households are currently better with their finances than the coronavirus crisis. However, the income of one-fifth of respondents decreased, while another 5 percent lost it altogether.

    The economic impact of the pandemic is thus different than it was during the financial crisis in 2008. It is, among other things, more selective as it mainly affects selected groups of the population such as self-employed people or employees in the service sector. At the same time, however, Czechia still has a very low unemployment rate, which is currently the second-lowest in all of Europe. According to the latest European Statistical Office data, the number of unemployed in January reached 3.2 percent. The country is thus among the European countries with the lowest unemployment rate, surpassed only by Poland. According to the different methodology used by the Czech Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, the unemployment rate reached 4.3 percent in February and was the lowest among EU countries.

    The good news for those who have lost their jobs is that Czech employment offices register more vacant positions than the number of jobseekers.

    “At the end of February 2021, a high number of vacant positions was registered on the labor market. There were 330,735 of them, which is more than the number of unemployed people. Currently, there are on average 0.9 applicants per vacant position,” explained economist Štěpán Křeček.

    For comparison, during the crisis in January 2009, the Czech unemployment rate was 7.4 percent, more than double the current level. The current situation is, among other things, different thanks to the state support programs that motivate companies not to lay off employees.

    The second part of the answer to why Czech households are better with their finances lies on the expenditure side. The pandemic has reduced the number of opportunities for people to spend money. Restrictions affected restaurants, cinemas, theaters, concerts, and holidays.

    The Fair Credit survey shows that most people saved on travel as seven out of ten Czechs cut spending in this area. During the pandemic, 61 percent of people also saved money on culture, and over 50 percent of respondents had lower expenses on food from restaurants. Other savings happened in the categories of buying clothes, sports activities, and hobbies. At the same time, since January, employees have higher salaries as the government ended the super-gross wage system.

    So what did Czechs do with all this unspent money? Statistics show that some of the finances were deposited in bank accounts. According to the Czech National Bank, the rate of deposits from households grew the fastest in almost the last quarter-century. Overall, people deposited 12 percent more money in their accounts year-on-year, with their savings exceeding three trillion korunas (€113.65 billion).

    Title image: The main building of the Czech National Bank (cnb.cz)

  • Police detain dozens of people protesting against COVID-19 measures in Prague

    On Sunday, hundreds of people protested in Prague against the government’s anti-epidemic measures. The two announced rallies on Wenceslas Square and Old Town Square were soon disbanded. However, several dozen demonstrators tried to get back to Wenceslas Square. Police detained about 60 of them.

    Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and Interior Minister Jan Hamáček praised the professional intervention of the police.

    “It is important to thank the police for their professional approach,” Babiš said on Nova TV, adding that the intervention was necessary as people were breaking the rules.

    “I thank the police for today’s professional intervention against the few irresponsible people who endangered the health of us all,” Interior Minister Hamáček wrote on Twitter.

    Participants in the anti-government protest, organized by the We Together (My společně) initiative, held Czech flags and gathered on Wenceslas Square before 1 p.m. The police allowed only 100 participants into the reserved area, but significantly more people arrived at the venue. Because of this, the organizers dissolved the protest soon after it began. A large part of these protesters then moved to Old Town Square, where another protest action against the government measures and the government of Andrej Babiš started at 2 p.m.

    Police officers let only people living in Prague into the area of Old Town Square as, due to the current strict measures, people are allowed to move only within certain areas. After 2 p.m., several dozens of people carrying banners with inscriptions such as “Let us work” and “We don’t want distant living” gathered at the square. The organizers subsequently dissolved the demonstration, saying that the protesters should move peacefully to the Petřín area.

    After several hundred people gathered there, they then headed back to Old Town Square, where dozens of police and heavily armed law enforcement officers were waiting for them.

    According to a police spokesman, the police detained about 60 people for committing an offense. One of the detainees was MP Lubomír Volný, who co-organized the first of the demonstrations. He confirmed his detention on his Facebook page but did not comment on the reason why. CNN Prima News then reported, referring to the Interior Minister, that Volný had repeatedly refused to put on a face mask. Volný recently attracted attention when he unleashed a skirmish in the Chamber of Deputies over the debate on coronavirus measures.

    During last week, police announced that they would focus mainly on compliance with coronavirus measures at protests. The current rules limit the number of protest participants and also state that the protesters must live in the district where the event takes place. Police officers thus did not let through several buses heading to the rallies in Prague.


    Title image: A man waves a Czech flag as thousands protest against the government restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19 infections in Prague, Czech Republic, Sunday, Jan. 10, 2021. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

  • Prague among the most honest cities in the world

    Prague has been included on the list of the most honest cities in the world, but according to a new index of the Twinner autoscanner company, Zurich, Switzerland, is the most honest city in the world. The survey focused, for example, on handling petty theft or the honesty of citizens and car dealers in various metropolises.

    In the final group of 75 cities, Prague ranked 25th.

    According to all criteria, Zurich gained the highest possible score of 100 points, followed by Tokyo, Australia’s Adelaide, Phoenix in Arizona, Hamburg, Amsterdam, Munich, Copenhagen, Edinburgh, and the top ten is completed with Australia’s Brisbane, earning a score of 91.4 points.

    With 89.3 points, Prague ranked 25th, gaining the most points for civic honesty, for which the Czech capital received 92.8 points. Other decisive factors were, for example, a transparent economy, politics, and the society as a whole. While in the last-mentioned category, it received 71.7 points, transparency at the government level earned Prague 75.6 points.

    As for the category of handling theft, Prague finished in 10th place overall, surpassed, among others, by Tel Aviv, Valencia, and Stuttgart.

    With 75th place, Madrid closes the ranking. However, according to Twinner, the last position should not be viewed as a loss, as the ranking aim is not to ridicule metropolises or call them dishonest. All 75 cities are among the best in the world. Overall, 350 cities were evaluated, but scores of the vast majority of them were not published.

    The city in 350th placed received only 50 points, but the city name was not disclosed.

    The survey was based on a large amount of national data. Twinner assessed data on corruption, budget transparency, and integrity. In the economic sector, the survey focused on the so-called “shadow” or “gray” economy, such as tax evasion, undeclared work, and money laundering.

    Title image: View of Prague castle and Charles bridge in Prague, Czech Republic, Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2015. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

  • 9 out of 10 Czechs claim to adhere to COVID-19 measures: survey

    Nine out of ten Czechs claim to strictly adhere to the current anti-epidemic measures, according to a survey conducted by the Median survey agency for Czech Radio. Eight percent of citizens then admitted they do not follow the rules.

    Czechs consider the mandatory wearing of face masks and respirators to be the most effective measure, while the closure of shops or restrictions on movement between districts the least helpful.

    The measures are mostly followed by the elderly, three-quarters of whom said that they strictly follow them. On the contrary, in the youngest group, it is only a third.

    The government has restricted movement between districts since Monday, March 1. People can only go to work, to the doctor, or to the authorities. It is also mandatory to wear respirators in shops and public transport. Schools and kindergartens and some shops that previously had an exception are closed again.

    According to the survey, anti-epidemic measures are completely understandable for more than half of the population, and a third understand them only partially. Nine percent of respondents are not familiar with them at all.

    “The rules are most understandable for seniors. On the contrary, in the youngest age category of 18-29 years, only a fifth of people are completely knowledgeable of the rules,” Přemysl Čech from Median told the Czech Radio, adding that more than half of the people in the youngest group partially understand the measures.

    According to him, those who want to be vaccinated, as well as those who comply with the measures, show better orientation in the system of regulations.  

    Survey participants were also asked to evaluate the effectiveness of the measures on a scale of one to five. The rules evaluated as most effective were wearing respirators in public spaces, which received an average mark of 2.03, and mandatory testing of company employees, which received a 2.08. The closure of schools and restrictions on movement between districts ended with a mark of three. The closure of business4es was evaluated as the least effective measure.

    “Seniors were the least critical in all evaluations, while people in the age category of 30-44 were the most critical,” described Čech. Mandatory testing bothers both entrepreneurs and employees.

    “In general, opponents of vaccination are more critical in every aspect,” he added.

    Opponents of vaccination mainly reject the closure of businesses and industry.

    “People who want to be vaccinated have a balanced opinion, but the supporters of closing the industry slightly prevail,” Čech concluded.

  • Czech president asks China for the Sinopharm vaccine

    Czech President Miloš Zeman asked Chinese President Xi Jinping for supplies of the Chinese COVID-19 vaccine. According to Zeman´s spokesman, Jiří Ovčáček, the Chinese side decided to immediately comply with the request.

    “The prime minister asked the president to address the president of the People’s Republic of China with a request for the supply of the Chinese vaccine Sinopharm. The president complied with this request and wrote to the president of the PRC. According to a report by the Czech Embassy in Beijing, the Chinese side decided to comply with this request immediately,“ stated Ovčáček on Twitter.

    Zeman spoke about the Sinopharm vaccine on Tuesday during a meeting with representatives of CITIC Europe Holding. According to Castle Chancellor Vratislav Mynář, the company’s representatives informed the president that all CITIC employees had received both doses of the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine.

     “Any of their acquaintances and those around CITIC vaccinated with Sinophram were not infected with Covid-19, the vaccine thus works,“ he stated after the meeting.

    So far, the Chinese authorities have approved several vaccines produced at home. Hungary was the first country in the European Union to use a vaccine from the Chinese state-owned company Sinopharm, although the vaccine has not yet passed the EU approval process. Hungary also uses the Russian Sputnik V vaccine, which also has no EU registration.

    Title image: Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, poses for a photo after presenting his book as a gift to Czech President Milos Zeman following a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing Friday, May 12, 2017. (Jason Lee/Pool Photo via AP)

  • Czechia to receive 100,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine from EU countries

    The countries of the European Union will donate 100,000 doses of Pfizer/BioNTech to the Czech Republic, and according to Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, Czechia will receive these vaccines within the next week. Extra doses will be also sent to Slovakia and Austria.

    “Thanks to EU solidarity and the Commission’s SOS mechanism, the Czech Republic will receive an extra 100,000 doses of Pfizer next week. This will speed up vaccination and help beat the virus,” Babiš wrote on Twitter.

    According to the Hospodářské noviny daily, Pfizer has accelerated vaccine production in recent days, so it will deliver more doses to the European Union than originally promised. The EU states have agreed that part of these extra doses will not be distributed to the EU countries based on the population size. These doses will go first to those states that have requested them due to the critical epidemiological situation.

    Besides the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Austria will also receive an extra 100,000 doses each.

    “Slovakia can also rely on its European partners in difficult times. I am very glad that today we finally managed to reach an agreement on the so-called SOS doses of vaccines,” stated Slovak Prime Minister Igor Matovič on his Facebook page.

    In Austria, according to the APA news agency, donated vaccines will be given to citizens of the Tyrolean district of Schwaz, which reported the spread of the so-called South African COVID-19 variant.

    According to the original joint EU order, Czechia was to receive about 3 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. In addition to that, the country already uses Moderna and AstraZeneca vaccines.

    At the instigation of Babiš, President Miloš Zeman also asked China to supply the Czech Republic with its Sinopharm vaccine. According to the embassy in Beijing, China has decided to immediately comply with Zeman’s request.

    The president has previously asked Russia for the Sputnik V vaccine, however, like Sinopharm, the vaccine is not yet approved for use in European Union countries.

    Earlier, the German state of Saxony promised to send 15,000 doses of AstraZeneca to the Czech Republic. Soldiers have also brought 5,000 doses of Moderna vaccine from Israel in previous days.

    Title image: An elderly man receives Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at a sports hall in Ricany, Czech Republic, Friday, Feb. 26, 2021. With new infections soaring due to a highly contagious coronavirus variant and hospitals filling up, one of the hardest-hit countries in the European Union is facing inevitable: a tighter lockdown. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

  • European countries offer Czechia help with hundreds of COVID-19 patients

    The Czech Republic has received offers to help with hundreds of COVID-19 patients from several European countries, such as Switzerland and Germany, said Foreign Minister Tomáš Petříček.

    “At the moment, we have offers from most of the surrounding countries, as well as from Slovenia and Switzerland, to help with hundreds of patients,” said Petříček.

    Government officials have previously reported on hospital bed offers for COVID-19 patients from Germany, Austria, and Poland. Czechia is currently conducting intensive talks with Germany, and according to Petříček, the first transfers of patients to Germany are imminent.

    “We estimate it could happen this week,” he added.

    Petříček also explained that it is up to the Ministry of Health to evaluate the situation and determine whether the time to use the offers for care for Czech patients abroad has come. He pointed out that a key barrier is the necessity to translate the entire medical report for each patient.

    According to Petříček, Slovenia has offered the Czech Republic to take care of up to 20 patients, while Austria is ready to admit several dozen patients from the Czech Republic.

    “We also have a new offer from Switzerland, which could provide transportation and care for 20 Czech patients,” added Petříček.

    The Polish Ministry of Health stated that it was waiting for information from the Czech Republic on the extent of the assistance needed. In this context, the Ministry informed that Poland had already admitted the first such patient from Slovakia.

    The epidemic, and especially the British COVID-19 variant, have brought Czech hospitals to the brink of their capacity. On Monday, hospitals reported 1,568 patients in severe condition, which is the highest amount since the outbreak. However, about 8,000 patients are currently hospitalized with COVID-19.

  • Putin promises Czech President Zeman Sputnik vaccine supplies

    After discussion with Czech Prime Mnister Andrej Babiš, President Miloš Zeman sent a letter to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, asking for a delivery of Russia’s Sputnik COVID-19 vaccine. Putin then allegedly promised to comply with the request.

    “If I am correctly informed, this request will be met, but of course, we will need certification,” said Zeman, adding that if he were to decide, the State Institute for Drug Control (SÚKL) certification would suffice.

    Currently, neither SÚKL nor the European Medicines Agency (EMA) have yet approved the Sputnik vaccine.

    At Tuesday’s meeting, the highest constitutional officials, including Zeman, agreed in a joint statement that the COVID-19 vaccines used in the Czech Republic need to go through the European Commission approval process. Czechia is currently vaccinating with Pfizer / BioNTech, Moderna, and AstraZeneca vaccines, but it does not have enough doses to vaccinate all those interested.

    Last week, Zeman spoke in favor of the so-called Hungarian path, referring to Hungary purchasing the Sputnik vaccine, even without the approval of the European authorities.

    Title image: Elderly men receive Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at a sports hall in Ricany, Czech Republic, Friday, Feb. 26, 2021. With new infections soaring due to a highly contagious coronavirus variant and hospitals filling up, one of the hardest-hit countries in the European Union is facing an inevitable tighter lockdown. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

  • Drastic measures: Czechia enters strict lockdown for three weeks

    The Czech Republic entered a strict lockdown today that will last at least three weeks. The movement of people between districts will be restricted, with 30,000 police officers and soldiers supervising compliance.

    The new government measures, approved on Friday, also bans visiting relatives even if they live in the same district. There are only certain exceptions.

    Restrictions also oblige people to wear at least a surgical face mask outdoors, while a respirator is mandatory in shops, public transport, and other busy places.

    On Sunday, Czechs had to choose a place to stay for the following three weeks. According to the new measures, going for walks, doing sports, or dog walking is allowed only within a municipality. When going to work or doing shopping within a district, there will be no need to provide any documents. But leaving the district will be possible only for work or in urgent cases, such as to see a doctor. People will then have to provide an employment contract or confirmation from their employer to leave the district or an affidavit in other cases.

    Shopping outside of the district is forbidden.

    On its website, the Ministry of the Interior informed that visiting family members from other households, even if they live in the same district, is not allowed unless to secure their basic needs. The purpose is to limit the movement, and thus the spread of the virus, as much as possible, explained the ministry.

    Larger cities divided into several parts will have a certain advantage as people can move freely between the individual parts. Such is the case of Prague, the Czech capital, for example, which will be considered one district. The Czech Republic has a total of 76 districts, but Prague is not one of them under usual circumstances.

    Furthermore, schools and kindergartens will also be closed. Face masks and respirators will be mandatory at workplaces. Some retailers and service providers will have to close businesses, with the government restricting the list of exceptions. Industrial enterprises will remain open, but the government wants to introduce mandatory testing in them.

    At a press conference summarizing the new measures, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš called on citizens to give the government a chance and help for three weeks by complying with the measures to slow down the spread of the virus.

    “Why did it work last year? We were all scared and saw footage from Italy. Citizens alerted each other about non-compliance with the measures. We would very much like us to go back to that and do the same again. If we do not do that, the whole world will see Bergamo in the Czech Republic,” said the prime minister, referring to the Italian city, which struggled with the epidemic in the spring.

    “Even though we did not manage everything well, we did it with full commitment and in good faith. We have a clear conscience,” he added.

    According to Deputy Prime Minister Jan Hamáček, all measures have a single goal, to turn the curve reflecting the number of new cases and hospitalizations. Compared to autumn, when the situation started to deteriorate, Czechia has the advantage of launching the vaccination process, Hamáček pointed out.

    The Minister of Health, Jan Blatný, then warned of a severe situation in hospitals.

    “The situation is very serious. Currently, we are reaching dangerously high rates ​​in the number of hospitalized people in intensive care units. Even if all measures start to work, next week, there will be a daily increase of around 20,000 new cases,” explained Blatný.

    Title image: People wearing face masks walk across the medieval Charles Bridge in Prague, Czech Republic, Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021. The Czech government is barring the citizens and residents from travelling to the countries hit by highly contagious coronavirus variants and is tightening the rules for face coverings. Starting on Thursday, the Czechs are required to wear better masks in places where large numbers gather, including stores, hospitals and public transportation. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

  • France to provide Czechia with 100,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine

    Prime Minister Andrej Babiš announced that France would provide the Czech Republic with 100,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in mid-March.

    Babiš tried to negotiate for more vaccines from other European countries, as the country’s situation has been deteriorating and the healthcare system is at risk of collapse. According to the daily Hospodářské noviny, Babiš addressed European countries through the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. The Commission subsequently informed the other EU countries of the Czech request.

    “We have been trying for a long time to get some extra vaccines and succeeded with Israel. France has now promised us 100,000 (vaccines) by March 15,” said the prime minister.

    Earlier this week, Israel promised to donate 5,000 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to the Czech Republic. These will be used to vaccinate soldiers who serve in hospital wards with COVID-19 patients.

    Israel has also given vaccines to other countries in exchange for support in the diplomatic area.

    The Czech Republic currently uses three vaccines, all of them registered in the EU, namely the vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca.

    With the dismal epidemiological situation, there has been criticism of the slow vaccination process. PM Babiš, however, rejects the claim that the Czech Republic will not be able to use all the supplied vaccines.

    “So far, we have received 797,460 vaccines. This week on Tuesday evening, 93,000 vaccines from Pfizer, today 80,400 vaccines from Moderna and AstraZeneca. AstraZeneca cut our supplies by 20,000,” noted the prime minister.

    So far, 600,429 people in the Czech Republic have received the vaccination. According to Babiš, when the number of newly obtained vaccines is deducted from the total number of vaccines obtained, only 20,631 unused vaccines are left.

    “After all, no one can criticize us for not vaccinating with doses that still have not arrived today or that came on Tuesday evening,” Babiš responded to the criticism that the administration of vaccines has been too slow.


    Title image: Medical workers move a COVID-19 patient into an ambulance at a hospital overrun by the pandemic in Cheb, the Czech Republic, Friday, Feb. 12, 2021.  (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

  • Czech government mulls banning movement between districts and further COVID-19 measures

    The government is considering limiting movement in the country for three weeks. On Thursday evening, it announced its intention to ban movement between districts and close schools and many shops. It will also extend the quarantine to 14 days due to more dangerous COVID-19 variants.

    Furthermore, the government wants to launch blanket COVID-19 testing in companies. The new measures will probably be approved on Friday. In the meantime, the epidemic situation continues to worsen. The Ministry of Health warned that the capacity of ICU beds will be exhausted in two weeks.

    “The Czech Republic has never been in a situation like this before,“ said Vladimír Černý, Deputy Health Minister. The daily number of new cases is currently around 14,000. However, the situation will likely not improve any time soon. The doctors, nurses and all other medical staff are exhausted.

    The new measures should apply starting March 1. “We need to limit the mobility of the population to a maximum for the next three weeks,” said Prime Minister Andrej Babiš at an evening press conference after the extraordinary meeting. The government needs to present the details to the opposition in the lower house, so final approval has not yet taken place.

    Although the cabinet wants to limit movement as much as possible, in the end, it did not decide to shut down industrial activity, so factories will continue to run, but it will be mandatory to test employees. Likewise, the government does not plan to include a ban on professional sports among the new measures against the spread of COVID-19.

    Starting March 1, it will be mandatory to wear a respirator on public transport and in shops and other places where people gather. It is no longer possible to layer surgical masks in these places. Health Minister Jan Blatný also stated that starting March 1, employers will be obliged to equip employees with the necessary protective equipment.

    For people in need, food banks have to distribute protective equipment free of charge.

    The mandatory quarantine will be extended from 10 to 14 days. This is due to the spread of more contagious coronavirus mutations. The British variant is spreading in the Czech Republic, and the first case of a South African mutation was also confirmed on Thursday.

    The government also plans on closing kindergartens and schools, including special education and children’s groups. Schools should only be open to children of emergency personnel. 

    “In line with what is evident from the British Isles, the new mutation is spreading very quickly among children, including young children,” said Minister Blatný.

    Furthermore, comprehensive testing in companies will start on March 1, said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Transport Karel Havlíček. In the first phase, the system will be voluntary, while later, it will be mandatory. The state will contribute a maximum of 60 korunas (€2.30 for one test); testing will be partially covered by public health insurance.

    The opposition is in favor of massive testing in companies, as demanded by the Pirates and the Mayors and Independents, for example. According to them, the measure could be one of the solutions to the worsening pandemic situation. Employers have also repeatedly called for enhanced testing.

    Up to 20,000 infected daily

    In addition to giving a glimpse of the measures, the Minister of Health Jan Blatný presented a grim prediction for the following days and weeks. “The most optimistic models say that the daily increase will be about 20,000 infected per day. If measures are not taken, the increments will be many times higher,“ he said at a press conference. 

    Title image: A medical worker tends to a COVID-19 patient at a hospital overrun by the pandemic in Cheb, Czech Republic, Friday, Feb. 12, 2021. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

  • Bavarian companies struggle with lack of Czech workers, some reduce operations

    The latest data show that Czech commuters have given up their jobs at Bavarian companies after two weeks of strict border controls introduced by Germany. The measures have affected the economy in the border regions of both countries in an unprecedented way.

    The actual closure of the border by Germany, which is trying to avoid importing COVID-19 mutations into its territory from the Czech Republic, abruptly interrupted the economic cooperation in the border areas. On the Czech side, the restriction hit mostly commuters. At the moment, only regular workers from listed key fields can travel to the neighboring country.

    Czech employees of German companies, as well as companies in the nearby regions of Bavaria, were thus put in an impossible situation. “10 percent of my company’s employees are Czech. I can confirm that some have already resigned due to the closure of the border; two new employees have not taken up their positions at all,“ Thomas Koy, CEO of Holzmanufaktur Liebich, said, adding that they already had to reduce operations because of this situation. His company is based in Zwiesel, fifteen kilometers from the Czech border.

    Production in companies is at a standstill

    The border district of Regen, where Zwiesel is located, and neighboring Freyung-Grafenau have been the most affected. However, not only companies close to the German-Czech border have been impacted. “We surveyed operations in Lower Bavaria. One in five companies announced that at least one of their Czech commuters had quit,“ said  Alexander Schreiner, head of the Lower Bavarian Chamber of Industry and Commerce.

    Almost half of the companies surveyed stated that they were unable to fill their positions in terms of staff because Czech employees could not cross the border. “63 percent of operations have been very negatively affected by the strict restriction of movement for Czech workers. It’s even 71 percent of businesses in border areas,” Schreiner calculated, adding that “20 percent of the plants even temporarily suspended their production because Czech employees were simply forced to stay at home.”

    These numbers exceed Bavaria’s average values for all parameters by up to two times as much. These are very worrying figures for the future development of the common Czech-Bavarian economic area. “Unfortunately, many German officials still think that the Czech workforce is one of the cheaper ones. But that has not been true for a very long time. For example, there are three Czech colleagues in the management of my company who are very important for the operation of the company,“ added Thomas Koy.

    In Lower Bavaria, 71 percent of transport and logistics companies, 82 percent of construction companies, and 86 percent of industrial players have reported production problems. Not only is there a lack of professional staff due to the absence of Czech workers, but companies are facing additional costs to maintain transport and production capacities.

    This is confirmed by Karl Matschiner, a spokesman for the Freyung-Grafenau district office. “We have information from companies that their customers have started terminating contracts and turning to other producers,“ he said.

    For many Bavarian companies, the solution would be at least a return to the situation before February 13 this year, when commuters had to undergo regular coronavirus testing but otherwise could freely go to their workplaces without restrictions.

    Unfortunately, the worsening epidemiological situation in the Czech Republic will probably not allow for this any time soon. “In recent decades, the growing friendship between the Czech Republic and Bavaria, especially here at the border, has been put to a severe test. And not only at the moment, but especially in regard to future economic developments,“ concluded Thomas Koy, head of the Zwiesel factory.

    Title image: Cars and trucks from the Czech Republic stand one behind the other at a rest area on Highway 17 during border controls by the German Federal Police in Bad Gottleuba, Germany, Sunday, Feb. 14, 2021. (Sebastian Kahnert/dpa via AP)

  • Prague court launches case against Iraqi who left Czechia to fight for Islamic State

    On Wednesday, the Prague City Court opened its case against 26-years-old Iraqi Watheq Muhammad Yousef Al-Samarraie, who, according to the indictment, flew from Prague to fight for the Islamic State. The young man is accused of conducting a terrorist attack and participating in a terrorist group. If convicted, he faces 12 to 20 years. Samarraie is being prosecuted as a fugitive.

    The Iraqi, who has permanent residence in the Czech Republic where he studied and got married, joined the Islamic State terrorist organization six years ago, said public prosecutor Martin Bílý. According to the prosecution, in January 2015, Samarraie flew from Václav Havel Airport to Turkey and then continued to Mosul in northern Iraq, then controlled by the Islamic State. The prosecutor noted that the defendant identified with the IS ideology.

    The indictment states that in April 2015 he actively participated in the attack on the oil refinery in Baiji. According to Bílý, Samarraie engaged in attacks on the Iraqi army and coalition troops. After being injured by a missile, he allegedly worked in Mosul as an IS propaganda teacher.

    However, according to the defendant’s father, who testified on Wednesday, Samarraie did not participate in the fighting.

    “He probably worked in an office and did not directly take part in the attack,” said the young man’s father, who got a three-year suspended sentence for financing terrorism last July.

    The man sent dollars worth about 54,000 korunas (€2,069) to Mosul to his son so that he could move out of Mosul with his wife and son and could finally hug his grandson.

    In the court hearing, however, he shared his suspicion that his son’s days were numbered.

    “I think he lies somewhere under the ruins of Mosul, he and his wife and son,” the man said.

    The trial will continue at the end of April, when the defendant’s ex-wife, who left Sammarraie when he began to change and drift towards Islamism, will also testify.

    Title image: A picture of a gavel taken in a Czech courtroom (Ministry of Justice of the Czech Republic)

  • Czechia bans travel to certain South American and African countries over COVID-19 variant

    Czechs will not be able to travel to several African and South American countries after the Czech Foreign Ministry banned entry to Brazil, Kenya, and Zanzibar over the threat of the South African and Brazilian coronavirus variants.

    The new measure responds to the threat of the introduction of the South African and Brazilian coronavirus mutations into the Czech Republic. The measure will come into force on Friday.

    “Therefore, the Ministry of Health banned Czech citizens and other persons residing in the Czech Republic from February 26 to April 11, with urgent exceptions, from entering countries with an extreme risk of these mutations,” the government said.

    Czechs are not allowed to travel to Botswana, Brazil, Swaziland, South Africa, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, including the islands of Zanzibar and Pemba, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

    Due to travel restrictions, Czechs currently fly to the sea resorts, according to travel agencies. Zanzibar is one of the most popular destinations in this regard. According to the spokeswoman of the Invia travel agency Andrea Řezníčková, Czech travelers are now also going to Zanzibar individually and linking it to a safari trip to Tanzania, she said.

    According to available information, the trip to the island of Zanzibar is the reason behind the first case of a more contagious South African mutation of coronavirus in the Czech Republic. Officially, the confirmation of the occurrence of the mutation is still awaiting the national reference laboratory of the State Institute of Public Health.

  • Chancellor Merkel offers available hospital beds for Czech COVID-19 patients

    On Tuesday, Czechj Prime Minister Andrej Babiš spoke with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who offered free hospital beds in Germany for Czech patients with COVID-19. According to Babiš, Merkel will find out the availability of beds in Bavaria and other federal states, which could be available to the Czech Republic in case of emergency.

    Babiš also confirmed that Czechia has a specific offer of nine hospital beds for COVID-19 patients from the Saxon Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer.

    “I handed the offer over to the governors of the Karlovy Vary and Ústí nad Labem regions,” he added.

    The Czech prime minister said that Chancellor Merkel called him unexpectedly without scheduling the call.

    “She offered available beds, if needed, in Bavaria or other states in Germany. We’ll have them as a reserve in case we need to use them. We need to be ready, to have logistics ready. But it will be up to the regions whether they will use them or not,” explained Babiš.

    According to him, Czech hospitals are still managing the situation, so it is yet to be determined whether it will be necessary to use beds in the neighboring country. However, the prime minister admitted that the free capacity of beds for patients in need of intensive care is very small.

    Ministry of Health spokeswoman Barbora Peterová stated that according to the Act on Foreign Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid, the government must always decide whether the Czech Republic will ask for foreign aid.

    “At this time, it should be at least discussed within the Central Crisis Staff, which is also a possibility that all participants are currently leaning towards as it offers a fast course,” she said.

    The federal governments of Saxony and Bavaria want to arrange the potential transport of Czech COVID-19 patients clinics in Germany through diplomatic channels. Eva-Maria Ungerová, a spokeswoman for the Bavarian government, told the Czech News Agency that such a solution would facilitate the transport organization. The Saxon Ministry of Social Affairs, which is in charge of health care, concurred, emphasizing that coordination was essential due to the heavy workload of Saxon hospitals.

    The first offer of the federal state of Saxony concerns nine available hospital beds, however, each case will be assessed individually, said Petr Kulhánek, the governor of the Karlovy Vary region. The offer of hospital beds in Germany will be included in the statistics of the Czech national dispatch center, he added. The Karlovy Vary region has long asked the government about the possibility of transporting patients to Germany as its hospitals have been overloaded for a long time.

    Transport to Germany and back will be provided by the Czech side. According to Kulhánek, there are medical transport services that have an operating permit for both the Czech and German sides of the border.

    Title image: German Chancellor Angela Merkel wearsa face mask as she arrives for the weeekly cabinet meeting at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2021. (Kay Nietfeld/dpa via AP, Pool)

  • Israel donates COVID-19 vaccine to Czechia in exchange for diplomatic support

    On Tuesday, 5,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine, a gift from the Israeli government, arrived in the Czech Republic, which will use them to vaccinate 2,500 soldiers who will assist in hospital wards with COVID-19 patients.

    Israel has also donated a symbolic number of COVID-19 vaccines to Honduras and Guatemala. The donation is in exchange for diplomatic support of the Jewish state.

    “It is a donation. We will use it to vaccinate soldiers who help with patients in coronavirus units,” said Babiš about the Israeli aid.

    “I have it confirmed that Israel provided us with several thousand doses of vaccine from Moderna,” added Foreign Minister Tomáš Petříče.

    He emphasized that the cooperation between the two countries is very good.

    According to the Israeli media, the first country with which Israel has agreed on the vaccine import was Honduras, which previously announced its intention to move its embassy to Jerusalem.

    Last week, Czech media reported on the letter in which the Czech Prime Minister asked Israel for a donation of COVID-19 vaccine surpluses.

    In the letter, Babiš stressed the “close ties” between the Czech Republic and Israel, pointed out the strengthening of the Czech diplomatic representation in Jerusalem, and stated that Israel is a role model for Czechia when it comes to quick and effective vaccination.

    On Monday, the Czech Foreign Ministry announced that the Czech Embassy in Tel Aviv would open a branch in Jerusalem on March 1.

    President Miloš Zeman, who has long called for the relocation of the embassy to Jerusalem, pushed for more diplomatic support for Israel. However, the government has not yet taken such a step.

    Title image: In this Friday, Feb. 12, 2021, file photo, medical workers move a covid-19 patient into an ambulance at a hospital overrun by the covid pandemic in Cheb, Czech Republic. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek/File)

  • Google agrees to pay some Czech publishers for their content

    Some Czech publishers have signed an agreement with Google on payments for their content published by Google News, but it remains unclear which companies the deal involves.

    The tech giant is to pay for online content through the Google News Showcase licensing program, Google announced on its European Twitter account. More than 300 European publishers have already joined the program.

    “We are negotiating intensively with publishers in the Czech Republic. We have reached the stage of signing a contract with some entities, and further negotiations are underway,” said Czech Google spokeswoman Alžběta Houzarová.

    On Monday, Google announced on Twitter that more than 300 publishers from Germany, the United Kingdom, and the Czech Republic, among others, have joined its Google News Showcase licensing program for paying media for content in Europe.

    However, it is practically impossible to find out which specific Czech publishers have already signed the agreements. They usually respond to questions by admitting they are in negotiations but cannot comment on the results. Negotiations with Google are subject to strict confidentiality agreements.

    According to Václav Mach, the executive director of the Czech Publishers’ Association, a distinction must be made between a license to use the content within the Google News Showcase and a license to use the content to operate a search and display algorithm required under Article 15 of the EU Copyright Directive.

    Czechia has not yet adopted the relevant amendment to the transposition of the directive as the Ministry of Culture is still working to settle the comments. Until the approval of the amendment, Mach does not expect licensing agreements based on the directive.

    “The Publishers’ Association encourages its members to avoid adopting certain unilaterally unfavorable provisions and waiving their other rights in any contractual negotiations for licensing content for the Google News Showcase, which could prevent them from exercising their additional copyrights under adopted Czech legislation in the future,” Mach pointed out.

    In January, Google agreed with a lobbying organization of French publishers on a framework copyright agreement and the terms and conditions under which it should pay news companies for online content.

    On the publishers’ side is Microsoft, which wants to work with them to enforce a system to ensure that leading technology companies pay for news. A protracted battle for payments is now taking place in Australia, where the government wants to ensure tech companies like Google and Facebook pay publishers.

    The EU advanced its copyright rules last year, and these changes allow news publishers to claim compensation for portions of content that appear on Internet platforms. However, according to some MEPs, this system remains too weak, the Financial Times wrote in early February.

    At the end of last year, the Czech Ministry of Culture stated that money from Internet companies required to pay for the use of media content could be distributed in the Czech Republic by collective administrators. The ministry stated that it is not yet clear how much money internet companies should pay to media outlets in the Czech Republic.

    The European directive aims to force internet companies to pay media organizations for the use of their content. According to the amendment, companies such as Google or Facebook must obtain licenses from publishers to use their articles.

  • Czechia to sue Poland over Turów mine

    At the end of February, the Czech Republic will file a lawsuit against Poland over the mining expansion at the Turów lignite mine. As the Czech government decided, the country seek a halt on mining operations.

    The proposal was submitted by the Czech ministries of the environment and foreign affairs. The reason for the lawsuit is mainly the negative impact of mining on the border regions of Hrádek and Frýdlant, where Czech citizens are running out of groundwater, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated.

    The lawsuit to the Court of Justice of the EU is primarily aimed at protecting the rights of Czech citizens. According to the Ministry, the EU’s top court will first consider a motion for interim measures, which could be issued in a matter of weeks.

    Foreign Minister Tomáš Petříček stated that he had tried for a long time to resolve the dispute without a trial, but the negotiations in Warsaw ten days ago did not lead to any results. According to him, mining has a negative daily impact on the lives of tens of thousands of Czechs.

    However, he fears a long trial.

    “Meanwhile, the mine will continue to drain water and dust will continue to pollute the air these people breathe,” he said. That is why, according to him, Czechia will also file a motion for interim measures. If the court agreed, mining would have to stop until the verdict is delivered.

    Czech Minister of the Environment Richard Brabec stated in a press release that the continuation of mining has serious and irreversible negative impacts on the environment in the Czech Republic.

    “Filing a lawsuit, even if it is the most extreme solution, is inevitable. Of course, international negotiations at the diplomatic and professional level with Poland will continue. If Poland accepts our demands, the lawsuit can be withdrawn,“ he said.

    According to Czech Deputy Foreign Minister Martin Smolek, who is also the government’s commissioner representing the Czech Republic before the court, the lawsuit is aimed primarily at violating the rights of Czech citizens.

    “They could not take part in either the permit for the expansion of the mine or the judicial review of this decision. Poland also did not provide the Czech side with the necessary documents related to mining and did not take into account the environmental impact assessment,” he said in a press release.

    Poland will first be allowed to comment in writing on the lawsuit, then the oral part of the trial will begin. The opinion of the advocate general should follow. If the court proceeds to the Czech proposal to hear the case as a matter of priority, the ruling could be handed down in about a year, the ministry said.

    The Polish Turów mine supplies coal mainly to the neighboring power plant. The PGE Group, which owns the mine and the power plant, wants to mine there by 2044. Last March, the Polish climate ministry extended the company’s mining concession by six years. The mine should expand to 30 square kilometers and the Poles plan to mine to a depth of 330 meters. People near the border in the Liberec region, like the people of Saxony, fear increased noise and dust, but mainly water loss.

    In a non-legally binding opinion on the Czech-Polish dispute over Turów in December, the European Commission concluded that the Polish side was incorrectly assessing the impact of the mine on the environment and incorrectly informed neighboring states of its intentions. However, the Czech complaints concerning the impact of mining on drinking water supplies are unfounded given the evidence and arguments presented by both parties, according to the European Commission.

    Title image: A bucket-wheel excavator works in the Garzweiler surface coal mine, Germany, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020. Several activist groups like ‘Friday for Future’ or ‘Ende Gelaende’ will start actions for climate justice in the coming days throughout Germany. The movement demands that the German government phase out coal by 2030 and make Germany carbon neutral by 2035. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

  • Czechia tightens coronavirus measures, introduces mandatory respirators and double-masking

    Starting Thursday, Czechs will have to wear respirators or double face masks in heavily frequented places, Czech Minister of Health Jan Blatný announced.

    People will have to wear them in shops, service establishments, on public transport, and at airports. They will also be mandatory in medical facilities where outpatient care is provided or in cars unless people in the vehicle are members of one household.

    Children from two to 15 years of age do not have to wear a respirator, because according to Minister Blatný, children’s sizes are not available. However, they will have to wear a regular medical face mask.

    People must also wear a medical face mask in other indoor areas or outdoors in the close vicinity to other people. Home-made face masks or scarves will only be allowed in these places until the end of February. After that, Czechs will have to switch to respirators or double-masking.

    There are also some exceptions. For example, children under the age of two or in kindergarten, in children’s homes, or in boarding schools do not have to cover their nose and mouth. The obligation also does not apply to persons with mental disabilities, hospitalized individuals, and some healthcare professionals. The exception further applies to constitutional officials, public transport drivers, court participants, fiancés at a wedding ceremony, actors, dancers, and others when performing creative work, lecturers, and people working in high-temperature workplaces.

    Athletes or people exercising will also be exempted from mask duties during some activities.

    According to Deputy Prime Minister Jan Hamáček, sanctions for violating the coronavirus measures are imposed based on which law has been violated. The police usually impose a fine on the spot or hand the case over for administrative proceedings.

    By tightening the measures, Czechia tries to avoid further escalation of the already deteriorating situation. On Monday, tests detected 11,233 new COVID-19 cases, which is about 2,300 more than a week ago. A total of 6,573 are in hospitals, of which a record 1,329 people are in serious condition. Currently, Czechia is reporting 120,823 active cases.

  • Czech army deployed over 17,000 soldiers to fight pandemic in past year

    The Czech army deployed approximately 17,500 troops during its near year-long fight against the coronavirus pandemic. The military helped in hospitals and social facilities, participated in creating the so-called “Smart Quarantine”, transported medical material, and guarded borders. In the last ten months, soldiers also helped with the testing of more than 71,000 people, the spokesperson of the General Staff Magdalena Dvořáková told Czech News Agency.

    According to Dvořáková, the army joined the fight with coronavirus on March 2, the second day after the confirmation of the first infected in Czechia. At that time, Chief of General Staff Aleš Opata issued an order setting tasks for the army should an epidemic break out in the Czech Republic.

    One of the first deployments was to assist in testing at border crossings, and since mid-March, soldiers and police have been guarding closed borders with neighboring states. In ten rotations, the army sent 9,074 soldiers and 1,171 pieces of equipment to the border.

    Army logistics were also involved in resolving the crisis. In two months, about 400 soldiers covered about 50,000 kilometers and transported 200 tons of material. The Czech Army Air Force also took part, both in transport within the Czech Republic and on flights abroad.

    Last spring, military pilots took part in helping Czech citizens who could not return from abroad due to closed borders. In addition to several military special flights, the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs also used civil aircraft and buses for repatriations, and also provided exemptions for transit.

    In total, from March 14 to April 14, Czech diplomacy aided in the return of more than 5,000 Czechs and 1,000 citizens of other countries, while EU countries provided transportation to 531 Czechs, said Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Zuzana Štíchová. Most of the costs of repatriation flights to the Czech Republic were covered by the European Union.

    The military has also been significantly involved in the Smart Quarantine project. Major General Petr Procházka was appointed head of the central management team, and Colonel Petr Šnajdárek became the “spiritual father” of the Smart Quarantine. In October, President Miloš Zeman awarded him the Medal of Distinguished Service for his work.

    Already during the first wave of the epidemic, soldiers were deployed in two social facilities in Ostrava and Mariánské Lázně, which struggled with a shortage of personnel. During autumn, the possibility of sending soldiers was extended to hospitals, and from Nov. 10, the government increased the maximum number of deployed troops to 900. Soldiers in these facilities perform mainly auxiliary work. Besides, the army has also set aside 400 of its members, so-called combat rescue personnel, who have first-aid training.

    However, the army was provided other tasks as well. At the exhibition center in Letňany, Prague, for example, it built a backup field hospital within eight days. Soldiers and military police also took part in guarding the area around Litovel, which found itself in quarantine, and as of today, military police have also begun to help guard three closed districts in the Karlovy Vary and Hradec Králové regions.

    According to current military estimates, about 17,500 troops were deployed during the year. This is the total number of people sent by the army for each task. At the beginning of this year, 22,636 soldiers served in the army. Another 4,000 troops fall under the Ministry of Defense.

    In addition to pandemic tasks, the military had to continue to perform other duties, including 15 foreign missions.

    Title image: Czech Army 

  • Czechs kids forced to learn from home for longest period of time of all EU nations

    The coronavirus pandemic has hit Czech education particularly hard. Compared to the rest of Europe, Czech children have been studying from home for the longest period of time, and thousands of them have dropped out of the education system completely.

    The autumn wave of the coronavirus pandemic hit Czechia much harder than the spring one, but the data about school closures in the European Union does not reflect that. While countries in which the pandemic killed tens of thousands of people in the spring opened schools in the autumn and remained so until the end of the year, Czechia switched to distance learning in large parts of spring and autumn.

    The UNESCO data, as well as data from individual EU countries, reveal the record-length of remote learning in the Czech Republic. Statistics also show other Czech specifics, such as the different approaches to the 1st and 2nd grades in elementary education. While most states returned the entire first stages of elementary schools to full-time teaching, followed by the second stages in a week or two, Czechia did so only with those first two grades in the first stage. The situation where first and second-graders go to school while third-graders are participating in remote learning is unique in the EU.

    Unlike in the Czech Republic, several countries also follow the epidemic situation in individual regions. For example, Italy, where more than 94,000 people have already succumbed to coronavirus, the country chose full-time teaching for the first stage and remote teaching for the 7th and higher grades in the autumn, but only if the region fell into a so-called red zone.

    In Germany, individual federal states decided whether schools would remain open or closed. Other countries, such as Croatia and Finland, leave the decision to school managers, while Spain or France close schools only if there is an outbreak.

    As a result of the long closure of schools in the spring, 10,000 elementary school students found themselves unable to access the education system as their families did not own the necessary equipment for remote learning.

    “In our country, the influence of the environment from where children come from, on how they work within the system, is enormous. In this respect, we are at the forefront of OECD countries,” said Ondřej Andrys, who is the deputy central school inspector.

    Jiří Hokeš, the principal of one of Prague’s schools, is also wary of the too-long period in which the state relies only on distance learning.

    “We seem to be the country with the longest closed schools in the European Union,” he said, adding that although his school does not face the problem of the children falling out of the education system, the psyche of the children is negatively affected.

    “Furthermore, distance education and its concept deepen the differences between students, scissors are getting wider, and everything primarily depends on the family background of students and how supportive their families are,” concluded Deputy Central School Inspector Ondřej Andrys.

    Title image: A teacher sits in an empty classroom and prepares materials for children at a closed school in Prague, Czech Republic, Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2020. Amid widespread efforts to curb the new wave of coronavirus infections in one of the hardest hit European countries, the Czech Republic closed again all its schools on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

  • Coronavirus: Germany has returned almost 16,000 people crossing from Czech and Tyrol borders

    Last week, German police sent back almost 16,000 people from the Czech Republic and the Austrian federal state of Tyrol who tried to cross the border. Of these, more than 4,500 tried to enter Germany without a negative COVID-19 test.

    According to the Bild am Sonntag daily, police checked more than 104,000 people on their way to Germany between Feb. 14 and Feb. 20.

    The German police also returned people from the border due to the absence of proof of successful online registration or because people did not belong to the groups with an exemption for entering the country.

    Last week, the government in Berlin identified Czechia, Slovakia, and most of Austria’s Tyrol as areas with a high incidence of coronavirus mutations. It also introduced border controls, which led to the formation of multi-kilometer traffic jams on some sections.

    Only German citizens and foreigners with a residence permit can now enter the country. Truck drivers and commuters working in selected sectors, especially in healthcare, are exempted from this measure. However, they must have a coronavirus test not older than 48 hours.

    German Police Chief Dieter Romann expressed satisfaction that the proportion of those refused from the border had been gradually declining since the measures were announced. According to him, people are getting used to the checks and behave by the rules.

    Title image: Federal police officers stand at a rest area on motorway 17 as part of border controls carried out by the Federal Police at the German-Czech border in Bad Gottleuba, Germany, Thursday, Feb. 18, 2021. On the same day, Federal Minister of the Interior Seehofer plans to inform himself about the temporary border controls. (Sebastian Kahnert/dpa via AP)

  • Migrants found in a truck in Czechia, one infected with UK COVID-19 variant

    On Monday, police discovered eight illegal migrants in a truck in Pardubice in the northeast of Czechia. Although some of them claimed to still be children, police immediately ruled that out in all but one of them and took them to a detention facility. One of the foreigners had the UK COVID-19 variant.

    The truck arrived in Pardubice on Monday. According to the police, none of the migrants tried to run away. The detainees also had to take a coronavirus test, according to Novinky.cz.

    “One of the detained foreigners had a positive test result with suspicion of the so-called UK variant. Of course, all detainees must remain in quarantine,” police spokeswoman Eva Maturová said on Thursday.

    Furthermore, four of the foreigners claimed that they were not yet 18 years old. Because they did not have any documents, an expert assessment of their age was made, which showed that only one of them was a teenager.

    Migrants often lie about their age as it is harder to deport those under 18 and in many nations underage migrants receive more generous benefits.

    Five of the foreigners have already ended up in the Czech detention facility, and the other ones will follow. The Social and Legal Protection of Children office took custody of the youngest migrant.

    The spokeswoman also noted that since the beginning of the year, 38 illegal migrants, mostly from Afghanistan, had been detained in the Pardubice region. Almost all of them were registered as asylum seekers in Romania and all said that their destination country was Germany or France.

    Title image: Police of the Czech Republic uses heart rate detectors to find migrants hidden in trucks (Police of the Czech Republic / Twitter)

  • PM Babiš sends letter to Israel asking for excess vaccines

    In a letter to his Israeli counterpart, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš has requested excess vaccines that Israel would not use, pointing out the close ties between the Czech Republic and Israel.

    Czech President Miloš Zeman publicly said a few weeks ago that he and Babiš had written to Israel for help in organizing a vaccination campaign. The Jewish state is widely seen as the best in the world vaccinating its population against COVID-19, with almost half of the Israeli population already receiving at least one dose of the vaccine.

    In the correspondence, Czech officials explicitly asked the Israelis for vaccines.

    In both letters, the president and prime minister refer to special Czech-Israeli relations and recall the strengthening of the Czech diplomatic mission in Jerusalem, where Czechia, unlike most European Union countries, will open an embassy branch on March 1.

    “I would consider it a proof of our continued excellent relations if we could make the most of the Israeli experience in the Czech Republic. Also, we would very much appreciate if the amount of vaccines delivered to the State of Israel exceeded the demand among Israeli citizens, the surplus could be used in the Czech Republic,“ wrote Babiš in a letter to his counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu.

    “We want to learn from the best – which is why we would like to use Israeli know-how in securing vaccines and managing vaccination. The Czech government and Prime Minister Andrej Babiš personally are ready to start negotiations with the Israeli side immediately,” reads, among other things, the presidential letter addressed to the head of the Jewish state.

    Zeman’s letter closely parallels Babiš’.

    “The Czech Republic, which has long been one of Israel’s most determined allies and friends, would therefore like to strengthen cooperation with Israel in this area. We are interested in sharing and transferring Israeli experience and best practices with the provision and distribution of vaccines as well as the vaccination organization of the population itself. Of course, we would only use Israel’s capacity after the progress in vaccinating the local population allowed it,” Zeman’s letter reads.

    Czechia has been struggling with a shortage of vaccines since the beginning of the year. So far, half a million Czechs have been vaccinated against COVID-19, which is about 5 percent of the population.

    Vaccines arrive in the Czech Republic through contracts concluded by the European Commission on behalf of EU member states with manufacturers whose vaccine has been approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). So far, there are three vaccines available: Pfizer / BioNTech, AstraZeneca, and Moderna.

    Cyprus also interested in Israeli vaccination doses

    Cyprus is also in the theoretical waiting list for Israeli vaccination doses. The Brussels-based EurActiv news outlet quoted Cypriot Prime Minister Nicos Anastasiades saying that he saw no discrepancy in his request for Israeli vaccines and his country’s EU commitment — allegedly because Israel was vaccinating with EMA-approved vaccines.

    If the Israelis heed the Czech request, the vaccines can be expected to be delivered in a matter of weeks at the earliest.

    “We are in contact with the Israeli side, and we are working on cooperation in the field of vaccination,” said the director of the Office of the Government, Tünde Bartha, without further details.

    While Cyprus is close to Israel geographically, Czechia is betting on its alliance, which is also mentioned in the quoted letters from Czech officials.

    In their correspondence, the prime minister and the president explicitly mention the strengthening of the Czech diplomatic presence in Jerusalem. This is an important issue for Israelis, but from an international perspective, it is a highly sensitive one. Both Israel and the Palestinians claim the city as their capital. Until the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is resolved, the states were supposed to keep embassies in Tel Aviv.

    This diplomatic rule was broken by former US President Donald Trump when he had the US embassy moved to Jerusalem in 2018. His successor to the White House, Joe Biden, said in the election campaign that he would not relocate the embassy back.

    “I consider one of the many examples of our long-standing and very deep friendship, among other things, that the Czech Republic, as one of the few countries, is gradually strengthening its diplomatic presence in Jerusalem. We have already opened the Czech House there and recently promoted it to a representation with diplomatic status,” Babiš also wrote.

    As mentioned, Czech diplomacy will open an office there in two weeks as a branch of the Czech Embassy in Tel Aviv. Of the EU member states, only Hungary, which has a business office there within its embassy in the Jewish state, has taken a similar step. President Zeman has long been pushing for the Czech embassy to move to Jerusalem.

    Title image: Czech Republic’s Prime Minister Andrej Babis, left, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands during a press conference after their meeting in Jerusalem, Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2019. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit, Pool)

  • EU pumps billions into gender policy but fails to achieve desired results

    A Czech academic is calling into question the European Union’s billion-euro investments in so-called gender equality policy, saying it is not delivering the results that those in Brussels originally envisioned.

    Jitka Fialová, from the Faculty of Health and Social Studies of the University of South Bohemia, recently caught attention with her lecture at the QAK 2021 conference which questioned the poor results of gender equality in the countries that champion it the most. 

    Comparing the data, Fialová concluded that in many countries that are at the top of the gender equality ladder, the situation of women is paradoxically worse in some respects than in those countries that do not emphasize gender issues as much. In an interview with Czech news portal Info.cz, Fialová explained why, in her opinion, this finding should lead to a change.

    “I juxtaposed data from countries where there is very high equality of women and men, which are the Nordic countries or the countries of Western Europe, as opposed to Central and Eastern Europe, where the so-called gender equality index does not reach such values. I compared, for example, the very credible Eurostat statistics on domestic violence, rapes, murders of women, or recognized studies on women quotas in management positions. And it turned out that there is a discrepancy between theory and reality,” Fialová said, explaining the findings presented in her lecture.

    Gender equality but higher rates of violence against women

    According to her, that data proves that in countries that are considered the most progressive by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), the highest number of cases of the most serious forms of violence against women per capita takes place.

    In the interview, Fialová mentioned, for example, England and Wales, which are countries considered to be leaders in promoting progressive gender policies. However, in these countries, statisticians record by far the highest number of cases of sexual violence per 100,000 inhabitants, a total of 275 per 100,000, of which 90 percent are against women. In Sweden — again considered a model of the gender equality pursuit — these numbers are also high. There are 190 cases of sexual violence and 75 rapes per 100,000 inhabitants.

    “In the Czech Republic, there are about 13 cases of sexual violence and six rapes per 100,000 inhabitants. At the same time, we are certainly not considered to be at the top in the pursuit of equality. In the EU, we are sixth-to-last,” added Fialová.

    When asked whether this discrepancy manifests in other areas, as well, Fialová confirmed such a thought. She pointed out that, for example, in the Nordic countries, despite introducing a mandatory 40 percent quota for women, there are only 13 percent of women in management positions in the private sector. There are no quotas in Central Europe, but about 32 percent of women are in the top working posts.

    “It seems that the energy and resources spent on the implementation of these measures do not correspond to the overall result,” Fialová pointed out.

    ‘One size cannot fit all’

    “The gender equality movement, promoted especially by feminists, provides exactly the same guidelines for achieving gender equality in all countries. In other words, proponents of this policy seem to believe that the same goal can be achieved by the same means everywhere. Gender audits, gender budgeting, gender monitoring, planning, indicators should help everywhere … There are quite a few of those tools. But one size cannot always fit all,” emphasized Fialová.

    The EU has set aside €6.17 billion for the ​​gender policy in the 2014–2020 Multiannual Financial Framework.

    “In the next period, the amount will probably be even higher, because the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, is very much in favor of this policy. There is a huge political will to promote gender mainstreaming in all EU policies,” said Fialová.

    She further explained that within the EU, gender policy really has above-standard support. There are MEPs who criticize it, but they are usually outvoted. According to Fialová, those who feed on the gender area do not want to give up their income, especially as the EU financially supports the gender policy. And so they interpret numbers in the statistics completely differently than do the critics of this policy, Fialová pointed out.

    So why does she think the gender equality programs are failing to such an extent? Probably because they are too strong-willed, not based on natural needs, and do not expect at all that a man and a woman can simply agree to create conditions that suit both genders, Fialová believes.

    “It seems to me that current proponents of feminism want laws, obligations, division of roles based on a 50:50 quota in every area. As if this could be ordered and enforced. The most radical ones even criticize women who are comfortable with spending time with their children and do not want a career or enter politics, that is, those women who disagree with them and do not want quotas but prefer being evaluated based on their capabilities. That does not lead to greater freedom, but, on the contrary, an even greater subjugation. At the same time, the pressure for equality can directly hamper women’s growth,” Fialová concluded.

    Title image: European Commissioner for Values and Transparency Vera Jourova, center, speaks during a media conference on the Gender Equality Strategy at EU headquarters in Brussels, Thursday, March 5, 2020. At right is European Commissioner for Equality Helena Dalli. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

  • Czechia scores defense industry victory with sale of 12 jets to Vietnam

    The first major international sales success has been announced for the Czech military aircraft manufacturer Aero Vodochody Aerospace (AVA) with their next generation training or light attack aircraft. The new L-39NG jet is the latest offering by the reputable — yet less well-known company — which has been producing aircraft since 1919.

    The company has just announced the sale of 12 jets to the Vietnamese Air Force through Omnipol, a Czech supplier of defense and security technology. This is an important development for the manufacturer that had invested large amounts into the development of their next-generation aircraft. The first international order will not only mean prestige for the developers, but will free up further financial resource for building up its manufacturing capabilities. Aero Vodochody Aerospace (AVA), as other defense manufacturers, have been negatively affected by the coronavirus pandemic and the sale of 12 aircraft will certainly be welcome news.

    The first flight of the L-39NG was only as far back as 2018, and final development is still thought to be ongoing. The aircraft is a further evolution of one of the most successful military aircrafts of all times, the Albatros L-39, of which over 2,900 have been manufactured during the Cold War.

    The new Czech model will receive a so-called wet wing, that is, fuel tanks inside the wing, and will lose its predecessor’s distinctive wingtip storage. It is powered by an FJ-44 Williams turbofan engine, which is basically an engine used in light business jets.

    The aircraft can carry a crew of two, and has a maximum takeoff weight of 5.8 tons. It is subsonic and can reach speeds of up to 775 kilometers per hour with the range of 2,590 kilometers. Although at present it is only offered in a training configuration, it is believed that it can be used as a light attack setup with an external gunpod capable of carrying a range of laser guided air-to-ground weapons. The price of the aircraft without training and infrastructure is thought to be around $10 million.

    Interestingly, the order will be delivered to Vietnam’s “Julius Fučík“ training squadron named after a Czech communist writer and poet. The trainee pilots will gradually progress from the US-made turboprop aircraft, the T-6 Texan, to the L-39NG, before continuing on to a higher performance Russian-made training and light attack aircraft, the JAK 130. Vietnam’s main fighter jet will be the Russian Su-30MK2V.

    The 12 aircraft will be delivered between 2023-24. Omnipol has also signed a contract for creating training facilities for the Vietnamese air force, supplying instructors and spare parts for the project. The transfer of training equipment and service facilities to the Tuy Hoa base, where the 910 training squadron is based is thought to start as early as next year. The entire contract is calculated to be worth around $240 million.

    Omnipol is the joint co-owners of AVA with the company of Hungarian entrepreneur András Tombor. The sale of 50 percent of the company to the Hungarian businessman was announced last year, which raises hopes that the aircraft may see service in the Hungarian Air Force sometime in the future. Indeed, apart from the Czech Air Force, which is potentially interested in four aircraft for its own needs, a number of international customers have expressed their interest regarding the relatively cheap, but modern and aircraft. Hungarian pilots have tested the L-39NG at their own bases in Hungary, while neighboring Slovakia, Senegal and the Portuguese company SkyTech have already expressed serious interest. Negotiations are also being conducted with Thailand and the Philippines.

    Many believe that it would be near impossible for Aero to repeat their Cold War success with the original Albatros aircraft with their new offering. They are facing a strong competition from modern manufacturers with incomparably deeper pockets such as Boeing, Irkut Corporation and Alenia Aermacchi. Yet, the initial success of the L-39NG project is a source of national pride for a small country like Czechia, and if further sales would roll in, a decent source of profit will follow as well.

  • Czech Cardinal Duka calls coronavirus a ‘Chinese biological weapon’

    The Archbishop of Prague, Cardinal Dominik Duka, called coronavirus a “Chinese biological weapon” during his sermon in St. Vitus Cathedral in early February. Duka added that military experts know the origin of coronavirus, but they do not want or cannot talk about that. However, according to the Archdiocese of Prague, Duka’s statement was taken out of context.

    Most researchers believe that the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, has been transmitted to humans from bats or other animals and that it probably originated in the southwest of China. The ruling Chinese Communist Party claims the virus originated abroad, however, scientists reject this theory.

    It was not until January of this year that a World Health Organization team arrived in China to investigate the origins of the COVID-19 virus and how it spread to humans. In its report, the WHO team stated that it did not deal in detail with the idea of whether the coronavirus could not leak from a laboratory but called this theory extremely unlikely.

    On the other hand, most US intelligence agencies believe that the virus originated from a lab in Wuhan. Furthermore, the former director of the National Intelligence, John Ratcliffe, has called the WHO’s findings into question, saying that there is signfiicant evidence the virus came from a lab in China. 

    “Now, in this situation, the worst is the Chinese virus, the leaked biological weapon. All military experts around the world are convinced of that but are either afraid to say it or cannot talk about it. (…) But for Christians, the situation is the same as before. We have to cross the line of death. Just like after birth, when we ended up in the arms of our mother, we will end up in the arms of God,” Duka said in his sermon.

    Immunologist Václav Hořejší objected to Duke’s claim

    “What I have heard is absolutely scandalous. Mr. Duka is becoming a spreader of fake news. I am also a Catholic, and I am ashamed and embarrassed that our Church is headed by such a person,” he told CNN Prima News.

    According to Hořejší, people, who consider the coronavirus to be artificially created, say so only for political or ideological reasons.

    In the Czech Republic, the coronavirus epidemic broke out last March, and since then, almost 1.1 million people have become infected. Of this number, 18,430 have died. Currently, the number of active COVID-19 cases exceeds 106,000.


    Title image: In this picture taken in Prague, Czech Republic, Monday, April 30, 2012, Archbishop of Prague Dominik Duka blesses a new bell called Dominik, one of three bells that replaced original ones confiscated by the military In the middle of the WWI. All seven bells at the Gothic St. Vitus Cathedral, the country’s biggest and most famous church, tolled together Saturday May 12, 2012, for the first time since 1916. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

  • Czech manufacturer to supply 10 locomotives to Poland

    The Polish national carrier PKP Intercity will buy ten new engine locomotives from the Czech manufacturer CZ Loko after signing a contract worth 220 million korunas (€8.5 million).

    The ten shunting locomotives will be used for maneuvering work and assembling wagon sets on sidings.

    The information was confirmed by Jan Bárta, a member of the CZ Loko board of directors.

    “We won the contract, but we have not yet signed the contract. Nevertheless, we expect that this will happen soon,” said Bárta, the son of the majority owner of CZ Loko, Josef Bárta. The delivery of locomotives will be completed within two years and the first locomotive will arrive in Poland in August 2022. As part of the delivery, CZK Loko will also retrain employees of the Polish carrier.

    “As a group, we approach the modernization of the Polish railways comprehensively. We do not only take care of the reconstruction of the station, the modernization of the tracks, and the fleet of new trains, but we also invest in infrastructure and technical service,“ commented PKP head Krzysztof Mamiński on the transaction.

    According to Maniński, the contract with CZ Loko is the first this year. But in the coming months, PKP is preparing another, all within its investment program, which is the largest in the history of Polish Railways.

    The Polish national carrier PKP is going to invest 19 billion zloty (€4.2 billion) in the modernization by 2030. There will be new wagons, locomotives, electric traction units. CZ Loko is eager to participate in this program.

    “We are definitely interested in bidding for further contracts on the Polish market. The competition is strong there because there are several local producers, but I believe that we will succeed,” added Bárta.

    CZ Loko grew last year despite the pandemic. In the fiscal year ending in September 2020, the company increased its turnover to 2.8 billion korunas (€108.4 million), which is an increase of 15 percent. Profit after tax was 87 million korunas (€3.34 million).  

    The history of the company is connected with railway workshops in Česká Třebová and Jihlava and dates back to the 19th century. 

    The majority owner of CZ Loko with 51 percent is the company’s founder, Josef Bárta, and the rest is held by the Czech branch of the German engineering group Zeppelin. The company employs about 760 people in its facilities in Česká Třebová and Jihlava and in its service centers in Lovosice, Mladá Boleslav, Letohrad, and Ostrava. It has subsidiaries in Poland and Italy.

    Title image: In this Monday, Oct. 14, 2019 photo a CSX locomotive rests on railroad tracks at a rail yard, in Framingham, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

  • President Zeman would prefer following the ‘Hungarian path’ of accepting Russia’s vaccine

    According to Ivan Bartoš, chairman of the Pirate Party, President Miloš Zeman wants Czechia to use only COVID-19 vaccines approved by the European Medicines Agency, however, he also prefers the “Hungarian path”, referring to Hungary purchasing the Russian Sputnik V vaccine.

    Bartoš met with Zeman on Tuesday afternoon at the president’s office at the Prague Castle. After the meeting, Bartoš said that it would be sufficient for Zeman if the Sputnik V vaccine was approved by the State Institute for Drug Control (SÚKL).

    Only a few days ago, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš went to Hungary to learn about the nation’s experiences with the Sputnik V vaccine.

    On Feb. 11, the State Institute for Drug Control stated that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) had not yet received an application for a rolling review or registration of Sputnik V.

    According to the Pirates chairman, this matter is not a geopolitical issue but a health one.

    “I think that all vaccines that will be used here should be approved by a European agency,” said Bartoš, disagreeing with the president.

    The Pirate Party, as well as other members of the opposition, did not support the government’s proposal to extend the state of emergency last Thursday. Zeman expressed his dissatisfaction with the Chamber of Deputies’ decision, noting that people’s health and lives are at stake.

    Title image: President Miloš Zeman and the chairman of the Pirate Party Ivan Bartoš (President’s spokesman Jiří Ovčáček / Twitter)

  • Czechia to send millions of aid to help migrants in their country of origin

    This year, Czechia will send 140 million korunas (€5.45 million) from the On-Site Assistance program mainly to the Western Balkans and Jordan to relieve these countries from strong migratory pressures or to assist refugees in their countries of origin.

    Central European countries like Czechia and Hungary have long advocated sending aid to countries where migrants come from in under to reduce the pressure on Europe’s borders.

    In addition, the Medevac health and humanitarian program with aid totaling 55 million korunas (€2.14 million) will go to international organizations that help in Iraq, Mauritania, and Nigeria, according to Eurozpravy.cz. 

    As the Czech Ministry of Interior stated in a press release, the goals of both programs include sending medical teams to problematic areas, building medical infrastructure, providing direct assistance to refugees, and fighting against illegal migration.

    A total of 50 million korunas (€1.94 million) will go to Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, and Serbia this year. The aim is to strengthen the countries’ capacities in asylum policy, receiving migrants, and their integration or return to their home countries.

    Czechia plans to donate another 25 million korunas (€973,087) to Jordan on stabilizing the situation of Syrian refugees in the country. The same amount will go to the wider Sahel region, namely Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Senegal. The money will be used to stabilize the situation of refugees and migrants, and to support the countries’ asylum, migration, and border systems. The aim is to help vulnerable people and prevent illegal migration to Europe.

    The remaining 40 million korunas (€1.55 million) consist of two parts. One of them is a financial contribution of 25 million korunas (€973,087) to a joint project of the Visegrád Four countries and Germany in Morocco. The plan is to increase Morocco’s border protection capacity. The remaining 15 million korunas (€583,494) are for emergencies.

    According to preliminary data from Frontex, 124,000 migrants and refugees arrived in Europe last year, amounting to a 13-percent decrease compared to the previous year. According to the Interior Ministry, this was mainly a consequence of measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Frontex’s data shows that citizens of Syria, Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria were those arriving in Europe most often.

    The money from the Medevac program will be used in Iraq to improve access to reproductive, maternity, postpartum, and neonatal health care in western Mosul decimated by war. In Mauritania, the financial aid will support a project targeting patients from the Mbera refugee camp. In Nigeria, the money will go into rehabilitation and orthopedic services.

    Title image: Migrants wait in a line to receive handouts of food and warm beverages, at the Lipa camp, outside Bihac, Bosnia, Monday, Jan. 11, 2021. (AP Photo/Kemal Softic)

  • Revolutionary discovery: The oldest script of the Slavs isn’t the Glagolitic, but Germanic runes

    Until now, the oldest script of the Slavic people living in Central Europe was considered to be the Glagolitic, which was brought to Moravia by missionaries Constantine and Methodius from Byzantium in the 9th century. However, a new archaeological discovery proves that the Slavs came into contact with German runes — which they used, for example, for counting or divination — even before the introduction of the Glagolitic alphabet.

    Underlining the revolutionary nature of the discovery, the new finding also calls into question the distinct cultural difference between the Germanic and Slavic parts of Europe.

    The new finding stems from an animal rib discovered by archaeologists in the locality of Lány in the southeast of Czechia together with pottery associated with Slavic tribes.

    “The inscribed bone, which we found in 2017, was examined in detail by an international team of scientists from the Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, and Australia. The study determined it is the oldest inscription discovered among the Slavic peoples which is an unprecedented success not only in Czech research but also in the whole Europe,” said Jiří Macháček, head of the Department of Archeology and Museology at the Faculty of Arts of Masaryk University.

    The researchers used the latest genetic and radiocarbon methods to analyze the bone. The age of the inscription was confirmed by the tracing method and electron scanning microscopy.

    The engraved characters were identified by the Old Germanic language specialist Robert Nedoma from the University of Vienna as runes of an older futhark. It is a script used by the Germanic-speaking population of Central Europe from the second to the seventh century AD.

    The alphabet of the older futhark consisted of 24 characters, of which the last seven were engraved on the broken rib. It can be assumed that originally, the whole runic alphabet was on the bone. So it was not a specific message, but rather a teaching aid, as evidenced by some errors in writing.

    Until now, it was not clear whether there were any direct contacts between the Germanic Lombards, who left Central Europe for Italy in the 6th century, and the Slavs, who gradually prevailed in the former Germanic territory. The bone at the Slavic site — although it is not possible to find out who carved runes on it — testifies to direct contact, the scientists say.

    The discovery again draws attention to the remark of the Bulgarian Old Slavic monk Chrabr, who lived at the turn of the 9th and 10th centuries and belonged to the Preslav literary school. In his tract “About letters”, Chrabr wrote that the pagan Slavs did not yet have a script, but counted and made divinations with “sketches and incisions”. Now, it is clear that Chrabr could have been referring to the runic alphabet.

    “The fact that this is the oldest evidence of writing of the Slavs is, of course, interesting for almost 300 million people who speak one of the Slavic languages,” Jiří Macháček pointed out.

    Title image: Germanic runes (Pixabay)

  • German carmakers worry closed Czech borders could halt production

    The German car industry worries that stricter border controls, restrictions on entry to the country, and COVID-19 tests on the borders with the Czech Republic and Austria will result in significant supply problems and that factories will have to reduce or even stop production.

    According to the Handelsblatt economic daily, a spokesman for the German Automobile Industry Association (VDA) voiced these fears on Sunday.

    “The plants in Ingolstadt, Regensburg, Dingolfing, Zwickau, and Leipzig are the first to be affected,” added a VDA spokesman. BMW is counting on a possible cessation of production.

    The automotive industry has expressed its dissatisfaction with complicated COVID-19 testing at the border, and is currently waiting for capacity to be built up at the border. The auto industry also wants quick tests to be sufficient for trucker drivers to cross into Germany. 

    “We understand strong measures, but the introduction of mandatory testing for truck drivers is not possible to carry out at all,” a VDA spokesman told Bild, fearing a halt in supplies to the German car industry.

    “Many parts for the production of cars in German factories are delivered from Austria and the Czech Republic on time or on schedule directly to the assembly line. If there are long traffic jams at the border due to testing and registration obligations, the supply chain will be likely broken, followed shortly by the cessation of production at many car factories in Germany. If there is no supply of material, the first production lines will be inoperable after a few hours,“ the VDA statement said.

    However, the Volkswagen Group emphasized that it did not expect any restrictions in Saxony on Monday.

    Title image: In this Dec. 19, 2012 file picture an employee work’s on a new BMW luxury car at the production line of the German car manufacturer’s plant in Dingolfing near Munich, southern Germany. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

  • Czechia negotiates additional AstraZeneca vaccines without the EU

    Despite AstraZeneca objecting to Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš’s statement about the possibility to get extra supplies of vaccines through a private intermediary, as the Seznam Zprávy online daily discovered, direct negotiations with the Czech government are underway.

    These are deliveries that would go beyond the order negotiated jointly by the European Commission.

    In the European Union, the principle of joint negotiations on vaccines applies but jointly agreed orders for vaccines are accompanied by complications in all three companies certified in the EU — AstraZeneca, Pfizer / BioNTech, and Moderna.

    “The Ministry of Health was approached by representatives of AstraZeneca for the Czech Republic with an offer of vaccines. We are thus in contact with AstraZeneca, and we are discussing other details, especially the number of doses, the delivery date, and the price,“ said Barbora Peterová, spokeswoman for the Czech Ministry of Health.

    In the case of AstraZeneca, Czechia already has 3 million doses of vaccine reserved according to the EU agreement, and now more deliveries could come.

    According to Peterová, it will also be important when these “extra” deliveries could arrive.

    “The ministry will use any legal offer of vaccines that are approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA), especially at a time when this would mean faster deliveries and faster vaccination of the population,” the spokeswoman added.

    The Czech Ambassador to the European Union, Edita Hrdá, points out that Czechia, together with other EU Member States and the European Commission, has previously agreed not to negotiate bilaterally with manufacturers with whom the Commission is negotiating.

    “We know that the Ministry of Health received an offer directly from the manufacturer AstraZeneca to buy the vaccine. It is now being verified whether direct purchase is possible given the above-mentioned commitment and also what possibilities the contract signed between the Commission and the manufacturer gives at all,” said Hrdá.

    Last week, Babiš reacted to rumors about negotiations with the British-Swedish vaccine manufacturer and rather rejected them. He spoke of alleged offers from the black market.

    “At a time when AstraZeneca refused to supply the EU with 80 million vaccines, we have repeatedly received offers — and not just me, but other three prime ministers in Europe — for that vaccine. Some company, some intermediary from Dubai. Payment 50 percent in advance,“ described Babiš.

    The fact that the topic of possible solo negotiations on vaccines is thorny is also evidenced by the fact that it was also discussed at a press briefing of the European Commission.

    “Purchasing and delivering vaccines from our portfolio is part of a strategy that has been running since June last year. This takes place in the framework of coordinated cooperation between the European Commission and member states. Companies from our vaccination portfolio are part of it. We can’t say more about that,“ said Stefan de Keersmaecker, spokesman for the European Commissioner for Health.

    The Czech Foreign Minister, Tomáš Petříček, stated that, in general, EU member states are not limited in any way and can conclude their own contracts.

    “Of course, a coordinated EU approach is a priority at this time, but in the future, the country must also secure its own supplies,” he said.

    The European Medicines Agency approved the vaccine developed in the laboratories of the University of Oxford at the end of January as the third after Pfizer and Moderna. So far, about 40,000 doses have arrived in the Czech Republic from AstraZeneca, and according to the ministry, 175 people have been vaccinated with this British-Swedish vaccine.

    AstraZeneca’s vaccine has a logistical advantage as it does not need to be stored in temperatures below freezing. It can be stored in the refrigerator, which makes its distribution cheaper and easier.

    On the other hand, several European countries have stated that they will not use AstraZeneca to vaccinate seniors over the age of 65.

    For example, Germany, France, Austria, or Sweden have issued this recommendation in recent weeks, stating that more data are needed for vaccination of the elderly.

    However, the European Medicines Agency recommended that AstraZeneca be approved without setting an age limit for its use.

    Czechia also did not set an age limit, but the Vaccine Society recommended using other vaccines to vaccinate people over the age of 55 until AstraZeneca is proved effective in this age group. The AstraZeneca vaccine is, therefore, particularly suitable for healthcare professionals at this time.

    Title image: A health worker prepares a dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine to be administered at a vaccination center set up in Fiumicino near Rome’s international airport, Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. AstraZeneca is of the three vaccines authorized by the European Medicines Agency for use in the 27-nation bloc, the other two are Pfizer-BioNtech and Moderna. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

  • The Czech CZG buys US Colt Holding Company

    Česká zbrojovka Group (CZG) has signed an agreement to buy a 100 percent stake in the US Colt Holding Company. CZG will pay $220 million and transfer 1,098,620 of newly issued shares.

    Colt Holding Company LLC is the parent company of the US arms manufacturer Colt’s Manufacturing Company, LLC. The transaction has yet to be approved by regulatory authorities.

    “This merger is a strategic step for both companies. The acquisition of the Colt company, an iconic brand and a staple in the armed forces and civilian markets worldwide, fits perfectly into our strategy to become a leader in the firearms industry and a key partner for the armed forces,” said Lubomír Kovařík, chairman of the Board and CEO of CZG.

    “We are proud to include the Colt company in our portfolio as the company has stood side by side with the US military for more than 175 years,” he added.

    CZG pointed out that, thanks to the acquisition, it will acquire significant production capacities in the United States and Canada and expand its global customer network. Colt is a long-term supplier to the US military and, through its Canadian subsidiary, also the exclusive supplier of small arms to military units in Canada.

    “We are very pleased with the prospect of this strategic connection. In the last five years, we have achieved a historic turnover in Colt’s operating and financial results, and this important step with CZG will allow us to take advantage of significant opportunities for growth,” said Dennis Veilleux, the CEO for Colt Holding Company.

    CZG is one of the leading European manufacturers of small arms for the armed forces, personal defense, hunting, sport shooting, and other civilian uses. It employs about 1,650 people in the Czech Republic, the United States and Germany.


    Title image: M4 Colt rifles are produced at the Colt Defense Plant in Hartford, Conn., Thursday, March 27, 2008. The carbine rifle is used by tens of thousands of U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. For well over a decade, the military has relied on Colt Defense of Hartford, Conn. to make the M4 rifles. (AP Photo/Richard Lardner)

  • Germany lists Czechia among areas with dangerous coronavirus variants

    Germany has included the Czech Republic on a list of foreign territories carrying dangerous coronavirus variants. Under new restrictions, which go into effect on Sunday, only workers in healthcare and other critical infrastructure will be allowed to travel across borders. Germany is also likely to introduce temporary border controls.

    The German Federal Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Interior and Health decide jointly on which territories will be included on the list and the corresponding travel restrictions. Travellers arriving from other countries where mutations are known to be in circulation, such as Great Britain and Portugal, are required to register and submit to on-arrival testing.

    Since January 24, Germany has considered Czechia to be an epidemically high-risk area, due to the high rate of infection in the country.

    A stricter assessment means that people can only travel to Germany with a negative coronavirus test and a mandatory quarantine upon arrival. Those commuting across the border had been exempt from quarantine and were required only to be tested twice a week in Saxony and every 48 hours in Bavaria. However, Saxony has now decided to tighten the measures.

    Permission to travel directly to work without stopping

    Since Thursday, the Bavarian border districts of Tirschenreuth, Cham, and Neustadt an der Waldnaab have tightened the regime for commuters. Czech cross-border workers are allowed to travel directly to their workplace without stopping and then return immediately to the Czech Republic.

    Bavarian Prime Minister Marcus Söder did not rule out the possibility of closing the border with the Czech Republic in an interview with ZDF television on Wednesday evening. On Thursday, the prime minister said that it should be possible to travel to Bavaria only with a negative test.

    Furthermore, taking the test only upon arrival should not be sufficient. The PM considered it very likely that such a solution would be chosen and that Munich was negotiating with the federal government on the matter. “This will greatly improve our security,” he said.

    Bavaria fears that cross-border workers will introduce more contagious mutations into Bavaria. These strains exist not only in the Czech Republic but also in the Alpine region of Tyrol.

    Title image: Police stop a car to check documents of a driver near the city of Sokolov, Czech Republic, Friday, Feb. 12, 2021. Almost 600 police officers were deployed to enforce a complete lockdown of the three hardest-hit counties on the border with Germany and Poland to help contain a fast-spreading variant of the coronavirus originally found in Britain. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

  • Czechia records first suspected death after a COVID-19 vaccination

    The COVID-19 vaccination is being eyed in the death of a Czech senior in a new report received by the Czech State Institute for Drug Control (SÚKL). At the time of his death, the senior was, however, in the terminal stage of another disease, said the director of SÚKL, Irena Storová. The institute will start investigating the suspicion that his death, which happened shortly after he received the vaccine, may have been caused by the vaccine. 

    The senior received the first dose of vaccination on Jan. 9, but Storová did not indicate what type of COVID-19 vaccine it was, however, only the vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech was available in the Czech Republic at the time. Since the start of vaccination against the new coronavirus, the institute has so far received around 530 reports of possible vaccine side effects. According to the director of SÚKL, this corresponds to the number expected in advance.

    Prime Minister Andrej Babiš considers it crucial for Czechia to complete the first phase of vaccination, in which vaccines were given to doctors, people in nursing homes, and social care facilities without registration.

    “So that we already have a unified system for reserving the vaccine,”Babiš said.

    From mid-January, people over the age of 80 can apply for vaccination in the Czech Republic. Babiš promised over the weekend that he would propose starting registration for people over the age of 60 from March.

    The Czech Republic is not currently considering using the Russian vaccine against COVID-19, Sputnik V, before it is approved by the European authorities. However, Czechia could pre-order the vaccine and gain an advantage if the European Medicines Agency (EMA) issues its recommendation.

  • Czechia and Slovakia report highest daily increases in COVID-19 cases in Central Europe

    Czechia and Slovakia report the highest daily increases in COVID-19 cases per capita, while Austria, Hungary, and Poland are better off, said Slovak Minister of Health Marek Krajčí regarding five Central European countries.

    “In the Czech Republic and Slovakia, the curve has rounded up and tends to grow, which is not good news,“ commented the Slovak health minister on the development of the epidemic situation in Central Europe.

    According to the analysis of the Slovak Ministry of Health, Czechia recorded the most new cases of infection per day in the previous two weeks per 100,000 inhabitants, specifically 910. Slovakia came in second with 410.

    In contrast, Hungary, Poland, and Austria had from 178 to 213 new cases of coronavirus per 100,000 population.

    Krajčí said that the government of Prime Minister Igor Matovič should deal with how to control people who come to the country from abroad. For example, when traveling from the Czech Republic to Slovakia, people have to register electronically, with a few exceptions, and if they do not have a coronavirus test, they should be quarantined and subsequently pass the test. However, Slovakia does not carry out general controls at its borders with its EU neighbors.

    The Slovak minister confirmed the previously announced change in the country’s vaccination plan. As of the coming weekend, 40,000 full-time teachers will be vaccinated against COVID-19, providing full-time teaching in schools, as well as staff for so-called critical infrastructure. The current rules provided that after health workers or clients and employees of nursing homes, residents would be vaccinated according to age, with preference given to the older generation. From March, the country plans to open mass vaccination centers, where people will be vaccinated with a vaccine from AstraZeneca.

    Title image: Medical workers examine the rapid antigen tests for the coronavirus in Prague, Czech Republic, Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020. The voluntary testing that is free of charge has started on Wednesday at hundreds of sites across the country and will last till Jan 15. The Czech Republic has been facing a rise in new coronavirus infections in December. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

  • Czechia to introduce strict penalties for breaching coronavirus measures

    In the future, Czech police are expected to gain access to a list of people and even businesses who repeatedly violate coronavirus measures in an effort to bring down the deaths and infections that have assailed the country.

    On Monday, the amendment presented by the Czech Ministry of the Interior, which expands the register of offenses to include offenses committed under the Crisis Act, was approved by the government. According to the amendment, in the case of repeated violations of government measures, companies and entrepreneurs could also be banned from operating for one year.

    The adjustments and higher sanctions concern violations of crisis measures ordered by the government, such as a ban on the operation of services or movement.

    On the contrary, it does not apply, for example, to the wearing of face masks. Thanks to the register, the administrative body and police officers should be given the opportunity to take into account whether the offense is committed repeatedly, and to adjust the extent and type of sanction accordingly.

    Interior Minister Jan Hamáček told reporters on Monday that the amendment to the Crisis and Misdemeanor Act is intended to eliminate complications in enforcing the rules.

    “No new register is being created, only violations of the Crisis Act have not yet been part of it,” he explained. Authorities in different places can currently deal with the repeated offenses of the same person and not even know about it.

    In addition to the registration of offenses against crisis measures, the amendment should also introduce the obligation to inform the notifier of the offense, most often the police, about the result of the administrative proceedings without undue delay.

    According to the proposal, an offense is considered a “repeat offenese” if 12 months have not elapsed from the previous final decision for the same offense. A fine of up to 30,000 korunas (€1,166) could now be imposed on people for repeated violations of the regulation, and up to four million korunas (€155,576) on companies and entrepreneurs.

    Title image: Interior Minister Jan Hamáček (Facebook)

  • Czech manufacturing activity dropped by 8% last year

    Manufacturing activity in the Czech Republic last year fell by 8 percent year-on-year, according to data published by the Czech Statistical Office (ČSÚ). That is the highest decline since the financial crisis in 2009, when industrial activity dropped by 13.6 percent.

    Last year, Czechia’s industrial activity was mainly affected by the second quarter. From April to June, production in the country decreased by 23.5 percent. The decline slowed significantly in the third quarter, and industry already showed modest growth in the last quarter.

    In 2020, only a few industries recorded year-on-year production growth.

    “Growth was recorded by the pharmaceutical industry or the paper industry as well as other sectors, including companies manufacturing toys and hospital beds,” said Veronika Doležalová, head of the ČSÚ industry statistics department.

    At the end of the year, manufacturing activity rose. In December, production increased by half a percent year-on-year.

    “In December, the industrial production grew mainly thanks to the automotive sector. The production of plastic products and the chemical industry also prospered. On the contrary, manufacturing activity fell in the IT sector and engineering,” added Miroslav Novák, an analyst at the Akcenta financial company.

    This year, analysts expect the manufacturing industry to return to growth, which, according to them, will probably not compensate for last year’s decline. For example, ING Bank analyst Jakub Seidler expects industrial production to grow by about 4 percent this year. Komerční Banka analyst Michal Brožka added that the manufacturing activity will be limited by issues with the supply of components, shortage of labor, and a fluctuation in foreign demand due to the pandemic situation.

    However, foreign trade registered a record surplus last year, reaching almost 190 billion korunas (€7.38 billion). Compared to 2019, it increased by 44.3 billion korunas (€1.72 billion). The final months of 2020, in particular, contributed to the record surplus. However, both export and import decreased year-on-year.

    Title image: A worker assembles a hospital bed, at the Linet factory in Slany, Czech Republic, Monday, Oct. 19, 2020. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

  • Czechia to donate protective equipment and lung ventilators to Moldova and Peru

    The Czech Republic will donate 700,000 face masks, 100,000 protective gloves, protective suits, and 55 lung ventilators to Moldova and Peru to fight the coronavirus pandemic. According to the Czech Foreign Ministry, the humanitarian aid will not affect the availability of protective equipment or lung ventilators in the Czech Republic.

    To Moldova, Czechia will send 300,000 face masks, 100,000 protective gloves, 5,000 protective suits, and 55 lung ventilators, which were part of a Dutch aid that Czechia received in the autumn. At that time, 105 lung ventilators arrived from the Netherlands.

    “Moldova has been hit by both a pandemic and an extreme drought, the worst in 20 years. The country is in danger of a deep economic recession, and the effects of the pandemic are exacerbated by an outdated healthcare system,” said Czech Foreign Minister Tomáš Petříček.

    According to the Ministry of the Interior, the donation is worth 35 million korunas (€1.36 million).

    Already in November, the Czech Republic donated face masks, protective shields, gloves, protective suits, and disinfection equipment worth 3.2 million korunas (€124,545) to Moldova. Czech companies then supplied the country with emergency hospital beds and systems that, among other things, facilitate the connection of patients to artificial lung ventilation. This aid was worth another 10 million korunas (€389,119).

    At the request of the Peruvian government, Czechia will provide the country with 400,000 face masks worth 4 million korunas (€155,686).

    “Besides coronavirus, the country also has to deal with millions of refugees from neighboring Venezuela, which is going through a humanitarian crisis. People do not even have basic food there, and therefore they are fleeing to Peru,” explained Petříček.

    Czechia has already provided aid to Peru as, in August, it bought protective equipment, COVID-19 tests, and food packages for Peru worth 3.5 million korunas (€136,200). In November, the Czech Republic contributed another 330,000 korunas (€12,840) on the construction of a playground in a slum in Lima, the ministry added.

    In the autumn, Austria, Hungary, Germany, and the Netherlands, lent or donated lung ventilators to the Czech Republic. Additional devices also arrived from stocks of NATO and the European Union. On the other hand, at that time, the Czech Republic sent protective equipment to Ukraine, Belarus, Kosovo, Montenegro, Armenia, and France.

    Title image: Czech Minister of the Foreign Affairs Tomáš Petříček (Tomáš Petříček / Facebook)

  • COVID-19 damaged children’s education more than WWII, claims Czech minister

    The Second World War did not cause such damage to children’s education as the current coronavirus pandemic, according to Czech Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Jana Maláčová.

    “The whole country is staying still. Even the Second World War did not do what the COVID-19 did. No other situation stopped the children from going to school,” Maláčová said during a television debate.

    She made the statement during a debate on CNN Prima News in a discussion with MP Jan Skopeček, who called such a statement unmerited and called on the minister to apologize, according to Eurozpravy.cz.

    Maláčová then stated that she did not want to play down the suffering during the Second World War and its victims. According to her, she only pointed out that even the war did not lead to such a long closure of schools for most pupils and students as it has now.

    Based on a government decision, only kindergartens, special schools and the first and second grades of primary schools are open. The rest of the students were last at school on Dec. 18. After the Christmas holidays, they started distance learning.

    Maláčová’s statement aroused criticism from politicians and journalists on social networks who blamed her for disrespecting the victims of the war.

    “I would say that the minister lacks history lessons even more than current students,” said Jiří Pospíšil, MEP and chairman of Prague’s TOP 09, on Twitter.

    “My statement was aimed at closed schools. I am the last person who would like to play down the suffering during World War II and dishonor its victims. But closed schools are a disaster, the whole year is irreplaceable for children,” Maláčová wrote on Twitter. She considers it crucial to find a way to return children to school without exacerbating the pandemic.

    Title Image: Jana Maláčová (Facebook)

  • PM Babiš praises PM Orbán for ‘great advice’ on tackling the COVID-19 crisis

    On Friday, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš met with his counterpart Viktor Orbán in Hungary. Among other things, he said appreciated the advice Orbán gave him in the fight against coronavirus. Both prime ministers also agreed on the need for Visegrád Four (V4) countries’ cooperation on the issue of the COVID-19 pandemic. Babiš also suggested that he thinks about following the Hungarian path, and he would consider buying vaccines for Czechia without the European Union.

    “The pandemic is in the next phase. We are no longer just talking about how to prevent infection but also how to save lives with vaccines. We cannot wait for Brussels, so we have started negotiations on vaccine supplies with Russia and China. We passed on all this valuable information to the Czech side,” commented PM Orbán on the meeting.

    Babiš appreciated Hungary being willing to share information, say he regretted not asking for help before.

    “I should have been here in November. The best vaccine is the safe one but at the same time the ones we have are immediately available. The vaccine is not about politics but the safety of citizens. Our task is to protect our citizens. Timing is key,” Babiš said.

    “We’ve got a lot of information about how ‘antibody’ drugs work, and how epidemic teams work in Hungary. We were provided with excellent information based on which we can improve the fight against the pandemic,” he added.

    Babiš also mentioned that Hungary supplied 150 lung ventilators to the Czech Republic last year. Furthermore, both prime ministers agreed that the issue of vaccines should not be politicized. Speed ​​of delivery as well as a sufficient amount of vaccines is important.

    “I spoke with Chancellor Angela Merkel about the Russian and Chinese vaccines, and now it depends on whether both countries apply for approval by the European Medicines Agency,” the Czech prime minister explained.

    Both prime ministers also highlighted the cooperation of V4 countries, emphasizing that despite the economic downturn, these countries maintained low unemployment. Orbán has already mentioned that Hungary could start to lift coronavirus measures from March. However, it will depend on the opinions of experts.

    In addition to vaccinations, the statesmen also talked about the Hungarian experience with the Russian vaccine Sputnik V and the drug Bamlanivimab, which the Czech Republic will also purchase.

    “I have been given an overview of the medicines that Hungary is using. Bamlanivimab is one of them, we expect delivery of 500 pieces, and we plan to order more,” said Babiš.

    The Czech Prime Minister and the coronavirus expert team flew to Budapest on Friday morning.

    “The situation is not good as the number of people in the ICU is not declining. Efforts to reduce the number of infected are failing,” said Babiš about the situation in the Czech Republic before his flight.


    Title image: Czech PM Andrej Babiš with the Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán (Andrej Babiš / Facebook)

  • The Russian embassy complains about hostile Czech actions

    The Russian embassy in Prague has stated that it strongly opposes the “interference of Prague in Russian affairs” in the case of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

    The Czech Foreign Ministry had previously summoned Russian Ambassador Alexander Zmeyevsky to protest against the prison sentence for Navalny and the brutal police intervention against peaceful demonstrators in Russia. The embassy subsequently wrote that Czechia and other countries use double standards in evaluating their approach to human rights and are hostile.

    The resort called on Russia to release Navalny immediately. Czech Foreign Minister Tomáš Petříček said on Tuesday that it was a contrived political process. According to him, the verdict had a clear motivation to silence the opposition, and the European Union should return to the issue of sanctions against Russia.

    Last weekend, the minister also condemned the intervention of Russian security forces during demonstrations for the liberation of Navalny. He said that by forcibly suppressing the opposition and freedom of speech, Moscow was violating its human rights obligations. According to the Russian embassy, the interference of Prague in Russia’s internal affairs is inadmissible.

    “Attempts to put pressure on the judiciary in our country from abroad cannot be seen as anything other than hostile acts that violate international legal norms,” the Russian embassy said on Facebook, stressing that in matters of human rights protection, including freedom of expression and assembly, the Russian side is acting under the norms of Russian legislation and international obligations.

    At the same time, the Russian embassy drew attention to the alleged double standard of Czech diplomacy in matters of respect for human rights. It pointed to, for example, the case of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, who the US accuses of spying and illegally disclosing secret documents.

    “The absence of Prague’s reaction to the actions of the security authorities during the suppression of demonstrations in the USA, France, the Netherlands, Germany, and the Czech Republic itself also raises questions,” the embassy said.

    The embassy also referred to a video showing the interventions of police forces in Western countries against the demonstrators. The montage begins with the intervention of the Czech police on the Old Town Square in October. At the end of the video, on the other hand, Russian police are portrayed as victims of attacks by aggressive demonstrators.

    “We recommended that the Czech side focuses on solving its own human rights problems, to which Prague has been repeatedly alerted, even by the relevant international organizations,” the Russian Embassy added.

    Navalny was detained by the police on Jan. 17 right after his return from Germany, where he was being treated for poisoning with a nerve-paralytic substance. He blames the Russian secret service for the poisoning and President Vladimir Putin. On Tuesday, a Moscow court changed Navalny’s former suspended sentence of three and a half years to unconditional. Navalny is to spend almost three years behind bars. His lawyer, Olga Michajlova, has already announced that she will appeal against the verdict.

    Title image: Russia’s Ambassador to the Czech Republic Alexander Zmeyevsky addresses media during a press conference in Prague, Czech Republic, Wednesday, April 4, 2018, when the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons is holding an emergency meeting at Russia’s request on last month’s nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy in Britain. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

  • Czech health minister: COVID-19 situation is bad and the measures in place aren’t working

    The situation in the Czech Republic is deteriorating, and the coronavirus measures are not working, according to Czech Health Minister Jan Blatný. He urged people to start respecting government restrictions, and stressed that the only way out of this situation is vaccination and compliance with the rules.

    “The measures we have put in place are not working. People do not follow them,” said Blatný. According to him, the government is doing its best. “I wish we could vaccinate faster, and it will happen. Let’s endure it, I know it’s been a long time. But the fact is that we will not defeat the disease other than by vaccinating and following the measures. Circumventing them is not a cool thing, it is a proof of ruthlessness towards others,” said Blatný, adding that the British coronavirus mutation is spreading in the Czech Republic.

    The minister then added that because of the pandemic, doctors have not been able to provide proper medical care for a year.

    “We are not able to ensure, for example, cancer prevention, as our hospitals are overloaded,” stated Blatný, recalling Thursday’s International Day against Cancer. “In some hospitals, we only have a few places in the ICU or ARO. It cannot go on like this,”

    “I know that the disease has been here for a long time, but we don’t want to tighten the measures up anymore, because first, we would have to have your trust in doing so,” Blatný added.

    Jan Blatný called on people to persevere and try to follow the measures as much as possible. “Let’s face it. We have to endure it. I appeal to you: Let’s meet as little as possible, let’s not travel around the republic. When we meet someone, we must have a respirator,“ said Blatný, adding that he as a minister has no real power to enforce restrictions, so he must rely on people.

    The number of new cases of coronavirus in the Czech Republic is rising. On Wednesday, the laboratories detected 9,567 infected, which is almost 1,100 more than a week ago. On Wednesday, 5,811 patients with COVID-19 required hospital care, which was about 250 fewer patients in the week-on-week comparison, according to updated data on the Ministry of Health’s website.

    Since the beginning of the epidemic, a new coronavirus diagnosis in the Czech Republic has been confirmed in 1,013,352 people. Currently, about 94,500 people are affected by the infection. The death toll has risen to 16,826.

  • Czech economy expects growth of 2.2% this year amid COVID-19 crisis

    In its new forecast, the Czech National Bank (ČNB) has improved its estimate of economic growth this year but worsened its estimate for next year. The bank expects the Czech economy to grow by 2.2 percent this year and by 3.8 percent next year.

    In its previous November forecast, the Czech National Bank expected growth of 1.7 percent this year and 4.2 percent in 2022.

    Last year, according to Tuesday’s preliminary data from the Czech Statistical Office, the Czech economy fell sharply due to the coronavirus crisis as GDP dropped by 5.6 percent. However, this number was much lower than previous estimates by economists, the Ministry of Finance, and the Czech National Bank.

    According to the Czech National Bank, inflation should reach 2 percent in 2021 and 2.2 percent next year. In the previous November forecast, the central bank estimated average inflation at 2.3 percent this year and 2 percent in the next year.

    At the same time, the new forecast expects the Czech koruna exchange rate to get stronger. While this year, the exchange rate could get to 25.80 Czech korunas per euro, in 2022, the koruna could strengthen further to an average of 24.90 korunas per euro.

    Title image: The main building of the Czech National Bank (www.cnb.cz)

     

  • Czech police detected almost 25% more illegal migrants last year

    The Czech Foreign Police detected 7,093 illegal migrants last year, which is almost 25 percent more compared to 2019. The higher number was greatly influenced by migrants detained over violating the government regulations that restrict the stay of foreigners due to the spread of COVID-19.

    Compared to the previous year, on the other hand, the number of people detained at Czechia’s external Schengen border decreased as, according to the Director of the Foreign Police Milan Majer, traffic at international airports has dropped by almost 80 percent.

    Deputy Police President Martin Vondrášek also pointed out that the whole year of 2020 was significantly affected by coronavirus measures, which included the declaration of a state of emergency in spring and autumn, the introduction of border controls, and a ban on the entry of foreigners without permanent or temporary residence.

    The number of foreigners who wanted to enter the Czech Republic illegally via the external Schengen border decreased from 503 in 2019 to 448 in 2020, with a decline accelerating especially in the second quarter. On the other hand, the number of foreigners detected staying illegally last year increased. There were 6,645 of them compared to 5,174 in 2019.

    Many of these people came to the Czech Republic legally but stayed longer than permitted or despite the coronavirus measures. The most frequent detainees were Ukrainians, followed by Moldovans and Georgians. As in previous years, most migrants stayed in Prague.

    Last year, the police also detained 486 migrants who wanted to get to another country via the Czechia. Most of them, 182, was detained in November. Compared to 2019, there were a total of 220 more of such cases. Mostly, they headed in vans and trucks from Slovakia to Germany.

    Most migrants were from Afghanistan, followed by Syrians, Moroccans, and Turks. According to Majer, the police register the most problems with Afghans, who often pretend to be minors.

    The number of foreigners staying illegally in the Czech Republic has been slightly rising since 2017. However, the highest number of illegal migrants was in Czechia in 2015, when the migration crisis culminated in Europe.

    Title image: Afghan migrants detained by Czech police in January (Police of the Czech Republic / Twitter)

  • At the current EU pace, no member state will be able to vaccinate on time

    European Union countries are vaccinating too slowly. At their current pace, they would not be able to vaccinate 70 percent of their adult populations by autumn— the goal set by the European Commission. On the contrary, member states wouldn’t even reach this goal by Christmas, while the United Kingdom will have done so by the end of the summer, according to updated data from Politico.

    EU leadership has thus come under fire due to the slow pace, lack of vaccines and disputes with vaccine manufacturers. However, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, continues to defend current EU procedures as correct, the French daily Le Monde reported.

    Politico based its analysis on official data from the Member States. However, not all countries show the most recent figures, so any analysis is rough. Published interactive tables show how quickly individual Member States are currently vaccinating and whether or not they are set to reach the EC’s 70 percent mark by September 22, 2021. It seems that at the current pace, none of the EU countries will reach the autumn deadline.

    It should be noted that the rate of vaccination is likely to increase along with larger deliveries of vaccines. However, due to reported outages of vaccine supplies and disputes between vaccine manufacturers, there will still be major delays.

    By the end of the summer, the UK will have 97 percent of its adult population vaccinated if it maintains the daily average of doses given (taking into account two doses per person for full immunity to COVID-19). Malta is in “second place” at the current rate — but only 35 percent will be vaccinated instead of 70 percent.

    In the case of the Czech Republic, only 14 percent of the adult population will be vaccinated by the end of the summer. The worst performer is Bulgaria, which would reach only 5 percent at the current pace.

    The second table also looks gloomy. It shows when each state would reach the target of 70 percent of vaccinated adults and how many doses it would have to administer daily to meet the September 22 deadline. The United Kingdom would be successful, as it, according to Politico, administers 392,361 doses of the vaccine daily, so it would reach the target level sometime in August.

    By contrast, Malta, which administers an average of 1,111 doses a day, would not vaccinate the required percentage until July 2022. To meet the autumn deadline, it would have to more than double its current pace.

    The data do not look very encouraging for the Czech Republic either, as it’s on track to hit 70 percent in August of 2024. According to the data, the daily average of the Czech Republic is around 9,447 doses. For Czechs to reach the 70 percent vaccination rate of the adult population by September 22, they must increase their current vaccination rate fivefold, meaning 50,921 doses a day. Of the countries studied, only Belgium, the Netherlands, Croatia, Latvia and Bulgaria are worse off. Bulgaria would not be ready until December 2030.

     

    “Europe started later, but it was the right decision,” insists von der Leyen

    Some member states blame European Union’s officials for failing to secure a supply of vaccines. The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, was particularly criticized.

    The New York Times reported that on paper, she would be the ideal leader in a coronavirus pandemic because of her medical education, but her recent steps have led to a slow start to vaccination, leaving EU countries a few weeks behind the UK and the U.S. She is also accused of waging a “vaccine war.”

    Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca will supply fewer vaccines than originally planned in the coming weeks, with relations with the last being particularly tense. The British-Swedish company will finally deliver 40 million doses to the EU in the first quarter of this year but had originally committed to provide 80 million. The announced delay has fueled speculation about supplies going to the United Kingdom at the expense of contractual obligations with Brussels.

    “To be clear, we want the vaccines. AstraZeneca alerted us to the delay without giving compelling reasons. Transparency is now needed,“ Ursula von der Leyen pointed out in an interview with the French daily Le Monde.

    “Some countries started vaccinating just before the European Union, that’s true. But they resorted to undergoing approval procedures for emergency use of the vaccine within 24 hours. The Commission and the Member States have agreed not to compromise on the efficacy and safety requirements for the approval of vaccines,“ said von der Leyen in response to a question in which Le Monde highlighted the speed of vaccination in Britain. “Europe started later, but it was the right decision,” she said.

    The vaccine from AstraZeneca was approved by the EU last Friday. The countries of the Union are currently using a preparation from Moderna and a vaccine from Pfizer/BioNTech. According to a website that monitors vaccination in the EU, only about 8.3 million people have been vaccinated in the Member States so far. In Britain, more than 9.2 million people have received their first dose of vaccine.

    Title image: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaks during a joint news conference with European Council President Charles Michel at the end of an online EU summit at the European Council headquarters in Brussels, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021. (Olivier Hoslet, Pool Photo via AP)

  • Czechia has ordered COVID-19 vaccine for 11 million people

    The Czech Republic has ordered COVID-19 vaccines for 11 million people. Orders from Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech have been increased, with the latter committing to deliver vaccines for up to six million people. Also, AstraZeneca has specified that it will deliver 130,000 doses in February instead of the expected 81,000 doses.

    Czechia has joined the joint European orders for all vaccines that have been available so far. As of now, it has ordered three million doses from AstraZeneca, about one million from CureVac, and two million from Johnson & Johnson, for which one dose is enough to make antibodies. Regarding Sanofi, Czechia has not yet determined the volume it is interested in, while it has confirmed the minimum delivery from Valneva.

    According to vaccination coordinator Kateřina Baťhová, Pfizer/BioNTech delivered 323,000 doses in January and is expected to deliver 335,000 doses in February, 500,000 doses in March, and 4.5 million doses in the second quarter of the year.

    The manufacturer had reduced deliveries to the entire EU early this year, but after increasing capacity, it has now promised to make up for shortfalls and even increase deliveries. “What we were supposed to get by September, we could have in May,” she added. According to Baťhová, the reason why most vaccines are being ordered from Pfizer is because it was the first drug approved and the first to allow an increase in orders.

    The second EU-approved manufacturer, Moderna, plans to deliver 110,000 batches to the Czech Republic in February, 105,000 in March, and 800,000 batches in the second quarter.

    The European Union is now negotiating with AstraZeneca as well. According to Baťhová, the company specified today that it will deliver 130,000 doses to the Czech Republic in February. The first batch could arrive on February 8, which should be some 19,000 doses or about 20 boxes per region.

    As health insurance companies have not yet concluded a contract with a distributor, the Ministry of Health will conclude a one-off contract. For the Moderna vaccine, the Ministry similarly made a deal with the company Avenier, which then received an order from insurance companies for distribution.

    According to the Minister of Health Jan Blatný, vaccination centers will have a capacity of up to 60,000 doses per day, while capacity will be up to 50,000 doses per day in general practitioners’ offices. But the number of doses administered will depend on how many vaccines arrive; according to the minister, there won’t be enough vaccines to reach such daily numbers until probably May.

    The vaccination of other groups of citizens should start when 70 percent of people over the age of 80, healthcare professionals and residents and workers of social services homes are vaccinated. The second preferred group consists of people over 65, patients with selected chronic diseases, and certain occupations. According to Blatný, it will be necessary to divide these people according to age because there are about three million people in this group.

    At the meeting of the Committee on Health in the Chamber of Deputies, deputies also asked about the possibility of companies buying the vaccine outside the official distribution from state orders. According to Irena Storová, director of the State Institute for Drug Control (SÚKL), this is possible, but her institute must officially release each batch for Czech distribution, and for now, all Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for EU use are poorly labeled and lack trademarks under the anti-counterfeiting directive. SÚKL would thus have to grant them an exemption. “Counterfeit vaccines have already appeared, and we would have to be very vigilant,” she added.

    Title image: A Holocaust survivor receives the COVID-19 vaccine from Health Minister Marek Krajci, right, on International Holocaust Remembrance Day in Bratislava, Slovakia, Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021.  (Dano Veselsky/TASR via AP)

  • Czech Constitutional Court repeals part of the electoral law months before elections

    The Czech Constitutional Court has announced a fundamental change in the electoral law, which will impact the autumn parliamentary elections. The additive quorum for coalition formation was abolished, as well as the method for distributing votes, which disadvantaged small parties in the current system. It will now be enough for coalitions consisting of several parties or movements to receive only 5 percent of the vote to get into the Chamber of Deputies.

    The Chamber of Deputies, together with the Senate, now has to find a solution for converting votes into seats. The Constitutional Court made the decision based on the complaints of several senators filed in 2017.

    According to the Court, the threshold for party coalitions was in conflict with the Constitution. Two coalitions for the autumn parliamentary elections have already been formed: the right-wing bloc of TOP 09, Christian Democrats (KDU-ČSL) and Civic Democrats (ODS) and the center coalition of the Czech Pirates and Mayors and Independent (STAN).

    Although the change will concern this autumn’s elections, the Court claims that there is still time to find a solution, and it would only be risky had the Court made the decision after the deadline for submitting candidate lists in August.

    Overall, the repeal of parts of the electoral law is a win-win for smaller parties. For example, the complaint stated that these smaller parties would have gained more seats in the last elections to the Chamber of Deputies in 2017 if the redistribution of votes had worked differently.

    A day before the Constitutional Court disclosed its decision, President Miloš Zeman warned against any change to the electoral law. According to him, it could lead to an unsolvable constitutional crisis. He pointed out that the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate might not agree on the amendment to the electoral law by the October elections.

    The decision of the Constitutional Court also outraged Prime Minister Andrej Babiš.

    “The Constitutional Court has forgotten its boundaries and is actively trying to influence the political situation in the country, which is not its responsibility at all,” said Babiš.

    The Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Radek Vondráře, then warned that the timing of the decision is extremely bad. According to him, the Court put the legislator under enormous pressure and caused a potential political crisis in the Czech Republic.

    Former President Václav Klaus also criticized the change in the electoral law, pointing out that it will lead to weaker governments, more chaotic coalitions and a more fragmented political scene.


    Title image: Judges of the Czech Constitutional Court (The Constitutional Court / usoud.cz)

  • Czech economy experienced a record slump last year

    Last year, the Czech economy dropped the most since the establishment of the independent Czech Republic. Gross domestic product fell by 5.6 percent year-over-year, the Czech Statistical Office (CZSO) stated. However, economists were expecting an even sharper economic downturn; the European Union’s economy dropped even more, by 6.4 percent.

    In the fourth quarter alone, the economy contracted by 5 percent year-over-year but grew by 0.3 percent versus the previous quarter. The downturn occurred mainly due to weakened household consumption and a drop in foreign demand in the first half of the year.

    “The quarter-over-quarter development was mostly influenced by growing foreign demand. Domestic demand, especially household consumption, has fallen significantly,” commented Vladimír Kermiet of the CZSO.

    According to the statistical office, the transport, accommodation and hospitality sectors were the most affected last year, while employment fell 1.6 percent.

    However, industrial activity and the demand for Czech goods from abroad prevented a larger economic downturn.

    “When the EU starts to invest to get out of the crisis, the advanced Czech industry can benefit from that — more so the innovative and creative businesses than the traditional assembly plants,” believes Petr Bartoň, chief economist of the Natland investment group.

    Year-over-year, the Czech economy weakened every quarter last year. The economy was influenced by restrictions on trade, services and movement introduced by the government in March.

    However, economists had expected an even steeper decline in GDP. For example, in the second half of October 2020, the Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic feared that the economy would decline by as much as 12 percent. And Raiffeisen Bank analysts predicted a decline of 7.9 percent.

    According to Jan Hadrava, Director of Strategic Consulting at PwC Czech Republic, the results are favorable given the circumstances.

    “It is clear that part of the economy, such as the hospitality and retail sectors, are suffering. On the other hand, other fields have admirably learned to cope with the pandemic over the course of the year,” he said.

    As the chief economist of BH Securities, Štěpán Křeček, pointed out, the results show that the Czech economy is gradually becoming to some extent resistant to various restrictions the government is using to fight the spread of the virus. At the same time, however, he also pointed out the country’s growing indebtedness and the fact that the government has introduced practically no saving measures.

    Compared to the Czech Republic, the European Union performed worse in 2020. The year-over-year decline hit 6.4 percent in the EU and 6.8 percent in the euro area.


    Title image: Workers assemble frames for hospital beds at the Linet factory in Slany, Czech Republic, Monday, Oct. 19, 2020. The company was asked by Prime Minister Andrej Babis to deliver beds to a military field hospital for 500 COVID-19 patients last year. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

  • Last year, 15 percent more people died in the Czech Republic

    According to the Czech Statistical Office (CZSO), there was a 15 percent increase in the number of deaths in the Czech Republic last year. Such a year-over-year change is quite unusual in Czech history.

    According to preliminary data, 129,100 people died last year, which is almost 17,000 more than in 2019. Statistics do not provide specific reasons for the increase in mortality, but COVID-19 certainly contributed. According to the Ministry of Health, 11,872 people died in connection with the coronavirus last year.

    Most people died in November, with the increase in deaths most pronounced in the 75-84 age group and more men than women. On a regional basis, the Zlín Region had the largest increase in the number of deaths for 2020, exceeding the 2019 figure by almost 25 percent.

    “Most deaths occurred in November, when there were 15,700. Another 14,200 people died in October and 14,000 in December. Over 14,000 deaths per month were last registered in December 1995,“ said Michaela Němečková from the Czech Statistical Office’s Demographic Statistics Department.

    During November, specifically in the 44th and 45th weeks of the year, deaths were twice the usual number. These are also the weeks in which the Ministry of Health reported the highest number of deaths in connection with the COVID-19 infection.

    After this peak, the number stabilized at a 40 percent year-over-year increase and did not decrease further for the rest of the year.

    According to the Czech Statistical Office, after adjusting the data for the impact of the continuing aging of the population, it turns out that if the mortality rate last year had been the same as in 2019, the number of deaths would have increased by only 2,000 people.

    Lower life expectancy

    “The 2020 estimate for life expectancy is 75.3 years for men and 81.4 years for women. Compared to 2019, this is a decrease of one year for men and 0.7 years for women. The unfavorable epidemic situation in 2020 thus manifested itself more in men. Life expectancy in 2020 roughly corresponds to the situation in 2013, so we’ve gone back seven years,“ pointed out Terezie Štyglerová, head of the Demographic Statistics Department.

    Title image: Healthcare workers move a COVID-19 patient to the Motol Hospital in Prague, Czech Republic, Friday, Nov. 6, 2020. The hospital in Prague admitted five patients in serious condition from hospitals that were overrun due to the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

  • Czechia to buy COVID-19 drug from Eli Lilly

    The Czech Republic will buy the COVID-19 antibody from Eli Lilly in the U.S., Prime Minister Andrej Babiš announced on Twitter. Bamlanivimab is supposed to reduce the amount of virus in the body, thus preventing more severe symptoms.

    Babiš said that Czechia has ordered its first delivery of the drug. However, he did not specify when it will arrive in the Czech Republic or in what quantity. “It will help patients in the first stage of the COVID-19 infection not end up in ICU. It reduces the risk of this by up to 80 percent,” the prime minister announced.

    Bamlanivimab works on the basis of monoclonal antibodies, which are produced in the laboratory and are intended to neutralize the virus by attacking it on a well-defined target. In the U.S., the drug has been approved for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).Germany was the first in the EU to use Bamlanivimab.

    According to the local Ministry of Health, studies show that the administration of these drugs could help reduce the amount of virus in the body, which would have a positive effect on the course of the disease. In addition to Germany and the U.S., the drug is also being used in Canada and Hungary, Babiš added.

    Eli Lilly is one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies. Founded in 1876 by pharmacist Eli Lilly, the company employs nearly 40,000 people worldwide and has an annual turnover of over $23 billion.

    Meanwhile, Czechia is also trying to negotiate the purchase of a drug from Regeneron, which works based on the same principle as Bamlanivimab.

    Antibody drugs as an effective method of treating COVID-19

    Roman Prymula, former Minister of Health and advisor to the prime minister, believes that antibody drugs are now the only truly effective method of treating the coronavirus. According to him, some studies cite an effectiveness of 80 percent or more.

    According to Prymula, the preparation by Eli Lilly is administered to people who have already been hospitalized due to COVID-19 and are in danger of needing respiratory support. With the drug reducing the risk of ending up in ICU by 80 percent, the medicine should ensure that one does not end up on a ventilator.

  • The countries of Central and Eastern Europe are strongly underrepresented in EU institutions

    A study by European Democracy Consulting (EDC) has raised the well-known problem of the underrepresentation of Central and Eastern European Member States in the highest levels of the European Union’s institutions. The study calculated that senior officials or politicians from the region are in only 7 to 8 percent of the top posts, even though they represent over 40 percent of the Member States and 20 percent of the EU population. The vast majority of high positions are filled by candidates from Western, Southern and Northern Europe. EDC concludes that such a small number is “indefensible” and politically very harmful in an organization that has to pay attention to a “balanced” geographical representation.

    For the purpose of their document, EDC included the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia, Croatia, Bulgaria, Romania, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia in the category of “Central and Eastern Europe.” These are the 11 post-communist countries that joined the EU between 2004 and 2007, plus Croatia in 2013. 

    “The feeling of lasting underrepresentation should not be taken lightly, as it necessarily leads to frustration and could seriously undermine the support of European institutions, values and policies,” the document says, adding that “this impact on the population may potentially affect the behavior and ‘Europeanism’ of national leaders, which in turn will have a retroactive effect on EU cohesion.”

    EDC examined dozens of EU institutions, from the most important ones, such as the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council of the EU, to dozens of agencies operated by the EU.

    In all cases, it was only interested in the highest positions, for example, the presidents and secretaries-general of the key institutions, the chairs of the advisory bodies, and directors of the agencies, as well as independent senior positions such as the European Ombudsman or European Public Prosecutor. In total, its examination included 89 of these higher authorities.

    Not only are there only a few actors from the “new” Member States, but in the vast majority of cases, they do not chair powerful and influential offices but rather run agencies or advisory bodies.

    The only exceptions are Latvian Ilze Juhansone, Secretary-General of the European Commission, and Laura Kövesi from Romania, recently appointed the first European Public Prosecutor.

    The analysis is lacking in that it formally equates truly powerful authorities, such as those mentioned above, with agencies spread across the EU, the influence of which is usually incomparably weaker. However, it also does not pay attention to directors-general and directors in the European Commission, the Council of the EU, or the European Parliament, whose influence is often disproportionately higher than that of the heads of some agencies.

    In this category, the countries of Central and Eastern Europe are doing a little better, as 14 percent of senior managers in the European Commission come from this region. If we take into account only the directors-general and their deputies in the same commission, i.e., the people running some European “ministries,” then in the overall list of about 80 names, we can count 15 senior officials from the new Member States.

    It might be expected that more populous states, such as Poland or Romania, or those that joined the EU first would have a higher representation. But this is not the case; it is, in fact, quite the opposite.

    Among the 15 high-ranking managers from the new countries, there are three Bulgarians, two Latvians, Estonians and Cypriots, and one from each of the other countries except for the Czech Republic and Hungary. These two last Member States have no one in this category and are represented in the management of the commission only at the level of one “ordinary” director and several officials in middle management.

    There is speculation that the “pushing away” of Hungarians, Czechs and Poles represents a kind of distrust or even resentment towards countries that not only reject the euro and have many reservations about this or that but are also suspected of violating the basic rules of the Union. 

    Formal proceedings are being conducted against Poland and Hungary for this reason, while the Czech Republic could be harmed by its tolerance of the alleged conflict of interests of Prime Minister Andrej Babiš.

    The Czech Government’s strategy for supporting Czechs in EU institutions, launched last year, has not yet been successful. However, it must be admitted that preparing people for high-level offices in the EU and enforcing such a stance is a long way off.

    Of course, all “Eurocrats,” from the highest positions to ordinary officials, are supposed to work for the benefit of Europe and defend its interests. Thus, their nationality should not matter.

    But it is also important that the EU understands every single Member State and that each country has people in its institutions able to explain the meaning of the “European interest” and how it should be implemented. Here, the national presence is important, necessary and beneficial for both parties, the Union and Member. Let us not forget that most legislation is born in the Brussels offices of these institutions — legislation that then applies to the citizens of all 27 Member States.

    Title image: European Commissioner for Values and Transparency Vera Jourova talks during a video news conference on the European Democracy Action Plan and a new Strategy on the Charter of Fundamental Rights at the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Thursday, Dec. 3, 2020. (Kenzo Tribouillard, Pool via AP)

  • Czechia condemns the military coup in Myanmar

    The Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the military coup in Myanmar, where the military declared a state of emergency after detaining Prime Minister Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win Myint and several other politicians. At the same time, it expressed support for the country’s legitimate leaders and called for the immediate release of the detainees and for the results of the November parliamentary election to be respected.

    The military justified its actions by claiming that last year’s election was fraudulent, in which, according to official results, the ruling party of Nobel Peace Prize recipient Suu Kyi won. The inaugural session of the new parliament was to take place yesterday.

    “We have always supported the transition to democracy in the country and the efforts to promote lasting peace, freedom, human rights, and prosperity for all the people of Myanmar,” the ministry said. Myanmar is the official name of Burma.

    The United States, Australia and the UN Secretary-General expressed concerns over reports of the coup. Japan, India and Singapore hope for democratic dialogue, while Thailand has said that the coup is Burma’s own “internal affair.”

    As in 2015, the National League for Democracy won a majority in the Burmese parliament. Its biggest rival was the Union Solidarity and Development Party, founded by former soldiers and representatives of the military junta that ruled Burma for five decades. According to the army, however, the election was accompanied by extensive fraud, and the soldiers, therefore, demanded a revision of the election results. The Electoral Commission has denied any wrongdoing.

     

    The chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Ondřej Veselý, regretted that the attempt to set up a standard political regime in Burma ended faster than it had begun. “The only possible reaction of the international community is to not recognize the new power as official representatives of the state of Myanmar,” he wrote to the Czech News Agency.

    Suu Kyi gained international respect for fighting for democracy in her country, for which the military junta kept her under house arrest for many years. She received many awards, including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991, for which she was nominated by former Czech President Václav Havel.

    Last year, however, the European Parliament’s leadership formally expelled Suu Kyi from the 1990 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought Community. According to the European Parliament, she did not sufficiently prevent the violent repression of the Rohingya people, a Muslim ethnic group; the predominantly Buddhist Burma describes the group as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and has denied them citizenship and basic human rights.

    According to Deputy Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Jaroslav Bžoch, the situation in Burma worsened last year during the campaign against the Rohingya people. This weakened Suu Kyi’s role on the international stage, and according to him, the army took advantage of it. “The international community should exert the greatest possible pressure to release those illegally detained and to withdraw the Burmese army,” he said.

    The director of the Václav Havel Library, Michael Žantovský, who had negotiated with Suu Kyi in the past, said that the military coup was a step backward. According to him, it shows what role the army still has in Burma.

    “I think that this also explains to some extent why Suu Kyi has been so careful in the past and has been criticized for not acting boldly or publicly about the Rohingya situation,” he said. According to him, everyone who was in Burma and talked to Suu Kyi understood what a “thin line” she was walking. “I think it is symptomatic that not only Mrs. Suu Kyi and her party protested against the coup but also the representatives of Rohingya organizations based in Bangladesh,” he added.

    Title image: A Burmese living in Thailand holds a picture of Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi during a protest in front of the Myanmar Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand, Monday, Feb. 1, 2021. Myanmar’s military has taken control of the country under a one-year state of emergency and reports say State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and other government leaders have been detained. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

  • Rules for COVID-19 testing for travelers to the Czech Republic to change

    Starting Friday, the COVID-19 testing rules will change for people traveling to the Czech Republic. Furthermore, a new category of very high-risk countries will be created, announced Czech Foreign Minister Tomáš Petříček. He explained there is a need to respond to the spread of new coronavirus variants. Until now, most European countries have been red on the map, indicating a high level of risk.

    According to the new system, citizens of the orange, medium-risk countries will have to pass an antigen test before entering the Czech Republic. On top of this, people traveling from the red, high-risk states will have to get a PCR test within five days of arrival in the country.

    In the case of the new category of very high-risk countries, a PCR test taken before traveling to the Czech Republic will be required. After arriving in the country, travelers from very high-risk areas will have to stay in quarantine. After five days, they will be able to take a second test, which, if negative, will terminate the quarantine. However, travelers from these countries will have to wear an FFP2 face mask (or higher class) for another five days.

    Czechia further restricted traveling last Saturday, banning all inessential trips to the country. However, there are some exceptions, such as work and school trips, family visits or travel for a wedding or funeral.


    Title image: Czech Republic’s Foreign Minister Tomas Petricek speaks with the media as he arrives for a meeting of EU foreign ministers at the Europa building in Brussels, Friday, Jan. 10, 2020. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

  • Czechia will admit Belarusian medics and their families, the government decided

    The government approved the proposal by the Ministry of the Interior, based on which the Czech Republic will accept more Belarusians persecuted by the Alexander Lukashenko regime. The support program is targeting Belarusian health professionals and their families. In the past, Czechia has admitted 60 Belarusian citizens for their health and rehabilitation.

    “Unfortunately, the situation in Belarus is not getting better, and people are still being persecuted by the regime. Thanks to the Medevac program, we have an effective tool to transport them to the Czech Republic and help them. We have decided to reactivate this assistance,” said Interior Minister Jan Hamáček.

    “Paramedics help on the front line, which is why they are among the most vulnerable groups that need our help,” he added.

    The Ministries of the Interior, Foreign Affairs and Health will take part in the assistance program. The Interior Ministry will provide transport for health professionals and their families to the Czech Republic. It will also participate in getting residence permits and short-term accommodation for the Belarusians as well as helping them enter the labor market.

    Through its embassies, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will ensure on-site coordination and the issuance of relevant visas. The Ministry of Health will then be in charge of ensuring the cooperation of hospitals and medical facilities in order to find suitable employers that can, in addition to offer jobs, also provide the Belarusians with accommodation or Czech-language tutoring.

    Last year, the Czech Republic also helped Belarusians injured or persecuted by the Lukashenko regime. Some of them were shot during clashes with security forces, while others appeared to have been tortured. At that time, a humanitarian council consisting of representatives of the Belarusian diaspora in the Czech Republic selected those most in need, with the final decision being made by the Ministry of the Interior.

    Unrest in Belarus erupted last year after the August presidential election. Authorities declared the victory of Lukashenko, who has been at the helm of the country since 1994. However, a large part of the population considers the election results to be distorted and began to demonstrate against them. The election results have not been recognized by the EU either.


    Title image: Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, center, listens to medics while visiting a blood transfusion center in Minsk, Belarus, Friday, Nov. 27, 2020. (Andrei Stasevich/BelTA Pool Photo via AP)

  • Russia violates its human rights commitments, says Czech foreign minister

    By violently suppressing opposition and freedom of speech, Russia is violating its commitment to human rights, stated Czech Foreign Minister Tomáš Petříček in response to the intervention of Russian security forces during demonstrations for the liberation of opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

    According to Petříček, the European Union will discuss this issue, and Czechia will support sanctions against some individuals under the new EU sanction system.

    Security forces detained more than 4,000 demonstrators, according to the OVD-Info server, which monitors police activities. If confirmed, it will be higher than the number of detainees in similarly targeted demonstrations last Saturday, when police detained more than 3,500 people across Russia. At the time, the AFP agency spoke of the most intense arrests in the country’s recent history. Among the detainees is Navalny’s wife, Julia.

    After the previous protest, Petříček announced that he would want an explanation from the Russian ambassador to the Czech Republic, Alexander Zmeyevsky, about the detention of Navalny and the violent suppression of demonstrations.

    Petříček was in quarantine due to a coronavirus infection, but he intends to resolve the situation with the ambassador next week, he told the Czech News Agency.

    Navalny was detained by the police on Jan. 17, right after his return from Germany, where he was being treated for poisoning with a nerve-paralytic substance. The opposition blames the Russian Secret Service and President Vladimir Putin for the attack. The court rejected Navalny’s appeal against detention this week, in which the Kremlin’s main critic is now waiting to be sent to prison for allegedly violating the rules of a previously suspended sentence.

    EU foreign ministers met last Monday but did not agree to punish Russian officials responsible for the incarceration. Some countries wanted to give priority to negotiations with the Russian leadership. Therefore, the head of EU diplomacy, Josep Borrell, will go to Moscow in early February to appeal for the release of the opposition leader.

    After the meeting, which he was unable to attend due to coronavirus, Petříček said that he expected that if the matter could not be resolved through negotiations, the EU would return to the debate on sanctions.

    “The European Union should take advantage of the pressure that its economic power allows,” he wrote at the time.

    Title image: Police detain a man during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Siberian city of Omsk, Russia, on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. 

  • Czechia closes its borders to foreigners

    Starting last Friday at midnight, foreigners are no longer permitted to enter the Czech Republic except for essential travel such as work or study trips. In this case, the so-called travel traffic light, which has so far governed the conditions of travel into the Czech Republic, no longer applies.

    Most European countries are in the red category, indicating a high level of risk. These are states that have a proportion of positive coronavirus tests of more than four percent and more than 250 cases per 100,000 population in the last two weeks.

    According to the resolution, the Czech Cabinet prohibited the stay of foreigners in the Czech Republic except for the trips to work and school along with necessary visits to family or loved ones, trips to medical facilities, and social services facilities, or for certain events such as weddings or funerals.

    People who have spent more than 12 hours in red-zone countries in the last two weeks must fill in an arrival form before returning to the Czech Republic. Within five days of entering the Czech Republic, they must take a PCR test, the result of which must be submitted to the regional health department within seven days of arrival.

    Upon return, the PCR test result from any EU country can also be submitted, but must not be older than 72 hours. This obligation does not apply to children under the age of five.

    When traveling to the Czech Republic from orange-colored countries, only long-term foreign workers, but not commuters, must submit a negative test for COVID-19. As of Monday, Belgium, Bulgaria, Finland, Iceland, Luxembourg, Hungary, Norway, Austria, Greece, and the Canary Islands are included in this group.

    Of the European countries, only the Vatican is in the green category of the traffic light, while others like Australia, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Singapore, and Thailand are also labeled green.

    Meetings, accommodation, and markets also restricted

    The government has also tightened the rules for the free movement of people and accommodation on business trips from midnight on Friday to Saturday. The operation of ski lifts and cable cars has been restricted, and markets are also banned.

    The government also recommended limiting visits to relatives. People are allowed to travel to their cottages and chalets but only members of one household are allowed to stay there. The government has ordered that people limit contacts with non-household members to what is strictly necessary and strongly recommends that people stay only with members of their own homes and use the FFP2 respirator when dealing with others.

    Hospital visits will also not be possible. Exceptions remained for the presence of a third party during childbirth, visits to people with limited disabilities or pediatric patients, and those in hospice.

    Antigen tests will now be reimbursed from health insurance once every three days, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš announced. So far, it has been once every five days.

  • Covid-19 vaccine to be co-produced in Czechia

    The Novavax vaccine, with nearly 90 percent efficacy, is almost ready to be introduced to the market, according to Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and Minister of Industry and Trade Karel Havlíček.

    Czech scientists also participated in developing the vaccine from the American company Novavax, which could reach people in April.

    “I know that they have started the production of the vaccine, I know that it is a matter of certificates and approvals,” said Havlíček when asked whether the start of commercial production of the vaccine is really close.

    Marketwatch, a financial news portal, stated that Novavax is to produce up to 1 billion doses later this year, and a significant part of it should be made in the Czech subsidiary company NOVAVAX CZ near Prague.

    “Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, who visited the factory and is in contact with the manufacturer, is very involved in this,” Havlíček added.

    According to the head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Novavax is quite far in the vaccine development process, and the vaccine could soon enter commercial production.

    “There is a great chance that it would actually hit the market in 2021,” said Karel Havlíček.

    “I visited the Novavax company in Bohumil near Prague, and it should produce a billion doses a year. So far, unfortunately, it’s a bit behind schedule. They are testing the vaccine in the UK, and the studies have turned out very well. The assumption is that deliveries could start as early as April. That is the last information I have,” said the prime minister.

    Minister of Industry and Trade Havlíček also emphasized that this would be a great success for the Czech Republic.

    “Of course, I do not mean the success of the government, but the success of Czech developers, scientists, and, of course, our people who are in the factory and who have already built the base here,” Havlíček concluded.

    The arrival of another vaccine on the market would significantly relieve the EU countries that currently struggle with a vaccine shortage.

    The Novavax vaccine, called NVX-CoV2373, has an efficiency of 89 percent, and the third, final phase of testing has already taken place or is underway. The company has recently announced that the results of phase three clinical study in the United Kingdom will be available later this quarter. In December, phase three was also launched in the United States and Mexico.

    Title image: A vial of the Phase 3 Novavax coronavirus vaccine is seen ready for use in the trial at St. George’s University hospital in London Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2020. Novavax Inc. said Thursday Jan. 28, 2021 that its COVID-19 vaccine appears 89% effective based on early findings from a British study and that it also seems to work — though not as well — against new mutated strains of the virus circulating in that country and South Africa. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

  • President Zeman to personally attend the Visegrad Summit

    President Miloš Zeman will personally attend the summit of presidents of the Visegrad Four countries, which is set to take place in Poland on February 9 and 10. The President´s office is now waiting for the date to be confirmed by Poland. While in Poland, the Czech President will also join the “17 + 1” online summit for negotiations between China and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe.

    The presidential summit had been scheduled to take place in the autumn but was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Zeman promised to participate at the beginning of December when Polish President Andrzej Duda arrived in Prague.

    For Zeman, the trip to Poland will be his first foreign trip in more than a year. He visited Germany and Slovakia in November 2019, after which all other foreign trips were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

    Last year, for example, Zeman had planned to visit Italy and Bulgaria, and he also wanted to attend the Trinity Summit in Estonia. He intended to fly to Moscow as well for a ceremonial parade to celebrate the end of World War II and to a summit in China.

    The Chinese summit garnered some headlines, as Zeman had at first refused to participate due to insufficient Chinese investment in the Czech Republic. Later, Prague Castle accepted the invitation on the condition that their investment agreement be completed. In the end, the Czech President agreed with the visit, as he wanted to thank China for supplying them with medical equipment for the epidemic, but the summit was then postponed due to the ongoing coronavirus situation.

    A new meeting date was expected in the autumn, and a video conference was suggested due to the virus. Finally, the date was set for February 9. It will be held online, and Zeman will join the session from Poland.

    According to Czech News Agency, the presidents of the V4 Group are expected to address the coronavirus crisis, economic issues, climate issues, and the V4’s future prospects.

    They will also talk about history since the Central European cooperation project will celebrate its 30th anniversary. The V4 Group’s political cooperation was agreed upon by the then President of Czechoslovakia Václav Havel, Prime Minister of Hungary József Antall, and President of Poland Lech Walesa on February 15, 1991, at a meeting held in the northern Hungarian town of Visegrád.

    Title image: In this Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2019 file photo, Czech Republic’s President Miloš Zeman attends a press conference at the Serbia Palace in Belgrade, Serbia. The lower house of the Czech Parliament has dismissed a request to bring charges against President Zeman for allegedly violating the constitution. Only 58 lawmakers in the 200-seat house, far short of the three-fifths majority needed, voted Thursday, Sept. 26, to file the charges at the Constitutional Court. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic, file)

  • Three groups of migrants from Afghanistan detained in Czechia just this week

    Since Monday, police in the Pardubice Region of northeast Czechia have detained three groups of migrants hidden in trucks traveling from the Balkans. The truck drivers claim they were not aware of their passengers.

    In just four days, 14 young migrants, mostly Afghans, were detained. All three cases had the same scenario: Afghans arrived hidden in the semi-trailers of trucks from the Balkans, without the apparent knowledge of the drivers.

    The first two cases took place on Monday. People driving by alerted police to migrants jumping out of the trailers in the industrial zones of Semanín near Česká Třebová and Staré Čívice near Pardubice.

    They were all young men, often under the age of 18.

    “I do not remember so many cases in our region in such a short period,” said regional police spokeswoman Eva Maturová.

    According to the witnesses, people were jumping out of the moving trucks and fleeing on foot. The police, with the help of trained dogs, tracked down three Afghans in Semanín and six Afghans in Čívice.

    Afghans have asked for asylum in both Romania and Bulgaria, some even in both countries at the same time.

    “In both cases, Romania was the alleged starting point for the trucks. Both drivers stated that they had no idea about the foreigners in their cargo area; they drove the truck through Hungary and Slovakia to the Czech Republic. They also said that the cargo door was not sealed inside the EU and that nothing was checked after taking over the truck in Romania. The inspection took place only after it was discovered that they had uninvited passengers inside,“ said Maturová.

    Due to the long journey, the semi-trailers had leftover food and feces strewn all over the place.

    At the Foreign Police station, most of the detained foreigners tried to claim to be minors. “In the case of adults, a decision on their placement will be made in the Detention Facility for Foreigners. In the case of minors, a court decision on custody proceedings is now being sought through the Child’s Social and Legal Protection Authority. They all entered and were in the Czech Republic illegally, so we applied to the Ministry of the Interior to find out which EU Member State is responsible for their asylum procedure. Other actions will be aimed at extraditing foreigners to this state,“ explained a police spokeswoman.

    A similar case happened near the town of Chrudim in mid-January. Several migrants jumped out of a truck in Slatiňany and ran along the tracks towards Chrudim. They had hidden in the truck by cutting a cable securing its tarp and climbing underneath. 

    Title image: Detained migrants in the Pardubice Region. (Czech Police)

  • Czechia orders COVID-19 vaccination needles from Slovakia, EU’s purchase unsuitable

    Czechia has ordered syringes and needles for vaccination against the coronavirus through the State Material Reserves Administration (SSHR), mainly from the Slovak Chirana company. The European Union received their supply from China. However, PM Andrej Babiš points out that those needles are not suitable for the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.

    According to the Prime Minister, the Czech Republic ordered 6 million syringes and 6 million needles via the SSHR as well as an additional 800,000 syringes and needles to mix the vaccine with the diluent.

    “We did not order from China. The delivery is mainly from Slovakia´s Chirana,” confirmed Babiš.

    Babiš emphasized that the European Union, which purchased needles and syringes for all member states, secured its supply of syringes from China.

    “The European Union competed for this supply, not the Czech Republic,” he said.

    Czechia applied for deliveries from the EU in November and, according to the Prime Minister, ordered 12 million needles, 12 million syringes, and 1.8 million syringes for dilution.

    However, Health Minister Jan Blatný confirmed that the syringes ordered through the EU are not suitable for the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine but will be used with vaccines from other manufacturers. Currently, the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is still predominant in the Czech Republic. The Radiožurnál radio station also found that in the case of Chinese syringes with a fixed needle, getting the vaccine is more painful. Moreover, there is a risk of inflammation, and it is difficult to estimate the correct amount of vaccine fluid drawn into the syringe.


    Title image: Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (Andrej Babiš / Facebook)

  • Czech elite soldiers to fight terrorists in West African Mali

    Rough terrain, temperatures around 50 degrees Celsius, and a new task await Czech special forces soldiers in West Africa: in February, alongside their French colleagues, they will join the fight against terrorists from al-Qaeda, the Islamic State, smugglers, and radical insurgents in northeastern Mali.

    Czech deputies approved international deployments for the Takuba mission, which will allow the involvement of Czech special forces in the ongoing conflict in Mali. While all other foreign missions are only conducting training in Mali, Czech soldiers are also authorized to partake in combat missions. 

    “We are preventing terrorist attacks on our territory. From the point of view of international security, this is an absolutely key area,” said Jan Havránek, deputy minister of defense for the management of the Defense Policy and Strategy Section.

    The Sahel region of North Africa, which stretches across eight countries, is an incubator for international terrorism and illegal migration to Europe. One country of particular focus is Mali, where French soldiers have been fighting terrorists for about ten years. Under their command and with the support of other European countries — including Great Britain, Sweden, and Belgium — Czechia will now also participate as the only country from the Visegrád Group.

    The Czech Ministry of Defense confirmed that soldiers from the 601st Special Forces Group of General Moravec began moving to Mali at the end of last year. Until recently, an elite unit from Prostějov operated in Afghanistan. It also took part in operations in Iraq and Kuwait following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, in the United States.

    The Czech government approved the deployment of troops to Mali last January. However, international agreements with Mali and Niger were still being negotiated at that time to allow troops to carry out their tasks, which include reconnaissance, advising, training Malian forces, and engaging in action against terrorists from the Islamic State and al-Qaeda. The agreements have yet to be signed by the Czech president.

    The exact number of Czechs participating in the Takuba mission is classified. Last year’s reports from the Ministry of Defense spoke of a maximum of 60 soldiers. The Ministry of Defense has set aside 598 million korunas (€23 million) for 12 months to fund the operation.

    The Malian state and its security forces remain weak, and the country is rife with armed militias and religious extremists.

    “They started a business with smuggling people, especially to Europe,” said Petr Pavel, a retired army general and former chairman of the NATO military committee who has been deployed to Mali several times.

    “Terrorists and smugglers are creating a disinformation campaign that Europe is a paradise for African refugees,” Pavel explained organized migration, which generates millions of euros for smugglers. The Liptako-Gourma region on the borders of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger is also crucial from this point of view. Mainly Czech soldiers will work there.

    This is not the first deployment in Mali for Czechia. Since 2013, about 120 soldiers have been participating in a European Union training mission called EUTM Mali, which aims to train Malian military units.

    “In terms of climate, the Czech Republic and Mali are two incomparable worlds,” said Brigadier General František Ridzák, who has led the Union’s training mission in Mali for the past seven months and received a special award from the French minister of defense for his work. He returned to the Czech Republic on Jan. 12.

    According to Ridzák, Czech special forces are facing a challenging environment. A period of drought is beginning in Mali when temperatures are rising and terrorists are more active.

    Last year, protests took place in Mali calling for the resignation of the then head of state Boubacar Keita and the government over corruption, failure to cope with the onslaught of Islamists, and poor communication. The country is now preparing for new elections next May.

    According to Ridzák, the situation would improve if it was strengthened not only by the Malaysian army but also by the government.

    “Above all, the north of the country is in the hands of the rebels. The presence of the state, the police, and other security forces must return there,” said Ridzák. He believes that theiInstability is being used by terrorists to radicalize dissatisfied people.

    By participating in the Takuba mission, which consists of about 600 soldiers from various European countries, Czechia responded to the request of French President Emmanuel Macron. Two years ago, he announced that part of the 4,700 French troops deployed in Operation Barkhane, which includes Takuba, would need to be moved from the busy region of Mali to other locations in Africa, such as Chad and Niger.

    In 2012, a coup took place on the territory of the former French colony. The subsequent disruption was exploited by terrorists who settled in Mali. Since then, they have threatened not only the whole region but also Europe through controlled migration. France, which has often faced terrorist attacks in recent years, is one of the most affected countries in this respect.

    The French public is not very keen on operations in the Sahel mainly due to the loss of lives during the war. For example, at the beginning of January, five soldiers died after a French army vehicle was hit with a bomb.


    Title image: Ceremonial arrival of Malian liaison officers on arrival of EUTM Commander General Ridzák (Czech Army)

  • Czech currency strongest since outbreak of coronavirus crisis

    The Czech currency strengthened below 26 korunas per euro on Wednesday morning for the first time since the declaration of a state of emergency due to coronavirus last March.

    According to Patria Finance analyst Tomáš Vlk, the exchange rate may be affected by the statement of the Governor of the Czech National Bank, Jiří Rusnok, on the possibility of raising interest rates.

    According to Vlk, the assumption that the koruna may become one of the few currencies for which interest rates will rise is gradually becoming known to investors.

    “Lately, Governor Rusnok drew attention to the possibility of raising rates,” he added.

    The base interest rate, on which the interest rate on commercial loans is based, remained at 0.25 percent even after the December meeting of the Bank Board of the Czech National Bank (ČNB).

    In an interview published on Wednesday by the E15 daily, Rusnok stated that the rate setting does not need to be changed yet. However, he admitted the possibility of raising rates this year, albeit at a slower pace than the ČNB predicted in November’s forecast.

    According to Miroslav Novák, an analyst at the Akcenta CZ financial company, it does not matter when the ČNB will actually raise rates.

    “What is essential is that rate increases are perceived by domestic central bankers as a realistic scenario, which is a big difference compared to other central banks in the region (Hungarian MNB, Polish NBP) or the European ECB, in which any upward movement in rates in the foreseeable future is out of the question,” Novák said.

    The Czech currency ended last year against the euro at 26.20 korunas per euro. Although last year, the Czech currency weakened by about 3 percent due to the coronavirus epidemic, it has been gradually strengthening since the beginning of this year.

    Title image: The main building of the Czech National Bank (www.cnb.cz)

  • Czechs are least likely in Europe to share their data

    Czechs are the most distrustful nation in Europe — or perhaps the wisest — when it comes to sharing their data, according to an international survey by the EOS KSI agency. They protect their health data the most and, compared to other European countries, are more reserved about sharing their location, GPS, and movement data.

    Contact data (44 percent) is one type of data that Czechs are more willing to share with businesses, services, and applications. Almost two-fifths provide their personal information to third parties. The third most commonly shared item is data on shopping behavior and popularity of certain products or brands (37 percent). Only 27 percent of people share location, GPS, and motion data with third parties. Only 10 percent of Czechs share their health data. 

    “Data is, of course, a valuable commercial tool. However, they can often help rescue services to determine the location of the endangered or in contact with an infected person, for example. In addition, sharing financial data can enable companies to better assist indebted clients with loan repayments, as is the case in our sector. Caution is certainly commendable, but people should know the point where secrecy can be detrimental to themselves,“ said Vladimír Vachel from EOS KSI.

    According to him, the paradox is that 61 percent of Czechs do not have a bad experience with sharing data with third parties, or at least, they do not know about any adverse effects it may have had on their lives. Czech consumers are not significantly skeptical about companies and data sharing. They are even less skeptical than the European average. This approach confirms another inconsistency in Internet behavior. For example, a quarter of respondents do not adjust the settings of cookies on individual websites and automatically give their consent.

    “Cookies are a nice example, they make it easier to personalize the website, thanks to which the website knows what settings the user chose during the last visit or what personal data he should pre-fill in the form. We allow the web browser to know relatively a lot about ourselves,“ said Vachel, adding that the results of the survey show that digital trust and literacy in data sharing need to be built strongly.

    According to him, it is also important to fight the misinformation surrounding data misuse and the benefits of digitization. The great responsibility of education lies precisely on the part of companies.

    The international EOS study was conducted in collaboration with Kantar in the first half of 2020 on a representative sample in 17 countries. A sample of 1,000 respondents from Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, France, Croatia, Germany, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia, Spain, Switzerland, the United States, and the United Kingdom and 300 respondents from Northern Macedonia were evaluated.

  • Czech MPs reject condemning Russia’s response to Nalvany protests

    Czechia will not intervene in Russia’s domestic affairs after a proposal to condemn Moscow was shot down in the Czech Chamber of Deputies following clashes between protesters and police in Russia following the arrest of opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

    The resolution put forward demanded that the Czech government work to help release the opposition leader Alexei Navalny from jail as soon as possible, but Czech MPs from Freedom – Direct Democracy (SPD), the Tricolor movement, the Communist Party (KSČM), and most of the present deputies of the government parties ANO and Social Democratic Party (ČSSD), refused to discuss this matter.

    “When the state apparatus carried out repressions against the Czechoslovak citizens before 1989, we often received support from abroad. It was very important because it is necessary for people who are persecuted by an authoritarian regime that people talk about their situation and that the free world does not stay silent. It must be clear that free countries are not indifferent to their fate and their story,” commented Petr Fiala, chairman of the Civic Democrats (ODS), on the proposal to condemn Russia over its actions against Navalny.

    He proposed that the resolution should state the following: “The Chamber of Deputies condemns the violence by Russian security authorities against peaceful demonstrators and calls on the Czech government to work through diplomatic channels on the release of Alexei Navalny as soon as possible.”

    However, only 40 of the 97 deputies present were in favor of discussing such a proposal. For example, the Speaker of the House Radek Vondráček, and his three colleagues from the ANO movement voted for adopting the resolution. The opposition’s proposal was also supported by two Social Democrats and one member of the Communist Party. However, the majority of their party colleagues, as well as SPD and the Tricolor movement deputies, did not support the proposal.

    “I condemn the brutal violence and repression against freedom of speech,” wrote Foreign Minister Tomáš Petříček from the Social Democratic Party on Monday, adding that the foreign ministry will request an explanation from the Russian ambassador about the arrest of Navalny and the violent suppression of protests.

    “We must not be indifferent to what is happening in Russia. We must not be indifferent to what methods are used to fight the opposition. Many of us are watching with concern what is happening around opposition leader Alexei Navalny, what is happening around his colleagues,” ODS leader Petr Fiala said to his colleagues.

    The suppression of demonstrations, during which Russian security forces detained several thousand people over the weekend, was condemned by European Union states on Monday. Protesters demanded the release of Navalny, who was arrested a week ago when he returned to Moscow from Germany, where he was recovering from the poisoning attempt.

  • Nearly 1 in 6 employees in Czechia are foreigners, and their share is rising

    Foreigners make up about 15 percent of employees in the Czech Republic. The share of foreign workers in the Czech labor market has almost tripled in the last decade.

    The number of employees from abroad increased in all sectors. Although only temporarily, the coronavirus crisis interrupted the growth last year. The data, covering the period from 2010 to 2019 of the Czech Statistical Office (ČSÚ), was presented at a press conference by Dalibor Holý.

    In 2010, approximately 215,400 foreign employees worked in the Czech Republic. They made up 5.5 percent of the 3.89 million employees in the country. However, at the end of 2019, almost 621,900 people from abroad were employed in the Czech Republic. The share rose to 14.7 percent. In total, there were 4.23 million employees in the Czech labor market and growth in this category continued this year. At the end of 2020, there were 644,164 employees from abroad working in Czechia.

    In many industries, foreigners formed a significant part of the workforce before the coronavirus epidemic. In agriculture and forestry, their share has increased from less than 4 percent to 17 percent since 2010. They accounted for a quarter of employees in accommodation, food, and the hospitality services. A decade ago, it was less than 6 percent.

    In construction, their share has increased from 14 to 28 percent since 2010. In the administrative and support service sector, foreigners accounted for 54 percent of employees in 2019. In 2010, it was a tenth of this number. In the manufacturing industry, the share rose from 6 to almost 16 percent. In 2010, industrial enterprises employed 66,000 foreigners, while in 2019, it was 178,700 employees from abroad.

    According to Holý, Czechs have focused more on the area of education, health and social care, science, and information and communication technologies in the last decade.

    “Foreigners mostly seek jobs in which the language barrier is not important, like the blue-collar professions,” said Holý

    He pointed out that there is also a group of highly qualified experts from abroad in the Czech Republic, for example, in the field of information technology.

    In 2019, almost a third of foreign employees in the Czech Republic were Slovaks, and about a quarter of them came from Ukraine. Seven percent of the foreign workforce was from Poland, seven percent from Romania, and 6 percent from Bulgaria. Three percent of foreign employees came from Russia and 2 percent from Vietnam.

    Title image: Workers assemble frames for hospital beds at the Linet factory in Slany, Czech Republic, Monday, Oct. 19, 2020. A Czech hospital bed maker with a full order book received one more order that was impossible to turn down. The company was approached by Prime Minister Andrej Babis to deliver beds for a military field hospital for 500 COVID-19 patients, to be built this week in Prague. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

  • Outrage after Czech politicians and influential figures attend secret party during lockdown

    A number of Czech politicians and influential figures are in hot water after attending a birthday party for businessman and former influential Social Democrat Peter Benda on the weekend which violated coronavirus measures, with Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš calling their actions “unacceptable”.

    The Chairman of the National Sports Agency, Milan Hnilička, has indicated he will resign as member of the Czech Parliament, resulting in the first casualty of the scandal. 

    The party at a hotel in the town of Teplice was also attended by the deputy chairman of the Czech Television board, Jiří Šlégr, former Prime Minister Jiří Paroubek, and the Liberec Region police director Vladislav Husák.

    The Blesk daily, which exclusively reported on the party, wrote that the birthday party for the 50-year-old Teplice businessman, Benda, took place on Saturday evening at the Prince de Ligne Hotel. On Monday evening, the Radiožurnál radio station reported that the event was also attended by the police director of the Liberec Region, Vladislav Husák.

    Minister of the Interior Jan Hamáček, and Police President Jan Švejdar called forHusák to accept personal responsibility for his actions.

    According to photos obtained by Blesk, most of the guests did not wear face masks at the celebration. Around midnight, some of them left home in their cars or taxis while some — for example, Jiří Paroubek — spent the night in the hotel until Sunday, even though, based on the current coronavirus, hotels can be opened only for people on business trips or as a home office.

    The organizer and the participants of the event violated several measures and thus could face a fine. The case is currently under investigation by the police. In the Czech Republic, the indoor areas of restaurants are currently closed while in public places, face masks and distancing are mandatory. A maximum of two people can meet at indoor and outdoor events, and the 9:00 p.m. curfew still applies.

    “Such an event is a violation of government restrictions. Both the organizer and the participants face a fine,” Hamáček told Blesk.

    Former hockey goalie and the ANO movement member Milan Hnilička said that he is fully aware of his responsibilities as a member of the governing coalition.

    “That’s why, after the unnecessary mistake I made, I decided to resign from my position as MP. As for the post of head of the Sports Agency, I will wait to see how the sports environment approaches the whole matter,” he said.

    Prime Minister and Chairman of ANO Andrej Babiš has also called on Hnilička to take responsibility for his actions.

    “All participants, including the hotel where the event took place, must bear the consequences,” he wrote on Twitter.

    This affair is not the first time the media has caught politicians or other public figures violating government regulations. In October, the Blesk daily photographed the then Minister of Health Roman Prymula leaving a closed restaurant where he met with the head of ANO deputies, Jaroslav Faltýnek, and other people. Shortly after, he was forced to resign.

    Title image: The Chairman of the National Sports Agency Milan Hnilička (Twitter / Milan Hnilička)

  • Czech officials condemn police violence against Russian protesters

    Czech Foreign Minister Tomáš Petříček condemned the violence and suppression of freedom of speech in Russia in connection with the crackdown on demonstrations in support of Russia’s opposition leader Alexei Navalny. According to Deputy Prime Minister Jan Hamáček, the Russian government’s action against Navalny is a “huge disgrace to the Russian Federation”.

    Asked whether the minister planned to summon the Russian ambassador because of the situation, Petříček told Czech News Agency that the topic would be the content of Monday’s meeting of the EU Council “but we will also raise it bilaterally with the representatives of the Russian Federation,” he wrote in a message.

    At the online meeting of the EU Council, Czechia will support the extension of the sanctions list to include persons involved in the arrest of Navalny, Petříček said. In the long run, according to Petříček, Czechia should reconsider the relations with Russia, including economic ones.

    Deputy Prime Minister Jan Hamáček believes that the Russian government’s action against Navalny is a “huge disgrace to the Russian Federation”, which shows the current Russian regime’s fears of instability and the reaction of its own people.

    “They are upset,” said Hamáček, adding that people in Russia went to demonstrate on Saturday even in places where the temperature fell to minus 50 degrees Celsius.

    “The intervention was brutal and still continues, as far as I know. This is not a state that is not afraid of its citizens,” Hamáček said, pointing to the situation in Belarus, which he said was similar to the one in Russia.

    Pavel Fischer, chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, criticized the small response of Czech politicians. “The silence is bad, it is scandalous,” he said, referring to the fact that Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and President Miloš Zeman had not yet commented on the matter. 

    However, in this regard, Petříček reminded that Babiš stood up for Navalny a week ago during his arrest. Fischer also said he was in favor of terminating the agreement with Russia. According to Petříček, this cannot be expected during, for example, half a year in such complicated bilateral relations.

    In Russia, 3,000 people were detained during demonstrations in support of Navalny. Among those detained in the capital were Navalny’s wife Julia and his co-worker Lyubov Sobol. Due to the time lag, the first protests took place in the Far East and Siberia in severe frosts.

    The opposition has announced that it will hold further protests calling for Navalny’s release next weekend. The non-governmental portal OVD-Info, which monitors police interventions, said that at least 3,134 people were detained in about 90 cities across Russia, of which 1,201 were in Moscow and 471 in St. Petersburg.

    Navalny himself called for the demonstrations. The Russian authorities have indicated that they intend to prevent these actions. Navalny was arrested last weekend on his return to Moscow from treatment in Germany, where he was recovering from the August poisoning.

    The day after his arrest, the court imposed a 30-day detention on the president’s critic. The Russian prison service accuses him of “systematically violating” the regime of suspended sentence for embezzlement, which he committed according to the court.

    “First an attempt to poison an opposition politician, then delays with his transfer to Germany, then hammering that they did not do it. And the moment he returns home, he is convicted of leaving. He went away so he wouldn’t die, that’s just absurd,“ Hamáček concluded.

    Title image: Police clash with demonstrators during a protest against the jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny in People gather in St.Petersburg, Russia, Saturday, Jan. 23, 2021. Russian police are arresting protesters demanding the release of top Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny at demonstrations in the country’s east and larger unsanctioned rallies are expected later Saturday in Moscow and other major cities. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)

  • Czech EU presidency should focus on EU enlargement, says Czech foreign minister

    According to Minister of Foreign Affairs Tomáš Petříček, the priorities of the Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of 2022 will be the enlargement of the European bloc, migration, ensuring stability in the EU neighborhood, and cooperation with Asian states.

    “On behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I can confirm that one of the priorities will be the Western Balkans and the enlargement of the European Union. Of course, the issue of ensuring stability in the wider neighborhood of the European Union with regard to migration and conflict, especially in Africa, will be another priority. Furthermore, we talk about cooperation with Asian states,” Petříček said in an interview with the Czech News Agency.

    According to him, the coronavirus pandemic has also revealed the importance of strengthening the European Union’s ability to respond to crises.

    “I think that strengthening resilience will be one of the cross-cutting themes that we will promote not only in the European Union’s foreign policy but in general,” he said.

    The budget of the Czech Republic will be 1.24 billion korunas (€47.5 million), which is about two-thirds less compared to the previous Czech presidency in 2009. The government party of Social Democrats (ČSSD) and part of the opposition consider the budget too low while, according to Brussels diplomats, it is the lowest amount with which any member state has ever planned to hold the presidency. They warn that the Czech ability to enforce its priorities will be limited due to insufficient financing.

    According to Petříček, however, it is necessary to set program and political priorities first.

    “I believe that if, for example, we have greater ambitions in some areas, then the budget will be adjusted, accordingly,” he said.

    “It is not about spending unnecessary resources on various representative events, but above all, we want to ensure that we enforce our priorities in European legislation, for example, by directing relations with key EU partners where we think they should be,” said the minister.

    As for the accession of other countries to the European bloc, Czechia wants to ensure that the EU will follow new methods of the enlargement process adopted last spring. Petříček believes that an intergovernmental conference with North Macedonia and Albania will be launched in the first half of this year as a tool to negotiate the accession of candidate countries to European legislation.

    Title image: Czech Republic’s Foreign Minister Tomas Petricek speaks with the media as he arrives for a meeting of EU foreign ministers at the Europa building in Brussels, Friday, Jan. 10, 2020. EU foreign ministers and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg are gathering in Brussels for an emergency meeting during which they are expected to reiterate their support for the nuclear deal brokered with Iran. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

  • Czechia: Fight breaks out following speech from MP who refused to wear a mask

    A speech delivered from Czech MP Lubomír Volný, who does not belong to a political party, resulted in a physical altercation with other deputies during Thursday’s meeting of the Chamber of Deputies on the extension of the state of emergency. The incident occurred after the MP presiding over the meeting turned off Volný’s microphone.

    The tussle, which followed after Volný and his colleague, Marian Bojko, refused to wear a face mask in the chamber, has also caught the attention of foreign media outlets. The police are investigating the possible violation of hygienic measures.

    After MP Hanzel, who was chairing the session, turned off the microphone, Volný came to speak directly with Hanzel, who then tried to push Volný away, prompting other Social Democratic deputies to come aid him against Volny. Among the first to render aid were Jan Chvojka and Ondřej Veselý. After the physical alteration, Volný left the area accompanied by the police protection service.

     

    The conflict broke out after Volný opposed Hanzel telling Bojko he should be ashamed of not wearing a face mask in the chamber. Volný replied by saying that Bojko did not have to be ashamed because “he is not a member of a corrupt political party”. Hanzel then threatened Volný to turn off his microphone.

    Volný replied that in that case he would sit on Hanzel’s lap and finish the performance, which he then tried to do. The ensuing physical confrontation meant the Chamber’s session was temporarily interrupted.

    According to Chamber of Deputies Chairman Radek Vondráček, the event was unprecedented. Vondráček also reprimanded Bojko for not wearing a face mask and threatened to expel him if he continued to do so.

    Volný and Bojko were originally elected to the Freedom and Direct Democracy Party (SPD), however, the Speaker of the SPD and Deputy Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Tomio Okamura, strongly distanced himself from Volný’s actions.

    “We have nothing to do with MP Volný,” Okamura said. However, Ondřej Benešík, from the Christian Democrats (KDU-ČSL), objected that it was Okamura who brought Volný to the Chamber of Deputies.

    The chairman of the TOP 09 deputies, Vlastimil Válek, called Volný “a primitive who uses brachial violence as an argument”. He noted that Volný defended the interests of deniers of the existence of coronavirus and the need for vaccination.

    “If you feel the same — I don’t have a decent expression for this — as MP Volný and his colleague, then yes, don’t get vaccinated, Darwin rejoices, because evolution will win,” Valek added.

    The German news agency DPA and the Austrian APA informed their readers about the physical confrontation of several deputies. The incident was also covered in the Slovak and Polish media.

  • Germany to put Czechia on list of high-risk COVID-19 areas

    From Sunday, Germany will consider the Czech Republic to be an epidemiologically high-risk area. While the German state of Saxony will compromise on two compulsory coronavirus tests per week for cross-border workers, Bavaria wants to take a stricter path and will probably require COVID-19 tests every 48 hours.

    In Germany, the decision on the list of high-risk areas is made by the board of the ministries of health, foreign affairs, and the interior. The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) will then announce the final decision. Czechia will be probably included on the list on Friday, but the stricter measures will not take effect until Sunday.

    Czechia has been preparing for the change of status on the German high-risk areas list for a long time, as the epidemiological situation in the Czech Republic is significantly worse than in Germany. Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš suggested to Chancellor Angela Merkel that cross-border commuters would get tested for coronavirus twice a week, with one test being paid by Czechia and the other one by Germany.

    According to Czech News Agency, Saxony agreed with this compromise. However, Bavaria, which has introduced stricter measures than the rest of Germany throughout the pandemic, allegedly plans to require COVID-19 tests every 48 hours. It is not yet exactly clear what the Bavarian requirements will be, though.

    Germany has considered Czechia a risk country since September. Moving a country into the category of “high-risk” results from either spread of coronavirus variants considered dangerous or more than 200 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants over the past seven days. It is this second criteria that put Czechia in the new category.

    According to current data from the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), collected in the first two weeks of this year, Czechia has an average of 1,362 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants per 14 days, which is approximately 681 cases per week. According to the RKI, Germany registers 119 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants per seven days.

  • Czech food for Czechs: Country to limit supply of imported food despite objections from EU countries

    Czech grocery stores are going to be featuring more and more local Czech food in the future due to new quotas in what will be a win for the “buy local” movement, the environment and Czech farmers, but already the European Union and other lobby groups are pushing back against the new law.

    On Wednesday, the Czech Chamber of Deputies approved the proposal to introduce a mandatory share of certain basic foods of Czech origin in stores covering an area of over 400 square meters, reports Czech news portal Aktuaine. From 2022, this mandatory share should be at least 55 percent.

    According to the Hospodářské noviny daily, eight EU states have already objected to the planned quotas, pointing out the discriminatory behavior towards foreign products, which is inadmissible on the EU market.

    According to the proposal of the Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) MP Radim Fiala, the ratio will grow by three percentage points per year from 2022 to 2028, when it would reach at least 73 percent. Members of the SPD, ANO, Social Democratic Party (ČSSD), the Communist Party (KSČM), and Václav Klaus Jr. voted in favor of the quotas. The Senate will now discuss the proposal.

    On Wednesday, Minister of Agriculture Miroslav Toman called on deputies to be a little patriotic when it comes to Czech food. As an example, he said that when they have coffee in the Chamber of Deputies, they add German milk to it, which, according to him, proves that the law is needed.

    The introduction of quotas would concern more than 100 of the 15,000 types of food produced in the Czech Republic. These include, for example, the main types of meat or vegetables.

    Quotas should not apply to retail shops with an area of ​​up to 400 square meters or specialized shops.

    The Czech Confederation of Commerce and Tourism (SOCR CR), the Czech Chamber of Commerce, and the Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic have repeatedly opposed the quotas. According to them, these quotas will harm Czech customers, jeopardize exports, and violate the rules of the EU’s single internal market, as the European Commission and the Committee on European Affairs at the Chamber of Deputies have repeatedly pointed out.

    According to the Hospodářské noviny daily, eight EU countries have already expressed their objections about the quotas in a letter to Jaroslav Faltýnek, the chairman of the Committee on Agriculture at the Chamber of Deputies. According to the letter signed by representatives of Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, Poland, and Spain, if the law passes, Czechia would commit clear discrimination against foreign products, which is unacceptable in the Union’s single market.

    According to Trinity Bank economist Lukáš Kovanda, if the European Union designates the quotas as discriminatory against foreign products, it could impose economic or trade sanctions on Czechia.

    The law increasing the mandatory share of domestic food in shops was also approved in June 2016 by the Romanian Parliament. However, Romania eventually abolished the quotas due to the warning from the EU Court of Justice.


    Title image: A worker removes expired food in a local supermarket in Brussels on Monday, Jan. 16, 2017. The European Court of Auditors has chided the European Union’s executive branch in a report, “Combating Food Waste,” that decries the bloc’s lack of effort in reducing the food waste, estimating the EU wastes 88 million tons of food per year. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

  • Four EU countries, including Czechia, want faster vaccine approval process

    During the EU video conference on Thursday, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and his counterparts from Austria, Denmark, and Greece want to discuss speeding up the vaccine approval process by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the acceleration of vaccine production in Europe.

    They wrote this request in a letter to the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, Babiš posted on Twitter.

    In addition to Babiš, the letter is signed by the Danish Prime Minister Metter Frederiksen, the Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, and the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

    The Austrian chancellor said on Monday that Austria, together with Greece and Denmark, would push for the accelerated approval of the COVID-19 vaccine by the British company AstraZeneca by the EMA. The head of the Austrian government spoke about the joint efforts of the three countries a day after announcing the extension of Austria’s lockdown until at least Feb. 7.

    The EMA announced last week that it had received an application for conditional registration of a COVID-19 vaccine developer by AstraZeneca in collaboration with Oxford University and that it would review it as a matter of urgency this month. The Czech vaccination strategy also counts on the vaccine from AstraZeneca.

    Czechia is now struggling with the reduction of vaccine supplies from Pfizer and BioNTech. This week, compared to the original agreement, the company has decreased the supplies by about 85 percent, so 13,650 fewer doses will be delivered.

    Babiš stated on Czech Television that the originally planned deliveries should be reduced by an average of 30 percent in the next three weeks and that up to 80,000 fewer doses should arrive.

    According to Babiš, Czechia has ordered about 20 million vaccines against COVID-19. In addition to the vaccine from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna, which are already being used for vaccination, the orders also include vaccines from Curevac, AstraZeneca, and Johnson & Johnson.

    Czechia has been vaccinating its citizens since Dec. 27. By Tuesday noon, almost 130,000 vaccines had been given. According to the Minister of Health Jan Blatný, 1.3 percent of the population is vaccinated. According to him, 346,625 people are to be vaccinated in January, 271,600 in February, and 662,400 in March.

    Title image: Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš (Facebook)

  • Poll: Only 46% of Czechs want to be vaccinated, but a fifth remain undecided

    According to a survey conducted by the European National Panels, the willingness of people in the Czech Republic to get the COVID-19 vaccination rose to 46 percent in January. In the previous three months, about a third of people were interested in being vaccinated. Most willing are people above 55 years of age, while people between 25 and 34 are on the opposite side of the spectrum.

    Twenty-eight percent of respondents feel now certain that they want to be vaccinated, while another 18 percent are leaning towards vaccination. Between October and December, between 11 and 14 percent of people were unconditionally interested in the vaccine.

    At the same time, there are fewer people who do not want to get vaccinated at all, representing a third of respondents. However, in the previous three months, between 43 and 49 percent completely refused vaccination.

    People who have not yet decided have remained slightly below one-fifth of the total. About two percent of people cannot be vaccinated, for example, for health reasons.

    Of people over the age of 55, up to 62 percent are willing to receive a coronavirus vaccination, while only 30 percent want it in the group aged between 25 and 34.

    “The gender imbalance is also an interesting feature: more than half (55 percent) of men would be vaccinated, but only 39 percent of women,” the survey said. People from Prague and Central Bohemia are more willing to be vaccinated.

    Of those interested in vaccination, 56 percent would prefer a dose from a general practitioner. This is preferred mainly by older people and more often by inhabitants of villages rather than cities. “This preference may reflect respondents’ confidence in their GP, but potentially also the fear of visiting places where there is a higher risk of contracting COVID-19,” said the authors of the survey.

    Eleven percent of respondents said they would prefer their vaccination from a vaccination center 3 percent prefer a hospital. Almost a third of people do not care where they are vaccinated, the survey also showed.

    People mostly obtain information on vaccination from news media, followed by public experts and scientists, as well as social media. “The official websites of the Ministry of Health or the websites of other state institutions are only in fourth place,” said the authors of the survey.

    They compare the willingness to get vaccinated in individual countries with the use of an index, which is now at 50 points for Czechia and Poland. Slovakia is higher with 52 points, in Hungary it is 44 points and in Bulgaria 34 points.

    The results of the survey also show that between last October and January this year, 30 percent of people in the Czech Republic tested for coronavirus. Fourteen percent underwent PCR tests, 12 percent antigen tests, and the remaining 4 percent underwent both types of tests. The most common reason for the test was the symptoms of COVID-19. The infection was detected in 31 percent of those tested.

    A survey between Jan. 15 and 18 found out information on a sample of 2,400 people aged 15 and over. It was a continuation of the National Pandemic Alarm project, which has been monitoring the public’s attitudes and moods regarding the coronavirus pandemic in five European countries since last March.

    Title image: World War II veteran Emilie Repikova receives a vaccine against COVID-19 at the military hospital in Prague, Czech Republic, Sunday, Dec. 27, 2020. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

  • Hungary, Poland, Czechia, and Slovakia’s economic clout is on the rise

    In ten years, the economic performance of the Visegard Four (V4) region — the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia — has almost doubled, and the region, with a population of more than 60 million, is projected to be an increasingly important market player within the European Union, financial journalist Csaba Szajlai writes in a column in daily Magyar Nemzet:

    In recent years, growth in the V4 countries has exceeded the European Union average. While the average growth in the Union was 2.4 percent, that of V4 countries was 4.3 percent, which clearly shows the region is catching up. Thanks to better performance, the economic weight of these countries has also increased, with the economic growth of the V4 countries rising between 16 and 24 percent within the EU over the past decade. While the southern European member states as well as the British are suffering from a severe recession, a lack of reforms, a sluggish budget deficit, and high public debt, the prospects for the Central European group of countries facing the “east wind” are fundamentally encouraging. What characteristics of the region are helping underpin this growth?

    In a nutshell: with the exception of Slovakia, we all use our own money, thereby taking advantage of monetary freedom and room for maneuver, which helps support our export-oriented approach. At the same time, the role of the domestic economy is also becoming more and more important. The geographical and logistical location and proximity of the region to the core of Germany is a key element, while foreign trade relations with Austria are also very good. Both economies are highly developed in both a European and global comparison and are the best market for the V4. Banks and financial service providers also settled here from the middle of Western Europe, taking advantage of a common set of values.

    The Central European region has developed a lot since the fall of the communist regime. The Czechs have regained their traditionally outstanding level of economic performance that they obtained before the communist world, followed by us Hungarians. After a long time, we managed to bypass Slovakia and then Poland. However, roughly based on the EU as a whole, the region reached a level of 75-percent development in 2019, which, while still below the average level of development in Italy and Spain, is catching up at an astonishing rate compared to the 30-35 percent it was at in the 1990s. And the future promises to be encouraging: all major economic analyses estimate that the V4 member states will be able to expand beyond the EU growth average.

    The wealth of Austria and Germany is also due to their strong SME sector. Although it is difficult to compare a Hungarian company with a large Western European multinational, companies operating in the V4 countries can be compared. For example, the V4 countries produce 15 percent of foreign trade turnover in Europe, so Slovak, Polish and Czech companies are in a good position in this area. We Hungarians still have a lot of potential to grow in this respect.

    The legal-political-economic background of the cooperation between the V4 countries was given. As far as we know, the stakeholders signed a memorandum of understanding in Budapest in 2018: the declaration also raised the industrial policy coordination of the four countries to a higher level. In global competition, Europe needs a new industrial policy that strengthens innovation capacity, promotes the faster introduction of new technologies and encourages entrepreneurship, thus ensuring that the V4 region remains the engine of growth for the European Union.

    Continuous coordination and advocacy on budgetary and other major policy issues within the community can make Budapest, Prague, Bratislava, and Warsaw bigger than their respective parts. After the crisis and the recovery, the scope of cooperation needs to be expanded, and we do not strive for a “mini-EU”, but a level of cooperation that has characterized the Franco-German axis in recent decades. This has already been recognized and the era of construction has already begun.

    There are periods when everything favors this region. Go, Visegrád Four!

    Title image: Škoda factory in Mladá Boleslav, Czech Republic. (source: skoda-storyboard.com)

  • The European Green Deal is stuck

    The coronavirus pandemic diverts attention from other topics that now float below the surface, one of which is the New Green Deal, approved with a fanfare at the Brussels summit in December 2019.

    The deal itself is a declaration that should have been filled with specific content — above all by dividing all sectors in energy, industry, and services into what is green and sustainable and what is not, reminded Lenka Zlámalová in her commentary for Echo24.

    In the name of taxonomy, the European Union has set itself the ambition of creating a specific list of which technologies are “sustainable” and which are “dirty”. According to this list, bankers should then “value” the risk that the particular industry carries. Sustainable technologies and industries would be lent and insured at significantly lower interest rates than dirty ones. This “criminal” financial surcharge should gradually eliminate the dirty ones economically.

    European Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans announced the “world’s first green list”. However, the year has shifted and there is no green list. The countries of the European Union cannot agree on what is clean and what is dirty. This is despite the fact that a neutral category was added for fields, at least temporarily, on which officials and politicians are not yet willing to make a clear decision.

    On Dec. 18, the day of the deadline for comments from member countries, 46,591 comments arrived in the form of thousands of pages.

    Above all, however, a group of ten Central and Southern European countries came together to decide to block a very restrictive green list.

    The classifications between “clean” and “dirty” industries will already be voted on by a majority, so it is necessary to put together a blocking minority. The group consists of Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czechia, Croatia, Poland, Hungary, Malta, and Romania. The joint document clearly states what should be adjusted in the taxonomy — specifically, what should not be included in the category of punished, dirty business.

    The mainline is the effort to keep natural gas in the “neutral” category. States argue that this is one of the few truly realistic and viable pathways from coal-fired power plants to a cleaner economy.

    But it’s not just gas. At the summit, when Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš signed the New Green Deal, he promised to make sure that the nuclear energy was among the sustainable technologies. At the very least, this means pushing for it to end up in the neutral category, like gas.

    There is enough time. The infamous “green list” will not be created immediately, however, the time must be used wisely to clarify what our interest is and start promoting it. The coalition of restrained states is already clearly formed. The question now is how many of these countries (of which only a minority have nuclear power plants) will be willing to push nuclear energy, at least in the neutral category, in addition to natural gas.

  • Crime rate in Czechia dropped by almost 17% last year

    In the Czech Republic, the crime rate fell by 16.9 percent to 165,525 cases last year. Police recorded the decrease in all monitored categories as the number of simple thefts fell by almost a quarter and the number of violent acts by a tenth. Last year, authorities registered 130 homicides, representing 13 fewer year-on-year.

    According to Luděk Fiala, director of the Bureau of the Criminal Police and Investigation Service, the crime rate decreased thanks to coronavirus measures, which restricted the movement of people as well as entries from other countries. The amendment to the Czech criminal code also helped to improve the statistics as it raised the limit for evaluating an act as a criminal offense to 10,000 korunas (€383). Previously, the limit was half of this amount.

    “However, the last-mentioned factor had only minimal effect on the statistics because the amendment did not enter into force until Oct. 1, 2020,” explained Fiala.

    According to the police, the perpetrators caused damage amounting to 22.5 billion korunas (€860.95 million) last year.

    According to Police Presidium Spokesman Ondřej Moravčík, the last year’s decline in the crime rate applied to all regions, with Prague reporting the biggest difference as it recorded 38,059 offenses, which amounted to 11,804 less than in 2019.

    “Out of all 80 territorial departments, there was an increase in criminal activity only in the Tábor and Prostějov regions. However, in both cases, the increase was quite small,” Moravčík added.

    Title image: Demonstrators scuffle with police while protesting the COVID-19 preventative measures downtown Prague, Czech Republic, Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2020. Coronavirus infections in the Czech Republic have again jumped to record levels amid new restrictive measures imposed by the government to curb the spread. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

  • Without the Czechs, our healthcare system would collapse, warns Saxon prime minister

    The German state of Saxony will be unable to maintain its health care system without Czech doctors, carers and nurses, said Saxon Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer as the federal-state negotiates with the German government about exceptions for cross-border commuters in case the German-Czech border would close due to the spread of coronavirus.

    On Wednesday, the German government adopted a new regulation requiring a negative test from people arriving from regions where new mutated coronavirus has occurred and from epidemically high-risk foreign areas. An area is considered high risk if it reports more than 200 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants in a seven-day period. Although the Czech Republic significantly exceeds this limit, Germany does not consider it a high-risk area yet.

    “I consider the regulation adopted by the federal government to be very radical. From my point of view, it is suitable for areas with mutated type of coronavirus, but it takes little regard for Czech commuters,” said Kretschmer, adding that Saxony is negotiating with the federal government because of foreign workers.

    “It is generally known that without Czech doctors, caregivers and nurses, we would not be able to maintain health care,” he stressed.

    “The border has turned into an economic and living space, it cannot be closed radically. We have such experiences from the spring,” added Kretschmer, reminding of the spring decision of the Czech Republic and Poland to close the border with Germany.

    At the time, Saxony criticized the move of its neighbors. Now, however, such proposals are appearing among the inhabitants of this East German federal state. This is because in the Czech Republic, the disease is spreading much faster compared to Germany and that neighboring Saxony is one of the most affected regions within Germany.

    According to Kretschmer, it is necessary to determine how exactly the commuters from the Czech Republic and Poland affect the spread of the infection.

    “There are no clear answers to this, but the current incidence of 700 or 800 (new cases per 100,000 inhabitants in seven days) in the Czech Republic suggests that it may have something to do with it,” he said.

    He added that this was also the reason why Saxony planned to ask the commuters for two negative tests a week. However, the opinion has been reconsidered and only one test will be mandatory.

    Title image: Michael Kretschmer (CDU), governor of Saxony, speaks at a press conference in the State Chancellery in Dresden, Germany, Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020. Stricter protective measures against the spread of the corona pandemic will come into force in the Free State from 14 December 2020.(Sebastian Kahnert/dpa via AP)

  • German police detain 23 illegal migrants, hand them over Czechia

    German police discovered 23 migrants in three vans they stopped near the town of Selb near the border with the Czech Republic. Twenty men and three women were “crammed into a very small space,” the DPA news agency reported. All migrants and three smugglers were handed over to the Czech Republic.

    Police checked the vans on Friday on the A93 motorway between the towns of Selb and Rehau, which lie five and ten kilometers, respectively, from the Czech town of Aš. According to the German police, migrants and their smugglers were from Moldova. Two smugglers had a criminal record in Germany for theft.

    In addition to the people, the police also found work clothes and a forged Romanian ID and driver’s licenses in the vans.

    According to police, the trio of smugglers brought 23 people to Germany via Poland and Czechia. All 26 people were handed over by the federal police to the Czech authorities. According to the DPA agency, three men aged 20, 33, and 38 will be charged with trafficking in the Czech Republic.

  • What has the Czech government done right in the fight against coronavirus: survey

    According to a survey conducted by the Public Opinion Research Centre (CVVM), six out of ten Czechs consider the state’s response to the spread of COVID-19 to be adequate. For the majority of the population, however, the reasoning behind some implemented measures is missing or incomprehensible.

    In December, 44 percent of respondents described the measures as understandable, while 55 percent rated them the opposite.

    Compared to the results of a September survey, the number of people who consider the measures insufficient decreased by ten percentage points. On the contrary, there was a seven-percentage-point increase in the group of people who consider the measures to be excessive.

    At the end of last year, 57 percent of respondents also considered the government measures to be effective, while 37 percent of them were of the opposite opinion. In May and early June, more than four-fifths of Czech citizens were convinced that the measures were effective.

    In the time of the coronavirus epidemic, the Czechs evaluated the activities of medics, firemen, and the army most positively, with more than 80 percent of the public appreciating their work.

    On the other hand, at the bottom of the list was the European Union, with only 36 percent of respondents commending its activities, while the World Health Organization enjoyed the support of just 37 percent of respondents.

    The Czechs were also critical of the work of the media and the government. In total, 39 percent of respondents were satisfied with the work of journalists, while the government gained the support of 40 percent of those surveyed. On the contrary, 57 percent and 55 percent of Czech citizens criticized the media and the government, respectively.


    Title image: A man flashes victory signs during a protest joined by thousands against the government’s restrictive measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 infections in Prague, Czech Republic, Sunday, Jan. 10, 2021. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

  • Czech airlines sales crash 90%, hardest hit in all of Europe by coronavirus crisis

    Czech Airlines and Smartwings, the two largest air carriers in Czechia, transported 83.7 percent fewer people, with the coronavirus epidemic causing sales to fall by as much as 90 percent compared to 2019.

    Due to the unprecedented situation in aviation caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the Smartwings Group experienced a significant drop in transport performance last year. It carried more than 1.3 million passengers on regular flights and charter flights under the Smartwings and Czech Airlines brands. This is a year-on-year decrease of 83.7 percent.

    According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the air transport market in the Czech Republic is the most affected European market by coronavirus pandemics and travel restrictions.

    Last year, the Smartwings Group operated 13,500 (a decrease of 78.4 percent), and aircraft in the colors of Smartwings and Czech Airlines landed at 263 airports around the world. In addition to the Czech Republic, the group also operated flights from France, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and the Canary Islands. The Smartwings Group currently numbers 47 aircraft.

    “At the beginning of last year, the Smartwings Group aimed for the best result in its history. Instead, we have had to face an unexpected and unprecedented crisis in the air transport industry. Due to the drastic decline in demand caused by extraordinary circumstances, we were forced to implement very drastic austerity measures and take many major steps,” said Roman Vik, Member of the Board of Directors and CEO of Smartwings.

    Not even a fifth of the flights flew after the first quarantine

    As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent measures taken by the Czech government and other European countries, there was a historically unprecedented reduction in flights, a drop in the number of passengers, and thus a drop in the company’s income. In the spring months of the state of emergency, air traffic was completely halted.

    After resumption, the operation did not resume to even a fifth of its original capacity. The effects of the coronavirus epidemic caused sales to fall by as much as 90 percent compared to 2019.

    “Now, mastering the vaccination of the population is a crucial factor in returning to travel. Our goal is to be a major player in the European air transport market and a competitive airline. We still believe we can do it. Mainly thanks to our employees who stood the test and I thank them very much for that,“ added Roman Vik.

    Despite the drastic effects of the coronavirus pandemic on travel, the Smartwings Group from the Czech Republic serves the most destinations (currently 11) and is the largest carrier at Václav Havel Prague Airport. In addition to regular and charter flights under the Smartwings and CSA brands, it also provides a number of special flights for various important organizations, sports clubs, etc.

    The company has long been involved in arranging UN and NATO-funded flights for the armies of the Scandinavian countries to Afghanistan and Mali.

    Title image: Czech Airlines aircraft lands at the airport in Prague, Czech Republic, Friday, Oct. 6, 2017. Czech airline Travel Service says it has acquired a majority stake in the national carrier Czech Airlines or CSA. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

  • Czechia is an epidemiological bomb, warns German media

    Germany will not get rid of coronavirus as long as the virus spreads from the Czech Republic, which is one of the most affected countries, Olaf Gersemann stated in the opening of his commentary in Wednesday’s issue of Die Welt. In the article titled “Dangerous Neighbor: We Must Finally Talk About the Czech Republic,” the author states that the prime ministers of Saxony, Bavaria, and Thuringia must find the courage to take action so the situation in Germany can improve.

    While in October, according to Die Welt, the coronavirus in Saxony was not yet so strong, in the Czech Republic, the pandemic raged in full force with 600 or 700 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants in seven days.

    “This is a figure that Germany reports from only a few places. It is a loss of control that is unparalleled in Europe to this day,” the author writes about what was happening in the Czech Republic, adding that 9,000 Czechs regularly crossed the border to work on the Saxon side.

    “They are everywhere in Bad Schandau — in hotels, restaurants, shops,” he recalls of the situation at the time.

    “Three months later, Saxony is struggling with the incidence of 304 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants in seven days, while in the whole of Germany it is 155, and the state government in Dresden is still making it a success in all seriousness,” writes Die Welt.

    It points out that the Bavarian and Saxon districts bordering the Czech Republic are particularly affected in Germany. However, the disease also spreads in Thuringia and also in Brandenburg and Saxony-Anhalt, parts of the country that are further from the Czech Republic.

    According to the commentary, getting development under control with the help of lockdowns and similar measures is difficult because the dire situation is constantly “fed” across the open border with the Czech Republic.

    “In the meantime, a third wave broke out in Czechia with an incidence of 829, which is the second-highest in the world,” writes Die Welt.

    The daily also states that although German hotels and restaurants have stopped operating, there is a growing demand for foreign workers in places where the infection poses a particularly high risk, such as “nursing homes and hospitals,” the paper wrote.

    The fact that Saxony will require one test per week from foreign commuters from Monday is also not expected to interrupt the chain of infection transmission from the Czech Republic.

    There are two options to choose from. According to the daily, state governments will either rely on the Czechs to bring the pandemic under control, or they will decide on measures that will provide real protection and at the same time prevent a shortage of carers.

    “Why, for example, does the flat rate for accommodating foreign commuters not increase fivefold, and is it not paid directly to employees instead of to employers?” Die Welt asks.

    The flat rate in Saxony for commuters from mid-December is €40 per night, but the amount does not motivate many people to live temporarily in Saxony instead of commuting.

    Die Welt considers existing state measures, such as the ban on tourist accommodation, restrictions on movement to a limited circuit around the home, or mandatory respirators of the FFP2 class, to be a real solution. 

    Title image: People wear protective face masks due to the coronavirus pandemic, as they walk over a bridge during the lockdown in Oberhausen, Germany, Monday, Jan. 11, 2021. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

  • Czech scientists create new COVID-19 tests

    The Czech biotechnology company Bioinova has completed new test kits for COVID-19 that can be used not only for nasopharyngeal but also for mouth or saliva sampling. As a result, tests should be faster, cheaper, and more patient-friendly.

    The use of the tests has already been approved by the Czech State Institute for Drug Control.

    “The test is called Bi-Cov. The name suggests that it offers two possible ways to use them, firstly for swabs from the nasopharynx but also the oral cavity,” explained Peter Bauer, director of Bioinova.

    Some laboratories, for example, in one of Prague’s hospitals, have already started using them.

    The test kit consists of a sampling brush and a small test-tube with a clear solution. After the swab, the sampling brush remains in the test-tube, and the kit then goes to the laboratory for a classic PCR test. Isolation of viral RNA begins immediately after the swab. When the laboratory employees open the test-tube, they can immediately proceed to the PCR test.

    The Bioinova company does not want to give any details on the contents of the solution, though.

    “That solution is our ‘gold’ which we have created. We will have it patented soon,” said Bauer.

    The results of a clinical study carried out in cooperation with the hospital in Nový Jičín showed that the solution revealed 30 percent more patients infected with COVID-19 than the classic swab could. According to Bauer, it does not matter whether the sample is taken from the nasopharynx or the mouth. However, for patients, it would mean that in the future they could avoid unpleasant swabs from the nose.

    Production of the test kits has begun in Prague and also in Brno. The company plans to send 50,000 sets of them to the market per week.

    Title image: A woman undergoes the rapid antigen test for the coronavirus in Prague, Czech Republic, Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020. The voluntary testing that is free of charge has started on Wednesday at hundreds of sites across the country and will last till Jan 15. The Czech Republic has been facing a rise in new coronavirus infections in December. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

  • Fitch: Hungarian economy will boom in 2021-22

    The European Union’s recovery fund is expected to significantly accelerate the recovery of EU economies in Central and Eastern Europe from the shock caused by the coronavirus epidemic, especially next year, according to a study presented by Fitch Ratings in London on Wednesday. According to the forecast of the international credit rating agency, in 2022 Hungary’s gross domestic product (GDP) will grow by almost 7 percent – at the fastest rate within the group of countries.

    Fitch analysts point out that each of the 11 EU member states in Central and Eastern Europe will be a net recipient of free benefits from the €750 billion recovery fund announced as Next Generation EU, and that these economies will also receive new low-cost loans under the program.

    According to a study by Fitch ratings, the EU recovery program is already having a positive impact on EU economies in Central and Eastern Europe this year through concentrated use at the beginning of the period, but the additional growth momentum from the EU fund is expected to become even more significant in 2022.

    Based on this, Fitch’s model calculations show that the average economic growth rate weighted by the real value of the gross domestic product will be 3.8 percent in 2021 and 5.5 percent next year for the region as a whole.

    Credit rating analysts stress that their forecast for a strong recovery in the region this year is still largely based on the base effects of last year’s sharp decline caused by the coronavirus epidemic and their assumption that progress towards resolving the health crisis will improve growth in the second half of 2021.

    According to the credit rating chart, Croatia will be the largest beneficiary of the EU recovery program in terms of GDP.

    Fitch estimates that free benefits from the Next Generation EU fund will reach 11.03 percent of Croatia’s GDP generated in 2019. Croatia can also obtain cheap loans equivalent to 6.8 percent of 2019 gross domestic product through the EU program.

    In the case of Hungary, according to the calculations of Fitch ratings’ London analysts, the benefits of the recovery fund will reach 4.35 percent of GDP, and loans made available on preferential terms will be equivalent to 6.8 percent of Hungary’s gross domestic product.

    All in all, the credit rating company expects that the Hungarian economy will grow by 4.9 percent this year and by 6.9 percent in 2022, after a probable 6.2 percent decline by 2020.

    This also means that Fitch expects the fastest annual growth rate in the Hungarian economy in the region next year.

    The forecast assumes growth rates of 4.4 percent in the Czech Republic this year, 5.7 percent next year, 3.3 percent and 5.1 percent in Poland, respectively.

    Other large London houses have also made optimistic forecasts about the prospects for the recovery of the Hungarian economy.

    The Morgan Stanley Global Financial Services Group’s London Investment Division’s annual study for 2021 also writes that it is likely that the Hungarian economy may outperform the Central and Eastern European region, as its structure is more open than other economies in the region, and this feature offers the opportunity for a strong rebound this year and next.

    Based on this, Morgan Stanley’s London analysts expect GDP growth in the Hungarian economy to be 3.9 percent this year and 6 percent in 2022, after a 6.8 percent decline by 2020.

    Title image: Suzuki factory in Esztergom, northern Hungary.